In a moment the flames were leaping. I looked about me with considerable interest to see who of the camp had been summoned. I must confess to a few surprises, such as the gambler from the Empire, but in general the gathering consisted of those whom I should have characterized as solid citizens–Barnes, the hotel-keeper, Himmelwright, and men of his stripe. They were all armed, and all very grave and sober. Danny ran his eye over us one by one.
“Meeting come to order,” he commanded briskly. “This is a Vigilante meeting. I hope you all realize what that means. There are just thirty of us here; and Morton’s gang is probably a hundred strong when it is all together. We cannot fight them; but we can give the honest, decent men of this camp a chance to fight them. I myself believe the honest men will back us, and am willing to risk it. If any of you who are here now think differently, say so.”
He paused, but no one spoke up.
“If anybody doesn’t want to go into this, now is the time to back out. Just keep your mouths shut, that is all.”
He paused again, but again no one moved.
355“That’s all right,” observed Danny with satisfaction. He lifted a paper. “Listen to this: ‘We the undersigned agree, as we are decent men, to stand by each other to the last, to avenge the death of any one of us, and to obey the orders of our leaders. And if we fail in this may God deny us mercy.’ Boys,” said Danny Randall earnestly, “this is serious. If we start this now, we’ve got to see it through. We are not much on Bible oaths, any one of us, but we must promise. Frank Munroe, step forward!”
I obeyed. The little man stared up into my eyes, and I will freely confess that never have I experienced quite the queer sensation it gave me. Danny Randall had become not only formidable, but great. He seemed to see through into the back of my mind. I braced myself as though to resist some strong physical force.
“Do you, Frank Munroe, subscribe to this document as a man of honour, so help you God?” he demanded.
“I do,” I answered solemnly, and affixed my signature below that of Danny Randall. And queerly enough, as I stepped aside, I felt somehow that I had assisted at something sacred.
One by one Danny Randall called us forward and administered his simple oath. The fire leaped, and with it the mighty shadows. Outside the circle of light the tall pines and fir-trees watched us like a multitude standing witness. The men’s faces were grave. There was about the roughest of them something noble, reflected from the earnest spirit of justice.