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Brand of Silence, The

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<h2>CHAPTER XVII</h2> <h3>MURK IS TEMPTED</h3> The next thing that impressed itself upon Murk's consciousness was the fact that he had a terrific pain in the back of his head. Many times during his career Murk had experienced similar pains. And he knew that the best thing to do was to remain quiet for a short time, keep his eyes closed, and gradually pull himself together. So he pretended that he had not regained consciousness. He knew that he had been stretched upon a bed or couch of some sort, and that his wrists were lashed together, and his ankles. He was not gagged, however. Gradually the pain ceased, Murk's senses cleared and he became aware of what was going on around him. He could hear whispered voices, but could not distinguish words and sentences; neither could he tell whether the voices were those of men or women. Finally Murk opened his eyes. He found that he was in a small room furnished in quite an ordinary manner. He was stretched on an old-fashioned sofa. There were a few chairs scattered about, and a cupboard in one corner. In the middle of the room was an ordinary table covered with a red cloth. Upon the table a kerosene lamp was burning. Murk groaned and made an attempt to sit up, but fell back again because of a fit of dizziness. It became evident that his groan had been heard in the room adjoining, for the door, which had been ajar, now was thrown open wide, and two men entered. Murk knew them instantly; they were the men who had attacked Sidney Prale in the Park. "Back to earth, are you?" one of them snarled. "If I had my way, you'd have been cracked on the head for good." Murk snarled in reply, despite the fact that he was bound and at the mercy of these men. "Sore because I smashed your face!" Murk said. "That'll be about all out of you! I may take a smash at you yet!" "You've got a good chance while my hands and feet are tied," Murk replied. "It's the only time you could get away with it, all right! Turn me loose and I can clean up the two of you!" "You're not doin' any cleanin' for the present," he was told. Murk began wondering at the object of the assault upon him. He could feel the roll of bills Prale had given him bulging his vest pocket, so he guessed robbery was not the motive. He managed to sit up on the sofa now, and he glared at the two thugs before him with right good will. One of the men went back into the adjoining room, and the other remained standing before Murk, sneering at him, his hands opening and closing as if he would take Murk's throat in them and choke the life out of Sidney Prale's valet and comrade in arms. Then the man who had left the room returned, and there was another with him. Murk looked at this stranger with sudden interest. He was well dressed, Murk could see, but he wore an ulster that had the wide collar turned up around his neck, and he had a mask on his face—a home-made mask that was nothing more than a handkerchief with eye slits cut in it. "Afraid to show yourself, are you?" Murk sneered. "Who are you—the chief thug?" The masked man pulled a chair up before the sofa and sat down. His eyes glittered at Murk through the slits in the handkerchief. "You are not going to be harmed, my man—if you are reasonable," he said. "Reasonable about what?" Murk demanded. "We want some information and we think you can give it to us; that is all." "I don't know much," said Murk. "Tell us why you were prowling around that house near the Park." "Maybe I was takin' a walk," Murk answered. "And maybe you were spying, as I happen to know you were. We assume that Sidney Prale sent you to watch the comings and goings of a certain young woman and her friends." "Go right ahead assumin'." "It will avail you nothing, my man, to adopt this attitude," Murk was told. "And it might help you a great deal if you are willing to listen to reason." "I'm listenin'," Murk replied. "You haven't been working for Sidney Prale very long, have you?" "Only a few days—since you seem to know all about it, anyway. Why ask foolish questions?" "Very well. We understand that Prale kept you from committing suicide and then gave you a job. There is no reason why you should feel an overwhelming gratitude for Prale. He merely got a valet cheap." "What about it?" Murk growled. "Sidney Prale has a million dollars, but you'll never see much of it. He isn't the sort of man to toss his money away. And there are others, not particularly Prale's friends, who have many millions between them." "Well, that ain't doin' me much good." "But it may do you a lot of good. We want information and we stand ready to pay for it." "I guess you'll have to do a little explainin'," Murk told him. "I never was any good at guessin' riddles. Life's too short to be spent workin' out silly puzzles." "Very well," the masked man said. "As you perhaps are aware, Prale has certain enemies. That is enough for you to know, if he has not told you more. If you can give me information concerning Sidney Prale's plans, and tell us how much he knows, we will pay you handsomely." "I getcha," Murk said. "And if you can manage to continue working for Prale, and let us know everything as it comes up, there'll be considerably more in it for you." "Want me to do the spy act, do you?" "Call it whatever you like. There is a chance for you to earn some good money." "How much?" Murk demanded. "That depends upon the services you render us. But let me assure you that you will be richly rewarded. We will not fool you or defraud you." "What do you want to know?" "What is Jim Farland, the detective, doing? What has he reported to Prale?" "He ain't reported much of anything," said Murk. "We want to know what Prale thinks about the situation. Tell us all you know concerning the Rufus Shepley murder case. Has Sidney Prale said anything you have been able to hear about the enemies who are bothering him? You understand what we want to know—everything possible about Prale's plans. And we want you to watch henceforth, and keep us informed in a way I shall explain to you." "Well, explain it!" said Murk. "Scarcely, until we know that you are our man. Try to think of things now, and tell us. Be sure you let us have everything. What you deem unimportant may be really important to us." "I'd feel a lot more friendly to you gents if you'd untie me," said Murk. "I can't talk business when I'm treated like a prisoner, or somethin' like that." "You'll be untied as soon as we feel sure of you, and not before," Murk was told. "We are not taking chances with you. Are you going to work for us?" "I'm not sure that the proposition looks good to me," Murk said. "I make a deal with a man whose face I can't see, and do the dirty work—and then maybe you turn me down cold and don't give me a cent, and I lose my job with Mr. Prale and get in a nice fix. Don't you suppose I got some common sense?" "Make the deal with us, and you shall have five hundred dollars in cash before you leave this room," the masked man promised. "And, take my word for it, you'll be rewarded richly if you serve us well." "Well, I don't know much about this business," Murk said. "You know I ain't been with Mr. Prale very long. All I know is that he's got some enemies who are tryin' to get the best of him. He says he ain't guilty of that murder charge, and I happen to know he ain't, because he was with me when Shepley was killed." "Maybe you both had a hand in the killing," the masked man said. "And if you don't come to terms with us, you may find yourself in jail charged with being an accessory." "You can't bluff me, and you can't threaten me and get away with it!" Murk cried. "Softly—softly!" said the masked man. "I was merely showing you where you stand." "Well, don't start talkin' to me that way, if you want to do business with me. If I'm goin' to work for you, I've got to know what's what. Who's got it in for Mr. Prale, and why? That's what I want to know. And what is it you're tryin' to do to him? How can I help if I ain't wise?" "Some of the wealthiest and most influential men in the city are against Sidney Prale. They are determined to run him away from this, his old home town. They are going to strip him of his fortune if they can. They are going to grind him down until he is nothing better than a tramp." "Well, why are they goin' to do all this?" "It is not necessary for you to know at present. Perhaps you will learn that from Sidney Prale, if you keep your ears and eyes open. All we want you to do is to watch and listen and make frequent reports to us. You'll have to be loyal to us, of course. If you are not, we shall punish you." "But what did Mr. Prale ever do to get such a bunch down on him?" Murk demanded. "You'll find that out in time—maybe." "I guess I'd better know right now." "It is not necessary. Besides, we are not sure of you yet, please remember." "How could you ever be sure of me?" Murk cried. "If I threw down Mr. Prale, wouldn't I be liable to throw you down, if somebody happened along and raised the price? Why, you simp, I wouldn't turn against Mr. Prale for a million dollars! He's treated me decent, and he was the first man who ever did that! I was just stringin' you, you fool! Mr. Prale himself don't know why your gang is causin' him trouble, and I was tryin' to pump you and find out!" "So he has told you that he doesn't know why he has enemies?" "He has—and he told the truth. There's something phony about that murder case; somebody's tryin' to frame him. And when Jim Farland gets through, somebody is goin' to jail!" "So you will not work for us?" "You're right; I won't. Maybe I don't amount to much, but I'm mighty square compared to some people I know about." "And what do you suppose is going to become of you, if you refuse to do as I say?" "I guess I'll manage to struggle along," Murk said. "We'll see about that!" the masked man replied, getting up from the chair. "Perhaps a night spent in your present position, without food or water, will cause you to change your mind. If it does not, there are other methods that can be used." "Goin' to pull rough stuff, are you?" Murk sneered. "Go as far as you like! You can manhandle me, but you can't make me turn against Sidney Prale. That's a golden little thought for to-day, as the preacher says." <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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