The Brand of Silence

by Harrington Strong

  CHAPTER XXI

  RECOGNITION

  Through a maze of crossing and winding roads the car made its way, nowover highways as smooth as a city pavement, and now over rough mileagethat jolted the occupants and threatened the springs with destruction.

  Jim Farland did not recognize this particular district. He did not evenknow upon which side of the river he was being hauled along as aprisoner. In the city proper, his abductors would have found it verydifficult to take him to a section where he could not have recognizedsome sort of a landmark, but here they had him at a seriousdisadvantage.

  The night was dark, too, and a fine drizzle was falling. Farland tuggedat his bonds when he could, and finally convinced himself that theywould not give. He tried to work one end of the gag from the corner ofhis mouth and found that he could not do that. He was utterly helplessfor the time being, at the mercy of the three men who had kidnaped him,and the chauffeur, and whoever might be where they were going.

  For half an hour longer the car made its way across the country, andthen Farland noticed that it left the principal thoroughfare and turnedinto a rough, narrow lane that was bordered with big trees. At the endof a quarter of a mile of this lane, the chauffeur brought the car to astop. Farland could see a building that had the appearance of being anabandoned farmhouse.

  He was lifted from the car and carried to the door. One of the men threwit open, and Farland was carried inside. They took him through a hall,turned into a room, and tossed him upon a couch in a corner there. Oneof them struck a match, lighted a lamp, and then they turned to surveyhim.

  Farland glared at them, waited for them to speak. They were making noattempt to hide their features. Typical thugs they were, the three ofthem, and Farland supposed that the chauffeur, who had not come into thehouse with the others, belonged to the same class.

  One of them stepped forward and removed Farland's gag, while anotherwent into another room and presently returned with a dipper of water,which he held to Farland's lips. He drank greedily, for the gag hadparched his mouth and throat.

  "Bein' as how you are a copper, I'd slip a knife between your ribs andcall it a good job," one of the men told him, "but we are supposed totreat you nice and keep you in condition for a little talk with theboss. So you needn't tremble with fear any."

  "It'd take more than three bums like you to make me afraid!" Farlandtold him.

  "Nasty, ain't you? Maybe we'll get a little chance to beat you up later,especially if your little talk with the boss ain't what they callproductive of results. You've got some reputation as a dick, but Ireckon it's all a fake. We didn't have much trouble gettin' you andbringin' you here."

  "Isn't that enough to make you worry a bit?" Farland asked.

  "How do you mean?"

  "Did you ever stop to think that maybe I wanted to be captured andhauled here? Have you any idea how many men watched and trailed us?You've led me to where I wanted to come, to a place I wanted to find,perhaps."

  "That bluff won't work," came the reply. "We had a couple of menwatchin' for that very thing, and they'd have given us a high sign if wehad been followed. You're here all by your lonesome, and so you'd betterbe good."

  Two of the men left the room, and the third sat down by the table to actas guard. Fifteen minutes passed, during which Jim Farland and the manby the table exchanged pleasant remarks concerning each other, neithergetting much the best of the argument.

  Then the hall door was opened again, and a masked man entered the room!

  Remembering what Murk had related to him concerning his experience ofthe night before, Jim Farland looked up at this newcomer with suddeninterest.

  This man, undoubtedly, was a sort of leader, one who had hired others tohelp him in his work and who knew the identities of Sidney Prale'smysterious enemies, and why they were working against him; perhaps,also, the man who could tell a good deal about the murder of RufusShepley.

  Farland did not betray too much interest, though, for he sensed that hewas opposed to a person of brains and cunning, a different type from thethugs he hired to work for him. So the detective merely blinked his eyesrapidly as he looked up at the other and waited for him to speak.

  "You are Jim Farland, a detective?"

  The voice was low and harsh, a monotone, a disguised voice in fact. JimFarland knew that at once.

  "That's my name, and some people are kind enough to say that I am adetective," Farland replied. "What's the idea of treating me rough likethis?"

  "I regret that violence was necessary to get you here, Mr. Farland," themasked man replied, "but it seemed to be the only way in which I couldget a chance to talk to you freely without subjecting myself to danger."

  "Why regret?" Farland asked.

  "Because I want you for my friend instead of my enemy, Mr. Farland, andI fancy that we may be able to come to terms. I shall send this man ofmine from the room and submit a proposition to you. I hope you see fitto accept it."

  He motioned for the other man to leave, which he did immediately,closing the hall door behind him. Then the masked man sat down in thechair by the table.

  Farland was watching him closely now. The collar of his coat and thehandkerchief mask effectually shielded his face and head. But, as Murkhad told, this man did not have the common sense to cover his hands, andFarland looked at them when he could, careful not to let the othersuspect his object.

  "I am the man who talked to Mr. Prale's valet last night," Farland heardthe other say. "In some manner, the valet escaped, and so we wereobliged to have you brought here instead of to the place where we hadhim, and which was considerably nearer the city. I regret it if the longride annoyed you, but you will appreciate that it was necessary for mymen to bind and gag you."

  "It certainly was if they expected to get me here!" Jim Farlanddeclared.

  He heard the masked man chuckle.

  "I understand that you have been engaged by Sidney Prale to clear him ofthe charge of murdering Rufus Shepley."

  "I don't mind admitting that, since the whole city knows it," saidFarland.

  "And also to aid Sidney Prale in outwitting certain persons who aretrying to punish him for something he did."

  "I don't know anything about that. I do know that some people are tryingto make things hot for Sid Prale, and he doesn't deserve it, and----"

  "Pardon me, if I interrupt!" the masked man said. "You say that he doesnot deserve it. Do you believe that influential persons would persecutehim if he did not deserve it?"

  "Sid Prale doesn't know what it is all about!"

  "That is what he told the valet, too. But believe me when I say that hedoes know what it is all about, and is deceiving you when he saysotherwise."

  "What has all this to do with me?" Jim Farland demanded. "Did you haveme brought here to argue the case with me?"

  "I had you brought here because I want you to cease working for SidneyPrale. I want you to go back to him and tell him that you are done."

  "As Coadley, the attorney, did?"

  "Exactly!"

  "Your people must be men of influence if they can buy off Coadley likethat!"

  "Perhaps Coadley was shown that it would wreck his future if hecontinued working for Prale."

  "Well, you can't wreck my future, because I haven't any," Farland toldhim.

  "Do not be too sure of that, Mr. Farland. Agree to my proposition andyou may have a great future. You may find business thrown your way. Youmay find yourself able to spread out, have a protective service, becomea wealthy man. If you give up the Prale case, we'll see that you arepaid cash immediately, of course, in lieu of the fee you would receivefrom Prale--and considerably more than he would pay you."

  "I suppose that would appeal to a lot of men," Jim Farland said, "but itisn't the right bait to use if you are eager to catch me. I have all thebusiness I want. I can make a living for myself and my small family, andwe do not hanker after riches. A larger business would make me a humanmachine, and I'd rather just drift along and be an ordinary g
ood husbandand father. I'd rather be running a little, third-rate detective agencyas I am, making just enough to get along, and have a lot of friends. Iwouldn't throw down a friend for a million dollars! I suppose I'm theonly man in town that thinks this way, but I'm a sort of peculiar duck!"

  "You mean to tell me that you are not anxious to better yourself, to getalong in the world?"

  "Oh, I manage to get along!" Jim Farland replied. "I even eat meat nowand then. I haven't seen the face of the famous wolf outside my door forsome time. What is money?"

  "Everything!" the masked man replied.

  "That's what you think. It gives me an inkling as to what sort of manyou are. I happen to know a fellow to whom money is everything--and Ihave reason to suspect that he is considerably interested in the case ofSidney Prale. Be careful you do not betray your identity to me!"

  Farland had the satisfaction of hearing the masked man gasp, and hechuckled.

  "Well, what is the proposition?" Farland inquired. "You seem to waste alot of time."

  "We want you merely to tell Sidney Prale that you will not work on thecase any more--that you are done. Then go about your regular business.We'll have you watched, and as soon as we are satisfied that you arekeeping faith with us, we'll send you ten thousand dollars in cash. Ifyou make the agreement with me, I'll give you a thousand cash to-nightbefore you leave this place, as a sort of retainer and expression of oursincerity. Then, following the fee of ten thousand dollars, you'll findthat much business is flowing your way. All you have to do to get allthis is to withdraw from the Prale case at once."

  "You must be afraid that I am finding out some things," Jim Farlandsuggested.

  "That is scarcely the reason," the masked man answered. "We want SidneyPrale to stand alone, to be without help of any sort--that is all."

  "But I am more than Sidney Prale's employee. I am his friend!" Farlandprotested.

  "You were his friend ten years ago, sir, but a man may change a greatdeal in ten years. Are you quite sure that the Sidney Prale of to-day isthe boyish, friendly Sidney Prale of ten years ago?"

  "I am quite sure; and that is why I am trying to help him," Jim Farlanddeclared.

  "I fear that he is fooling you--as he is deceiving others. He is notworthy of such friendship as you are giving him."

  "How do I know that?" Farland asked. "If I could have some sort of anexplanation----"

  He awaited the other's reply. If he could get some inkling as to whyPrale had powerful enemies, it might help a lot.

  "I can tell you this much: Sidney Prale did something that wrecked andruined several lives. Certain prominent persons have decided to punishhim. He is to have his life made miserable, he is to have his fortunetaken away from him, he is to be subjected to petty annoyances and hardblows alike, driven from this, his home town, forced to realize that aman cannot do what he did and escape retribution."

  "Sounds like he murdered a nation!" Jim Farland commented. "Did he wreckthe national treasury or turn traitor to the flag?"

  "I am not jesting, Mr. Farland."

  "Neither am I. My eyes have got to be opened, sir. You've got to comeclean with me. Prale's enemies may strike at him from the dark, but JimFarland never works in the dark! I want to see where I'm stepping. Inever like to trip over anything."

  "I have told you all that I can at present."

  "Why?"

  "Because I do not care to give you information if you are still to workfor Prale."

  "You say that Prale knows his enemies and why they are fighting him. Ifhe does, he never has told me. Tell me that much--since you say SidPrale knows it already. It couldn't hurt your side at all."

  "We might tell you later."

  "You've got some very good reason for not telling me!" Farland accused."It is the truth, isn't it, that Prale does not know a single thingabout it. You are afraid to tell me because I may inform him of what yousay, and we may straighten out the tangle? I can see through you, sir,as easily as through a newly cleaned window."

  "I see that you have faith in Sidney Prale," the masked man said. "But Iassure you that your faith is misplaced. Is there any way in which I canget you to stop your work for him?"

  "Meaning against his influential enemies, or on the Rufus Shepley murdercase?" Farland asked.

  "We simply want you to stop working for him. If he stands alone, we canpunish him the sooner."

  "I understand about that, of course. But how about the murder case? Doyou think Sid Prale is guilty of that crime?" Farland asked.

  "I do not know, I am sure. I understand that the evidence against him isdamaging. But we are not awaiting the outcome of that. He may manage tohave the charge against him dismissed, and we are going ahead with ourplans for punishment."

  "Then you want me to quit Prale so I won't be helping him work againsthis enemies, and not because you are afraid that, in clearing him of themurder charge, I may find something detrimental to other persons?"

  "That is the idea," the masked man replied. "The murder case can takecare of itself, I suppose."

  "Suppose I refuse to make this deal with you?"

  "In that event, we may feel called upon to detain you--and perhaps touse further violence."

  "Then you might as well start!" Jim Farland cried. "For you are lying tome like blazes! It's the murder case that's worrying you, and you knowit! And I know _you_! I've been trying to place those hands of yours andI have succeeded. Besides, you have said one or two things that haveconvinced me----"

  The masked man gave a shriek and started toward the couch, his handsreaching out, clutching. Two of the thugs ran in from the hall.