"

"What! for attempting to blow up an engine?" asked the general manager.

"He never did it," said the dark man positively. "He may know who did
do it, but he will not tell, and he ought to be discharged."

"He will never be until he is proved innocent," said the railroad man.

"One of the conditions," began the detective deliberately, "upon which I
took charge of this business was that I should have absolute control of
all criminal matters and I am going to ask you to instruct the
prosecuting attorney's office to bring this man before Judge Meyer
to-morrow morning and ask that he be discharged."

"The prosecuting attorney will never consent," said the general manager.
"He believes the man guilty."

"And what do I care for his opinion or his prejudice? What does it
matter to the average attorney whether he convicts or acquits, so long
as his side wins? Before we proceed further with this discussion, I want
it distinctly understood that Dan Moran shall be released at once. The
only spark of pleasure that comes into the life of an honest detective,
to relieve the endless monotony of punishing the wicked, is the pleasure
of freeing those wrongfully accused. Dan Moran is innocent; release him
and I will be personally responsible for him and will agree to produce
him within twenty-four hours at any time when he may be wanted."

The general manager was still inclined to hold his ground, but upon
being assured that the Watchem detective agency would throw the whole
business over unless the demands of the chief were acceded to, he
yielded, and after a brief conference the two men descended, the
Philosopher closed the offices and went his way.

CHAPTER FIFTEENTH

Scores of criminals, deputies and strikers were rounded up for a hearing
before Judge Meyer. So great was the crowd of defendants that little
room was left for the curious. The first man called was a laborer, a
freight handler, whose occupation had gone when the company ceased to
handle freight. The charge against him was a peculiar one. His neighbor,
a driver for one of the breweries, owned a cow, which, although she gave
an abundance of milk at night, had ceased almost entirely to produce at
the morning milking. The German continued to feed her and she waxed fat,
but there was no improvement, and finally it was decided that the cow
should be watched. About four A. M. on the following morning a small man
came and leaned a ladder against the high fence