Mexican pursuers had deemed inevitable. His
ingenuity now came to do service on behalf of his friend McGowan. Chief
of Police Curtis had got word that McGowan was in Santa Barbara. He was
a zealous, Vigilance man. A schooner was chartered, and a strong, armed
force sailed on her for Santa Barbara, to capture the fugitive. They
landed, searched everywhere, particularly the house, premises and
surroundings of Jack Powers' residence. Powers and McGowan both well
knew that catching meant hanging beyond all hope. After a thorough quest
Curtis and his armed band gave up the hunt and returned to San
Francisco. At Powers' home they had searched every place except that in
which McGowan was concealed. They had been within a toot of him; had
nearly stepped on him; were so close that he heard their whisperings and
cursings. But they never suspected his hiding place. He was simply
rolled in a great mass of old floor matting, at one side of the house,
which was covered with dust and leaves, and bits of straw, to give it
the appearance of having been there, just as it seemed, for months.
After the schooner sailed, McGowan succeeded in making his way out of
the State and safe from the Vigilance Committee by the cunning and
adroitness of his good friend Jack Powers. The Committee were foiled in
their endeavor to capture the man, of all others, they were the most
eager to catch and hang. There would have been short invoking of trial
in his case and a hurried death by the rope. McGowan lives to relate his
adventures and enjoy the narrative.

To give some idea of the manner of procedure and the discipline of the
Committee, I will relate an experience of my own: One beautiful
moonlight evening I was visiting the family of a prominent member of the
San Francisco Bar. About nine o'clock the door bell was rung. Thinking
that some friend of the family was at the door, the mistress of the
house went herself to see who was there. In the doorway stood a strange
man. He asked--mentioning my name--if I was in. She called to me and I
went to the door. He requested me to accompany him to the rooms, of the
Committee. I wished to know for what purpose, and at whose instance he
came. He said he could not tell; he was ordered to request my attendance
at once, and could say no more. I got my overcoat and went with him. On
the way down he informed me of the diligent hunt he had made to find
me--mentioning half a dozen families whom I frequently visited. At l