asked Grant, incredulously.

"Before Van Dorn. The State courts are paralyzed by young Joe Calvin's
militia!" returned Fenn, adding: "We filed our petition this morning.
So, whether you like it or not, you appear at three-thirty o'clock this
afternoon before Van Dorn."

Grant smiled and after a moment spoke: "Well, if I was as scared as you
people, I'd--look here. Henry, don't lose your nerve, man--they can't
hurt me. Nothing on this earth can hurt me, don't you see, man--why go
to Van Dorn?"

Fenn answered: "After all, Tom's a good lawyer in a life job and he
doesn't want to be responsible for a decision against you that will make
him a joke among lawyers all over the country when he is reversed by
appeal." Grant shook his dubious head.

"Well, it's worth trying," returned Fenn.

At three o'clock Joseph Calvin, representing the employers, notified
Henry Fenn that Judge Van Dorn had been called out of town unexpectedly
and would not be able to hear the Adams' petition at the appointed time.
That was all. No other time was set. But at half-past five George
Brotherton saw a messenger boy going about, summoning men to a meeting.
Then Brotherton found that the Law and Order League was sending for its
members to meet in the Federal courtroom at half-past eight. He learned
also that Judge Van Dorn would return on the eight o'clock train and
expected to hear the Adams' petition that night. So Brotherton knew the
object of the meeting. In ten minutes Doctor Nesbit, Henry Fenn and
Nathan Perry were in the Brotherton store.

"It means," said Fenn, "that the mob is going after Grant to-night and
that Tom knows it."

"Why?" asked the thin, sharp voice of Nathan Perry.

"Otherwise he would have let the case go over until morning."

"Why?" again cut in Perry.

"Because for the mob to attack a man praying for release under habeas
corpus in a federal court might mean contempt of court that the federal
government might investigate. So Tom's going to wash his hands of the
matter before the mob acts to-night."

"Why?" again Perry demanded.

"Well," continued Fenn, "every day they wait means accumulated victory
for the strikers. So after Tom refuses to release Grant, the mob will
take him."

"Well, say--let's go to the Valley with this story. We can get five
thousand men here by eight o'clock," cried Brotherton.

"And precipitate a riot, George," put in the Doctor softly, "which is
one of the things they desire. In the ri