Page:The Valley of Fear.pdf/176

Rh “Well,” the miner lowered his voice,—“over the affairs.”

“What affairs?”

“Good Lord, Mister! you are queer, if I must say it without offense. There’s only one set of affairs that you’ll hear of in these parts, and that’s the affairs of the Scowrers.”

“Why, I seem to have read of the Scowrers in Chicago. A gang of murderers, are they not?”

“Hush, on your life!” cried the miner, standing still in alarm, and gazing in amazement at his companion. “Man, you won’t live long in these parts if you speak in the open street like that. Many a man has had the life beaten out of him for less.”

“Well, I know nothing about them. It’s only what I have read.”

“And I’m not saying that you have not read the truth.” The man looked nervously round him as he spoke, peering into the shadows as if he feared to see some lurking danger. “If killing is murder, then God knows there is murder and to spare. But don’t you dare to breathe the name of Jack McGinty in connection with it, [174]