The next morning, when McMurdo woke up from his sleep, he began to recall the scene of joining the club. Because he drank too much, his head felt a little swollen and painful, and the branded wound on his arm also began to swell and hurt. Because he had a special

As a source of income, there was no need to go to work on time, so he had breakfast very late, and just stayed at home all morning and wrote a long letter to a friend. Later, he flipped through "Every Day"

Daily Herald, I read a report published in the special issue:

The mob committed an attack in the Herald newspaper office - the main writer was seriously injured. This report was written very simply. In fact, the reporter knew no better than McMurdo himself. The end of the report read:

This matter is now being handled by the police station, but we cannot expect them to get better results than the previous cases. Several people among the thugs have already exposed their identities and should be sentenced. The cause of the violence is not clear.

There is no doubt that it is this notorious gang that has oppressed the people of the entire district for many years, and the Herald has launched an unrelenting struggle against them. Friends of Mr. Stenger will be pleased to read the following news. Stenger

Although the husband was brutally beaten and suffered serious head injuries, fortunately his life was not in danger.

A later report stated that the newspaper office was now guarded by a coal and iron police force equipped with Winchester rifles.

McMurdo closed the newspaper, picked up his pipe and lit it, his arms shaking slightly because of the burns from last night. At this time, someone knocked on the door outside, and the landlady brought over a note, saying that it had just been delivered by a child.

It was for him. The note was unsigned and read:

There are some things I want to talk to you about, but it is not convenient for me to visit you at home. You can find me by the flagpole on Miller Mountain. If you are willing to come over now, I have something important to tell you.

McMurdo read the letter twice with great astonishment. He could not figure out who had written it, or what the person's intention was. If this letter was written by a woman, he might as well imagine that this could be

The beginning of a wonderful encounter. He was no stranger to this kind of thing in the past. But this was done by a man, who seemed to have received a good education. McMurdo hesitated for a while, and finally decided

Decided to find out.

Miller Mountain is a deserted park located in the center of the town. People often come here to play in the summer, but in the winter it is very deserted and deserted. Looking down from the top of the mountain, not only can you have a panoramic view of the dirty scene of the town, but also

You can see the valley extending in twists and turns; on both sides of the valley are sparse mines and factories, and the nearby snow has been polluted; in addition, you can enjoy the lushly wooded slopes and the top of the mountain covered with white snow.

McMurdo walked along the path winding among the evergreen trees and strolled to the front of a deserted restaurant, which was a lively center in the summer. There was a lone flagpole standing next to it, and under the flagpole stood a man wearing a hat.

He was lying low, with the collar of his coat standing up. The man turned around, and McMurdo saw that he was Maurice, the brother who had made the leader angry last night. The two met and confirmed each other's secret signals.

.

"I want to talk to you, Mr. McMurdo." The old man looked embarrassed, as if he hadn't made up his mind yet and said, "Thank you for coming."

"Why didn't you sign the letter?"

"No matter who you are, be careful, sir. We never know when we may get into trouble, and we never know who can be trusted and who cannot be trusted."

"Of course all the brothers in the congregation can be trusted."

"No, no, not necessarily." Morris shouted emotionally, "McGinty seems to know what we said and even what we thought."

"Wait a minute!" McMurdo said seriously, "you know, I just swore allegiance to our leader last night. Do you want me to violate this oath?"

"If that's what you think," Morris said with a sad look on his face, "then I can't help but feel sorry for you to come here to see me. Isn't it terrible that two citizens with freedom of speech can't talk about what's on their mind?

!”

McMurdo looked at the other party seriously, and with a little less vigilance in his heart, he said: "Of course, these are just my own thoughts. You know, I am still a newcomer, and everything here is strange to me. To me

, are not qualified to express any opinions, Mr. Morris. If you have anything to say to me, I will listen carefully."

"Then you will report to Chief McGinty!" Morris shouted angrily.

"Please don't misunderstand me like this." McMurdo said loudly, "As far as I am concerned, I am absolutely loyal to our organization, so I will not deceive you. But if I tell others what you told me because of your trust,

, then I will be a shameless and despicable slave. However, I still have to declare in advance that you will not get the slightest help or sympathy from me."

"I have no expectation of help or sympathy," Morris said. "Once I say these words to you, I am trusting you with my life. Although I think you are bad enough-last night I thought you

Maybe you will become the worst person, but you are still a newcomer, and you are not as ruthless and emotionless as others, so I want to talk to you about what is in my heart."

"Tell me, what do you want to tell me?"

"If you tell others that our conversation betrayed me, you will be punished by God!"

"Definitely, I said I would never reveal secrets."

"In this case, I want to ask you, when you became a member of the Freemen in Chicago and swore loyalty and fraternity, did you ever think that you would lead to the abyss of crime?"

"If you define it as a crime," McMurdo replied.

"Defined as a crime!" Morris shouted, his voice trembling with excitement, "Didn't you already see part of the facts of the crime? Can you define it as other behaviors? Last night, he was beaten all over his head.

The old man with blood is about the same age as your father. Isn’t this a crime? Do you want to define this as a crime or position it as something else?”

"We can define it as a struggle," McMurdo said. "This struggle is a struggle between two classes with all their strength, each side doing its best to make the other defenseless."

"So, when you joined the Freedmen in Chicago, did you ever think that something like this would happen?"

"No, I promise I didn't expect this."

"When I joined in Philadelphia, I didn't expect such a thing. I just thought it was a good club and a place for friends to gather. Later I heard about this organization from people, and I really hated it.

The second I first heard the name, I came here just to make life easier! God! Just to make life better! I came here with my wife and three kids. Here I am

I opened a silk shop and made a good profit. Word spread quickly that I was a member of the Freedmen's Association, so I was forced to join the local branch of the Freedmen's Association just like you did last night. My arm was

I was branded with this humiliating mark, and my mind was also controlled by an even uglier mark. I was controlled by an evil commander and fell into a series of criminal incidents. What can I do? I want to do things in a kind way.

But as soon as I bring up this idea, they accuse me of being a traitor just like last night. All I own is a silk shop, and I can't escape to the end of the world. If I want to leave this organization, the consequences will be obvious.

, I will definitely be hunted down. Who knows what my wife and children will look like? Oh, my God, my friend, it is really terrible, so terrible!" Morris covered his face with his hands, and his body was shaking.

He was shaking constantly and started to cry softly.

"You are not hard-hearted enough to do such a thing," McMurdo said, spreading his hands.

I still have the basic morals and beliefs to be a human being, but they have to force me to become a criminal and become one of them. They instruct me to do a certain thing. If I resist and don't do it, what will happen to me?

I know this myself. Maybe I am too weak. Maybe I am thinking about my poor wives and children. No matter what, I still did it. I think it will be difficult for me to let go of these things in my lifetime.

.

This is over the mountains, 20 miles from here, this lonely house, just like you did yesterday, and I was told to stand guard at the door and do that kind of thing, and they didn't trust me yet, and everyone else was in,

When they came out, their hands were stained with blood. When we were about to leave, a child ran out of the house crying and shouting behind us. This child was only 5 years old, but he wanted to witness his father being killed.

I was so frightened by this scene that I almost fainted, but I had to force myself to pretend not to care and put a shameless smile on my face. But I knew very well in my heart that if I didn't do this, this scene might happen in my home next time.

The place where they came out with blood on their hands might be my home, and it would be my little Fred who followed them crying and calling me.

No matter what, I have committed a crime. I am an accessory to a murder case. The world will never accept me again, even if I am reincarnated. I originally believed in Catholicism devoutly and was dedicated to good deeds. If the priest knew that I was like this

A member of a criminal gang will definitely not pray for me anymore. I betrayed my faith. This is the path I have been walking on until now. You are also embarking on this road now, so let me ask you, what will happen in the future?

What is the outcome? Are you ready to be an executioner with blood on your hands, or should we find a way to end this situation?

"What are you going to do?" McMurdo said suddenly, "You don't want to report on the organization, right?"

"God forbid this will happen!" Morris shouted, "Obviously, even if I just think about it like this, I am afraid that my life will not be saved."

"Very good!" McMurdo said relieved, "I think you are probably too timid, so you took this matter too exaggeratedly."

"That's an exaggeration! You'll have to wait and see after you live here for a while. Look at this mountain! Look at the smoke from hundreds of chimneys up in this valley! I'm telling you, the horror that comes with the murder of life

, much darker and darker than this smoke cloud that covers the valley. This is a valley of death, a valley of terror, where people live their lives in fear every day. We look at it, young man, and you will understand for yourself."

"Well, I'll tell you what I think when I see it for myself." McMurdo replied absentmindedly, "Obviously, this is not the place where you should stay. It's better to sell your store as soon as possible.

The right thing to do is to do it. I won’t reveal even a single word of what you told me today, so you can rest assured. However, God has eyes, and if I find out that you went to report on the organization, the consequences will be..."

"No, it won't!" Morris shouted sympathetically.

"Okay, we can end today's conversation. I will keep what you told me in mind, and maybe I will tell you my thoughts in a few days. I think you mean these words to me without any malice.

Yes, then I will go home."

"Wait a minute, I have something else to say." Morris stopped him and said, "We will inevitably be seen by others when we talk here. They may try to find out what we are talking about."

"Ah, that's a good idea."

"I'll say that I'm negotiating with you to invite you to come to my store to work." "I'll just say that I didn't agree. This is what we are discussing here. Okay, I'm leaving. Good luck to you, Maurice.

brother."

Just at noon, when McMurdo was smoking and meditating next to the fireplace in the bedroom, someone suddenly opened the door. Chief McGinty stood at the door, tall. After saying hello, he sat down with the young man.

Opposite him, he stared at him calmly and silently for a long time, and McMurdo stared at him in the same way.

"It's rare that I get out to visit anyone in person, brother," McGinty finally said. "I've always had to deal with people coming to visit me, but I've made an exception and come to your house to visit you in person."

"It's an honor to come to my humble home, Mr. Senator!" McMurdo replied enthusiastically, took out a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard and said to him: "I never thought I would have such an honor. I

So happy."

"Is the wound on your arm okay?" the leader asked.

McMurdo grimaced and replied: "Yes, I will always remember it, but it was worth it."

"For those who faithfully do what they are supposed to do as members, this is certainly worth it. So what did you and Brother Morris talk about this morning on Miller's Mountain?"

This was a question that caught people off guard. Fortunately, McMurdo had been prepared for it, so he laughed and answered: "Maurice doesn't know that I can live without going out to do things. Of course he doesn't know that people like me

It's much worse than he imagined. But he's kind-hearted. He thought I didn't have a job to make a living, so he planned to let me help in his silk shop."

"Really, is that just for this?"

"Yes, in fact that's all." "So did you reject him?"
To be continued...