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Show 232 HIC'Il \ nu Jl UI!OlB. 'V , . · his power, and who knows we arc l.~ndonc for ever. c .u c m u describe 1 VVho knows that he IS one of a gang such as yo d . that he is not an ofliccr ol' justice-one who suspects us, an IS come to find out onr secrets 1" 11 1 "No no 'squire . how should he be nblc to tell me a t Jat he did 1 irow sho:Jld he ]mow that I shot Dick llnrdis from the hill tllat hangs over the rond 7" . "You remember you told me that yoursel:, Ben P•~kctt i and you say he overheard our conversation 1" cned Hu~·d • s, eager!!" "Yes 'squire i but how should he know that I llld my nag Ill a thick~t of poplars 1- how should he be able to tell me the very sort of stump I fastened him to 1" "..Aud did he do that, Ben?'' . "'l'llat he did-every bit of it. No, no, 'sqmre, he s~w all that he says he saw, or he got it from somebody that d1d see it." " · d H a· "Great heavens ! what are we to do 1 ~xclaune · nr 1s: as he fold ed his hands together, and looked w1th eyes o_f su?plication upward. But his answer and. the c~unsel winch tt conveyed, came from an entirely opposite _regw~ . " ' "Do! well that's the ,quc~tio~," replied P1ckett, and I don t know what to tell you, sqmre. . "We must do something- we can not remn.m thus nt tl~e mercy of this fellow! 'l'he thought is ho~Tibl.e! Th~.~ope IS round our necks, Ben, and he has the end m h1s hands. "It's too true." . . u Hear me!" f:aid IIunlis in a whisper, and drawmg lus com-panion still farther from the spot where the emissary had been left in waiting-" there is but one way. He comes alone. "\Yo must silence him. You must do it, Ben ." "Do what, 'squire 1'' . . "Do what!" exclaimed the other impatiently, though sbll.m a whisper. "'Vould you Lave me utter every word 1 Do WJth l1im as you have done with Dick Hurd is!" "I've thought of that, 'squire, but-" "13ut what 1'' " There's a mighty risk." . , . eater "There's risk in everythmg. But there s no r1sk gr than that of being at the mercy of such n bloodhound!" DO~UNO! -TilE OA~IF. BLOCKED. 233 "That's true l.'nough, 'squire; but he's too much for me single- handed . You mui>Jt help me." "'Vhnt's the ncea 1 You don't think to do it now 1" demanded Hurd is, in some al:um. "If it's to be done at nil, why not now 1 The sooner, the better, 'squire. This is the very time. ITo l1ns poked l1is nose into our pot, and he can't complain, if he gets it scorched. Together, we could put it to him , so that there could he no mistake." But this counsel did not suit the less courageous nature of John Hurd is. "No, Ben, that would be a ri sk, indeed . \Ve migl1t tumble him, but a chance shot, from a despernte man, migllt also tumble one or both of 11s." "'rhat's true." "\Ve must tltink of sometl tin g else- some safer course, which will be equally certain. Tic sleeps at yom house." "Yes," said the other quickly ; "but I will do notl1i11g of that sort, within smell of Betsy. It's bntl enough to clraw blood on the high road, but it must i10t nm 0 11 one's own hearth." "l:>shaw! where's tlte difference 1 1\furder is murder wherever it is done!" "'rhat's true, 'squire; but there's a feeling in it, thot makes the clifl'erence. l3csicles, I won't have the old woman worried with any of this business. I've kept CYcry thing of this sort from l1er that I could; and the thi11g thnt I most IJatcd Dick Ilurdis for, was his making such a bl::~zo of that whi1)ping business, as to bring it to l1er sight. 'Jlh cre's Jnnc, too. ~o, 'squire, my wife and child must not know all the dirty matters that stick to my fin gers." "'Veil, as yo11 please, on that sco re. But something must be done. You must fix a trap for him. 'Vhen docs l1c leaYo you !' "There no knowing. He wants to fix you as he's fixed me; to make us both members of his clan-Mystic Brotherhoodas he calls it; nnd wlten that's done, I suppose, he'll bo of[" "But why should he desire tl1is 1 What motive can he have in it 1 Why a society so extensive 1" "There's no telling; only you'll have to consent." |