ormer years.

To such a pass did the insolence and brutality of these desperadoes come
at last, that the better class of the miners began to talk among
themselves of the necessity for doing something to check it; but none
seemed disposed to take the lead, and things went on from bad to worse,
until the arrival of a new actor upon the scene brought them to a
climax, and disorder and violence culminated in a sudden and severe
spasm of justice.

The new arrival, who was destined to be the principal figure in the
tragic scenes about to be enacted, was a Kentuckian, named Reid. He was
some twenty-eight or thirty years of age, of medium size and finely
proportioned, but very athletic. He had a frank and engaging expression
of countenance, and nothing in his appearance would seem to indicate the
hardened ruffian; yet he was reported to have slain thirty-two men in
affrays or personal difficulties since he came into the mining country.
From the very day of his arrival, this man became the acknowledged
leader of all the lawless elements of our community; and as he seemed to
be thirsting for notoriety, outrage followed outrage in rapid
succession.

Among our own original party was a quiet, inoffensive German, named
Schaeffer, than whom a more peaceable man could nowhere be found.
Against him Reid seamed to have a special spite from the moment he
first encountered him; and finally, meeting him one evening in the "El
Dorado" saloon, he forced a quarrel on him, and then shot poor Schaeffer
dead, before the latter had time to make a movement in his own defense.
He apparently supposed that this would be passed over in the same manner
as his previous ill deeds; but for once he was mistaken. In killing
Schaeffer he had roused against him a determined and bitter enemy, none
other than Ned Harding himself, who was now acting as mayor, or alcalde,
of the town named in his honor. Ned quickly gathered together our own
party, and some twenty-five of the leading men in the place, and
announced his determination to form a "Vigilance Committee," and rid the
town of the desperadoes who infested it. The entire party acquiesced in
the wisdom of the proposal, and the committee was organized then and
there. After some consultation, a plan of operations was agreed upon,
and at once put in practice.

The next morning a neatly written note appeared posted in several
prominent places in the camp, warning all objectionable characters to
leave town wi