on. He was conservative. All along he had
opposed the idea of armed resistance except as the very last resort.
He "deplored" the terrible affair of yesterday. He begged the people
to wait in patience, to attempt no more violence. He informed them that
armed guards of the League were, at that moment, patrolling Los Muertos,
Broderson's, and Osterman's. It was well known that the United States
marshal confessed himself powerless to serve the writs. There would be
no more bloodshed.

"We have had," he continued, "bloodshed enough, and I want to say right
here that I am not so sure but what yesterday's terrible affair might
have been avoided. A gentleman whom we all esteem, who from the first
has been our recognised leader, is, at this moment, mourning the loss of
a young son, killed before his eyes. God knows that I sympathise, as do
we all, in the affliction of our President. I am sorry for him. My heart
goes out to him in this hour of distress, but, at the same time, the
position of the League must be defined. We owe it to ourselves, we owe
it to the people of this county. The League armed for the very purpose
of preserving the peace, not of breaking it. We believed that with six
hundred armed and drilled men at our disposal, ready to muster at a
moment's call, we could so overawe any attempt to expel us from our
lands that such an attempt would not be made until the cases pending
before the Supreme Court had been decided. If when the enemy appeared in
our midst yesterday they had been met by six hundred rifles, it is not
conceivable that the issue would have been forced. No fight would have
ensued, and to-day we would not have to mourn the deaths of four of our
fellow-citizens. A mistake has been made and we of the League must not
be held responsible."

The speaker sat down amidst loud applause from the Leaguers and less
pronounced demonstrations on the part of the audience.

A second Leaguer took his place, a tall, clumsy man, half-rancher,
half-politician.

"I want to second what my colleague has just said," he began. "This
matter of resisting the marshal when he tried to put the Railroad
dummies in possession on the ranches around here, was all talked over
in the committee meetings of the League long ago. It never was our
intention to fire a single shot. No such absolute authority as was
assumed yesterday was delegated to anybody. Our esteemed President is
all right, but we all know that he is a man who loves aut