apture him. And those
men--" She indicated the horsemen gathered in front of the _Belmont_, whom
he had not seen, "are organizing to go to Trevison's rescue. They have
discovered that Corrigan murdered Braman, though Corrigan accused
Trevison."

J. C. flattened himself against the rear wall of the coach and looked with
horror upon the armed riders. There were forty or fifty of them now, and
others were joining the group. "Where's Judge Lindman?" he faltered.
"Can't this lawlessness be stopped?"

"It is only a few minutes ago that Judge Lindman was dragged from a shed
into which he had been forced by Corrigan--after being beaten by him. He
made a public confession of his part in the attempted fraud, and charged
Corrigan with coercing him. Those men are aroused, Father. I don't know
what the end will be, but I am afraid--I'm afraid they'll--"

"I shall give the engineer orders to pull my car out of here!" J. C.'s
face was chalky white.

"No, no!" cried the girl, sharply. "That would make them think you
were--Don't _run_, Father!" she begged, omitting the word which she
dreaded to think might become attached to him should he go away, now that
some of them had seen him. "We'll stand our ground, Father. If Corrigan
has done those things he deserves to be punished!" Her lips, white and
stiff, closed firmly.

"Yes, yes," he said; "that's right--we won't run." But he drew her inside,
despite her objections, and from a window they watched the members of the
Vigilantes gathering, bristling with weapons, a sinister and ominous arm
of that law which is the dread and horror of the evil-doer.

There came a movement, concerted, accompanied by a low rumble as of waves
breaking on a rocky shore. It brought the girl out of her chair, through
the door and upon the car platform, where she stood, her hands clasped
over her breast, her breath coming gaspingly. His knees knocking together,
his face the ashen gray of death, Benham stumbled after her. He did not
want to go; did not care to see this thing--what might happen--what his
terror told him _would_ happen; but he was forced out upon the platform by
the sheer urge of a morbid curiosity that there was no denying; it had
laid hold of his soul, and though he cringed and shivered and tottered, he
went out, standing close to the iron rail, gripping it with hands that
grew blueish-white around the knuckles; watching with eyes that bulged,
his lips twitching over soundless words. For he c