ly. They at
length admitted that they had come from Levake, and gave Stanley his
chance for an answer.

"Tell Levake for me there will be no peace for him or his until he
comes down here with his hands behind his back. When I want Rebstock
and Seagrue I will let him know. I want him first," said Stanley,
dismissing the messengers without more ado.

CHAPTER XXIII

He had resolved that Levake was to be punished, but it was not a
unanimous voice that backed the railroad leader in his determination.
Weak-kneed men in the conference wanted to compromise and end the
fight where it stood. Even Atkinson was disposed to make terms, as the
party returned to the barricade.

"No," repeated Stanley. "Levake is the head and front of this whole
disorder. As long as he can shoot down unarmed men in the streets of
Medicine Bend there will be no law and order here. While men see him
walking these streets unpunished they will take their cue from him and
rob and shoot whom they please--Levake and his ilk must go. A
railroad, on the start, brings a lawless element with it--this is
true. But it also brings law and order and that element has come to
Medicine Bend to stay. If the machinery of the law is too weak to
support it, so much worse for the machinery. I don't want to see
blood shed or property destroyed, but the responsibility for this
rests with the outlaws that are terrorizing this town. And I will
spend every ounce of ammunition I have and fight them to the last man,
rather than compromise with a bunch of cutthroats.

"If any man here feels differently about this, he may step out of the
barricade now," continued Stanley, addressing those of the townsmen
that listened. "There will be no hard feeling. But this is the time to
do it. Worse is ahead of us before we can clean the town up as it will
have to be cleaned sometime. The longer you leave the job undone, the
harder it will be when you tackle it."

A movement across the square interrupted his words, and a messenger
waving a white handkerchief came over to the barricade to ask for a
surgeon for a wounded man. There were some who opposed sending any
relief to men that had forfeited all claim to humane consideration.
Doctor Arnold, however, was summoned, and Stanley finally determined
that the matter should be left to the surgeon himself--he could go if
he wished. Arnold did not hesitate in his decision. "It is my duty to
go," he decided briefly.

"I don't quite see