When the captured cattlemen got fairly warmed up in their quarters at Fort Russell and had an opportunity to read the newspapers of this state and from the great outside world, they discovered that public sentiment was universally against them, save where the papers had been unduly influenced, either by money or some other power. Accordingly the threats of another raid became less violent and the brains of the baffled “cattle kings” commenced to work on other lines. The first brilliant thought that seemed to be meaty was martial law in the northern counties. This would mean the disarmament of the people of three or four counties and the placing of all the machinery of the law into the hands of the friends of the cattlemen to be specially run in their interests. It would really mean the barring out of all new settlers and the driving out of many already located, through the oppression always following the enforcement of martial law and the overthrow of the civil authorities. Impressed with the importance of this idea and still clinging to the belief that the stockmen could control the politics and state policy as of old, the following petition was presented during the summer of 1892: Petition for Martial Law To His Excellency, the Governor, Cheyenne, Wyoming: Sir: The undersigned respectfully represent that they are the owners of and are interested in, cattle and horses, located and ranging in the county of Johnson, in the State of Wyoming, and in the territory adjacent to said county; that they are citizens of the State of Wyoming and of other states in the Union, and as such are entitled to the equal protection of the law, and to the protection of their property against theft and depredations, and that the county of Johnson and the territory adjacent thereto, is chiefly composed of unclosed lands, especially adapted to grazing, and the livestock of your petitioners and others ranging thereon is worth several millions of dollars.