And now, at the time of my arrival, the whole gang, with the exception of old Snecker, were assembled in the Hope So.
"'Zimmer will be clever enough to drift his outfit along one or two at a time ?' I asked Morton, and he reassured me.

Then we went into the saloon.
"There were perhaps sixty or seventy men in the place, more than half of whom were in open accord with Blome's gang.

Of the rest there were many of doubtful repute, and a few that might have been neutral, yet all the time were secretly burning to help any cause against these rustlers.

At all events, I gathered that impression from the shadowed faces, the tense bodies, the too-evident indication of anything but careless presence there.

The windows were open.