It's just the last stroke that will bring them all to their
knees."
McMurdo thought long and deeply over the commission which had
been so suddenly placed in his hands. The isolated house in
which Chester Wilcox lived was about five miles off in an
adjacent valley. That very night he started off all alone to
prepare for the attempt. It was daylight before he returned from
his reconnaissance. Next day he interviewed his two
subordinates, Manders and Reilly, reckless youngsters who were as
elated as if it were a deer-hunt.
Two nights later they met outside the town, all three armed, and
one of them carrying a sack stuffed with the powder which was
used in the quarries. It was two in the morning before they came
to the lonely house. The night was a windy one, with broken
clouds drifting swiftly across the face of a three-quarter moon.
They had been warned to be on their guard against bloodhounds; so
they moved forward cautiously, with their pistols cocked in their
hands. But there was no sound save the howling of the wind, and
no movement but the swaying branches above them.
McMurdo listened at the door of the lonely house; but all was
still within.
Pages:
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252