WAR TO THE KNIFE.
Barksdale heard the events of the night, as detailed by the general,
without apparent emotion. He had gone with them to look upon the remains
of Gerald. He brought from the scene only a graver look in his face, a
more gentle tone in his voice. These, however, soon passed. He was again
the cold, stern, level-headed man of affairs, listening to a strange
story. He lost no detail and his quick, trained mind gave the matter its
true position.
The death of Gerald was peculiarly unfortunate for Edward. They had now
nothing left but the negro, and negro testimony could be bought for
little money. He would undertake to buy just such evidence as Dick had
given, from a dozen men in ten days and the first man he would have
sought was Slippery Dick, and the public would be thrown into doubt as
to Royson by the fact of deadly enmity between the men. To introduce
Dick upon the stand to testify and not support his testimony would be
almost a confession of guilt. The negro was too well known. Gerald's
statement would not be admissible, though his picture might. But of what
avail would the picture be without the explanation?
Barksdale pointed out this clearly but briefly. Gen. Evan was amazed
that such a situation had not already presented itself. The court case
would have been Dick's word against Royson's; the result would have been
doubtful. The least that could be hoped for, if the State made out a
case against Edward, was imprisonment.
But there was more; a simple escape was not sufficient; Edward must not
only escape but also show the conspiracy and put it where it belonged.
He, Barksdale, had no doubt upon that point. Royson was the guilty man.
This analysis of the situation, leaving as it did the whole matter open
again, and the result doubtful, filled Evan with anxiety and vexation.
"I thought," said he, walking the floor, "that we had everything fixed;
that the only thing necessary would be to hold to the negro and bring
him in at the right time. If he died or got away we had his confession
witnessed." Barksdale smiled and shook his head.
"It is of the utmost importance," he said, "to hold the negro and bring
him in at the right time, but in my opinion it is vital to the case that
the negro be kept from communicating with Royson, and that the fact of
his arrest be concealed. Where have you got him?"
"In the stone smoke-house," said Edward.
"Tied."
"No."
"Then," said Barksdale, arising at once, "if not too late you must tie
him. There is no smoke-house in existence and no jail in this section
that can hold Slippery Dick if his hands are free." Thoroughly alarmed,
Gen. Evan led the way and Edward followed. Barksdale waved the latter
back.
"Don't risk being seen; we can attend to this." They opened the door and
looked about the dim interior; it was empty. With a cry the general
rushed in.
"He is gone!" Barksdale stood at the door; the building was a square
one, with racks overhead for hanging meat. There was not the slightest
chance of concealment. A mound of earth in one corner aroused his
suspicions. He went to it, found a burrow and, running his arm into
this, he laid hold of a human leg.
"Just in time, General, he is here!" With a powerful effort he drew the
negro into the light. In one hour more he would have been under the
foundations and gone. Dick rose and glanced at the open door as he
brushed the dirt from his eyes, but there was a grip of steel upon his
collar, and a look in the face before him that suggested the uselessness
of resistance. The general recovered the strap and bound the elbows as
before.
"I will bring up shackles," said Barksdale, briefly. "In the meantime,
this will answer. But you know the stake! Discharge the house servant,
and I will send a man of my own selection. In the meantime look in here
occasionally." They returned to the house and into the library, where
they found Edward and informed him of the arrangements.
"Now," said Barksdale, "this is the result of my efforts in another
direction. The publication of libelous article is almost impossible,
with absolute secrecy as to the authorship. A good detective, with time
and money, can unravel the mystery and fix the responsibility upon the
guilty party. I went into this because Mr. Morgan was away, and the
circumstances were such that he could not act in the simplest manner if
he found the secret." He had drawn from his pocket a number of papers,
and to these, as he proceeded, he from time to time referred.
"We got our first clew by purchase. Sometimes in a newspaper office
there is a man who is keen enough to preserve a sheet of manuscript that
he 'set up,' when reflection suggests that it may be of future value.
Briefly, I found such a man and bought this sheet"--lifting it a
moment--"of no value except as to the handwriting.
"The first step toward discovering the name of the Tell-Tale
correspondent was a matter of difficulty, from the nature of the paper.
There was always in this case the _dernier ressort_; the editor could be
forced at the point of a pistol. But that was hazardous. The
correspondent's name was discovered in this way. We offered and paid a
person in position to know, for the addresses of all letters from the
paper's office to persons in this city. One man's name was frequently
repeated. We got a specimen of his handwriting and compared it with the
sheet of manuscript; the chirography was identical.
"A brief examination of the new situation convinced me that the writer
did not act independently; he was a young man not long in the city and
could not have known the facts he wrote of nor have obtained them on his
own account without arousing suspicion. He was being used by another
party--by some one having confidential relations or connections with
certain families, Col. Montjoy's included. I then began to suspect the
guilty party.
"The situation was now exceedingly delicate and I called into
consultation Mr. Dabney, one of our shrewdest young lawyers, and one, by
the way, Mr. Morgan, I will urge upon you to employ in this defense; in
fact, you will find no other necessary, but by all means hold to him.
The truth is," he added, "I have already retained him for you, but that
does not necessarily bind you."
"I thank you," said Edward. "We shall retain him."
"Very good. Now we wanted this young man's information and we did not
wish the man who used him to know that anything was being done or had
been done, and last week, after careful consultation, I acted. I called
in this young fellow and appointed him agent at an important place upon
our road, but remote, making his salary a good one. He jumped at the
chance and I did not give him an hour's time to get ready. He was to go
upon trial, and he went. I let him enjoy the sensation of prosperity for
a week before exploding my mine. Last night I went down and called on
him with our lawyer. We took him to the hotel, locked the door and
terrorized him into a confession, first giving him assurance that no
harm should come to him and that his position would not be affected. He
gave away the whole plot and conspiracy.
"The man we want is Amos Royson!"
The old general was out of his chair and jubilant. He was recalled to
the subject by the face of the speaker, now white and cold, fixed upon
him.
"I did not have evidence enough to convict him of conspiracy, nor would
the evidence help Mr. Morgan's case, standing alone as it did. The
single witness, and he in my employ then, could not have convicted,
although he might have ruined, Royson. I am now working upon the murder
case. I came to the city at daylight and had just arrived home when your
note reached me. My intention was to go straight to Royson's office and
give him an opportunity of writing out his acknowledgement of his infamy
and retraction. If he had refused I would have killed him as surely as
there is a God in heaven."
Edward held out his hand silently and the men understood each other.
"Now," continued Barksdale, "the situation has changed. There is
evidence enough to convict Royson of conspiracy, perhaps. We must
consult Dabney, but I am inclined to believe that our course will be to
go to trial ourselves and spring the mine without having aroused
suspicion. When Slippery Dick goes upon the stand he must find Royson
confident and in my opinion he will convict himself in open court, if we
can get him there. The chances are he will be present. The case will
attract a great crowd. He would naturally come. But we shall take no
chances; he will come!
"Just one thing more now; you perceive the importance, the vital
importance, of secrecy as to your prisoner; under no consideration must
his presence here be known outside. To insure this it seems necessary to
take one trusty man into our employ. Have you considered how we would be
involved if Mr. Morgan should be arrested?"
"But he will not be. Sheriff----"
"You forget Royson. He is merciless and alert. If he discovers Mr.
Morgan's presence in this community he will force an arrest. The sheriff
will do all in his power for us, but he is an officer under oath, and
with an eye, of course, to re-election. I would forestall this; I would
let the man who comes to guard Dick guard Mr. Morgan also. In other
words, let him go under arrest and accept a guard in his own house. The
sheriff can act in this upon his own discretion, but the arrest should
be made." Edward and the general were for a moment silent.
"You are right," said the former. "Let the arrest be made." Barksdale
took his departure.
The butler appeared and was summarily discharged for having abandoned
Virdow during the night.
And then came the deputy, a quiet, confident man of few words, who
served the warrant upon Edward, and then, proceeding with his prisoner
to the smoke-house, put shackles upon Slippery Dick, and supplemented
them with handcuffs.