half to get him out and put him on that train," Feehan
muttered.

It was twelve minutes before Cramer called again.

"Sergeant says he dares not turn the fellow loose. Don't know he is
McCarthy. Says orders are strict to keep him and to keep everyone away
from him."

"Is he hurt?"

"Turnkey says he has cut in head and bruised, but all right."

"Pound him--pound the sergeant; make him act. Scare him! Who is the
captain?"

"Raferty."

"I'll reach him by 'phone." Feehan hung up the receiver. "Joe," he
said to the night man, "raise Minette, the office lawyer. Lives
somewhere up that way. His home is only a short distance from Judge
Manasse's house. Ask him for a writ of habeas corpus or something."

Feehan was rapidly calling numbers. In fifteen minutes he had aroused
Captain Raferty.

"Raferty," said the little man, "sorry to disturb you, but you've got a
man in the black hole in your station that we want."

"Can't be done. Orders to hold him."

"Orders from whom?"

"Higher up."

"How high?"

"None of your business."

"Raferty, I'm going to the top," said Feehan quickly. "If that man
isn't out by six o'clock, you'll be broken."

"What's all this fuss about some skate?" Raferty was alarmed. "It
ain't any of my business. I'm told to hold him and not book him and I
do it. What have you got it in for me for?"

"You'd better get to the station and get that man out or you'll have
this sheet all over you," threatened Feehan, transformed. "I'm going
higher now."

He cut off the spluttering police captain in the midst of a snarling
complaint, half whine, half defiance.

Half an hour of hard work brought the indignant superintendent of
police to the telephone. He curtly declined to interfere, denied all
knowledge of any such prisoner, and hung up the receiver while Feehan
was expostulating with him.

The mild mannered, gentle little reporter was rising to the emergency.
He wiped his forehead free from the beads of sweat and looked at his
watch. It was two minutes to five when the night man reported again.

"Minette's on his way to the station," he said. "He'll try to get
Judge Manasse to order the release, and he is carrying ten thousand
dollars in securities as a bond."

"Good," said Feehan rapidly. "Give me Gracemont 1328," he called
quickly.

"Going after the mayor?" inquired the night man casually. "He'll be
sore as a boil. Orders are not to disturb him after midnight."