Panamint City attained an estimated population of 3,000. Harris and Rhine, merchants, having the only safe in the town permitted patrons to deposit money for safe keeping and often had large sums. On one occasion they had the $10,000 payroll of the Hemlock mine.
A clerk arriving early at the store, suddenly faced two gentlemen who directed him to open the safe and pass out the money. "Just as well count it as you fork it over," one ordered. The clerk had counted $4000 when he was told to stop. "This'll do for the present," the spokesman said. "We'll come back and get the rest."
"Yeh," added his partner. "Too damned many thugs in this town."
They sallied forth on a spending spree. The down-and-out along the mile-long street received generous portions of the loot and a widow whose husband had been killed in a mine explosion, received $500.
These bandits, Small and McDonald, thereafter became incredibly popular and the legend follows that what they stole from those who had, they shared with those who hadn't.
Wells-Fargo and Company offered a reward of $1000 for their capture, but their arrest was never accomplished. Invariably they were apprised of the approach of pursuers and simply retired to some convenient canyon. The bandits further endeared themselves to the citizenry when Stewart and Jones arranged for the importation of a hundred Chinese laborers.
This aroused the ire of the white miners and a meeting was called to protest. "This is a white man's town," was the cry of labor.
Small and McDonald agreed. "Just leave it to us," they told the leaders. "No use in a lotta fellows getting hurt." They stationed themselves at the mouth of the canyon and when the coolies arrived, a sudden volley from the bandits' six-guns brought the caravan to a halt. The frightened Chinamen leaped from the hacks and fled in panic across the desert and Panamint remained a white man's town.
Engaged at work around their hideout, Hungry Bill stopped to beg for food. They told the Indian to wait until they finished their task. His sullen impatience angered Small who booted him down the trail. Hungry Bill left cursing and told a prospector whom he met that he would return shortly with his tribesmen and assassinate the entire population.