touch of real fear--was the man sane? It was a most
unpleasant contingency. Between a fight with an angry man and an insane
man the difference was appreciable. From this new view-point Ford
regarded his adversary with increased wariness; he watched him as he
would a mad dog. He regretted extremely he had not brought his revolver.

With his automatic pistol still covering Ford, Prothero spoke to
Pearsall.

"I found him," he recited, as though testing the story he would tell
later, "prowling through my house at night. Mistaking him for a burglar,
I killed him. The kitchen window will be found open, with the lock
broken, showing how he gained an entrance. Why not?" he demanded.

"Because," protested Pearsall, in terror, "the man outside will
tell----"

Ford shouted in genuine relief.

"Exactly!" he cried. "The man outside, who is not down an area with a
knife in him, but who at this moment is bringing the police--he will
tell!"

As though he had not been interrupted, Prothero continued thoughtfully:

"What they may say he expected to find here, I can explain away later.
The point is that I found a strange man, hatless, dishevelled, prowling
in my house. I called on him to halt; he ran, I fired, and unfortunately
killed him. An Englishman's home is his castle; an English jury----"

"An English jury," said Ford briskly, "is the last thing you want to
meet---- It isn't a Chicago jury."

The Jew flung back his head as though Ford had struck him in the face.

"Ah!" he purred, "you know that, too, do you?" The purr increased to a
snarl. "You know too much!"

For Pearsall, his tone seemed to bear an alarming meaning. He sprang
toward Prothero, and laid both hands upon his disengaged arm.

"For God's sake," he pleaded, "come away! He can't hurt you--not alive;
but dead, he'll hang you--hang us both. We must go, now, this moment."
He dragged impotently at the left arm of the giant. "Come!" he begged.

Whether moved by Pearsall's words or by some thought of his own,
Prothero nodded in assent. He addressed himself to Ford.

"I don't know what to do with you," he said, "so I will consult with
my friend outside this door. While we talk, we will lock you in. We can
hear any move you make. If you raise the window or call I will open the
door and kill you--you and that woman!"

With a quick gesture, he swung to the door, and the spring lock snapped.
An instant later the bolts were noisily driven home.

When the second