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Show 31G HIC'Jit\IW JIUI!IJIS. "How k 1s tleis wonderful man contrin•d to cnHlc clrtrdion, or suspicion at least 1 1 t is not easy to lwxc a. secret kept, wlticb is so numerously confided." "Thnt is one of the beauties of his schcm<', tltnt he confitles lit t le or nothino- wleicle :drects himself: and lee sceue·es the nlliancc mH] ob~licncc of those only who ltnvc secrets of th<'ir own much more dctrimcJJtni to tl1em if mndc public tlenn conltl be any wl1ich they hnvc of his. His art consisted simply in seeking out those wl10 IH-..d secrets of n flnngrrous nnture. ln find inn· these 110 found followers. But, though lee leas not :d· ways ~scaped suspicion-he has been able nlways to dcf)' it. Societies have been formed, schemes laid, compnnics raised, and juries pront})ted, to catclt him in tlte :1ct, but all in Yain. lt is not easy to entmp a man who IHls an emissary in every section of the country. The most :t.ctivc sc~ret;n·ics of tho societies wore his crcatures-tlto schemes haTe Locn reported ltim as soon as l::tid, :tll(l one of his own right-l1and men lws more thnn once been an ofliccr of the company sworn to keep watch O\'C~r him iu ::;ccret." "\Vondcrfulman !-and wlJat docs he design with all this power1 'ro rob merely-to procure money from tmvcllcrs upon the l• i;;ltway -would not seem to call for such au cxtcusi, ·c association." "Per hallS not!-but he has other purposes; and the time will come, I doubt not, wlten l1is 11erfornw.nces will, in no respect, fall short of the power which he will employ to cflC.ct them. \Vhen I tell you of such a man, you sec at once that he is no common robber. \Vhy should he confine himself to tl_!C deeds of one - be assured he will not. You will sec-yon wdl !•ear yet of his performances, And 1 tell you they will be StiCh that the country willrittg with tl1em agnin." "lie must be a man of great ambition-l1c sltould be, to correspond with t he ge11ius whicl1 he evidently l1as for great achievements. 1 sl10uld like to know-by my f:iou l, but I could love such a mau as that.'' "You shall know him in season-Ito is not unwilling to be known where he himself knows the seckm·, but-" H e paused, and I determined upon giving my hypocrisy a crowning virtue, if possiLic, by utterly on•rmnstcring ltis. 1 DEEPEit IN 'l'ln; PLOT. 317 put my hnnd npon his sltouldcr suddenly, and looked l1im in lltc fac(', saying dclihcnttely at the same time:- oc Ynn nrc th(· mnn hinu;l'lf- 1'11 swear it." " llow !"he exelaimctl, in some alarm; nnd I could sec t1 1at Ito fumiJlc(l in his bosom as if for a weapon. " H ow! you mean not to bctrny me 1" " .Bct1·ay you, no. I honor you-I IO\'C you. )~ou have opened a rond to me-you have given me ligl1t. An lwur ngo auJ. I was tl1c most ltopelcss, IJcuighted wretch under heaven -without money, without the menus of getting it, :md fully n·solved on puttiug a bullet through my l1ead. Youl~ave sm·ed my life - yon have saved mc.u lie seized my ltaud with wnrmth. u I will be the mnking of you," l1e replied. "I ltavc tl1e whole soutl1wcst in a string, and hn,·e only to pull it to secure a golden draugl1t. You slmll be 11·ith me nt the pulling." \\'hat more Ito said is un neeess:u-y to my nanntive, though l1e thought it ~til importunt to his. In IJricf, he toltl we tiJ::t.t he had concocted his prescut schemes £'or a space of B10re than twenty yems-from the time tltat lte was Jiftecn .}'Pars of Age, and l1e was now full thirty-five; showi11g by tltis, a commendable perseverance of purpose, which, in a good work is seldom shown, and wltich, in a goocl work must ltave insured to any individual a most triumpl~:mt g reatness. We did not sepnmto that night until he had sworn me a member of the u .UyHtic Confederacy," and given me a dozen signs Ly which to know my brethren, make myself known, send t idings aml commml{l assistance-acquisitions wldch I shuddered to possess, nnd tho. consequences of' which, I well knew, would task all my skill nnd resolution to escape and evade. |