The Valley of Fear Part 9 (1/2)
”Baldwin--he speaks like that, does he?”
”And that is why I loathe him so Oh, Jack, now I can tell you the truth I loathe him with all my heart; but I fear him also I fear him for myself; but above all I fear hireat sorroould come upon us if I dared to say what I really felt That is why I have put him off with half-promises It was in real truth our only hope But if you would fly with me, Jack, we could take father with us and live forever far froain there was the struggle upon McMurdo's face, and again it set like granite ”No harm shall come to you, Ettie--nor to your father either As to wicked men, I expect you may find that I ah”
”No, no, Jack! I would trust you anywhere”
McMurdo laughed bitterly ”Good Lord! how little you know of uess what is passing in mine But, hullo, who's the visitor?”
The door had opened suddenly, and a young fellow ca in with the air of one who is thee and build as McMurdo himself Under his broad-brimmed black felt hat, which he had not troubled to re eyes and a curved hawk-bill of a nose looked savagely at the pair who sat by the stove
Ettie had julad to see you, Mr Baldwin,” said she ”You're earlier than I had thought Come and sit down”
Baldwin stood with his hands on his hips looking at McMurdo ”Who is this?” he asked curtly
”It's a friend of mine, Mr Baldwin, a new boarder here Mr McMurdo,men nodded in surly fashi+on to each other
”Maybe Miss Ettie has told you how it is with us?” said Baldwin
”I didn't understand that there was any relation between you”
”Didn't you? Well, you can understand it now You can take it fro lady isfor a walk”
”Thank you, I am in no hue eyes were blazing with anger ”Maybe you are in a huht, Mr Boarder!”
”That I a to his feet ”You never said a more welcome word”
”For God's sake, Jack! Oh, for God's sake!” cried poor, distracted Ettie ”Oh, Jack, Jack, he will hurt you!”
”Oh, it's Jack, is it?” said Baldith an oath ”You've come to that already, have you?”
”Oh, Ted, be reasonable--be kind! For iving!”
”I think, Ettie, that if you were to leave us alone we could get this thing settled,” said McMurdo quietly ”Or maybe, Mr Baldwin, you will take a turn down the street with round beyond the next block”
”I'll get even with you without needing to dirty my hands,” said his enemy ”You'll wish you had never set foot in this house before I ah with you!”
”No time like the present,” cried McMurdo
”I'll choose my own time, mister You can leave the time to me See here!” He suddenly rolled up his sleeve and showed upon his forearn which appeared to have been branded there It was a circle with a triangle within it ”D'you knohat that means?”
”I neither know nor care!”
”Well, you will know, I'll promise you that You won't beabout it As to you, Ettie, you'll coirl?--on your knees--and then I'll tell you what your punishment may be You've sowed--and by the Lord, I'll see that you reap!” He glanced at them both in fury Then he turned upon his heel, and an instant later the outer door had banged behind hiirl stood in silence Then she threw her arms around him
”Oh, Jack, how brave you were! But it is no use, you ht! It's your only hope He will have your life I read it in his horrible eyes What chance have you against a dozen of thee behind theently pushed her back into a chair ”There, acushla, there! Don't be disturbed or fear foryour father about it Maybe I am no better than the others; so don't make a saint of me Perhaps you hate me too, now that I've told you as much?”
”Hate you, Jack? While life lasts I could never do that! I've heard that there is no har a Freeman anywhere but here; so why should I think the worse of you for that? But if you are a Freeo down and make a friend of Boss McGinty? Oh, hurry, Jack, hurry! Get your word in first, or the hounds will be on your trail”
”I was thinking the saht now and fix it You can tell your father that I'll sleep here to-night and find so”
The bar of McGinty's saloon was crowded as usual; for it was the favourite loafing place of all the rougher eleh, jovial disposition which forreat deal which lay behind it But apart frohout the townshi+p, and indeed down the whole thirty miles of the valley and past the h in itself to fill his bar; for none could afford to neglect his good will
Besides those secret pohich it was universally believed that he exercised in so pitiless a fashi+on, he was a high public official, a municipal councillor, and a coh the votes of the ruffians who in turn expected to receive favours at his hands assessments and taxes were enorlected, the accounts were slurred over by bribed auditors, and the decent citizen was terrorized into paying public black befall him
Thus it was that, year by year, Boss McGinty's diahty across a eous vest, and his saloon stretched farther and farther, until it threatened to absorb one whole side of the Market Square
McMurdo pushed open the swinging door of the saloon and h an atmosphere blurred with tobacco smoke and heavy with the shted, and the huge, heavily gilt arish illumination There were several bartenders in their shi+rt sleeves, hard at work ed the broad, brass-tri upon the bar and a cigar stuck at an acute angle fro, heavily built man who could be none other than the faiant, bearded to the cheek-bones, and with a shock of raven hair which fell to his collar His complexion was as swarthy as that of an Italian, and his eyes were of a strange dead black, which, coave them a particularly sinister appearance
All else in the man--his noble proportions, his fine features, and his frank bearing--fitted in with that jovial, man-to-man manner which he affected Here, one would say, is a bluff, honest fellohose heart would be sound however rude his outspoken words ht seem It was only when those dead, dark eyes, deep and remorseless, were turned upon athat he was face to face with an infinite possibility of latent evil, with a strength and courage and cunning behind it which ood look at his man, McMurdo elbowed his way forith his usual careless audacity, and pushed hi upon the powerful boss, laughing uproariously at the sray eyes looked back fearlessly through their glasses at the deadly black ones which turned sharply upon hi man, I can't call your face to mind”
”I'm new here, Mr McGinty”
”You are not so new that you can't give a gentle roup
”I'e to the ways of the place But I was advised to see you”
”Well, you see me This is all there is What d'you think ofas your body, and your soul as fine as your face, then I'd ask for nothing better,” said McMurdo
”By Gar! you've got an Irish tongue in your head anyhow,” cried the saloon-keeper, not quite certain whether to hunity
”So you are good enough to pass my appearance?”
”Sure,” said McMurdo
”And you were told to see me?”
”I was”
”And who told you?”
”Brother Scanlan of Lodge 341, Vermissa I drink your health Councillor, and to our better acquaintance” He raised a glass hich he had been served to his lips and elevated his little finger as he drank it
McGinty, who had been watching him narrowly, raised his thick black eyebrows ”Oh, it's like that, is it?” said he ”I'll have to look a bit closer into this, Mister--”
”McMurdo”