, and then the flash of a rifle beneath the black
front of a building. A flagstaff ran up into the night above it, and there
were shadowy objects upon the verandah. Grant threw up a hand.

"We're here, boys," he said.

Then it became evident that every man's part had been allotted him, for
while the hindmost wheeled their horses, and then sat still, with rifles
across their saddles, barring the road by which they had come, the
foremost pressed on, until, pulling up, they left a space behind them and
commanded the street in front. The rest dismounted, and while one man
stood at the heads of every pair of horses, the rest clustered round Grant
in the middle of the open space. The jail rose dark and silent before
them, and for the space of a moment or two there was an impressive
stillness. It was broken by a shout from one of the rearguard.

"There's quite a crowd rolling up. Get through as quick as you can!"

Grant stood forward. "We'll give you half a minute to send somebody out to
talk to us, and then we're coming in," he said.

The time was almost up before a voice rose from the building: "Who are
you, any way, and what do you want?"

"Homesteaders," was the answer. "We want the Sheriff."

"Well," said somebody, "I'll tell him."

Except for a growing clamour in the street behind there was silence until
Breckenridge, who stood near Grant touched him,

"I don't want to meddle, but aren't we giving them an opportunity of
securing their prisoners or making their defences good?" he said.

"That's sense, any way," said another man. "It would be 'way better to go
right in now, while we can."

Grant shook his head. "You have left this thing to me, and I want to put
it through without losing a man. Men don't usually back down when the
shooting begins."

Then a voice rose from the building: "You wanted the Sheriff. Here he
is."

A shadowy figure appeared at a window, and there was a murmur from Grant's
men.

"He needn't be bashful," said one of them. "Nobody's going to hurt him.
Can't you bring a light, so we can see him?"

A burst of laughter followed, and Grant held up his hand. "It would be
better, Sheriff; and you have my word that we'll give you notice before we
do anything if we can't come to terms."

It seemed from the delay that the Sheriff was undecided, but at last a
light was brought, and the men below saw him standing at the window with
an anxious face, and behind him two men with rifles, whose dre