Orde watched them, his eyes expressionless, until they had disappeared
in the fringe of the forest Then he turned to the astonished group.
"Jim," said he, "and you, Ellis, and you, and you, and you, and you,
get to work on that dam. And remember this, if you are arrested, go
peaceably. Any resistance will spoil the whole game."
The men broke into mingled cheers and laughter as the full significance
of Orde's plan reached them. They streamed back to the dam, where they
perched proffering advice and encouragement to those about to descend.
Immediately, however, Reed was out, his eyes blazing either side his
hawk nose.
"Here!" he cried, "quit that! I'll have ye arrested!"
"Arrest ahead," replied Orde coldly.
Reed stormed back and forth for a moment, then departed at full speed up
the road.
"Now, boys, get as much done as possible," urged Orde. "We better get
back in the brush, or he may try to take in the whole b'iling of us on
some sort of a blanket warrant."
"How about the other boys?" inquired North.
"I gave one of them a telegram to send to Daly," replied Orde. "Daly
will be up to bail them out."
Once more they hid in the woods; and again, after a longer interval, the
mill owner and the sheriff reappeared. Reed appeared to be expostulating
violently, and a number of times pointed up river; but the sheriff went
ahead stolidly to the dam, summoned those working below, and departed
up the road as before. Reed stood uncertain until he saw the rivermen
beginning to re-emerge from the brush, then followed the officer at top
speed.
Without the necessity of command, a half-dozen men leaped down on the
apron. The previous crews had made considerable progress in weakening
the heavy supports. As soon as these should be cut out and the backing
removed, the mere sawing through of the massive sill should carry away
the whole obstruction.
"Next time will decide it," remarked Orde. "If the sheriff brings a
posse and sits down to lay for us, of course we won't be able to get
near to finish the job."
"I didn't think that of George Morris," commented Sims in an aggrieved
way. "He was a riverman himself once before he was sheriff."
"He's got to obey orders, and serve a warrant when it's issued, of
course," replied Orde to this. "What did you expect?"
At the end of another hour, which brought the time to four o'clock, the
sheriff made his third appearance--this time in a side-bar buggy.
"I wish I dared
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