idn't see any; but I understood in the village that the governor had
been advised to hold State troops in readiness for trouble."

Orde fell into a brown study, eating mechanically. The men began an
eager and somewhat truculent discussion full of lawless and bloodthirsty
suggestion. Some suggested the kidnapping and sequestration of Reed
until the affair should be finished.

"How'd he get hold of his old sheriff, then?" they inquired with some
pertinence.

Orde, however, paid no attention to all this talk, but continued to
frown into space. At last his face cleared, and he slapped down his tin
plate so violently that the knife and fork jumped off into the dirt.

"I have it!" he cried aloud.

But he would not tell what he had. After the noon hour he instructed
a half-dozen men to provide themselves with saws, axes, picks, and
shovels, and all marched in the direction of the mill.

When within a hundred yards or so of that structure the advancing
riverman saw the lank, black figure of the mill owner flap into sight,
astride a bony old horse, and clatter away, coat-tails flying, up the
road and into the waiting forest.

"Now, boys!" cried Orde crisply. "He'll be back in an hour with the
sheriff. Lively!" He rapidly designated ten men of his crew. "You boys
get to work and make things hum. Get as much done as you can before the
sheriff comes."

"He'll have to bring all of Spruce County to get me," commented one of
those chosen, spitting on his hands.

"Me, too!" said others.

"Now, listen," said Orde, holding them with an impressive gesture. "When
that sheriff comes, with or without a posse, I want you to go peaceably.
Understand?"

"Cave in? Not much!" cried Purdy.

"See here," and Orde drew them aside to an earnest, low-voiced
conversation that lasted several minutes. When he had finished he
clapped each of them on the back, and all moved off, laughing, to the
dam.

"Now, boys," he commanded the others, "no row without orders.
Understand? If there's going to be a fight, I'll give you the word
when."

The chopping crew descended to the bottom of the sluice, the gate of
which had been shut, and began immediately to chop away at the apron.
As the water in the pond above had been drawn low by the morning's work,
none overflowed the gate, so the men were enabled to work dry. Below the
apron, of course, had been filled in with earth and stones. As soon
as the axe-men had effected an entry to this deposit, oth