done; and when he begs and prays, ‘Old pardner, on my knees, don’t split upon me!’ I only makes answer ‘Never speak another word to Roger Riderhood, nor look him in the face!’ and I shuns that man.”
Having given these words a swing to make them mount the higher and go the further, Rogue Riderhood poured himself out another glass of wine unbidden, and seemed to chew it, as, with the half-emptied glass in his hand, he stared at the candles.
Mortimer glanced at Eugene, but Eugene sat glowering at his paper, and would give him no responsive glance. Mortimer again turned to the informer, to whom he said:
“You have been troubled in your mind a long time, man?”
Giving his wine a final chew, and swallowing it, the informer answered in a single word:
“Hages!”
“When all that stir was made, when the Government reward was offered, when the police were on the alert, when the whole country rang with the crime!” said Mortimer, impatiently.
“Hah!” Mr. Riderhood very slowly and hoarsely chimed in, with several retrospective nods of his head. “Warn’t I troubled in my mind then!”
“When conjecture ran wild, when the most extravagant suspicions were afloat, when half a dozen innocent people might have been laid by the heels any hour in the day!” said Mortimer, almost warming.
“Hah!” Mr. Riderhood chimed in, as before. “Warn’t I troubled in my mind through it all!”