Page 170 - The snake's pass

158 " THE snake's pass. —
and of betraying his trust. Dick bore the ordeal splen-
didly; he never turned a hair, but calmly went on smok-
ing his cigar. When Murdock had somewhat exhausted
himself and stopped, he said calmly:
" My good fellow, now that your ill-manners are ex-
"
hausted, perhaps you will tell me what it is all about ?
Whereupon Murdock opened again the vials of his
wrath. This time he dragged us all into — I had
it
been brought in as a spy, to help in betraying him,
and Joyce had suborned him to the act of treachery.
For myself I fired up at once, and would have struck
him, only that Dick laid his hand on me, and in a
whisper cautioned me to desist.
" Easy, old man—easy
! Don't spoil a good position.
What does it matter what a man like that can say?
Give him rope enough ! we'll have our turn in time,
don't fear !
I held back, but unfortunately Joyce pressed for-
wards. He had his say pretty plainly.
" What do ye mane, ye ill-tongued scoundhrel, comin'
here to make a quarrel? Why don't ye shtay on the
land you have robbed from me, and lave us alone ?
I am not like these gintlemen here, that can afford to
hould their tongues and despise ye—I'm a man like
yerself, though I hope I'm not the wolf that ye are
—fattenin' on the blood of the poor ! How dare you
say I suborned any one—me that never told a lie, or
done a dirty thing in me life ? I tell you, Murtagh
Murdock, I put my mark upon ye once—I see it now