rge of murder; it is the fact that several men told falsehoods about
you. You haven't an idea who your enemies are?"

"Not the slightest."

"I'm glad that Jim Farland is working on this case for you, Mr. Prale.
He is a good man, and I may need a lot of help. I'll get my own
investigators busy right away, too, and we'll cooeperate with Jim
Farland. You go back to your cell and take it easy. I'll get you out
before night, if I can."

Lawyer Coadley was a shrewd man, and his methods were the delight of
other attorneys and jurists. He lost no time when he was confronted with
a case that held unusual interest. Within an hour he was in court,
acting as if fighting mad.

Had a reputable citizen any rights, he demanded? Were the police to be
allowed to throw an innocent man into jail simply because there had been
a crime committed and somebody had to be accused? His client did not
care for an examination at this time, he said. Arraignment and a plea of
not guilty were all right, however.

Sidney Prale was arraigned, and the plea of not guilty was made and
entered. Then Coadley began his fight to have Prale admitted to bail.

The district attorney opposed it, of course, since that was his
business. The judge listened to the statement of the captain of
detectives. He heard Coadley say that his client could put up cash bail
in any amount, and was willing to abide by any provisions. Finally the
judge freed Prale on cash bail of fifty thousand dollars, but designated
that the bail could be recalled at any time, and that he was to be in
the custody of a member of the police department continually.

Coadley agreed, and left the jail with his client, a detective going
with them to stand guard. The detective had explicit orders. He was not
to annoy Sidney Prale. He was to withdraw out of earshot when Prale
talked with his attorney or anybody else with whom he wished to converse
privately. He was to allow Prale to come and go as he wished, except
that Prale was not to be allowed to leave the limits of the city. If he
attempted that, he was to be put under arrest immediately and taken to
the nearest police station.

Prale read the newspapers as he rode to the hotel with Coadley and the
detective. The story of the crime was in all of them, the tale of his
quarrel with Rufus Shepley and of the finding of the fountain pen, and
the inevitable statement that the police were on the track of more and
better evidence.

Prale expected t