THE LEAVES OF THE BIRCH AND QUAKING ASP had turned to red and gold in the Boise Basin when the Grimes caravan, followed by the first vanguard of the Plummer Gang, crossed Grimes Pass and entered the wooded valley. Already the winds from the north, a prophecy of the coming winter, were sweeping down the valley. The frosts of late October had nipped the grass, and the dead leaves, frosted, stuck to their feet on early mornings.
A truer indication of coming winter was the absence of the Indians from the territory, as they always migrated to the lower valleys in the winter. It was in this valley that the brave Grimes, on his first expedition when gold was discovered, was shot by the Indians, and his party had returned to Walla Walla for reinforcements.
The Grimes train followed down the valley from its head toward the lower Basin, where they camped and decided to winter. The first few days were spent prospecting and staking claims. Every night brought in frenzied reports of strikes, and at sight of the yellow gold great excitement prevailed.
After the first frenzy of the strike had subsided, the axes began to resound in the woods, and cabins appeared everywhere like magic. They called the new settlement Bannock City. Feverishly they worked, knowing that winter would soon set in and they must provide against the cold, for no one knew how severe the winter would be. Almost daily new trains arrived, and followed the same procedure as those ahead.
Mr. Polk, the leader of the Grimes train, appointed a committee of three men to herd the horses and mules at four dollars a month per head. This was not a difficult task for the men, as there was an abundance of feed in the valley.
Three Finger Smith and his followers caught the spirit and began building three rough cabins. John Lee and Dixie were to occupy one located highest on the hillside to the north, overlooking the main valley. The men staked claims as a matter of course, but they were not the kind of men who would mine with shovels and picks. They were always laying plans for their future questionable activities. This would be indeed a rich field in which to practice their profession.
Dixie was tired from the long hard journey on horseback, and moved from the tent into her one log room even before the shake roof was completed.
The weeks that had passed seemed like years to her, and Bob had gradually become a memory, but one she could not efface. She knew there could never be anyone else, but she could not forget how cruel he had been. She wondered if she would ever see him again.
Three Finger Smith had not molested her since that night out from Oro Fino. Perhaps Plummer had warned him. But in spite of this probability, she could not trust him. There was no honor among thieves and murderers.
Several days passed when she saw no one save her father, and sometimes he stayed away overnight. She would sit out in front of the cabin during the day and watch the building of the homes below. New ones would spring up almost overnight. She wanted to go down there and see if there weren't other women in camp. "Bob's new empire," she would say to herself. She was almost dying with loneliness, but Lee had warned her and forbade her going into town alone.
One day while she was sitting dreaming in front of the cabin, Plummer and a dozen or more men came riding up. She scrambled to her feet in fright and would have run had not Plummer stopped her.
"Hello, Dixie, gal!" he called cheerily. "Right pert nest you've got here. Get down, men; we'll have Dixie get us some grub."
"I didn't know you were in the country!" she remarked coldly.
"Came in two days ago, gal, but didn't have time to come up before. Been staking claims. This is the greatest strike ever, gal. Where's John?"
"Haven't seen him for two days. I think he's supposed to be working or prospecting."
Plummer chuckled at this but made no comment. "You'll get us a bite, gal? And do yourself proud, because I want these pals of mine to know what kind of cook my woman's going to be."
She whirled upon him angrily, as the color came to her face. "Hen Plummer, I despise you, and you know it!"
Plummer chuckled. "You see, men, she's got fire! I love to tame 'em!"
The men laughed boisterously as they trailed up the yard and squatted against the house. Their horses stood with the reins hanging.
Dixie, thoroughly humiliated and not a little frightened, went into the cabin and began dinner.
Plummer was telling the men his plans. "There's about two hundred men in camp now. I've been counting them and investigating. Boys, it's a cinch! Just like I expected. They're mostly Secessionists. All Secessionists are not Democrats, but all good Democrats are Secessionists, and these men will elect me sheriff. Already there's been claim jumping. That's a good argument for me to persuade them to start an election to stand till Lincoln calls a special or regular election. We'll let the miners' meetings act as courts. There'll be a lot of dust in circulation. Then we'll pick it up; not too much at first. If anyone hollers, there'll be enough of our men to swear them out of court. That's why I planned that everyone should take up a claim and not appear to be too friendly with each other."
While they were eating, the conversation continued.
"But what if a Vigilance Association is started, or Pokerface Bob shows up with his gang?" one of the men asked.
Plummer's face curled into a sneer. "I've got them beat, dead to rights. Our law will be established. That puts him in a class with the outlaws. I'm hoping he'll show up. I'm anxious to get him anyway on my own account."
Helplessly, Dixie was compelled to listen to the diabolical plot of these murderers and robbers to wipe out the man she loved. Worse, she was powerless to do anything, even warn him. She was not sure that he would come into the Basin. He would probably stay in Lewiston with his wife, Pat Ford's widow.
"Mrs. Ford!" she muttered bitterly to herself, "and he told me he loved me!"
At that very moment a bedraggled pack train was winding its way down into the Basin from Grimes Pass, four men and one woman, right into the new hotbed of Henry Plummer and his gang. Had Dixie known this fact and that Bob was staking his life on finding her, she would have gone to any length to warn him. As it was, he was riding right into a well-devised trap meant to eliminate him once for all.
* * * *
That night in the Bannock Saloon a mass meeting of all the miners in town was held. Plummer, with his smooth tongue and affable ways, had won the men over. He was now dressed in a long-tailed black suit, white shirt, and polished boots. He had shaved, and recurled his mustache, which made him the outstanding figure in camp. He made a speech, the first one in his life for law and order, explaining that it was necessary for them, as law-abiding citizens, to protect themselves against lawlessness.
"Already," he roared eloquently, "we have had murder in camp! There are half a dozen new graves in the graveyard on the hill! All of these have been the result of robbery and claim-jumping!"
There was general applause following this remark. He waited for them to quiet. "We know the history of other camps in this great Territory: Florence, Elk City, Oro Fino, Virginia City, and Lewiston; they have run red with the blood of honest citizens! We Secessionists, Democrats, stand for something bigger and better than this!" The applause was almost deafening. "What I propose is that we appoint a sheriff over all this territory from the Bitterroot Mountains east. Let him appoint as many deputies as he sees fit to insure peace by the extermination of the law-breakers! The miners themselves, in their meetings, shall be the court and judges, and shall determine what shall be done to offenders."
There were cheers of assent. The rules of formal election were suspended and Henry Plummer was made sheriff by acclamation. Thus was instituted one of the most dastardly plots in the history of the United States, against the honest miners and men whose lives and fortunes were at stake for the establishment of real law and order in the building of a great empire.
It was Plummer's heyday and he made the most of it. "Everything's free tonight, boys!" he called lustily. "Come up to the bar and name it! Hen Plummer, the new sheriff of Bannock, is setting them up!"
With the coming of John Thomas, Bannock City could already boast of its dancehall girls. He was putting up a hall only two doors south, and he gladly donated the girls for the grand occasion.
The test of the sheriff's power came quickly upon the heels of his appointment. It happened in the middle of a dance, when a man known as Pegleg, a crippled miner, discovered one of the men who had jumped his claim the week before, and pulled his gun and shot him. It didn't kill the offender outright, but for the moment it broke up the party until they could remove the wounded man and the sheriff could take Pegleg into custody.
A miners' meeting was quickly called and Pegleg was tried. They had all witnessed the shooting, of course, but they made the most of the case. Pegleg was charged with shooting Smokehouse Green with intent to commit murder.
Pegleg didn't deny it, but went to some length to explain how he had staked a rich claim, and while he was there alone preparing to work it, this man Smokehouse ordered him off at the point of a gun and warned him never to return.
"I went back two days later," Pegleg explained, "but there was three men with guns out waitin' fer me. I didn't see this feller again till tonight."
The case closed and the miners went into discussion. Pegleg was found guilty and given twenty-four hours to get out of town. He was to be given rations for two weeks.
The sheriff saw to it that the order was carried out right then. He had the cook prepare the small grubstake. Then, before all those present, he escorted Pegleg to the door, handed him the grubstake and told him to get out of camp. As he limped off down the street Plummer told him to make tracks fast, that after tonight he would shoot him on sight.
After the celebration was over that night Plummer called his men together in the saloon and appointed ten deputies, the first of whom was Three Finger Smith, and gave them instructions to watch for undesirable citizens. There could be no question that they would carry out his wishes. The cut was to be the same, with the added protection of the power in force.
This appointment was naturally to produce fear and woe to the enemies of Henry Plummer.
Plummer made his headquarters at the new Hotel Bannock, and ruled with an iron hand, defying all protests of the real law-abiding citizens. He openly flaunted his authority. Men were afraid of his power and suffered in silent anger. Henry Plummer was virtually dictator of the great Bannock Territory.