y would wait until the
arrival of the mail from the north on Monday at noon, and that if the
Republicans did not then vacate the office they would march upon the
court-house, seize the clerk of the court, take forcible possession of
the jail, and install Joe Davis in the office of sheriff. They swore
they would do all this before sunset Monday night if they had to soak
the sand of the streets a foot deep in blood. The Republicans grimly
said that they would not give up the office without the official order
of the court if they had to kill every Democrat in the town to hold
it.

When the party searching for little Paul walked down Main street in
the dim, early light, their footsteps breaking loudly upon the morning
silence, men jumped to their feet with revolvers at ready, and set
faces, crowned with disheveled hair, looked out from doorways whence
came the click of cocking triggers. As the party was divided in its
political affiliations, the young men knew that it would be safer for
them to separate and for each to walk down Main street on that side to
which his elders belonged. And so it happened that armed men, jumping
from their blankets with revolvers drawn and cocked, and sternly
commanding "halt," heard on both sides of the street at the same time
how Pierre Delarue's little boy was lost on the mesa. Over and over
again the young men told their story as they walked down the street,
and group after group of armed and expectant men asked anxiously,
"What's the matter?" "What's up?" "What's happened?" As they listened,
the angry resolve in their faces softened into sympathy and concern,
and everywhere there were low exclamations of "We must hunt him up!"
"We must all turn out!"

When Pierre Delarue returned he found the feud forgotten. Men were
running hither and thither getting horses and carriages ready, a long
line of men and boys straggled out across the mesa, the Main street
barrier, which had risen sky high when he left the town, had sunk to
the middle of the earth, and men who, a few hours before, would have
shot to kill, had either opened mouth to the other, rode or walked
side by side, talking together of the lost child, as they hurried out
to the hills to join in the search.

Mrs. John Daniels, as soon as she rose from the breakfast table,
hastened to Mrs. Judge Harlin's house, and together they went to offer
sympathy and neighborly kindness to Marguerite. Other women came, and
their tear-dyed lids told