Glenister made no answer for a moment, while the crowd watched him intently.
“You have discussed this fully?” he asked.
“We have. It has been voted on, and we’re unanimous.”
“My friends, when I stepped into this room just now I felt that I wasn’t wanted. Why, I don’t know, because I have had more to do with organizing this movement than any of you, and because I have suffered just as much as the rest. I want to know if I was omitted from this meeting intentionally.”
“This is an embarrassing position to put me in,” said the chairman, gravely. “But I shall answer as spokesman for these men if they wish.”
“Yes. Go ahead,” said those around the room.
“We don’t question your loyalty, Mr. Glenister, but we didn’t ask you to this meeting because we know your attitude—perhaps I’d better say sentiment—regarding Judge Stillman’s niece—er—family. It has come to us from various sources that you have been affected to the prejudice of your own and your partner’s interest. Now, there isn’t going to be any sentiment in the affairs of the Vigilantes. We are going to do justice, and we thought the simplest way was to ignore you in this matter and spare all discussion and hard feeling in every quarter.”
“It’s a lie!” shouted the young man, hoarsely. “A damned lie! You wouldn’t let me in for fear I’d kick, eh? Well, you were right. I will kick. You’ve hinted about my feelings for Miss Chester. Let me tell you that she is engaged to marry McNamara, and that she’s nothing to me. Now, then, let me tell you, further, that you won’t break into her house and hang her uncle, even if he is a reprobate. No, sir! This isn’t the time for violence of that sort—we’ll win without it. If we can’t, let’s fight like men, and not hunt in a pack like wolves. If you want to do something, put us back on our mines and help us hold them, but, for God’s sake, don’t descend to assassination and the tactics of the Mafia!”
“We knew you would make that kind of a talk,” said the speaker, while the rest murmured grudgingly. One of them spoke up.
“We’ve talked this over in cold blood, Glenister, and it’s a question of their lives or our liberty. The law don’t enter into it.”