The Valley of Fear Part 14 (1/2)
”See here, man,” he cried, and he alain anything by sitting keening like an old wife at a wake Let's have the facts Who is the fellow? Where is he? How did you hear of him? Why did you come to me?”
”I came to you; for you are the one man that would advise me I told you that I had a store in the East before I caood friends behind raph service Here's a letter that I had froe You can read it yourself”
This hat McMurdo read: How are the Scowrers getting on in your parts? We read plenty of them in the papers Between you andcorporations and the two railroads have taken the thing up in dead earnest They ht deep down into it Pinkerton has taken hold under their orders, and his best ot to be stopped right now
”Now read the postscript”
Of course, what I give you is what I learned in business; so it goes no further It's a queer cipher that you handle by the yard every day and can get nofrom
McMurdo sat in silence for some time, with the letter in his listless hands The mist had lifted for a moment, and there was the abyss before him
”Does anyone else know of this?” he asked
”I have told no one else”
”But this man--your friend--has he any other person that he would be likely to write to?”
”Well, I dare say he knows one or two h”
”I was asking because it is likely that he iven soet on his trail”
”Well, it's possible But I should not think he knew hi me the news that came to him by way of business Hoould he know this Pinkerton ave a violent start
”By Gar!” he cried, ”I've got him What a fool I was not to know it Lord! but we're in luck! We will fix him before he can do any har in my hands?”
”Sure, if you will only take it off ht back and let me run it Even your name need not be mentioned I'll take it all on myself, as if it were to me that this letter has come Will that content you?”
”It's just what I would ask”
”Then leave it at that and keep your head shut Now I'll get down to the lodge, and we'll soon make old man Pinkerton sorry for himself”
”You wouldn't kill this man?”
”The less you know, Friend Morris, the easier your conscience will be, and the better you will sleep Ask no questions, and let these things settle themselves I have hold of it now”
Morris shook his head sadly as he left ”I feel that his blood is on roaned
”Self-protection is no riuess thisin the valley Why, Brother Morris, we'll have to elect you Bodye”
And yet it was clear froht more seriously of this new intrusion than his words would show It uilty conscience, it anization, it reat, rich corporations had set the out the Scowrers; but, whatever his reason, his actions were those of afor the worst Every paper which would incriminate hiave a long sigh of satisfaction; for it seeer must still have pressed soe he stopped at old man Shafter's The house was forbidden him; but when he tapped at theEttie caone froer in his earnest face
”Soer!”
”Sure, it is not very bad, my sweetheart And yet it may be wise that we make a move before it is worse”
”Make a o soht, bad news, and I see trouble co”
”The police?”
”Well, a Pinkerton But, sure, you wouldn't knohat that is, acushla, nor what it , and I et out of it quick You said you would co of you!”
”I's, Ettie I wouldn't hurt a hair of your bonny head for all that the world can give, nor ever pull you down one inch froolden throne above the clouds where I always see you Would you trust me?”
She put her hand in his without a word ”Well, then, listen to what I say, and do as I order you, for indeed it's the only way for us Things are going to happen in this valley I feel it in my bones There may be many of us that will have to look out for ourselves I'ht, it's you that must come with me!”
”I'd come after you, Jack”
”No, no, you shall come WITH me If this valley is closed to me and I can never co froe? It's with ood woman in the place I coet married Will you come?”
”Yes, Jack, I will come”
”God bless you for your trust in me! It's a fiend out of hell that I should be if I abused it Now, mark you, Ettie, it will be just a word to you, and when it reaches you, you will drop everything and co room at the depot and stay there till I coht, I'll come at the word, Jack”
Somewhat eased in un, McMurdo went on to the lodge It had already assens could he pass through the outer guard and inner guard who close-tiled it A buzz of pleasure and welco rooh the haze of tobacco sled black mane of the Bodymaster, the cruel, unfriendly features of Baldwin, the vulture face of Harraway, the secretary, and a dozen e He rejoiced that they should all be there to take counsel over his news
”Indeed, it's glad we are to see you, Brother!” cried the chairan,” explained his neighbour as he took his seat ”They both clai of old man Crabbe over at Stylestown, and who's to say which fired the bullet?”
McMurdo rose in his place and raised his hand The expression of his face froze the attention of the audience There was a dead hush of expectation
”Eency!”
”Brother McMurdo claiency,” said McGinty ”It's a claie takes precedence Now Brother, we attend you”
McMurdo took the letter from his pocket
”Eminent Bodymaster and Brethren,” he said, ”I am the bearer of ill news this day; but it is better that it should be known and discussed, than that a blow should fall upon us without warning which would destroy us all I have inforanizations in this state have bound theether for our destruction, and that at this very moment there is a Pinkerton detective, one Birdy Edwards, at work in the valley collecting the evidence which may put a rope round the necks of many of us, and send every man in this room into a felon's cell That is the situation for the discussion of which I have ency”
There was a dead silence in the room It was broken by the chairman
”What is your evidence for this, Brother McMurdo?” he asked