midnight
They met that night in Yesler 's rooms round a card-table . The hands were dealt for form 's sake , since there were spies everywhere , and it was necessary to ring for cigars and refreshments occasionally to avoid suspicion . They were all cattlemen , large or small , big outdoors sunburned men , who rode the range in the spring and fall with their punchers and asked no odds of any man . Until long past midnight they talked the details over , and when they separated in the small hours it was with a well-defined plan to save the State from its impending disgrace if the thing could be done . The first ballots for a United States senator taken by the legislature in joint session failed to disclose the alignment of some of the doubtful members . The Democratic minority of twenty-eight votes were cast for Springer , the senator whose place would be taken by whoever should win in the contest now on . Warner received forty-four , Ridgway twenty-six , eight went to Pascom , a former governor whom the cattlemen were supporting , and the remaining three were scattered .