" Then
Crimmins opened a door concealed by a wooden screen, and the three
disappeared upstairs. Crimmins reappeared within an hour, and
hurried out the front door. In a few moments he returned with
Justice Rowan, who had adjourned court. Immediately after the
justice's arrival there came three raps from the floor above, and
O'Leary swung back the door, and disappeared with an assortment of
drinkables on a tray.
The conference lasted until noon. Then the men separated outside
the barroom. From the expression on the face of each one as he
emerged from the door it was evident that the meeting had not
produced any very cheering or conclusive results. McGaw had that
vindictive, ugly, bulldog look about the eyes and mouth which
always made his wife tremble when he came home. The result of the
present struggle over the contract was a matter of life or death
to him. His notes, secured by the chattel mortgage on his live
stock, would be due in a few days. Crane had already notified him
that they must be paid, and he knew enough of his moneylender, and
of the anger which he had roused, to know that no extension would
be granted him. Losing this contract, he had lost his only hope
of paying them. Had it been awarded him, he could have found a
dozen men who would have loaned him the money to take up these
notes and so to pay Crane.
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