by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XXI
Captain Hampton sat for some time longer watching what was going on. Hesaw that the girl did not herself serve, but generally superintended thetwo lads who were serving the drinks, receiving the money and weighingthe gold dust that served as currency, a pinch of gold being the pricefor a glass of liquor of any kind. Two men, one of whom he hadrecognised at once as being Truscott, looked after the boys attending tothe guests at the tables. Now that he obtained a full sight of the girl,he saw that, striking as was the likeness to Dorothy, there were pointsof difference; her hair was darker, her complexion less clear andbrilliant, her expression more serious and far less variable thanDorothy's and lacking the sunshine that was one of the latter's chiefcharms. Still, he could well understand that one could be mistaken forthe other at first sight, especially when dressed precisely alike, andwith the face shadowed by a veil. After sitting half an hour longer hereturned to the waggon.
'I have found them, Jacob.'
The lad gave an exclamation of satisfaction.
'It is just as I expected,' Captain Hampton went on; 'they have opened asaloon--that large one with the boarded sides. You had better have yoursupper, Jacob; I took mine in there. I want to think quietly. We havedone the first part of our work, but the most difficult is still beforeus; at least it strikes me it is the most difficult.'
'You will manage it somehow,' Jacob said confidently; for his faith inhis master was absolutely unlimited.
Captain Hampton sat for a long time on the stump of a tree smoking andthinking. Now that the search was over, the task that he had set himselfseemed more difficult than before. Think as he would he could form nodefinite plan of action, and concluded that he would have to wait andsee how things turned up. He would, he foresaw, have but fewopportunities of speaking to the female, and he had already decided thatshe was a woman with a strong will of her own, and not likely to actupon impulse. Her expression reminded him much more strongly of Dorothyas he had seen her since she had taken offence with him, than of whatshe was when he first returned to England.
'This girl has had troubles, I have no doubt,' he said, 'and I shouldsay she has borne them alone. Jacob,' he said suddenly, as the boyreturned from seeing to the horses, 'I want you to go to that saloon,and take a drink at the bar. Have a good look at the girl there. Yousaid the photograph reminded you of a girl that lived in the court withyou. I want you to see if you still notice the resemblance.'
Jacob returned in half-an-hour.
'Well, Jacob?'
'She is like, sir, wonderful like. Of course, she is older and muchprettier than Sally was, but she is very like too, and she has got a wayof giving her head a shake just as Sally had, to shake her hair off herface. If it wasn't that it doesn't seem as it could be her I should sayas it was.'
'I think it is quite possible that it is she, Jacob. Some day you musttry to find out, but not at present. We must see how things go on herebefore we do anything. I shall get work here and you must go backwardsand forwards with the team. We must earn our living, you know. I havegot money still, but I must keep some in reserve for paying our passagehome, or for anything that may turn up; and if we stop here long I shallwant to buy a share in a claim. I fancy they are doing well here. Thereis no reason one should not make the most of one's time. To-morrow youcan go to that saloon and say you are going down to Sacramento next day,and would be willing to bring up a light load for them. That may giveyou an opportunity of speaking to the girl, and her voice may help youto decide whether it is the girl you knew.'
Next morning Captain Hampton went through the diggings; presently hecame upon the man he had spoken to the evening before. He was workingwith two others. He looked up from his work and nodded.
'Taking a look round, mate?'
'Yes.'
'Do you want a job? We are a man short.'
'What are you giving?'
'Five dollars a day.'
Ned Hampton nodded.
'All right,' he said, 'I will come to work to-morrow. Is your claim agood one?'
'We hope it is going to be; we gave a thousand dollars for it. It iswell in the middle of the line of the valley, and we reckon it will berich as we get lower, though at present we are not doing much more thanpaying our expenses. Do you want to buy a share?'
'I will tell you after a few days,' Ned said. 'What do you want for it?'
'It just depends,' one of the other men said. 'If it is to a man whowould do his full share of work we would let him have a quarter for fourhundred dollars, for we shall have to do some timbering soon. If it isto a man who is afraid to put his back into it we would not have him atany price.'
'Very well, then, it will suit us both to wait for a week. I will cometo work to-morrow on hire.'
'He looks the right sort,' the man said, as Ned Hampton moved away. 'Heis a quiet-looking fellow, active and strong. A Britisher, I should say,by his accent.'
After strolling round the camp Hampton looked in at the saloon. Therewere only three or four men at the bar. The girl was not there.
'I have been round there this morning,' Jacob said when he returned tothe waggon. 'I did not see her. They have given me an order for as muchas I will carry. They would fill the cart up, but I would not have morethan my usual load.'
'You did not know the man by sight at all, I suppose?'
'No. I don't think I ever set eyes on him before.'
'Spirits and groceries, I suppose, principally?'
'Yes; they are expecting flour and bacon up in a waggon that ought to bein to-day.'
'Did they ask you any questions, Jacob?'
'Only if I had been out here long. I said we had been out here a goodbit, and had been hauling goods to the camps where we had been. I didnot give any time, but it was a long list of camps, and they must havereckoned we had been out here some months. One of them said somethingabout a reference, so as to be sure that I should bring the goods herewhen I got them, but I said--Reference be blowed. We had been haulingout here long enough, and as we had got a waggon and team it weren'tlikely we were going to risk them and being shot for the sake of a fewpounds' worth of goods: so they did not say anything more about it. Isaid my mate was going to work here and was going to buy a claim, andthat satisfied them a bit. I suppose you are going to have your grubhere at one o'clock?'
'Yes. When do you start, Jacob?'
'I will go as soon as we have had dinner. We will get up the tent withthe tarpaulin now, if you are ready; then if we go round just afterdinner is over in the saloon I will get the orders for the things atSacramento and be off.'
'I have arranged about working in a claim, Jacob. I will take my mealsat the saloon while you are away.'
When they went into the saloon the great bulk of the men were off totheir work again, and only two or three were lounging at the bar. Jacobwent up to Murdoch, who was setting things straight.
'Have yer got the list ready?' he asked. 'I am just going to hitch upthe team.'
'I will get it up for you directly.'
'We will take a drink while you are getting it,' Ned Hampton said. 'I amthis lad's mate, and have pretty well arranged about taking a share in aclaim, so if you like he can go down regularly for you.'
They strode up to the bar, while Murdoch went through an inner door. Heappeared behind the bar directly after with Truscott.
'These are the men that are going down with the cart, Linda,' the lattersaid to the girl; 'at least the lad is going, the man is going to workon the flat; they want the list.'
'Brandy and champagne are the two things we want most,' she said. 'Youhad better get eighteen gallons of Bourbon, eighteen of brandy, andtwelve dozen of champagne. I have made out the list of the groceries wewant. There it is; that comes to thirteen pounds.'
Truscott then made a calculation as to the amount required for the wineand spirits, and drew a cheque on the bank.
'You are sure you think it safe, Murdoch?' he asked in low tones.
'Safe enough,' the other replied. '
They know well enough if they were totake it they would be hunted down; anyhow there is no other way of doingit unless one of us goes down, and neither of us can be spared. We didnot reckon on the stuff going so fast, and it would never do to run out.They would go to the other places at once if they could not have liquorhere. When do you expect to be back?' he asked, going across to the bar.
'In about four days, if they don't keep me.'
'They won't keep you,' the man said, 'longer than to go to the bank andget the money. To-day is Tuesday; you will get down to the road byto-night and you ought to be there by Thursday afternoon. If you getthere in time to load up then and get out of the place you ought to beback by Saturday night.'
'I reckon I shall,' Jacob said; 'that is if all goes right and I don'tsmash a wheel or an axle.'
'I will give you twenty dollars more than I bargained for if you areback by sundown on Saturday. We shall want the stuff bad by that time.'
Jacob nodded. 'I will do my best,' he said. 'The horses can do it if wedon't get blocked with anything. Is there any shopping I can do for you,miss?'
The girl shook her head.
'No, thank you; I have got everything I want.'
'You had better call at the post office when you get to the town,' Nedsaid. 'If you should think of anything more, miss, there would be timeenough if you sent it off in the mail bag to-morrow morning. If youaddress it, "J. Langley," he will get it.'
The girl glanced at him with some little interest. He had spoken in arough tone, but she detected a different intonation of the voice to thatin which she was generally addressed.
'You are English, are you not?' she asked.
'Yes, miss, I came across from the old country some time ago.'
'I am English too,' she said. 'I suppose the horses and cart belong toyou?'
'They are a sort of joint property between us,' he said; 'I work at thediggings and he drives, and I take it he makes more money than I do.'
'What part do you come from?' she asked.
'Mostly London,' he said; 'but I have been working about in a good manyplaces, and I don't look upon one as home more than the other.'
'You are going to work here for a bit?' she asked.
'Yes, it seems from all I hear as good a place as any, and if I can getregular work for the waggon I shall stop here for a while. I am justbuying a share in a claim, and I shall anyhow stop to see how it worksout.'
'I have not seen you here before,' she said.
'I took my supper here last night,' he said; 'but the place was full. Idid not come in in the evening, for I am not given to drink and I havenot taken to gambling.'
'Don't,' she said, leaning forward, and speaking earnestly. 'You had aswell throw your money away. I hate seeing men come in here and lose allthey have worked so hard for for weeks; and then it leads to quarrels.Don't begin it. It is no use telling any one who once has begun thatthey had better give it up. They don't seem as if they could do it then,but if you have never played don't do so.'
'I don't mean to. I have seen enough of it in other camps. Thank you,miss, all the same for your advice.'
The girl nodded and moved away, and Jacob, having received his list andinstructions, presently joined Ned Hampton and they walked awaytogether.
The next morning the latter set to work, and was so well satisfied atthe end of two days with the result that he bought a share in the claim.He took his meals at the saloon and went in for an hour every evening.The place was at that time so crowded that he had but few opportunitiesof exchanging a word with the girl. She generally, however, gave him anod as he came up to the bar for his glass of liquor. When he had takenit he usually strolled round the tables looking at the play. In thesaloon itself it was harmless enough, the miners playing amongthemselves for small stakes, but in a room at the back of the saloon itwas different. Here there was no noisy talk or loud discussion. The mensat or stood round a table at which Monte was being played, the dealerbeing a professional gambler, whose attire in ordinary clothes, with adiamond stud in his broad shirt front, contrasted strongly with therough garb of the miners.
No sounds broke the silence here save an occasional muttered oath, anexclamation of triumph, or a call for liquor. It was seldom that anevening passed without a serious quarrel here or at the drinking bar.Twice during the first week of Ned's stay in the camp pistols weredrawn. In one case a man was killed, in the other two were seriouslywounded.
'I should like to see a law passed by the miners themselves,' NedHampton said, as he was talking over the matter with his partners attheir work next day, 'forbidding the carrying of pistols under thepenalty of being turned out of camp; and it should be added that whoeverafter the passing of the law drew and fired should be hung.'
'It would be easy enough, pard, to get the law passed by a majority, butthe thing would be to get it carried out. There are four or five men inthis camp as would clear out the hull crowd. The best part of us hatesthese rows, and would glad enough be rid of the gang and work peaceably,but what are you to do when you can't have your own way without runninga risk, and a mighty big one, of getting shot?'
'Ay, that is it,' another said. 'It would need a sheriff and a big posseto carry it out.'
'Of course, no one man would attempt such a thing,' Ned Hampton said,'but I believe in some of the camps they have banded together and giventhe gamblers and the hard characters notice to quit, and have hung upthose who refused to go. It is monstrous that two or three hundred menwho only want to work peaceably should be terrorised by half-a-dozenruffians.'
'It ain't right, mate, I allow as it ain't right, but it is hard to seewhat is to be done. There is Wyoming Bill, for example, who came intothe camp last night, cursing and swearing and threatening that he wouldput a bullet in any man who refused to drink with him. I expect it wereafter you turned in, mate, but he cleared the saloon of the best part aswas there in five minutes. He did not go into the inner room, he knewbetter'n that; Joe, the gambler, would have put a bullet into him beforehe could wink; so would Ben Hatcher, and two or three of the otherswould have tried it. Then he swaggered up to the bar and began to talkloud to the girl there. Some one told them in the inner room and BenHatcher and Bluff Harry stept out, pistol in hand, and says Ben, "Youhad best drop that, Wyoming, and as quick as lightning. It has beensettled in this camp as any one as says a bad word in front of that barwill be carried out feet foremost, so don't you try it on, or you willbe stuffed with bullets afore you can say knife. I know you and you knowme, and there is half a dozen of us, so if you want to carry on you hadbest carry on outside. I tell you once for all." Wyoming Bill weakenedat once, and the thing passed off--but there will be a big muss somenight.'
'I should like to turn the whole lot out,' Ned Hampton said, angrily;'it could not be done in broad daylight without a regular battle, but wemight tackle them one by one, taking them separately. Ten men might makethis camp habitable.'
'Are you a good shot with the pistol, mate?'
'Yes, I am a good shot, but I don't pretend to be as quick with it asthese professional bullies. Yet I have had to deal with awkwardcustomers in my time, and would undertake to deal with these fellows if,as I said, I could get ten men to work with me.'
'Well, there are three of us here besides yourself, and I guess we wouldall take a hand in the game. What do you say, mates?'
The other two assented.
'We ought to be able to get seven others,' Jack Armitstead, who was themost prominent man of the party, said; 'they must be fellows one couldtrust; there is Long Ralph and Sam Nicholson and Providence Dick, theyare all quiet chaps and could be trusted to hold their tongues. Therehas been a good deal of grumbling lately; there have been ten men killedhere since the camp began, and it is generally allowed as that is toobig an average. It is allus so with these new rushes. Chaps as begins tofeel as they have made other places too hot for them, in general joinsin a new rush. We must be careful who we speak to, for if the fellowsgot scent of it some of us would be wiped out a
fore many hours hadpassed, for if it came to shooting, none of us would have a look in withmen like Ben Hatcher or Wyoming Bill.'
'There is no occasion to be in a hurry,' Ned Hampton said; 'we canafford to wait till they get a little worse, but it would be as well tobegin about it and get the number ready to act together.'
'You would be ready to act as captain if you were elected?' JackArmitstead asked.
'Quite ready. I may tell you, though I don't wish it to go farther, thatI have been an officer in the British army, and several times beenengaged in police duty in a troubled country, where I have had to dealwith as hard characters in their way as these men. I have no wish to becaptain at all; I am almost a new chum, and many of you have been a yearon the gold-fields. I shall be quite willing to serve under any one thatmay be elected; I have no wish whatever for the command.'
'All right, partner, we will talk it over and fix about who had best beasked. I guess in two or three days we can make up the number. The boyswere pretty well riled last night at Wyoming's goings on, and if ithadn't have been that they did not want to make a muss, with that girlin the saloon, I fancy some of them would not have gone withoutshooting.'
The next evening the saloon was emptier than usual; there were but twoor three men at the bar when Ned Hampton, who had finished his supperearly, went over to it. The girl herself, contrary to her custom, cameacross to take his order.
'Good evening, miss,' he said; 'I hear you nearly had trouble here againlast night.'
'Very nearly. I cannot think why men here will always pull out pistols;why don't they stand up and fight as they do at home? It is horrible.There have been four men killed in the saloon while we have been here. Ithought they would be rough, but I had no idea that it would be likethis.'
'It is not a good place for a woman,' Ned Hampton said, bluntly,'especially for a young and pretty one. Your father ought to know betterthan to bring you here.'
She shrugged her shoulders.
'It pays,' she said, 'and they are never rude to me.'
She turned away.
A moment later Ned Hampton was tapped on the shoulder, and looking roundsaw that it was the man who had during the day been pointed out to himas the redoubted Wyoming Bill.
'Stranger,' he said, 'I want you to understand that any one who speaksto that young woman has got to talk with me. I am Wyoming Bill, I am. Ihave set my mind on her, and it will be safer to tread in a nest ofrattlesnakes than to get my dander up.'
Ned Hampton laughed derisively. 'You hulking giant,' he said, 'if you orany one else attempts to dictate to me I will kick him out of thesaloon.'
With a howl of fury the man's hand went behind him to his pistol pocket,but quick as he was Ned Hampton was quicker. Stepping back half a pacehe struck the man with all his force and weight on the point of thechin, knocking him off his feet on to his back on the floor. An instantlater Ned sprang upon him, and twisted the revolver from his grasp; thenhe seized the half stunned and bewildered man by his neck handkerchief,dragged him to his feet, and thrusting the revolver into his own pocket,shifted his grasp to the back of the man's neck, ran him down thesaloon, and when he reached the door gave him a kick that sent himheadlong on to his face.
'Now,' he said sternly, as the man, utterly cowed, rose to his feet, 'Iwarn you if I find you in camp in the morning I will shoot you at sightas I would a dog.'
The man moved off muttering blasphemous threats, but holding his handsto his jaw which had been almost dislocated by the blow, while Nedreturned quietly into the saloon, where the miners crowded round himcongratulating him on having achieved such a triumph over a notoriousbully. Ned was shortly forced to retire, for every one of those presentwere insisting on his having a drink with them.
On returning to his tent Ned Hampton found that Jacob had just returnedfrom his second journey to Sacramento, and they sat chatting over theevents of the trip until it was time to turn in.
'He has gone, Ned,' was Jack Armitstead's greeting when Ned Hampton camedown to his work.
'Gone?' he repeated. 'Who has gone? Not Sinclair surely,' for but two ofhis partners had just arrived.
'Sinclair? No. Wyoming Bill has gone--rode off just at daybreak thismorning, with his face tied up in a black handkerchief. They say his jawis broken. Well, partner, you have done it and no mistake, and the hullcamp was talking about nothing else last night. The chaps as was theresaid they never saw anything like the way you downed him. Why, if thisplace was made into a township to-morrow, they would elect you mayor orsheriff, or anything else you liked, right away.'
'Oh, it was nothing worth talking about,' Ned said carelessly. 'He wasgoing to draw and I hit out, and as a man's fist goes naturally quickerfrom his shoulder than the sharpest man can draw his pistol, of coursehe went down. After that he was half stunned and I expect he didn't feelquite sure that his head wasn't off. A blow on the point of the chingives a tremendous shaking up to the strongest man. It was not as if hewas standing balancing on his feet prepared to meet a blow. I considerit taking an unfair advantage to hit a man like that, but when he isfeeling for his pistol there is no choice in the matter. However, it isnot worth saying anything more about.' And Ned at once set to at hiswork.
Nothing further was said on the subject until they stopped forbreakfast, when Jack Armitstead said--
'At any rate, Ned, that affair last night has made it easy for us to getthe men together for the other job. Those I spoke to and told them youwere ready to be our leader just jumped at it, and I could enlist halfthe camp on the job if I wanted to.'
'Ten will be enough, Jack. It is a matter that must be kept secret, foryou must remember that though we might clear out the camp of thesefellows without difficulty, we should all be marked men wherever we wentif it were known which of us were concerned in the matter.'
'That is true enough,' Sinclair said. 'It would be as much as any of ourlives were worth to go into any of the other camps where one or two ofthese fellows happened to be, if we were known to have been among JudgeLynch's party.'
Ned Hampton went back to breakfast at the cart, as he always did whenJacob was there.
'They have been telling me that you thrashed a man awful yesterdayevening,' Jacob began, as he came up. 'I heard some chaps talking abouta fight as I was unloading the goods at the back of the saloon, and Iwondered what was up, but I never thought as you were in it; you did notsay anything about it when we were talking.'
'There was nothing to tell about, Jacob. I knocked down a big bully andturned him out of the saloon; there was no fighting at all, it was justone blow and there was an end of it. I am a pretty good boxer, I think Imay say very good; and these fellows, though they are handy enough withpistols, have not the slightest idea of using their fists. The fellowhas gone off this morning and we shan't hear any more about it.'
After dinner Ned again went into the saloon. As soon as he approachedthe bar the girl came across to him.
'Thank you,' she said; 'the men here heard what he said to you, and hewell deserved what you gave him. It was very brave of you, as he wasarmed, and you were not.'
'His arms were not of any use to him, miss, as I did not give him timeto use them; besides, bullies of that sort are never formidable whenthey are faced.'
Ned felt rather doubtful as to his reception by the other desperadoes ofthe camp; but as soon as the girl turned away two of these came up tohim.
'Shake,' one said, holding out his hand; 'you did the right thing lastnight. It is well for that white-livered cuss that none of us were hereat the time, or he would have had a bullet in him, sure. It has been anagreed matter in this 'ere camp, that girl is not to be interfered withby no one, and that if any one cuts in, in a way that ain't fair andright, it should be bad for him. She has come among us, and we are allproud of her, and she has got to be treated like a lady, and WyomingBill was worse nor a fool when he spoke as I heard he did to you. He hadnot been here long and did not know our ways or he would not have doneit. We went in and told him last night
he'd got to get, or that what youhad given him would not be chucks to what would happen if he was not offafore daybreak. Let us liquor.'
This was an invitation that could not be refused, and Ned had to gothrough the ceremony many times before he could make his retreat. Thatevening Sinclair and Jack Armitstead came across to Ned's fire.
'We have got ten men, Ned, who are ready to join us in clearing thecamp, and we are ready to do it in any way you may tell us.'
'I should give them fair warning,' Ned said; 'there are six of them,including Mason, the gambler, who are at the bottom of all the troublehere. I will write six notices, warning them that unless they leave thecamp in twelve hours it will be worse for them. I will write them now,it only wants a few words.'
Each notice was headed by the man's name to whom it was addressed. 'Thisis to give you notice that if you are found in this camp after sunsetto-night you do so at your peril.--Signed, Judge Lynch.'
'Now,' Ned said, when he had written the six papers, 'get six sticksabout three feet in length, cut slits at one end and put these papers inthem, and then stick them in the ground in front of these men's tents,so that they cannot help seeing them when they turn out in the morning.If they don't take the hint and go we will hold a consultation in theevening as to the steps to be taken.'
The threatened men were all late risers, and the notices were seen byother men going to their work, and the news speedily spread through thecamp.
After breakfast Sinclair said to Ned, 'Those fellows have been holding asort of council together. I saw them standing in a knot before BluffHarry's tent; I expect by dinner time we shall see what they are goingto do. I don't think they will go without a fight. They are all veryhard cases, and Bluff Harry and two or three of the others are cleargrit down to the boots.'
At twelve o'clock it was seen that the tents of the threatened men hadall been taken down and had been erected close together just outside thelimits of the camp.
'That means fighting, clear enough,' Jack Armitstead said, when theyresumed work. 'I expect they have agreed that one shall be always onwatch, and I reckon that the ten of us would not be of much use againstthem.'
'I quite agree with you, Jack,' Ned said, 'and I have no idea ofthrowing any life away by an open attack upon them. We must bide ourtime: for a day or two they will no doubt keep together, but they willsoon get careless and then we can act.'
In the evening the men went to the saloon in a body, and standing at thebar indulged in much defiant language of Judge Lynch and his party. Soinsolent and threatening was their demeanour that the numbers in thesaloon rapidly thinned, quiet men soon making their way back to theirtents. Ned had not gone there; he thought that after what had happenedbefore, he might be suspected of being concerned in the matter, and thatone of the men might pick a quarrel with him. The next day passed offquietly. Ned, on his way back from work in the evening, passed as usualclose behind the saloon. As he did so the door was opened and the girlcame out.
'I want to speak to you,' she said. 'Those men were at the bar thisafternoon. They were talking about the warning they had had, and one ofthem said he believed that Britisher had something to do with it. Theothers seemed to think so too. I don't think your life is safe. Pray donot come here at present, and keep away from them--but it would be saferstill for you to go to some other place.'
'Thank you for the warning,' Ned said. 'I had not intended to come infor a day or two. They have no grounds for suspecting me more than anyone else, but I don't want to get into a quarrel with any of them.'
'They are dangerous men,' she said, 'very dangerous. Pray be careful. Itis shameful that things should be like this.'
'We are going to try and make things better,' Ned said, 'but we mustwait till they are a little off their guard.'
'Oh, then you are in it. I thought you would be. Yes, it is dreadful. Myfriends were with them at first, but they see now that they drive peopleaway from the saloon, and they would be glad if the place could becleared of them. But pray do not run into any danger.'
'I think I can take care of myself pretty well, miss, and I am notalone. I think most of the men here are of the same opinion, and will beglad to see the camp freed of these ruffians.'
'Yes, but not to take a share in doing it. Well, pray be careful. Wereanything to happen to you I should know it was because you had punishedthe man who spoke so insultingly about me. You are not like most of theothers; you call me miss, and you try to speak roughly, but I know thatit is not natural to you, and that you have been a gentleman.'
'There are a good many in the camp who have been gentlemen,' he said;'but it makes no matter what we have been, each man has to work forhimself here and to keep on the common level, and the master is he whocan work hardest and steadiest, or, on the other hand, he who can drawhis pistol the quickest.'
'They are calling me,' the girl exclaimed, as she heard her name shoutedwithin. 'I must go now,' and she darted back to the door while Nedwalked on carelessly.
'She is certainly marvellously like Dorothy,' he said to himself. 'Herexpression was softer this evening than I have seen it before--thatmakes the likeness all the stronger.'
In the evening Ned heard pistol shots in the direction of the saloon,and a few minutes afterwards Jack Armitstead came up.
'More murder,' he said. 'Ben Hatcher has just shot down two new-comers.They only arrived this afternoon, and knew nothing of what was going on.They walked up to the bar and gave an order. Ben Hatcher was standingthere and made some insulting remark to them. They resented it, and hedrew and shot them down at once.'
'You had better bring up the other men,' Ned said. 'We will see if wecannot take this fellow as he leaves the saloon to-night. Don't bringthem here; the gathering might be noticed; take them forty or fiftyyards behind; then I will join you.'
Ten minutes later Ned took a coil of rope and sauntered off to the spothe had indicated, where he was presently joined by the ten men.
'It would be useless trying to take this fellow in his tent to-night,'he said; 'after what has happened they will be certain to keep a goodlookout. We must watch as they leave the saloon. Will you, Armitstead,go in there now and seat yourself at a table and see what is going on,and when you see them coming out get out before them, and come and tellus; we shall be gathered just round the corner.'
'I don't expect they will be long,' Armitstead said. 'There won't bemuch play going on to-night after what has happened. Yes, I will go in.'
There were a few men still sitting at the tables when he entered; theywere drinking silently, and watching with scowling faces the groupstanding at the bar. He took his seat at the table nearest to the door,and in the silence of the place could plainly hear what was being saidat the other end.
'I tell you, you were wrong,' Bluff Harry was saying; 'there was no callto draw. The men were new-comers and meant no harm; it is enough to setthe whole camp agin us. It ain't no use your scowling at me; I ain'tafraid of you and you knows it.'
'Bluff Harry is right, Ben; however, it ain't no use having words atweenfriends. We have got to stick together here, and if we does that we canclear this camp out.'
'I don't care a continental what Bluff Harry or any other man thinks,'Ben Hatcher said, sulkily. 'I does as I like, without asking leave fromno man; still, I don't want to quarrel, and as some of you seems to wantto make a muss, I will just leave you to yourselves and turn in.' As heturned to leave the bar, Jack Armitstead slipped out through the doorand ran round the corner.
'He is coming out by himself,' he said; 'you had best get away fromhere, for a shout would bring the whole gang upon us.'
Ned led the others down by the side of the saloon, and then out throughthe tents. They took their station behind one standing on the verge ofthe camp and waited. In two or three minutes a step was heardapproaching. As the man came along, Ned Hampton sprang out and threwhimself upon him; the others at once followed, and the man was thrown onto the ground, and in spite of his struggles bound and gagged. Then si
xof them lifted him on their shoulders, and carried him up into the wood.
The next morning, one of the miners going up to chop some firewoodreturned with the news that Ben Hatcher was hanging from a tree. Manyothers ran up to verify the statement. On the breast of the dead man waspinned a paper. 'This man has been tried and found guilty of murder, andhas been hung by my orders--Judge Lynch.'
The feeling in camp was one of general satisfaction. The murders of thepreceding evening had caused general indignation, and threats had beenfreely uttered.
Hatcher's companions were among the last to hear what had happened. Noneof them, on their return a few minutes after him, had thought of lookingin his tent; the three whose turn it was had each kept three hours'watch, and had no reason for supposing that anything unusual hadoccurred. It was not until eight o'clock, that one looking into BenHatcher's tent discovered that it was untenanted; the others were soonroused at the news, and Bluff Harry went down into the camp to see if hehad gone down on some errand.
'Have you seen Ben Hatcher?' he asked a miner who was cooking breakfastfor his mates.
'Ay. I have seen him, and I guess pretty near every one in camp has.'
'Where is he?'
'You will find him up in that wood there, close to that big pine, and itain't a pleasant sight to look at, I can tell you.'
'Is he dead?'
'I should say so; about as dead as he ever will be.'
Bluff Harry returned to his friends, and they went up in a party to thewood. Hardy as they were, their faces whitened as they looked at theswinging body and read the paper.
Not a word was spoken for a minute or two; then Mason, the gambler,said--
'We had best bury him at once, boys; we can talk it over afterwards.'
Two of the men went down and borrowed picks and shovels. In half-an-hourthey returned to their tents, having finished their task. The meal wasprepared in silence. When they sat down, Mason said--
'Well, boys, I don't know how you take it, but it seems to me that thisis not a healthy place to stop in. We cannot always keep together andalways be on our guard, and they may pick us up one after the other. Ithought when you were talking yesterday about Judge Lynch that you wereaway from the mark. He has been to two or three camps where I have been,and it ain't no manner of good bucking against him. My opinion is, thesooner we git the better.'
'I am with you,' Bluff Harry agreed. 'If they came to open fighting Iwould take a hand to the last, but this secret business don't suit me. Ireckon the game is played out here, and we had better vamoose the ranchbefore the worst comes of it.'
The others were of the same opinion. The little tents were pulled downand their belongings made up into bundles, and before noon each manshouldered his kit and moved quietly off.