do
come by, stop them, and tell them to proceed by the cut-off to the place
they know of, and to wait there for me. Understand?"

To each of the other four men he assigned a different watching on other
trails, giving them the same instructions.

"Now git!" he finished.

After informing Yank of my projected absence, I waited at the appointed
place until the appointed time, then returned to the Bella Union.

"That's all right," Danny greeted my report; "they came across the Hog's
Back, and are now safely in hiding. Here," he gave me a slip of paper.
"During the day contrive to see these men. Make it casual and easy, as
though you just happened to see them. Chat a few minutes and tell them
this: 'Danny Randall calls a secret miners' meeting at the upper horse
flat at nine o'clock to-night. Slip up there without being seen.' Be
sure to let them understand that it is _I_ who am issuing the call.
Get them to tell you whether they will or will not come."

I took the slip of paper and read over the half dozen names it
contained. They were all known to me; so I nodded my comprehension and
went out.

All the rest of the day I loafed about, chatting with dozens of people,
among the others with Morton himself. That individual professed great
zeal for law and order, and told of the wonderful things he, as sheriff,
intended to accomplish. Among the lot I contrived to include the six men
whose names were on my paper, and to deliver my message. I explained as
far as I knew, and got from each a definite and emphatic promise to be
present.

"It's time this thing was brought to a head," said one man. "If Danny
Randall is taking hold of it, I enlist."

I returned to report these facts, received an indifferent nod, and,
under further instruction, went quietly to camp to await the agreed
hour.

We started up the trail about eight o'clock. Yank insisted that he was
going, if he had to roll all the way; but after a little we
simultaneously remembered that the Morenas had owned horses. One of
these I caught, and on it Yank rode to the place of rendezvous.

The night was very black. After we had entered the woods its darkness
seemed at first to hang in front of my eyes like a filmy curtain, so
that I fairly groped, as one would when blindfolded. In the open a faint
starlight helped us, but after we had entered the pines we had fairly to
proceed by instinct. I remember feeling a shock of surprise once, when
we skirted the river, at