Just at the crowded hour one night, the door opened and a manentered with the quiet blue uniform and peaked cap of the minepolice. This was a special body raised by the railways and collieryowners to supplement the efforts of the ordinary civil police, whowere perfectly helpless in the face of the organized ruffianismwhich terrorized the district. There was a hush as he entered, andmany a curious glance was cast at him; but the relations betweenpolicemen and criminals are peculiar in some parts of the States,and McGinty himself, standing behind his counter, showedno surprise when the policeman enrolled himself among hiscustomers.
“A straight whisky; for the night is bitter,” said the police officer.
“I don’t think we have met before, Councillor?”
“You’ll be the new captain?” said McGinty.
“That’s so. We’re looking to you, Councillor, and to the otherleading citizens, to help us in upholding law and order in thistownship. Captain Marvin is my name.”
“We’d do better without you, Captain Marvin,” said McGintycoldly; “for we have our own police of the township, and no needfor any imported goods. What are you but the paid tool of thecapitalists, hired by them to club or shoot your poorer fellowcitizen?”
“Well, well, we won’t argue about that,” said the police officergood-humouredly. “I expect we all do our duty same as we see it;but we can’t all see it the same.” He had drunk off his glass and hadturned to go, when his eyes fell upon the face of Jack McMurdo,who was scowling at his elbow. “Hullo! Hullo!” he cried, lookinghim up and down. “Here’s an old acquaintance!”
McMurdo shrank away from him. “I was never a friend to younor any other cursed copper in my life,” said he.
“An acquaintance isn’t always a friend,” said the police captain,grinning. “You’re Jack McMurdo of Chicago, right enough, anddon’t you deny it!”
McMurdo shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not denying it,” said he.
“D’ye think I’m ashamed of my own name?”
“You’ve got good cause to be, anyhow.”
“What the devil d’you mean by that?” he roared with his fistsclenched.
“No, no, Jack, bluster won’t do with me. I was an officer inChicago before ever I came to this darned coal bunker, and Iknow a Chicago crook when I see one.”
McMurdo’s face fell. “Don’t tell me that you’re Marvin of theChicago Central!” he cried.
“Just the same old Teddy Marvin, at your service. We haven’tforgotten the shooting of Jonas Pinto up there.”
“I never shot him.”
“Did you not? That’s good impartial evidence, ain’t it? Well, hisdeath came in uncommon handy for you, or they would have hadyou for shoving the queer. Well, we can let that be bygones; for,between you and me—and perhaps I’m going further than myduty in saying it—they could get no clear case against you, andChicago’s open to you to-morrow.”
“I’m very well where I am.”
“Well, I’ve given you the pointer, and you’re a sulky dog not tothank me for it.”
“Well, I suppose you mean well, and I do thank you,” saidMcMurdo in no very gracious manner.
“It’s mum with me so long as I see you living on the straight,”
said the captain. “But, by the Lord! if you get off after this, it’sanother story! So good-night to you—and good-night, Councillor.”
He left the bar-room; but not before he had created a local hero.
McMurdo’s deeds in far Chicago had been whispered before. Hehad put off all questions with a smile, as one who did not wish tohave greatness thrust upon him. But now the thing was officiallyconfirmed. The bar loafers crowded round him and shook himheartily by the hand. He was free of the community from thattime on. He could drink hard and show little trace of it; but thatevening, had his mate Scanlan not been at hand to lead him home,the feted hero would surely have spent his night under the bar.
On a Saturday night McMurdo was introduced to the lodge. Hehad thought to pass in without ceremony as being an initiate ofChicago; but there were particular rites in Vermissa of which theywere proud, and these had to be undergone by every postulant.
The assembly met in a large room reserved for such purposes atthe Union House. Some sixty members assembled at Vermissa; butthat by no means represented the full strength of the organization,for there were several other lodges in the valley, and others acrossthe mountains on each side, who exchanged members when anyserious business was afoot, so that a crime might be done by menwho were strangers to the locality. Altogether there were not lessthan five hundred scattered over the coal district.
In the bare assembly room the men were gathered round a longtable. At the side was a second one laden with bottles and glasses,on which some members of the company were already turningtheir eyes. McGinty sat at the head with a flat black velvet cap uponhis shock of tangled black hair, and a coloured purple stole roundhis neck, so that he seemed to be a priest presiding over somediabolical ritual. To right and left of him were the higher lodgeofficials, the cruel, handsome face of Ted Baldwin among them.
Each of these wore some scarf or medallion as emblem of his office.
They were, for the most part, men of mature age; but the rest ofthe company consisted of young fellows from eighteen to twentyfive,the ready and capable agents who carried out the commandsof their seniors. Among the older men were many whose featuresshowed the tigerish, lawless souls within; but looking at the rankand file it was difficult to believe that these eager and open-facedyoung fellows were in very truth a dangerous gang of murderers,whose minds had suffered such complete moral perversion thatthey took a horrible pride in their proficiency at the business, andlooked with deepest respect at the man who had the reputation ofmaking what they called “a clean job.”