sn't dope them, there'll be
pertikler hell to pay."

He then gave the story of his visit to Monseigneur Lourde, and the
details of what was going forward in Manitou so far as he had learned.
Also the ubiquitous Osterhaut had not been idle, and his bulletin had
just been handed to Jowett.

"There's one thing ought to be done and has got to be done," Jowett
added, "if the Monseenoor don't pull if off. The leaders have to be
arrested, and it had better be done by one that, in a way, don't belong
to either Lebanon or Manitou."

The Mayor shook his head. "I don't see how I can authorize Marchand's
arrest--not till he breaks the law, in any case."

"It's against the law to conspire to break the law," replied Jowett.
"You've been making a lot of special constables. Make Mr. Gabriel Druse
here a special constable, then if the law's broke, he can have a right
to take a hand in."

The giant Ry had stood apart, watchful and ruminant, but he now stepped
forward, as the Mayor turned to him and stretched out a hand.

"I am for peace," the old man said. "To keep the peace the law must be
strong."

In spite of the gravity of the situation the Mayor smiled. "You wouldn't
need much disguise to stand for the law, Mr. Druse," he remarked. "When
the law is seven feet high, it stands well up."

The Ry did not smile. "Make me the head of the constables, and I will
keep the peace," he said. There was a sudden silence. The proposal had
come so quietly, and it was so startling, that even the calm Rockwell
was taken aback. But his eye and the eye of the Mayor met, and the look
in both their faces was the same.

"That's bold play," the Mayor said, "but I guess it goes. Yesterday
it couldn't be done. To-day it can. The Chief Constable's down with
smallpox. Got it from an Injun prisoner days ago. He's been bad for
three days, but hung on. Now he's down, and there's no Chief. I was
going to act myself, but the trouble was, if anything happened to me,
there'd be no head of anything. It's better to have two strings to
your bow. It's a go-it's a straight go, Mr. Druse. Seven foot of Chief
Constable ought to have its weight with the roughnecks."

A look of hopefulness came into his face. This sage, huge, commanding
figure would have a good moral effect on the rude elements of disorder.

"I'll have you read the Riot Act instead of doing it myself," added
the Mayor. "It'll be a good introduction for you, and as you live in
Manitou, it'll be a