They had attacked Gil Steele, who had wounded one of them and fled.

It was then that Mrs.Steele had sent Whitey for aid, as it was certain that the infuriated mob would hang Steele if they found him.

Gil was hidden in a most unromantic place; a sort of dugout, one-third dirt, one-third boards, and one-third stone, in which hams were smoked.

You know how near he came to going from that place to his death.
And Henry Dorgan had created the disturbance so that under cover of it he might steal the bag containing the money for the men.
When this fact was apparent to the minds of the excited hands, they and Gil Steele made a rush for the cowering Dorgan, but Mr.Sherwood and some of the vigilantes intervened with drawn weapons and forced them back.

The vigilantes would see that the law punished Dorgan.