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Show 88 HICII .\BO II UBU)S. '~ill be as imp~ssiUif' for lliC to sf:l.}' here as it will Lc for you. '1 he momen t 1 go, who wi ll protect you? Ridwrd will rout you out of the nciglt UoJ·Itood; he l~:1 s sworn to do it; nnd we botl1 know him too well not to know tltat, if l1c once gets the j)O\\'CJ· to do wl1at !Jc swc:u-s, !Jc will not hc:sitntc to use it. lie wi!} drive yo~t to R ed ~::vel~ ~IS sure as you're a living mnn." Let tl1c time come, s::ud tl10 other gloom ily," Jet tlJc time cornc; 'Vl1y do you tell me of tit is matter now, 'squire 1" . "lou :trc cole~ nnd_ dull, 13cn Pickett-you arc gcttin~; old," srutl J olm limcl_J s, w1th something like asperity. "Do I not tel_ I you of iter thmgs? do you not hear tl•nt Richard Hurd is sets ofi to.,_norrow fo~· the 'HatioH'? I have shown you that his ab~ ~e.nc~.ts of,beneftt to both of us, that his retum is to our mutual lllJ.lllJ. 1\ hy sl.10ul ~l he rdurn 1 'l'lte gamblers may cut l1is tln ~at: and the f1gl1tmg Choctaws may sl10ot l1im down among then· forests, and 11obody will be the wiser, and botl1 of us tho better for it." "'Vl1y, let them, it will be a ll.tppy riddance," said Pickett. "To Le sure, let tli cm," sa id the other impatiently; "but suppose tltey do not, l3en 1 should we not send them a message, tellmg tltcm tl1at tl1ey will serve and Jllcase us much Ly doi11 ,-,. so 1 that tltey will rid us of a very troublesome enemy, and tha~ they haYe full Jlermission to put him to death as soon as t1 1cy please 1" "1\'cll, to say the trut!J, 'Squire John," said Pickett," I don't sec whnt you're driYing at." :·You me~m tlwt you won't sec, Ben," r esponded tl1e other qUickly; " listen a wl,il o. You arc agreed tlmt it will do us no small service if the gmnLicrs or the Choctaws put a bullet through the ribs of Richard Hm·dis; it will Loa benefit rather than rt. lmrm to us." "1\'ell." "But suppose they thitlk it will n ot benefit tlwm, arc we to forego out· benefits because they show themselves selfi sh 1 Shall Uichard Um·dis survi,·c the Choctaws, nnll come l10me to trouble us 1 Think of it, Ben Picke tt; wl1at folly it would Lc to suffer it!_ 'Vl1y not speed some one aft er tho traveller, wl10 will ap pnzo the gamblers, or the Choctaws, of our enemy-who will show them how troublesome he is-how he carries a good sum GUILTY PH.\ CTICF.. 89 of 1uoncy in Iris saddle-bags 1 !tow easy it will be for tlJCill to SiOJl a lroul1lcsomc traveller who ltas money in his suddl c-bags1 It may Le t h~1t such a messenger might do the business himself in consideration of tlte benefit and the mon<'y; but how should we or anybody know thnt it was done by him 1 'l'he Choctaws, Ben-the Choctaws will get the blame, we the benefit, and our nncsscngcr, if l1c pleases, the money." "1 understanll you now, 'squire," sa id Pickett . " I knew you would," rcpliccl J ohn liUJ·di s, "and only wonder thnt you did not readily compreh cud before. Ilear me, :Ucn: I have a couple of hundred dollars to spare-they ~ue at your service. Take horse to-morrow, and track Uichard llurdis into the' nation;' Ito is your enemy nnd mine. lie is gone tlterc to look for land. Give him as much as he needs. Six feet will answer nil his purj)Oscs, if your rifle curries as truly 110w as it did a ye11r ago." 'l'hc man looked about l1im witlt apprehension ere he r eplied. \VI ten he did so, I lis voice lutd sunk into a hoarse breathi11g, the syllables of which were scarce di st inguishable. " I will do it," he said, grasping tltc hand of his cold and cowardly tempte r, " l will do it-it shall be done; but, byG-d, 'squire, I would much rather do it with his whip warm upon my back, and l1is angry curses loud in my cars." "Do it as you will, Ben; but let it be done. The Choctaws are a cruel and treacherous people, :md tl1csc gamblers of the Mississi11pi are quite as bad. 'l'hcir murders arc very commou. It was very imprudent for Richard to travel at this season; but if lte dies, he has nobody hut him self to blame." They separated. rrhc iufcrnal compact was made and chronicled in their mutual memories, and witnessed only by the fiends that Jll'omptcJ the hellish JHtrposc. |