Are you
free men? Or do you wear the collar of the Consolidated, the yoke of Waring
Ridgway? The vote which you will cast to-day is an answer that shall go
flying to the farthest corner of your world, an answer you can never hope
to change so long as you live."
He sat down in a dead silence. Again men drew counsel from their fears. The
resolution passed unanimously, for none dared vote against it lest he brand
himself as bought and sold.
It was in this moment, while the hearts of the guilty were like water, that
there came from the lawn outside the roar of a multitude of voices. Swiftly
the word passed that ten thousand miner had come to see that Warner was not
elected. That they were in a dangerous frame of mind, all knew. It was a
passionate undisciplined mob and to thwart them would have been to invite a
riot.
Under these circumstances the joint assembly proceeded to ballot for a
senator. The first name called was that of Adams. He was an old cattleman
and a Democrat.
"Before voting, I want to resign my plate a few moments to Mr. Landor, of
Kit Carson County," he said.
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