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Show 238 RlCHARD UURD1S. But for this, brothers, both, I should not have ventured my nose into your very den, as I may call it, telling you of your tricks upon travellers, and spurring you into our ranks." The audacious development of the emissary absolutely con· founded the two criminals, before whom he stood. They look· ed at one another vacantly, without answer, and tl1c emissary smiled to see in the ghastly sta rl ight, tltcir no less ghastly countenances. lie put his hand upon the arm of llurdis who stood next to him. "I sec you are troubled, brother; but what reason hnve you to fear 1 The worst is over. Your secret is known to friends -to those only who can and will serve you." "Friends! friends! God help me, what sort of friends!" was the bitter speech of llm·dis, as l10 listened to this humiliating sort of consolation. \Yith increasing bitterness he conti nued. "And what do our friends ·want of me 1 what shall I do for them- what give them 1 Their friendship must be paid for, I suppose. You want money 1" " \Ve do- 'Lut none of yours." "And ·why not mine as well as others. Is it not quite as good 1" "Quite, but not enough of it perhaps. 'But we never take from our friends- from those whom we are resolved to l1ave in our brotherhood. Yon might give us money upon compulsion, but it would be scarce worth our whil e, to extort that, when your co-operation is necessary to our other purposes, and must result in getting us a great deal more." " I must know how-l must know your other purposes, before I consent to unite with yon. I will not league with those who arc common robbers." "Common robbers, brother,"' cried tl1e emissary, with a con-temptuous sneer, "nrc not, l)erhaps. such noLle people as common murderers, but, I take it, they arc quite as virtuous. But ·we arc not common r obbers, my brother; far from it. You do great injustice to the :Mystic 13rolherhooc1. Know from me that we are simply seekers of justice; aml we only differ from all others having the same object, in the means which we take to bring it about. We are those who redress the wrongs and injuries of fortune, who protect the poor from the oppressor, who TilE SLAVERY Of' GUILT. 239 subdue tl1e insolent, and lmmbl Per1!::tps we arc in trutJ tJ e tlJe presumptuous and vain snn; 8i nce our ,policy kt, IC most mora l community under til~ we wrong anvbocly 't . cepsl us from II arming the poor and I'f 1 J ' I IS on y tho I d ' ' ' se dom, and then only with t1 sc w IO o. W c take life but and by the wi!J of the mn· orit 1Cc~ou n tc~1n~ce .o: our social laws, the fundnmcntal law of J If y, • cept m mdJvidual cases wl1cn ~t 1 ' so -protect" k ' ler laws which are specified. D~on rna .cs the exception to Icngo do better than that-more wi :s ;out co.urtiJOuse in :Mato the contrary, my brother d ]sci;' more JUstly 1 I know "But we are content ,"tl' an so ( o yQu." "Al . \\1 tour Jaws" said H a· I, mcleod! are you willin to b' .' ur IS. go to the nttorncy and tell I . g e tned by tiiem 1 Shnll I yonr agent beside 'you a d Hm what I know 1 slwll I point to out any notice, and W~l:II~ ~~~~~e l:.e ~~o~ ;l~wn a tall fellow withco~~ ld: and all on your account 1" o e( lim of his money if he .lou could not sny tlJat '" ·a .. "hJs robbery was not our ob. sa:. HurdJs m trembling haste. " His death was." JCct. ' "Ay, but IJe was an enem one who trampled on 11is I I ~-a ll~teful, malignant enemy- " W n h e c Cl and Ills brother-" b - . s e your brotller 1" exclaimed II . nck .at the words, and lookin u t. e. emJ~sary, stmting astomshment. g pon the cnmmal m undisguised :he silence of Hurd is answered til . . . Your own brother-the child e questiOn sufficiently. It must have been a cruel wr of the s~me mother! \VelJ, u It was!" stamm . d o_ng tl.w: he did to you." "It m t I me out Hurd ism reply I w us 1ave been," said the other ": ould take a great de 1 f - It must l1ave been I 'd shoot him. and tl a ~·o~ a brother, if I had one, Lefor~ done, my own ' hands ~~~~lid te I :ron, if 'twas necessary to be man on the business. B t I ' do Jt. .r wnuldn't send another that I've got to . 1 u' ve uothmg to do with that All You must be ones~:s,t Jat you're just the sort of man \\:e.want sel with us, and in a;~· swenr to stand by us, 11elp us, and coun~ faithful." r espects obey tile grand council, and be "Anything but that T II alternative 1 Will no~ e me, my good fellow, is there no money answer?- you shnll have it." |