The crowd split and some men ran one way, some another. Morton and I
were among those who hurried over the vacant ground to a little ridge
that marked the edge of the open country. From this vantage point we
heard several rustlers yell in warning, then they fled for their lives.
It developed that they might have spared themselves such headlong
flight. The explosion appeared to be long in coming. At length we saw
the lifting of the roof in a cloud of red dust, and then heard an
exceedingly heavy but low detonation. When the pall of dust drifted away
all that was left of Steele's jail was a part of the stone walls. The
building that stood nearest, being constructed of adobe, had been badly
damaged.
However, this wreck of the jail did not seem to satisfy Blome and his
followers, for amid wild yells and huzzahs they set to work with
crowbars and soon laid low every stone. Then with young Snecker in the
fore they set off up town; and if this was not a gang in fit mood for
any evil or any ridiculous celebration I greatly missed my guess.
It was a remarkable fact, however, and one that convinced me of deviltry
afoot, that the crowd broke up, dispersed, and actually disappeared off
the streets of Linrock.
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