The Valley of Fear Part 15 (1/2)
”Well, there are no papers But I filled him up about constitutions and books of rules and forht down to the end of everything before he leaves”
”Faith, he's right there,” said McGinty gri his, andto me this very day at the depot!”
”Ay, I heard of that,” said McGinty ”I guess the heavy end of this business is co on to you We could put him down an old shaft e've done with hi at Hobson's Patch and you being there to-day”
McMurdo shrugged his shoulders ”If we handle it right, they can never prove the killing,” said he ”No one can see him come to the house after dark, and I'll lay to it that no one will see hio Now see here, Councillor, I'll show you my plan and I'll ask you to fit the others into it You will all coood time Very well He comes at ten He is to tap three tiet behind him and shut it He's our man then”
”That's all easy and plain”
”Yes; but the next step wants considering He's a hard proposition He's heavily armed I've fooled hiuard Suppose I show hiht into a room with sevento be shooting, and so to be hurt”
”That's so”
”And the noise is going to bring every dauess you are right”
”This is how I should work it You will all be in the big room--same as you sahen you had a chat with me I'll open the door for him, show him into the parlour beside the door, and leave hiiveThen I will go back to hi therip on his pistol arm You'll hear me call and in you will rush The quicker the better; for he is as strong a e But I allow that I can hold hiood plan,” said McGinty ”The lodge will owe you a debt for this I guess when I move out of the chair I can put a na after me”
”Sure, Councillor, I am little more than a recruit,” said McMurdo; but his face shohat he thought of the great man's compliment
When he had returned ho in front of him First he cleaned, oiled, and loaded his Smith & Wesson revolver Then he surveyed the rooe apart stove at one side At each of the other sides s There were no shutters on these: only light curtains which drew across McMurdo examined these attentively No doubt it must have struck hi Yet its distance from the road made it of less consequence Finally he discussed the h a Scowrer, was an inoffensive little ainst the opinion of his comrades, but was secretly horrified by the deeds of blood at which he had sometimes been forced to assist McMurdo told him shortly as intended
”And if I were you, Mike Scanlan, I would take a night off and keep clear of it There will be bloody work here before ”
”Well, indeed then, Mac,” Scanlan answered ”It's not the will but the nerve that is wanting in o down at the colliery yonder it was just more than I could stand I'e will think none the worse of me, I'll just do as you advise and leave you to yourselves for the evening”
The ed They were outwardly respectable citizens, well clad and cleanly; but a judge of faces would have read little hope for Birdy Edwards in those hard mouths and remorseless eyes There was not a man in the room whose hands had not been reddened a dozen times before They were as hardened to human murder as a butcher to sheep
Foreuilt, was the formidable Boss Harraway, the secretary, was a lean, bitter y neck and nervous, jerky limbs, a man of incorruptible fidelity where the finances of the order were concerned, and with no notion of justice or honesty to anyone beyond The treasurer, Carter, was a ed man, with an impassive, rather sulky expression, and a yellow parchanizer, and the actual details of nearly every outrage had sprung fro brain The two Willabys werefelloith deterer Cormac, a heavy, dark youth, was feared even by his own comrades for the ferocity of his disposition These were the ht under the roof of McMurdo for the killing of the Pinkerton detective
Their host had placed whisky upon the table, and they had hastened to prime themselves for the work before them Baldwin and Corht out all their ferocity Cormac placed his hands on the stove for an instant--it had been lighted, for the nights were still cold
”That will do,” said he, with an oath
”Ay,” said Baldwin, catching his”If he is strapped to that, ill have the truth out of him”
”We'll have the truth out of him, never fear,” said McMurdo He had nerves of steel, this ht of the affair was on him his manner was as cool and unconcerned as ever The others marked it and applauded
”You are the one to handle hiet till your hand is on his throat It's a pity there are no shutters to your s”
McMurdo went frohter ”Sure no one can spy upon us now It's close upon the hour”
”Maybe he won't coer,” said the secretary
”He'll coer to come as you can be to see hiures, solasses arrested halfway to their lips Three loud knocks had sounded at the door
”Hush!+” McMurdo raised his hand in caution An exulting glance went round the circle, and hands were laid upon their weapons
”Not a sound, for your lives!” McMurdo whispered, as he went fro the door carefully behind him
With strained ears the murderers waited They counted the steps of their coe Then they heard hi Then they were aware of a strange step inside and of an unfamiliar voice An instant later ca of the key in the lock Their prey was safe within the trap Tiger Correat hand across his mouth
”Be quiet, you fool!” he whispered ”You'll be the undoing of us yet!”
There was a mutter of conversation from the next room It seemed interer upon his lip
He came to the end of the table and looked round at thee had coreat work to do His face had set into granite firmness His eyes shone with a fierce excitement behind his spectacles He had becoer interest; but he said nothing Still with the saaze he looked from man to man
”Well!” cried Boss McGinty at last ”Is he here? Is Birdy Edwards here?”
”Yes,” McMurdo answered slowly ”Birdy Edwards is here I am Birdy Edwards!”
There were ten seconds after that brief speech during which the rooht have been e of a kettle upon the stove rose sharp and strident to the ear Seven white faces, all turned upward to this man who dominated them, were set motionless with utter terror Then, with a sudden shi+vering of glass, a bristle of glistening rifle barrels broke through each hile the curtains were torn froave the roar of a wounded bear and plunged for the half-opened door A levelled revolver met him there with the stern blue eyes of Captain Marvin of the Mine Police gleahts The Boss recoiled and fell back into his chair
”You're safer there, Councillor,” said the man whom they had known as McMurdo ”And you, Baldwin, if you don't take your hand off your pistol, you'll cheat the hangman yet Pull it out, or by the Lord that made me--There, that will do There are forty arure it out for yourself what chance you have Take their pistols, Marvin!”
There was no possible resistance under the menace of those rifles The men were disarmed Sulky, sheepish, and amazed, they still sat round the table