CHAPTER XVII
MURK IS TEMPTED
The next thing that impressed itself upon Murk's consciousness was thefact that he had a terrific pain in the back of his head. Many timesduring his career Murk had experienced similar pains. And he knew thatthe best thing to do was to remain quiet for a short time, keep his eyesclosed, and gradually pull himself together.
So he pretended that he had not regained consciousness. He knew that hehad been stretched upon a bed or couch of some sort, and that his wristswere lashed together, and his ankles. He was not gagged, however.
Gradually the pain ceased, Murk's senses cleared and he became aware ofwhat was going on around him. He could hear whispered voices, but couldnot distinguish words and sentences; neither could he tell whether thevoices were those of men or women.
Finally Murk opened his eyes.
He found that he was in a small room furnished in quite an ordinarymanner. He was stretched on an old-fashioned sofa. There were a fewchairs scattered about, and a cupboard in one corner. In the middle ofthe room was an ordinary table covered with a red cloth. Upon the tablea kerosene lamp was burning.
Murk groaned and made an attempt to sit up, but fell back again becauseof a fit of dizziness. It became evident that his groan had been heardin the room adjoining, for the door, which had been ajar, now was thrownopen wide, and two men entered.
Murk knew them instantly; they were the men who had attacked SidneyPrale in the Park.
"Back to earth, are you?" one of them snarled. "If I had my way, you'dhave been cracked on the head for good."
Murk snarled in reply, despite the fact that he was bound and at themercy 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," Murkreplied. "It's the only time you could get away with it, all right! Turnme 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 couldfeel the roll of bills Prale had given him bulging his vest pocket, sohe guessed robbery was not the motive. He managed to sit up on the sofanow, 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 remainedstanding before Murk, sneering at him, his hands opening and closing asif he would take Murk's throat in them and choke the life out of SidneyPrale's valet and comrade in arms.
Then the man who had left the room returned, and there was another withhim. Murk looked at this stranger with sudden interest. He was welldressed, Murk could see, but he wore an ulster that had the wide collarturned up around his neck, and he had a mask on his face--a home-mademask that was nothing more than a handkerchief with eye slits cut in it.
"Afraid to show yourself, are you?" Murk sneered. "Who are you--thechief thug?"
The masked man pulled a chair up before the sofa and sat down. His eyesglittered at Murk through the slits in the handkerchief.
"You are not going to be harmed, my man--if you are reasonable," hesaid.
"Reasonable about what?" Murk demanded.
"We want some information and we think you can give it to us; that isall."
"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 thatSidney Prale sent you to watch the comings and goings of a certain youngwoman and her friends."
"Go right ahead assumin'."
"It will avail you nothing, my man, to adopt this attitude," Murk wastold. "And it might help you a great deal if you are willing to listento 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 askfoolish questions?"
"Very well. We understand that Prale kept you from committing suicideand then gave you a job. There is no reason why you should feel anoverwhelming 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. Heisn't the sort of man to toss his money away. And there are others, notparticularly 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 readyto pay for it."
"I guess you'll have to do a little explainin'," Murk told him. "I neverwas 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 hascertain enemies. That is enough for you to know, if he has not told youmore. 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 knoweverything 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 goodmoney."
"How much?" Murk demanded.
"That depends upon the services you render us. But let me assure youthat 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 toPrale?"
"He ain't reported much of anything," said Murk.
"We want to know what Prale thinks about the situation. Tell us all youknow concerning the Rufus Shepley murder case. Has Sidney Prale saidanything you have been able to hear about the enemies who are botheringhim? You understand what we want to know--everything possible aboutPrale's plans. And we want you to watch henceforth, and keep us informedin 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 thingsnow, and tell us. Be sure you let us have everything. What you deemunimportant may be really important to us."
"I'd feel a lot more friendly to you gents if you'd untie me," saidMurk. "I can't talk business when I'm treated like a prisoner, orsomethin' like that."
"You'll be untied as soon as we feel sure of you, and not before," Murkwas told. "We are not taking chances with you. Are you going to work forus?"
"I'm not sure that the proposition looks good to me," Murk said. "I makea deal with a man whose face I can't see, and do the dirty work--andthen maybe you turn me down cold and don't give me a cent, and I lose myjob with Mr. Prale and get in a nice fix. Don't you suppose I got somecommon sense?"
"Make the deal with us, and you shall have five hundred dollars in cashbefore you leave this room," the masked man promised. "And, take my wordfor it, you'll be rewarded richly if you serve us well."
"Well, I don't know much about this business," Murk said. "You know Iain't been with Mr. Prale very long. All I know is that he's got someenemies who are tryin' to get the best of him. He says he ain't guiltyof that murder charge, and I happen to know he ain't, because he waswith me when Shepley was killed."
"Maybe you both had a hand in the killing," the masked man said. "And ifyou don't come to terms with us, you may find yourself in jail chargedwith 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 whereyou stand."
"Well, don't start talkin' to me that way, if you want to do businesswith 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. Andwhat 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 againstSidney Prale. They are determined to run him away from this, his oldhome town. They are going to strip him of his fortune if they can. Theyare 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 learnthat from Sidney Prale, if you keep your ears and eyes open. All we wantyou to do is to watch and listen and make frequent reports to us. You'llhave 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?" Murkdemanded.
"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, pleaseremember."
"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 happenedalong 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 thefirst 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 wastryin' 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 thatmurder case; somebody's tryin' to frame him. And when Jim Farland getsthrough, 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 mightysquare compared to some people I know about."
"And what do you suppose is going to become of you, if you refuse to doas I say?"
"I guess I'll manage to struggle along," Murk said.
"We'll see about that!" the masked man replied, getting up from thechair. "Perhaps a night spent in your present position, without food orwater, will cause you to change your mind. If it does not, there areother methods that can be used."
"Goin' to pull rough stuff, are you?" Murk sneered. "Go as far as youlike! You can manhandle me, but you can't make me turn against SidneyPrale. That's a golden little thought for to-day, as the preacher says."