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Show 320 RI CHARD HUIWIS. by me, :tnd I'll ck 1rgc him with it before ll1 r. cnptnin; and, if so, we'll have the rewnnl. l ' ll by my life It is pocket is full of forged Lills at this very moment." I answered l1im with some coolness, and more indifl'rrencc: "l'm no informer, sir, and do not agree with you in your ill op inion of the poor man. At lcnst, I kwc seen Hothi11g iu l1is conduct, n.nd witnessed 11 otiling in l1is llcportmmlt, to warrant me in forming nny suclt suRI)icions. lie may have forged notes or not, fOr me; 1'11 uot trouble him." 'l'l1C fellow went oil', no wise discomfited, and I heard nothing more of his accusation. That night I related the circumstance to Foster, who smiled without surprise, and then said to me in reply- " You sec how well our ngcnts work for us. llallcr [that wHs tho cl<.mdy's nmnc] is one of om men. Tic knew from me of what we l1ad BIJok en, and proposed to try you. I t is no small pleasure to fiud you so fai thful to your engagemen ts." In this way, and by the practice of tlte most unrc!lnx ing cunning, I fully persuaded Foster of my integrity-if I may usc thnt word in such relation. Jiour after hour gave me new revelations touching the grand frnternity--tl1e "Mystic Brotherhood"- into the bosom of which I was now to be received i and of tbe doings and tho capncitios of which Foster spoke at large and with all tho zest of tho truest patemity. .After rc} Jeated conferences bad seemed to assure him of my fidelity, he proceeded to reveal a matter which, in tl1e end, proved of more importance to my pursuit than all the rest of l1is rcnlntions. " 1'V e have quarterly and occasional meetings of our choice spirits, who are few in number, and one of' these meetings is at hand. VYe meet in the neighborhood of the Sipsy swamp, on the road from Columbus to r.ruscaloosa, where we have a fnmous 11iding-I)laee, which has }J em·d, and kept too, mnuy a pretty secret. 'Vc l1avc a conference to wldch twenty or more will be admitted, who will report their proceedings in western Alabnma. There will be several new members, like yourself, wl1o are yet in tilcir noviciate; but Il OilO, I :nn pcrsunded, who "ill go throngh their tri~Il half so well as yomself." "VVhat! tho stopping the mniJ, or shooting the traveller 1" "Ycs-'tis that I mean. You will do your duty, I doubt 110t. 'l' IIE '1'00 CONSC!ENTTOUS £!1Q·ruEU. 321 There is another business whid1 we have on hnnd, w11id1 is of some importance to om interests. .1l is hinted tk1t one of our leadiug confederates-a 'fine young fellow, wl10 cornm ittcd mt error, and j oined us in consequence a yc11r ago- is about to play the traitor, or nt least fly t he track." ".t~h, indeed ! nnd how do you punish such an offence 7" "How, but by death 1 Our very ex istence as a society, and safety as n.ten, dep_end upon the severity which we vi sit upon tl10 head of the trmtor. lie must die-that is, if the oflCnce be proved against l1im." "\.Ylutt! you g ive him a trial, then 7" "Yes, Lut 110t Ly jury: no such folly for us ! \Vc put on the tmck of the offender some two or three of our most trusty con· fe~lerntes, \\'.110 take uote of all his actions, and arc empowered WJth authonty to put the law in force without fmther reference t.o us .. 1 will. try and. get you upon tl1is commission, as your iu·st tn al before we mvest you with our orders. liallel' wiH most probably be your associate in t his business. lie brings tl1e report of the suspected treason, and it is our custom to em? loy i1~ such a busiHess those persons who have the clue already Ill thou· han ds. llnller has some prrjudicc against Eberly; there lutvo been words between them, and Eberly, who is a JCIlow of high sp irit, got tl1c better of him, and treats l1im with some contempt." "·will there not be some danger of llaller's abusinO' the trust you give him, then, nnd making its powers subservi~ut to l1is fCelings of personal hostility 1" "l_)~ssiLly; but Haller knows our penalty for that offence, :mel WJII scarcely venture to incur it. Besides, I fenr there is some ground for his ehnrges: I l1ave heard some matters about l%erly myself wllich were suspicious." "Eberly!" said I, "where did I hear that name before 1 I have surely heard it somewhere." "Not unlikely: I know several Eberlys in Georgia. and Alaabama; it's not a very uncommon name, though still not a common one.'' The consciousness of the next instant made my check burn. I remem?e~·ed l~earing the name of Eberly uttered by one of tho bandit I!, while I lay bound in tho hovel of Matthew W cb- 14• |