CHAPTER X.
One lovely afternoon early in May two persons, a man and a woman, satside by side on a log in the wood that formed a part of the Himes place.
"Did iver I hear the loike o' that!" he exclaimed, with a long, lowwhistle, in response to something she had been telling him. "He must becrazier nor a loon! goin' down the river on a raft wid all his goodsaboard. And the money, too, did yees say, me darlint?"
"I don't know, but I suppose so; he's goin' to buy land as soon as hegets there. He's sold the farm here."
"And the margage on Lakeside," he supplemented, nodding his headknowingly.
"Has he? How did you find that out? He never told me a breath aboutit," she returned in some surprise.
"Ah, thin," he chuckled, "sure there's a bit av a burrud that whispersthings intil Phalim O'Rourke's ears whan it's av impoortance fer him toknow about 'em."
"Is that so?" she asked, with a slight laugh. "But how does thatmargage concern you?"
"Ah, that's me sacret; but sure, the ould man's affairs consarn me,seein' that a good bet o' his money'll be comin' till you whan he's outo' the way under the turuf."
"I wish he was there now!" she cried, bursting into sudden passion. "Ihaven't the first bit of comfort in my life for thinkin' I'm tied tohim, and he growlin' and scoldin' from mornin' to night, and wantin' meto go dressed like a beggar. I don't never have a cent but what I getby sellin' milk and eggs, and that won't hardly keep me in shoes andstockin's."
"S'pose, thin, we put 'im out o' the way," he whispered, bending downto look into her eyes, a lurid light of hate, malice, and revengegleaming in his own.
She shrank back shuddering, a sudden death-like pallor overspreadingher cheek. "You can't mean it!" she said, in a hoarse whisper; "you'reonly jokin'!"
"Niver a bit av it!" he ejaculated, with an oath. "Didn't he stale youfrom me? an' whan I heard it, didn't I swear to shoot him down in histracks loike a dog? An' whan he's afloat on his raft--crazy ould foolthat he is!--there'll be the wather at hand quite convanient to tumblehim intil, out o' sight."
"No! no! no!" she cried, recoiling still further, covering her facewith her hands, and shuddering with horror. "I hate him! I hate him!but--that would be murder!" she added, with a gasp, "and we'd be hungfor it--both of us."
"No; no hangin' in this State!" he said, a ring of savage triumph inhis tones. "And dead men don't tell no tales."
Mr. Himes had gone from home that day; there was no danger of hisreturn for some hours, and the interview in the wood did not come to anend till near the time when he might be expected.
Before that the wily villain had, by blandishments, coaxings,entreaties, appeals to her love for himself, highly colored pictures ofthe happy life they might lead together were she but free to marry him,as she had promised to before he went away to the war, and artfulallusions to Himes's brutal treatment of her, succeeded in extracting ahalf-reluctant consent from Belinda to the robbery and murder of herhusband.
She still declared, shudderingly, that she could not and would not takeany active part in it, but promised not to warn him of his danger orput any obstacle in the way of the design upon his property and life.
The old farmer, bent on saving the expense of travel and transportationof goods by rail, had determined to make a raft of sufficient size tocarry himself, wife, household furniture and farming implements, and onthat descend the river.
In vain neighbors and friends had warned him of perils from naturalobstructions in the channel of the stream and danger from burglars bynight, when, because of those obstructions, he would be compelled tomoor his raft to the shore. By nature headstrong and opinionated, heheld fast to his purpose.
He would need help in making the raft; had not yet engaged it; for atthis time of year, when there was so much farm work to be done, it wasscarce.
Phelim now proposed to offer his services and those of one or two"friends" on very reasonable terms. When the raft was completed and hadreceived its load, one or more of them would be needed to assist in itsnavigation, he said, and that would render the commission of hiscontemplated crime a very easy matter some dark night, when they weremoored to the shore in a lonely spot, and the old man had fallen asleep.
To Belinda's terrified objection that she might be suspected ofcomplicity, he answered, "Niver a bit o't, me darlint; whaniver ye seethe thing started ye'll be off loike the wind to bring help, sure. Butthe nearest house'll be a mile away annyhow, an' ye'll not be calledupon to kill yersilf wid runnin'; ye'll presently go a bit asier; an'we'll mak quick wurruk an' be off wid the money, lavin' the ould divilin a state not to moind his loss afore ye kin git back wid yer hilp.And thin, whan yees sees what's happened till him, ye'll mak a tirriblecryin' an' lamentation, an' sure they'll think you're heartbrokeintirely."
At length the two separated; Belinda went back to the house to getsupper ready against her husband's return, and Phelim, plunging intothe woods, made a circuit of a mile or so, and striking into thehighroad, met Himes riding slowly homeward.
The old man hung his head with a dejected air, as one whose plans andpurposes had miscarried.
"Good avenin', sor," said Phelim, lifting his hat as they passed.
Himes started and turned his head, for the Irishman was alreadysomewhat in his rear.
"Hollo! is that you, O'Rourke?" he called. "Come back, will you? I wanta word with you."
Phelim was at his horse's side in an instant, asking, "What's yourwull, sor?"
"I've a job on hand, and want help with it; could you come and take ahand at it for a day or two?"
"Sure, sor, if I knowed what it was I cud aisier tell that same."
"It's the making of a raft over yonder on the river-bank; 'twon't takemuch knowledge beyond how to wield an axe and hammer in nails, andye're not wantin' in that or in strength."
"Well, sor, I'll drame on it the night an' lat yees know in themornin'," Phelim answered, turning to go.
"Wait a minute," Himes said. "If ye can bring one or two more fellowswith you, it'll be all the better; we'll get through the sooner, andthat'll suit me first-rate, for I'm gettin' in a big hurry to be off."
"Where, sor, if I may be so bould?"
"Down the river, clear out o' this State, where the laws are not severeenough on burglars and cut-throats to make honest folks feel that theirlives and property are tolerable safe."
"Thin, sor, beggin' yer pardin fer the liberty, ye'd betther kape itclose that yer manin' to thravel in sich a unpertected manner."
"Of course you needn't blab about it; but I'll have a loaded revolver,and if the rascals come, I'll show them that I know how to protectmyself."
"Gettin' in a big hurry, indade!" chuckled Phelim, as he trudged onagain. "He don't know what fer."
There was a meeting of the band of villains that night, when all wasarranged for the carrying out of O'Rourke's atrocious designs upon theold farmer.
The next morning, as Himes and his wife rose from the breakfast-table,a big, burly German presented himself before the open kitchen door.
"Goot tay, mynheer," he said, touching his cap; "I vas shoost lookingfor a chob ov vork, to makes te monish to pay for de wittles and declo'es. I vil do anytings you vil haf to be tun."
Himes asked a few questions as to his qualifications for the work ofraft-making and the wages he expected, and receiving satisfactoryreplies, engaged him at once.
As Himes stepped out into the dooryard, having directed the new-comerto take a seat at the table, and Belinda set his breakfast before him,a sly wink let her into the secret that here was one of the accomplicesof the would-be assassin of her husband.
She started, and turned pale; but averting her eyes, went on silentlywith her work, though her heart beat fast with terror and was heavywith remorse, yet not with a repentance that would lead her to drawback, ere it was too late, from her promised share in the commission ofthe fearful crime.
Her heart did relent more than once during the intervening t
ime, andshe was again and again on the point of giving the old man a hint ofhis danger. But then how to do so without compromising Phelim's safety,and even her own, she could not see; and besides Himes treated her inthe presence of these strange men (for Phelim arrived in the course ofthe morning, bringing McManus with him) with scorn, contempt, andlordly assumption of authority which deeply humiliated her, and kindledanew the smouldering fires of hatred and revenge that burned in herbreast. There were stolen interviews with Phelim, too, in which heartfully added fuel to the flame, and thus kept her to her resolve.