Here the door was open, just as they had left it, swinging on one broken hinge; but the doctor's tall form and stalwart shoulders barred the way.
"Gentlemen," he said, in low, resolute tones, "you can not enter my house, at least at present. You have done sufficient damage to my property already."
The men halted for a moment, and then the foremost of them began to mount the steps.
"Stand back," said Bethel. "I shall protect my property. I will allow my house to be inspected again by a committee, if you like, but I will not admit a mob."
"You'd better not try to stop us," said the leader of the party, "we are too many for ye." And he mounted the upper step.
"Stand down, sir," again said Bethel. "Did I not say I should protect my property?" and he suddenly presented in the face of the astonished searcher a brace of silver-mounted pistols.
The foremost men drew hastily back, but they rallied again, and one of them yelled out:
"Ye'd better not tackle us single-handed; an' ye won't get anyone to back ye now!"
"Jest allow me ter argy that pint with ye," said Jim Long, as he suddenly appeared in the doorway beside Bethel. "I reckon I'm somebody."
Jim held in his hand a handsome rifle, the doctor's property, and he ran his eye critically along the barrel as he spoke.