Page 292 - The snake's pass

280 THE snake's pass. —
"I'll bear it in mind. Well ! you remember what I
said in my letter, that I had a suspicion of Murdock,
and intended watching him ? " I nodded. " Two nights
after I had written that, the evening was dark and wet
just the weather I would have chosen myself had I had
any mysterious purpose on hand. As soon as it got
dark I put on my black waterproof and fishing boots
and a sou'wester, and then felt armed for any crouching
or lying down that might be required. I waited out-
side Murdock' s house in the laneway, where I could see
from the shadows on the window that both men were
in the house. I told you that old Bat Moynahan had
taken up his residence entirely with the Gombeen
Man "
"
" And that he was always drunk
!
" Exactly
! I see you understand the situation. Pre-
sently I heard a stumble on the stone outside the porch,
and peeping in through the hedge I saw Murdock hold-
ing up old Moynahan. Then he shut the door and
they came down the path. The wind was by this time
blowing pretty strongly, and made a loud noise in the
hedgerows, and bore in the roar of the surf. Neither
of the men could hear me, for I took care as I followed
them to keep on the leeward side, and always with
something between us. Murdock did not seem to have the
slightest suspicion that any one was even on the hill side
let alone listening, and he did not even lower his tone
as he spoke. Moynahan was too drunk to either know
or care how loud he spoke, and indeed both had to