cronies had been improving their spare time by
relieving him of his over abundance of gold. The reckless manner in
which they disposed of their money and their conversation when flushed
with wine betrayed their true characters and stamped them a murderous
band of mountain highwaymen who had made their headquarters in the
fastnesses of the Rockies, near the overland mountain trail and there
devoted their time to holding up stage coaches, compelling the driver
with a shot from a carbine to halt, descend, disarm and be quiet. The
passengers were then ordered to alight and stand in a row, continually
being covered with guns by a part of the band and by others relieved
of their personal effects. Then the stage coach was systematically
gone through together with the Wells Fargo & Co's. safe, which often
contained gold into the thousands. These hold-ups were not infrequent
and were the fear of all who were obliged to pass through these
canyons of robbery and often death. The bunch that we harbored were
undoubtedly as bold a band of robbers and murderers as ever infested
the silent caves of the Rockies. Could their dingy walls but talk they
would reveal crimes unspeakable. I knew there were many strangers in
town and was almost certain their every movement was watched; nor was
I mistaken. The seventh day after their arrival a young school teacher
whom I knew by sight called at the restaurant and inquired by name for
one of the band. I asked if he knew him. He replied, no more than that
he had met him in one of the corrals of the city and had been offered
free passage to the States if he would do their cooking. I told him of
my suspicions and all I knew about them and advised him not to go with
them, but like many others he gave no heed. Two days later they were
missed at meal time. The next morning word came by courier that the
entire band including the school teacher were dangling by the neck
from the branches of cottonwood trees twelve miles down the Platte
River with their pockets inside-out and outfits gone. Thus was meted
out innocent and guilty alike the Vigilance Committee justice, which
was not of uncommon occurrence.

[Illustration: VIGILANCE COMMITTEE JUSTICE]

Mr. Pembroke secured a position at Black Hawk, Colorado, in the year
1865, with the first smelter works erected in the Rocky Mountains. He
was employed in the separating department where sulphur was freely
used, and he inhaled much of the fumes emitted therefr