Already a crowd was surging and roaring around the jail. The miners were lashed into a murderous frenzy and were restrained from shattering the door and dragging forth the cowering prisoners only by the presence of Corcoran, who faced them on the jail-porch. McNab, Richardson and Stark were there, also. McNab was pale under his whiskers, and Stark seemed nervous and ill at ease, but Richardson, as always, was cold as ice.
--ang--m!--roared the mob.--et us have--m, Steve! You--e done your part! This camp-- put up with enough! Let us have--m!-- Middleton climbed up on the porch, and was greeted by loud cheers, but his efforts to quiet the throng proved futile. Somebody brandished a rope with a noose in it. Resentment, long smoldering, was bursting into flame, fanned by hysterical fear and hate. The mob had no wish to harm either Corcoran or Middleton--did not intend to harm them. But they were determined to drag out the prisoners and string them up.
Colonel Hopkins forced his way through the crowd, mounted the step, and waved his hands until he obtained a certain amount of silence.
--isten, men!--he roared.--his is the beginning of a new era for Wahpeton! This camp has been terrorized long enough. We--e beginning a rule of law and order, right now! But don't spoil it at the very beginning! These men shall hang--I swear it! But let-- do it legally, and with the sanction of law. Another thing: if you hang them out of hand, we--l never learn who their companions and leaders are.
--omorrow, I promise you, a court of inquiry will sit on their case. They--l be questioned and forced to reveal the men above and behind them. This camp is going to be cleaned up! Let-- clean it up lawfully and in order!----olonel-- right!--bawled a bearded giant.--in't no use to hang the little rats till we find out who-- the big--ns!-- A roar of approbation rose as the temper of the mob changed. It began to break up, as the men scattered to hasten back to the bars and indulge in their passion to discuss the new development.
Hopkins shook Corcoran't hand heartily.
--ongratulations, sir! I--e seen poor Joe-- body. A terrible sight. The fiends fairly shot the poor fellow to ribbons. Middleton, I told you the vigilantes wouldn't usurp your authority in Wahpeton. I keep my word. We--l leave these murderers in your jail, guarded by your deputies. Tomorrow the vigilante court will sit in session, and I hope we--l come to the bottom of this filthy mess.-- And so saying he strode off, followed by a dozen or so steely-eyed men whom Middleton knew formed the nucleus of the Colonel-- organization.
When they were out of hearing, Middleton stepped to the door and spoke quickly to the prisoners:--eep your mouths shut. You fools have gotten us all in a jam, but I--l snake you out of it, somehow.--To McNab he spoke:--atch the jail. Don't let anybody come near it. Corcoran and I have got to talk this over.--Lowering his voice so the prisoners could not hear, he added:--f anybody does come, that you can't order off, and these fools start shooting off their heads, close their mouths with lead.-- Corcoran followed Middleton into the shadow of the gulch-wall. Out of earshot of the nearest cabin, Middleton turned.--ust what happened?----orman't friends tried to get me. They killed Joe Willoughby by mistake. I hauled them in. That-- all.----hat-- not all,--muttered Middleton.--here--l be hell to pay if they come to trial. Miller-- yellow. He--l talk, sure. I--e been afraid Gorman't friends would try to kill you--wondering how it would work out. It-- worked out just about the worst way it possibly could. You should either have killed them or let them go. Yet I appreciate your attitude. You have scruples against cold-blooded murder; and if you-- turned them loose, they-- have been back potting at you the next night.----couldn't have turned them loose if I-- wanted to. Men had heard the shots; they came runnin'tfound me there holdin'ta gun on those devils, and Joe Willoughby-- body layin'ton the floor, shot to pieces.----know. But we can't keep members of our own gang in jail, and we can't hand them over to the vigilantes. I--e got to delay that trial, somehow. If I were ready, we-- jump tonight, and to hell with it. But I-- not ready. After all, perhaps it's as well this happened. It may give us our chance to skip. We--e one jump ahead of the vigilantes and the gang, too. We know the vigilantes have formed and are ready to strike, and the rest of the gang don't. I--e told no one but you what Hopkins told me early in the evening.
--isten, Corcoran, we--e got to move tomorrow night! I wanted to pull one last job, the biggest of all--the looting of Hopkins and Bisley-- private cache. I believe I could have done it, in spite of all their guards and precautions. But we--l have to let that slide. I--l persuade Hopkins to put off the trial another day. I think I know how. Tomorrow night I--l have the vigilantes and the Vultures at each others--throats! We--l load the mules and pull out while they--e fighting. Once let us get a good start, and they--e welcome to chase us if they want to.
---- going to find Hopkins now. You get back to the jail. If McNab talks to Miller or the others, be sure you listen to what-- said.-- Middleton found Hopkins in the Golden Eagle Saloon.
----e come to ask a favor of you, Colonel,--he began directly.--want you, if it's possible, to put off the investigating trial until day after tomorrow. I--e been talking to Joel Miller. He-- cracking. If I can get him away from Barlow and Letcher, and talk to him, I believe he'sl tell me everything I want to know. It--l be better to get his confession, signed and sworn to, before we bring the matter into court. Before a judge, with all eyes on him, and his friends in the crowd, he might stiffen and refuse to incriminate anyone. I don't believe the others will talk. But talking to me, alone, I believe Miller will spill the whole works. But it's going to take time to wear him down. I believe that by tomorrow night I--l have a full confession from him.----hat would make our work a great deal easier,--admitted Hopkins.
--nd another thing: these men ought to be represented by proper counsel. You--l prosecute them, of course; and the only other lawyer within reach is Judge Bixby, at Yankton. We--e doing this thing in as close accordance to regular legal procedure as possible. Therefore we can't refuse the prisoner the right to be defended by an attorney. I--e sent a man after Bixby. It will be late tomorrow evening before he can get back with the Judge, even if he has no trouble in locating him.
--onsidering all these things, I feel it would be better to postpone the trial until we can get Bixby here, and until I can get Miller-- confession.----hat will the camp think?----ost of them are men of reason. The few hotheads who might want to take matters into their own hands can't do any harm.----ll right,--agreed Hopkins.--fter all, they--e your prisoners, since your deputy captured them, and the attempted murder of an officer of the law is one of the charges for which they--l have to stand trial. We--l set the trial for day after tomorrow. Meanwhile, work on Joel Miller. If we have his signed confession, naming the leaders of the gang, it will expedite matters a great deal at the trial.-- X
THE BLOOD ON THE GOLD
Wahpeton learned of the postponement of the trial and reacted in various ways. The air was surcharged with tension. Little work was done that day. Men gathering in heated, gesticulating groups, crowded in at the bars. Voices rose in hot altercation, fists pounded on the bars. Unfamiliar faces were observed, men who were seldom seen in the gulch--miners from claims in distant canyons, or more sinister figures from the hills, whose business was less obvious.
Lines of cleavage were noticed. Here and there clumps of men gathered, keeping to themselves and talking in low tones. In certain dives the ruffian element of the camp gathered, and these saloons were shunned by honest men. But still the great mass of the people milled about, suspicious and uncertain. The status of too many men was still in doubt. Certain men were known to be above suspicion, certain others were known to be ruffians and criminals; but between these two extremes there were possibilities for all shades of distrust and suspicion.