CHAPTER XLVIII.
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 remainsof Gerald. He brought from the scene only a graver look in his face, amore gentle tone in his voice. These, however, soon passed. He was againthe cold, stern, level-headed man of affairs, listening to a strangestory. He lost no detail and his quick, trained mind gave the matter itstrue position.
The death of Gerald was peculiarly unfortunate for Edward. They had nownothing left but the negro, and negro testimony could be bought forlittle money. He would undertake to buy just such evidence as Dick hadgiven, from a dozen men in ten days and the first man he would havesought was Slippery Dick, and the public would be thrown into doubt asto Royson by the fact of deadly enmity between the men. To introduceDick upon the stand to testify and not support his testimony would bealmost a confession of guilt. The negro was too well known. Gerald'sstatement would not be admissible, though his picture might. But of whatavail would the picture be without the explanation?
Barksdale pointed out this clearly but briefly. Gen. Evan was amazedthat such a situation had not already presented itself. The court casewould have been Dick's word against Royson's; the result would have beendoubtful. The least that could be hoped for, if the State made out acase against Edward, was imprisonment.
But there was more; a simple escape was not sufficient; Edward must notonly 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 openagain, 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 bringhim in at the right time. If he died or got away we had his confessionwitnessed." Barksdale smiled and shook his head.
"It is of the utmost importance," he said, "to hold the negro and bringhim in at the right time, but in my opinion it is vital to the case thatthe negro be kept from communicating with Royson, and that the fact ofhis 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 tiehim. There is no smoke-house in existence and no jail in this sectionthat can hold Slippery Dick if his hands are free." Thoroughly alarmed,Gen. Evan led the way and Edward followed. Barksdale waved the latterback.
"Don't risk being seen; we can attend to this." They opened the door andlooked about the dim interior; it was empty. With a cry the generalrushed in.
"He is gone!" Barksdale stood at the door; the building was a squareone, with racks overhead for hanging meat. There was not the slightestchance of concealment. A mound of earth in one corner aroused hissuspicions. He went to it, found a burrow and, running his arm intothis, he laid hold of a human leg.
"Just in time, General, he is here!" With a powerful effort he drew thenegro into the light. In one hour more he would have been under thefoundations and gone. Dick rose and glanced at the open door as hebrushed the dirt from his eyes, but there was a grip of steel upon hiscollar, and a look in the face before him that suggested the uselessnessof resistance. The general recovered the strap and bound the elbows asbefore.
"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 hereoccasionally." They returned to the house and into the library, wherethey found Edward and informed him of the arrangements.
"Now," said Barksdale, "this is the result of my efforts in anotherdirection. The publication of libelous article is almost impossible,with absolute secrecy as to the authorship. A good detective, with timeand money, can unravel the mystery and fix the responsibility upon theguilty party. I went into this because Mr. Morgan was away, and thecircumstances were such that he could not act in the simplest manner ifhe 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 officethere is a man who is keen enough to preserve a sheet of manuscript thathe 'set up,' when reflection suggests that it may be of future value.Briefly, I found such a man and bought this sheet"--lifting it amoment--"of no value except as to the handwriting.
"The first step toward discovering the name of the Tell-Talecorrespondent was a matter of difficulty, from the nature of the paper.There was always in this case the _dernier ressort_; the editor could beforced at the point of a pistol. But that was hazardous. Thecorrespondent's name was discovered in this way. We offered and paid aperson in position to know, for the addresses of all letters from thepaper's office to persons in this city. One man's name was frequentlyrepeated. We got a specimen of his handwriting and compared it with thesheet of manuscript; the chirography was identical.
"A brief examination of the new situation convinced me that the writerdid not act independently; he was a young man not long in the city andcould not have known the facts he wrote of nor have obtained them on hisown account without arousing suspicion. He was being used by anotherparty--by some one having confidential relations or connections withcertain families, Col. Montjoy's included. I then began to suspect theguilty party.
"The situation was now exceedingly delicate and I called intoconsultation Mr. Dabney, one of our shrewdest young lawyers, and one, bythe way, Mr. Morgan, I will urge upon you to employ in this defense; infact, 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 thatdoes 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 notwish the man who used him to know that anything was being done or hadbeen done, and last week, after careful consultation, I acted. I calledin this young fellow and appointed him agent at an important place uponour road, but remote, making his salary a good one. He jumped at thechance and I did not give him an hour's time to get ready. He was to goupon trial, and he went. I let him enjoy the sensation of prosperity fora week before exploding my mine. Last night I went down and called onhim with our lawyer. We took him to the hotel, locked the door andterrorized him into a confession, first giving him assurance that noharm should come to him and that his position would not be affected. Hegave 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 tothe subject by the face of the speaker, now white and cold, fixed uponhim.
"I did not have evidence enough to convict him of conspiracy, nor wouldthe evidence help Mr. Morgan's case, standing alone as it did. Thesingle witness, and he in my employ then, could not have convicted,although he might have ruined, Royson. I am now working upon the murdercase. I came to the city at daylight and had just arrived home when yournote reached me. My intention was to go straight to Royson's office andgive him an opportunity of writing out his acknowledgement of his infamyand retraction. If he had refused I would have killed him as surely asthere 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 isevidence enough to convict Royson of conspiracy, perhaps. We mustconsult Dabney, but I am inclined to believe that our course will be togo to trial ourselves and spring the mine without having arousedsuspicion. When Slippery Dick goes upon the stand he must find Roysonconfident and in my opinion he will convict himself in open court, if wecan get him there. The chances are he will be present. The case willattract a great crowd. He would naturally come. But we shall take nochances; he will come!
"Just one
thing more now; you perceive the importance, the vitalimportance, of secrecy as to your prisoner; under no consideration musthis presence here be known outside. To insure this it seems necessary totake one trusty man into our employ. Have you considered how we would beinvolved 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 sheriffwill do all in his power for us, but he is an officer under oath, andwith an eye, of course, to re-election. I would forestall this; I wouldlet the man who comes to guard Dick guard Mr. Morgan also. In otherwords, let him go under arrest and accept a guard in his own house. Thesheriff can act in this upon his own discretion, but the arrest shouldbe made." Edward and the general were for a moment silent.
"You are right," said the former. "Let the arrest be made." Barksdaletook his departure.
The butler appeared and was summarily discharged for having abandonedVirdow during the night.
And then came the deputy, a quiet, confident man of few words, whoserved the warrant upon Edward, and then, proceeding with his prisonerto the smoke-house, put shackles upon Slippery Dick, and supplementedthem with handcuffs.
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