Part 72 (1/2)
”Howly Sint Patherick!” gurgled Barney Mulloy. ”Oi sh'u'd soay not!
Ixchuse us from thot, me hearty!”
”That would be as bad as murder!” exclaimed Frank. ”There would be one vote against us--one black bean thrown, at least.”
Muriel nodded.
”I judge you-uns is right.”
”Pwhat av th' carruds?”
”Yes, what of them?”
”Two men will be chosen, one ter hold a pack o' cards, and one to draw a card from them. Ef ther card is red, it lets you-uns off, fer it means life; ef it is black, it cooks yer, fer it means death.”
The boys were silent, dumfounded, appalled.
It was a lottery of life and death.
Muriel stood watching them, and Frank fancied that his eyes were gleaming with satisfaction. The boy began to believe he had mistaken the character of this astonis.h.i.+ng youth; Muriel might be even worse than his older companions, for he might be one who delighted in torturing his victims.
Frank threw back his head, defiance and scorn written on his handsome face.
”It is a clean case of murder, at best!” he cried, his voice ringing out clearly. ”We deserve a fair trial--we demand it!”
”Wal,” drawled the boy moons.h.i.+ner, ”I warned you-uns that ther more yer demanded, ther less yer got. Ye seem ter fergit that.”
”We're in fur it, Frankie, me b'y!” groaned Barney.
”If we had our revolvers, we'd give them a stiff fight for it!” grated Frank, fiercely. ”They would not murder us till a few of them had eaten lead!”
Muriel seemed to nod with satisfaction.
”You-uns has stuff, an' when I tell yer that ye'll have ter sta' ter vote ur take chances with ther cards, I don't judge you'll hesitate.
It's one ur t'other.”
”Then, make it the cards,” said Frank, hoa.r.s.ely. ”That will give us an even show, if the draw is a fair one.”
”I'll see ter that,” a.s.sured Muriel. ”It shall be fair.”
Without another word, he turned and swiftly slipped out of the room.
They heard him bar the door, and then they stood looking into each other's faces, speechless for a few moments.
”It's a toss-up, Barney,” Frank finally observed.
”Thot's pwhat it is, an' th' woay our luck is runnin' Oi think it's a case av heads they win an' tails we lose.”
”It looks that way,” admitted Frank. ”But there is no way out of it.
We'll have to grin and bear it.”