“Four years after we had set up the road agency an itinerant preacher came along, and having no other way to pay for the night’s lodging that we gave him, favored us with an exhortation of such power that, praise God, we were all converted to religion.  My father at once sent for his brother, the Hon. William Ridley of Stockton, and on his arrival turned over the agency to him, charging him nothing for the franchise nor plant—­the latter consisting of a Winchester rifle, a sawed-off shotgun, and an assortment of masks made out of flour sacks.  The family then moved to Ghost Rock and opened a dance house.  It was called ‘The Saints’ Rest Hurdy-Gurdy,’ and the proceedings each night began with prayer.  It was there that my now sainted mother, by her grace in the dance, acquired the sobriquet of ‘The Bucking Walrus.’

“In the fall of ’75 I had occasion to visit Coyote, on the road to Mahala, and took the stage at Ghost Rock.  There were four other passengers.  About three miles beyond Nigger Head, persons whom I identified as my Uncle William and his two sons held up the stage.  Finding nothing in the express box, they went through the passengers.  I acted a most honorable part in the affair, placing myself in line with the others, holding up my hands and permitting myself to be deprived of forty dollars and a gold watch.  From my behavior no one could have suspected that I knew the gentlemen who gave the entertainment.  A few days later, when I went to Nigger Head and asked for the return of my money and watch my uncle and cousins swore they knew nothing of the matter, and they affected a belief that my father and I had done the job ourselves in dishonest violation of commercial good faith.  Uncle William even threatened to retaliate by starting an opposition dance house at Ghost Rock.  As ‘The Saints’ Rest’ had become rather unpopular, I saw that this would assuredly ruin it and prove a paying enterprise, so I told my uncle that I was willing to overlook the past if he would take me into the scheme and keep the partnership a secret from my father.  This fair offer he rejected, and I then perceived that it would be better and more satisfactory if he were dead.

“My plans to that end were soon perfected, and communicating them to my dear parents I had the gratification of receiving their approval.  My father said he was proud of me, and my mother promised that although her religion forbade her to assist in taking human life I should have the advantage of her prayers for my success.  As a preliminary measure looking to my security in case of detection I made an application for membership in that powerful order, the Knights of Murder, and in due course was received as a member of the Ghost Rock commandery.  On the day that my probation ended I was for the first time permitted to inspect the records of the order and learn who belonged to it—­all the rites of initiation having been conducted in masks.  Fancy my delight when, in looking over the roll of membership; I found the third name to be that of my uncle, who indeed was junior vice-chancellor of the order!  Here was an opportunity exceeding my wildest dreams—­to murder I could add insubordination and treachery.  It was what my good mother would have called ‘a special Providence.’