"You'll be the new captain?" said McGinty.
"That's so. We're looking to you, Councillor, and to the other leadingcitizens, to help us in upholding law and order in this township.Captain Marvin is my name."
"We'd do better without you, Captain Marvin," said McGinty coldly; "forwe have our own police of the township, and no need for any importedgoods. What are you but the paid tool of the capitalists, hired by themto club or shoot your poorer fellow citizen?"
"Well, well, we won't argue about that," said the police officergood-humouredly. "I expect we all do our duty same as we see it; but wecan't all see it the same." He had drunk off his glass and had turnedto go, when his eyes fell upon the face of Jack McMurdo, who wasscowling at his elbow. "Hullo! Hullo!" he cried, looking him up anddown. "Here's an old acquaintance!"
McMurdo shrank away from him. "I was never a friend to you nor anyother cursed copper in my life," said he.
"An acquaintance isn't always a friend," said the police captain,grinning. "You're Jack McMurdo of Chicago, right enough, and don't youdeny it!"
McMurdo shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not denying it," said he. "D'yethink I'm ashamed of my own name?"
"You've got good cause to be, anyhow."
"What the devil d'you mean by that?" he roared with his fists clenched.
"No, no, Jack, bluster won't do with me. I was an officer in Chicagobefore ever I came to this darned coal bunker, and I know a Chicagocrook when I see one."
McMurdo's face fell. "Don't tell me that you're Marvin of the ChicagoCentral!" he cried.
"Just the same old Teddy Marvin, at your service. We haven't forgottenthe shooting of Jonas Pinto up there."
"I never shot him."
"Did you not? That's good impartial evidence, ain't it? Well, his deathcame in uncommon handy for you, or they would have had you for shovingthe queer. Well, we can let that be bygones; for, between you andme--and perhaps I'm going further than my duty in saying it--they couldget no clear case against you, and Chicago's open to you to-morrow."
"I'm very well where I am."
"Well, I've given you the pointer, and you're a sulky dog not to thankme for it."
"Well, I suppose you mean well, and I do thank you," said McMurdo in novery gracious manner.
"It's mum with me so long as I see you living on the straight," saidthe captain. "But, by the Lord! if you get off after this, it's anotherstory! So good-night to you--and goodnight, Councillor."
He left the bar-room; but not before he had created a local hero.McMurdo's deeds in far Chicago had been whispered before. He had putoff all questions with a smile, as one who did not wish to havegreatness thrust upon him. But now the thing was officially confirmed.The bar loafers crowded round him and shook him heartily by the hand.He was free of the community from that time on. He could drink hard andshow little trace of it; but that evening, had his mate Scanlan notbeen at hand to lead him home, the feted hero would surely have spenthis night under the bar.
On a Saturday night McMurdo was introduced to the lodge. He had thoughtto pass in without ceremony as being an initiate of Chicago; but therewere particular rites in Vermissa of which they were proud, and thesehad to be undergone by every postulant. The assembly met in a largeroom reserved for such purposes at the Union House. Some sixty membersassembled at Vermissa; but that by no means represented the fullstrength of the organization, for there were several other lodges inthe valley, and others across the mountains on each side, who exchangedmembers when any serious business was afoot, so that a crime might bedone by men who were strangers to the locality. Altogether there werenot less than five hundred scattered over the coal district.
In the bare assembly room the men were gathered round a long table. Atthe side was a second one laden with bottles and glasses, on which somemembers of the company were already turning their eyes. McGinty sat atthe head with a flat black velvet cap upon his shock of tangled blackhair, and a coloured purple stole round his neck, so that he seemed tobe a priest presiding over some diabolical ritual. To right and left ofhim were the higher lodge officials, the cruel, handsome face of TedBaldwin among them. Each of these wore some scarf or medallion asemblem of his office.
They were, for the most part, men of mature age; but the rest of thecompany consisted of young fellows from eighteen to twenty-five, theready and capable agents who carried out the commands of their seniors.Among the older men were many whose features showed the tigerish,lawless souls within; but looking at the rank and file it was difficultto believe that these eager and open-faced young fellows were in verytruth a dangerous gang of murderers, whose minds had suffered suchcomplete moral perversion that they took a horrible pride in theirproficiency at the business, and looked with deepest respect at the manwho had the reputation of making what they called "a clean job."
To their contorted natures it had become a spirited and chivalrousthing to volunteer for service against some man who had never injuredthem, and whom in many cases they had never seen in their lives. Thecrime committed, they quarrelled as to who had actually struck thefatal blow, and amused one another and the company by describing thecries and contortions of the murdered man.
At first they had shown some secrecy in their arrangements; but at thetime which this narrative describes their proceedings wereextraordinarily open, for th
e repeated failures of the law had provedto them that, on the one hand, no one would dare to witness againstthem, and on the other they had an unlimited number of stanch witnessesupon whom they could call, and a well-filled treasure chest from whichthey could draw the funds to engage the best legal talent in the state.In ten long years of outrage there had been no single conviction, andthe only danger that ever threatened the Scowrers lay in the victimhimself--who, however outnumbered and taken by surprise, might andoccasionally did leave his mark upon his assailants.
McMurdo had been warned that some ordeal lay before him; but no onewould tell him in what it consisted. He was led now into an outer roomby two solemn brothers. Through the plank partition he could hear themurmur of many voices from the assembly within. Once or twice he caughtthe sound of his own name, and he knew that they were discussing hiscandidacy. Then there entered an inner guard with a green and gold sashacross his chest.
"The Bodymaster orders that he shall be trussed, blinded, and entered,"said he.
The three of them removed his coat, turned up the sleeve of his rightarm, and finally passed a rope round above the elbows and made it fast.They next placed a thick black cap right over his head and the upperpart of his face, so that he could see nothing. He was then led intothe assembly hall.
It was pitch dark and very oppressive under his hood. He heard therustle and murmur of the people round him, and then the voice ofMcGinty sounded dull and distant through the covering of his ears.
"John McMurdo," said the voice, "are you already a member of theAncient Order of Freemen?"