in the street, discussing and arguing the exciting events of the
night.

In some mysterious manner knowledge that Burkhardt and not Weir was
the prisoner in the jail, together with news of Judge Gordon's suicide
and Vorse's death, had spread from mouth to mouth. Amazement and
incredulity had been followed by an aroused feeling of anger, for to
the Mexicans it appeared that the crushing blow dealt the leaders of
the town was the arbitrary act of the man they believed a lawless
gun-man. Were not Weir's foremen and engineers guarding the jail? Men
who were strangers, not even citizens of the county?

But though an undercurrent of feeling ran among the talking groups,
gradually increasing as the time passed, yet was there no active
desire on the part of all or a concerted movement to drive away the
seeming invaders of the law. For any such attempt a strong leader was
necessary. There was none: Madden frowned upon them, only saying as he
moved about that he was executing the law; Sorenson, the dominating
figure of the town, and Burkhardt's, Vorse's and Gordon's friend, was
strangely absent.

The determined guard about the jail was in itself a deterrent to mob
action. Meyers had brought twenty or more men from camp, armed and
alert, who with those already about the building constituted a force
to make any crowd of Mexicans, however angry, think twice before
seeking to rescue prisoners. But the wish and the spirit were not
lacking. Employees of the plotters, men who had received favors from
Sorenson or Vorse or Burkhardt, Mexicans of a naturally vicious and
unruly temper, were all for rushing the jail. The great number of the
people, however, peaceful and indolent, preferred to content
themselves with satisfying their curiosity by talk instead of seeking
a taste of blood. And so as a result of this divided opinion the
hostility for Weir had not expressed itself in an effort to assail the
keepers of the jail.

When he was discovered to have returned to town, this angry feeling
assumed a menacing form. He approached the court house by the side
street, Sorenson riding at his side, for it was his plan to lodge his
prisoner in the Jail with as much secrecy as possible. Nevertheless in
this he was disappointed; men saw him arrive, assist his prisoner to
alight and climb the board fence about the yard; and drawn by the
expectation of new events the nearer groups hastened forward.

Weir impelled his man towards the jail.

"Sta