"The nearest sheriff's at Spruce Rapids," commented some one
philosophically.

"We have sixty men, all told," said Orde. "We ought to be able to
carry it through."

He filled his plate and walked across to a vacant place. Here he
found himself next to Newmark.

"Hello!" he greeted that young man, "fixed it with the doctor all
right?"

"Yes," replied Newmark, in his brief, dry manner, "thanks! I think
I ought to tell you that the sheriff is not at Spruce Rapids, but at
the village--expecting trouble."

Orde whistled, then broke into a roar of delight.

"Boys," he called, "old Plug Hat's got the sheriff right handy. I
guess he sort of expected we'd be thinking of cutting through that
dam. How'd you like to go to jail?"

"I'd like to see any sheriff take us to jail, unless he had an army
with him," growled one of the river-jacks.

"Has he a posse?" inquired Orde of Newmark.

"I didn't see any; but I understood in the village that the governor
had been advised to hold State troops in readiness for trouble."