he
left of the opening rose three grain elevators: huge wooden towers with
their tops narrowed in and devices of stars and flour-bags painted on
them. At their feet ran the railroad track, encumbered with a string of
freight-cars; a tall water-tank, a grimy stage for unloading coal, and a
small office shack marked the station.

Prescott, however, did not notice much of this; he was more interested in
the signs of conflict on the persons of the men he met. Some looked as if
they had been violently rolled in the dust; others wore torn jackets; and
the faces of several were disfigured by bruises. Empty bottles, which
make handy clubs, were suggestively scattered about the road. All this
was unusual, but Prescott supposed some allowance must be made for the
fact that it was the anniversary of the famous victory of the Boyne.
Moreover, there was a community of foreign immigrants, mixed with some
Irishmen and French Canadians, but all professing the Romish faith,
engaged in some railroad work not far away.

In front of the hotel ran a veranda supported on wooden pillars, and a
row of chairs was set out on the match-strewn sidewalk beneath it. Most
of them were occupied by after-supper loungers, and several of the men
bore scars. Prescott stopped and lighted his pipe.

"Things seem to have been pretty lively here," he remarked. "I came in to
see the implement man and found he couldn't talk straight, with half his
teeth knocked out. It's lucky the Northwest troopers have stopped your
carrying pistols."

One of the men laughed.

"We've had a great day, sure. Quite a few of the Dagos had knives, and
Jernyngham had a sword. Guess he'd be in trouble now, only it wasn't one
you could cut with."

"How did he get the sword?"

"It was King Billy's," explained another man. "Fellow who was acting him
got knocked out with a bottle in his eye. Jernyngham got up on the horse
instead and led the last charge, when we whipped them across the track."

"Where's the Protestant Old Guard now?"

"Some of it's in Clayton's surgery; rest's gone home. When it looked as
if the stores would be wrecked, Reeve Marvin butted in. Telephoned the
railroad boss to send up gravel cars for his boys; told the other crowd
he'd bring the troopers in if they didn't quit. Ordered all strangers off
on the West-bound, and now we're simmering down."

"Where's Jernyngham?"

The man jerked his hand toward the hotel.

"In his room, a bit the worse for wear.