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Show 342 HIC'HARD IIUHDIS. said \V cbl' er; "and thC'rc's little need for it, when we l1avo lnws, ancl comts, and executioners, of our own. I tell you, Haller, th:J.t I shall reg:~rd as nn enemy any man ·who attempts to get this chnp off from punishment. He shall die, by the Eternal!" "So he may, for whnt I care," s:1id llnllcr. "So, indeed, he siJai!, under our own certainty of whnt he deserves, nnd the power wl1ich has been cutrusted to us. Be at rest, Mat 'V ebber- T have as little rcnsou to let Edward Eberly cscnpc as you lwvc. I hate him-from my heart I hate I tim! Ilc has scorned and insulted me before our men; and it will go hard with me if I don't avenge the ill stilt with sevenfold vengeance." "l'm satisfied thnt you will keep your word, llallcr; but JT'ostcr's a smooth-spoken fe ll ow, nnd he mny lll:tvc some kink in his head for saving tl1 is cl1rtp. He used to be very fond of keeping compnny witl1 him, and they were always spouting verses nnd such stuff togetl 1er. I know, too, for all Foster Fpeaks so promptly of pun ishiug him, that, in his secret l1eart, l1e had much rather let Eberly go clear from punishment, though he risked tl1e safety of the whole company Ly it." "No danger of l1is doing i t, whatever may be his wish," said Haller; u you have my oath upon it, 1\J at. 'Vhatevcr Foster may say or do in the business, l1e can't sny or do anything to alter my dcterminatiou. So make yourself easy. 1'o-morrow, or the next day, at furt hest, will wind tt}l tl1e traitor." "You must keep watl:h meanwllile upon l1im." "Yes !- go about it now, 'Yilliams; look to Eberly for the space of an hour, and I will come and re lieve yon. I must go with \ .Y ebber, to see what Foster Jws to say in the business and hearken to his interference, cv(lH if we do not mind it. But I don't th ink he'll interfere, Uat. T he spouting })OCtry migl1t })lease his ears we11 enough, but I'm convinced he could slit tlJO pipe of the spouter the moment he was done." "Perhaps so," was the reply of 'y ebber; "but, at all events- " They were leaving me now, and Haller interrupted the speaker to counsel me before he went. "I showed you, W illiams, the place where Eberly sleeps : do you think you can find it 1" FLIGHT OF 'l'IIE WEAK DR01'HER. 343 "Ycs-I doubt not." "'l'hen go to it at once, nnd note 1vell who goes in to him, and who comes out. If he comes out slyly, and seems disposed • to make off, do 110t stO}) to consider, but give him your bullet. Be sure to do this if you find l1im with his horse." 'l'bc~c were the instructions of 'Vebber. The other merely said- " Don't fear tl1nt he will try to make off. He kno\\'s such efforts can not give l1im security, though IJC slJou ld, for the present, escape us. No-l1e thinks Poster's inOuence can save him, and he will remain quiet in reliance upon it." "Be not now too sure, " rillinms," were tile pnding words of W' ebber; "watch closely, or tile fellow may escn.pe you yet. Remember yon are on trial now: your promotion depends upon your zeal and success." Nothing but tl1e pm110ses which influenced me could lmvo enablccl me to tolerate, with 11:ttiencc, such language from such a wretcll. I felt my henrt burn, and my blood rise, nnd my lip quiver, with an anger which it required all my strength of res. olution to repress, every moment which I spent in my connection with this herd of rogues. Tl1ey left me, and, obeying their instructions, I }1roceeded to tlw place among tlJe bushes-a leafy house- where Eberly slept; and, taking a position which enabled me to observe all the movements of its inmates, I pre· })ared, with a tLougl1tful and sleepless mind, to pass away my honr of watch. Haller afterward related to me what took place in their interview with }-,oster. As l1e had }1rcdictcd, the latter made but a feeble effort to excuse tl1e unfortmwte Eberly. "'V e first tried to find out," said Haller, "if }-,oster was disposed to have any concealment from us; and, pretending thnt we knew nothing of the interview between Eberly and himself~ we spoke of other matters entirely. But he volunteered, and told us all pretty nearly as we ourselves heard, exce})t l10 may l1ave suppressed some of those parts where Eber1y spoke scorn. fully of Mat Webber. These he did not speak. Tic then asked us what we thought of tl10 applicatiou; and when we told him tl~at now there was no doubt t hat Eberly ought to die nnd must d1e, he agreed with us entirely . Indeed, even if he |
