ds together to come to a proper method of
procedure, and presently they marched around the corner of the house,
shoulder to shoulder, as if prepared to intercept and overwhelm Joe if
he tried to make a dash for liberty.

They had left Joe sitting on the steps with Dan, and now they hurried
around as if they expected to find his place empty and Dan stretched
out, mangled and bleeding. But Joe was still there, in friendly
conversation with Dan, showing no intention of running away. Frost
advanced and laid his hand on Joe's shoulder.

"Joe Newbolt," said he, "I put you under arrest on the suspiciont of
shootin' and murderin' Isom Chase in cold blood."

It was a formula contrived between the constable and Sol. Sol had
insisted on the "cold blood." That was important and necessary, he
declared. Omit that in making the arrest, and you had no case. It would
fall through.

Joe stood up, placing himself at the immediate disposal of the
constable, which was rather embarrassing to Bill.

"Well, Bill, if you think it's necessary, all right," said he.

"Form of law demands it," said Sol.

"But you might wait and see what the coroner thinks about it," suggested
Joe.

"Perliminaries," said Greening in his deep way.

Then the question of what to do with the prisoner until morning arose.
Joe pointed out that they could make no disposition of him, except to
hold him in custody, until the coroner had held an inquest into the case
and a conclusion had been reached by the jury. He suggested that they
allow him to go to bed and get some needed sleep.

That seemed to be a very sensible suggestion, according to Bill's view
of it. But Sol didn't know whether it would be a regular proceeding and
in strict accord with the forms of law. Indeed, he was of the opinion,
after deliberating a while, that it would weaken the case materially. He
was strongly in favor of handcuffs, or, in the absence of regulation
manacles, a half-inch rope.

After a great deal of discussion, during which Frost kept his hand
officiously on Joe's shoulder, it was agreed that the prisoner should be
allowed to go to bed. He was to be lodged in the spare room upstairs,
the one lately occupied by Morgan. Frost escorted him to it, and locked
the door.

"Is they erry winder in that room?" asked Sol, when Bill came back.

"Reckon so," said Frost, starting nervously. "I didn't look."

"Better see," said Sol, getting up to investigate.

They went round to the sid