s who were openly or
secretly allied in one or another vicious calling to the classes that
were now making a stand for the rule or ruin of the railroad town.

A mob of sympathizers gathered in Front Street to protect from
further punishment the party that had tried to capture the express
car. But the railroad men had no idea of pursuing the raiders beyond
the yard limits, and indeed were restrained by strict orders from
doing so. Stanley sent word immediately to the sheriff, demanding the
arrest of the new peace-disturbers, but the sheriff no longer made a
pretence of arresting law-breakers. In Front Street, the mob,
emboldened by their apparent control of the situation and increasing
in clamor and numbers, were now in a humor for anything that promised
pillage or vengeance. There were still among them a few cool-headed
criminals who counselled caution, but these were hooted down by men
who had never tasted the rigor of vigilante rule.

Out of a dozen wild schemes broached by as many wild heads of the
excited crowd, in which were now lined up for any lawlessness all the
idlers, floaters, the improvident, and the reckless elements of a
frontier gambling town, one caught the popular fancy. Some one
proposed a jail delivery to release Rebstock and Seagrue, persecuted
by the railroad company. The idea spread like wildfire, and a score of
men, reinforced by more at every door as they proceeded up Front
Street, made their way to the jail.

Fast as they came, time was given for word to the sheriff, who
conveniently got out of the way, and, led by half a dozen men with
crowbars and spike-mauls, the outlaws surrounded and overran the jail
yard and without a show of resistance from any one began smashing in
the entrance and battering down the cell doors.

The first suggestion included only the delivery of the two men. But
this was effected so easily that more was undertaken. The jail at
Medicine Bend, being the only one within many miles in any direction,
harbored the criminals of the whole mountain region, and these now
cried to friendly ears for their own freedom. Cell after cell was
battered open and the released criminals, snatching tools from the
mob, led in the fight to free their fellows. In less than half an hour
every cell had been emptied and a score of hardened malefactors had
been added to the mob, which now proposed to celebrate the success of
its undertaking by setting fire to the jail itself.

The vigilantes