ace a serious investigation now," he said
to his superior as they went up the steps once more.

"What is it?" exclaimed Sawyer in surprise, "You'll be a medal of honor
man, my boy."

"I've killed a man."

"You have! Well, tell me about your end of the raid. All this has
happened so quickly that we must get the report ready right here on the
spot, in order to have it exact."

"This man Shepard, who seems to be the professional whipper of this
gang, as well as a procurer, fought me with a magazine revolver. I ran
him up to the roof, and I had to shoot him or be killed myself. That
means a trial, I know. You'll find his body back of the house, for he
fell off the roof at the end."

"Self-defense and carrying out the law will cover you, my boy. Don't
worry about that. This city has been kept terror-stricken by these
gangsters long enough, because honest citizens have been compelled by a
ward politician's law to go without weapons of defense. A man is not
allowed to have a revolver in his own home without paying ten dollars a
year as a license fee. But a crook can carry an arsenal; I've always
had a sneaking opinion that there were two sides to the reasons for
that law. Then the city officials have given the public the idea that
the police were brutes, and have reprimanded us for using force with
these murderers and robbers. Force is the only thing that will tame
these beasts of the jungle. You can't do it with kisses and boxes of
candy!"

Burke was rubbing his left forearm.

"By Jingo! I believe I hurt myself."

He rolled up his sleeve, and saw a furrow of red in his muscular
forearm. It was bleeding, but as he wiped it with his handkerchief he
was relieved to find that it was a mere flesh wound.

"If Shepard had hit the right instead of the left--I would have been
left in the discard," he said, with grim humor. "Can you help me tie
it up for now. This means another scolding from Doctor MacFarland, I
suppose."

"It means that you've more evidence of the need for putting a tiger out
of danger!"

The coroner was called, and the statements of the policemen were made.
The Captain, with Burke and several men, deployed through the back yard
to the other house, leaving the grewsome duty of removing the body to
the coroner. The two waiting automobiles on the rear street were
crowded with policemen, as Sawyer ordered the chauffeur to drive
speedily to the headquarters of the Purity League.

"We must