do it?"

"Massa Fairfax is quality, sah," he replied with a certain dignity. "I
jest a pore nigger, but I knows quality when I sees it, and I don't aim
to have no pore white truck kill none of my folks if I can help it."

"Pete," said I, fully satisfied, "you are a good fellow. Now get along
back."

He disappeared before the words were fairly out of my mouth.

"Yank," I announced, returning to the fire, "I've got to go uptown. That
was Pete, Barnes's nigger, to say that they've got out a legal warrant
for the express messengers' arrest for that killing last week. Neat
little scheme."

I found Danny Randall in his accustomed place. At a hint he sent for Dr.
Rankin. To the two I unfolded the plot. Both listened in silence until I
had quite finished. Then Danny leaped to his feet and hit the table with
his closed fist.

"The fools!" he cried. "I gave them credit for more sense. Hit at Danny
Randall's men, will they? Well, they'll find that Danny Randall can
protect his own! Forgotten that little point, have they?"

The cool, impassive, mild little man had changed utterly. His teeth
bared, the muscles of his cheeks tightened, two deep furrows appeared
between his eyes, which sparkled and danced. From the most inoffensive
looking creature possible to imagine he had become suddenly menacing and
dangerous.

"What do you intend, Randall?" asked Dr. Rankin. He was leaning slightly
forward, and he spoke in a gentle voice, but his hand was clenched on
the table, and his figure was rigid.

"Do?" repeated Randall fiercely; "why, run that gang out of town, of
course!"

"I thought you said the time was not ripe?"

"We'll ripen it!" said Danny Randall.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

THE VIGILANTES

Danny Randall issued his orders as a general would. First he sent
warning word to Cal Marsh, still nursing his shoulder. Through one of
his barkeepers he caused to be called to his presence four men. Three of
them were miners, the fourth a lookout at the Empire. He met them in his
little room, quite openly, which, as I have explained, was in accordance
with his usual custom. He detailed the exact situation in a few words.

"Now," he ended, "we get busy. Are you in?"

Each assented, with apparent deep satisfaction.

"Now," said he briskly, "Munroe, you go to the lower trail, near the big
oak at the second crossing. Wait there. If the express messengers have
not passed by to-morrow morning at ten o'clock, return here. If they