They were, for the most part, men of mature age; but the rest of the company consisted of young fellows from eighteen to twenty-five, the ready and capable agents who carried out the commands of their seniors.  Among the older men were many whose features showed the tigerish, lawless souls within; but looking at the rank and file it was difficult to believe that these eager and open-faced young fellows were in very truth a dangerous gang of murderers, whose minds had suffered such complete moral perversion that they took a horrible pride in their proficiency at the business, and looked with deepest respect at the man who had the reputation of making what they called “a clean job.”

To their contorted natures it had become a spirited and chivalrous thing to volunteer for service against some man who had never injured them, and whom in many cases they had never seen in their lives.  The crime committed, they quarrelled as to who had actually struck the fatal blow, and amused one another and the company by describing the cries and contortions of the murdered man.

At first they had shown some secrecy in their arrangements; but at the time which this narrative describes their proceedings were extraordinarily open, for the repeated failure of the law had proved to them that, on the one hand, no one would dare to witness against them, and on the other they had an unlimited number of stanch witnesses upon whom they could call, and a well-filled treasure chest from which they could draw the funds to engage the best legal talent in the state.  In ten long years of outrage there had been no single conviction, and the only danger that ever threatened the Scowrers lay in the victim himself—­who, however outnumbered and taken by surprise, might and occasionally did leave his mark upon his assailants.

McMurdo had been warned that some ordeal lay before him; but no one would tell him in what it consisted.  He was led now into an outer room by two solemn brothers.  Through the plank partition he could hear the murmur of many voices from the assembly within.  Once or twice he caught the sound of his own name, and he knew that they were discussing his candidacy.  Then there entered an inner guard with a green and gold sash across his chest.

“The Bodymaster orders that he shall be trussed, blinded, and entered,” said he.

The three of them removed his coat, turned up the sleeve of his right arm, and finally passed a rope round above the elbows and made it fast.  They next placed a thick black cap right over his head and the upper part of his face, so that he could see nothing.  He was then led into the assembly hall.

It was pitch dark and very oppressive under his hood.  He heard the rustle and murmur of the people round him, and then the voice of McGinty sounded dull and distant through the covering of his ears.

“John McMurdo,” said the voice, “are you already a member of the Ancient Order of Freemen?”