especial
friends!"

"Exactly. That's why they'll find that calf. Results are what I'm
after, and I don't care a hang about methods." He frowned. "Look here,
Mr. Wade--am I to understand that you want this prisoner convicted
whether he's guilty or not?"

"No, no, certainly not. But why appoint those four men in particular?
There is always the possibility of collusion."

Judge Hinkle's face became bleak and gray. He rose slowly. The court
room grew suddenly still. Hinkle walked across the little intervening
space and faced the prosecutor.

"Collision, perhaps you mean," he said. His quiet, even voice was
cutting in its contempt. "What do you think this is--a town full of
thugs? I want you to know that those four men stand a damn sight
higher in this community than you do. Sit down--you're making an
indecent exposure of your soul!"

As he went back to his desk, an oldish man came to the door and caught
Hobby Lull's eye. He beckoned. Hobby rose and went to the door. They
held a whispered council in the anteroom.

Judge Hinkle busied himself with the papers on his desk for a moment.
When he looked up his face had regained its wonted color.

"Here comes Gwinne with the horse," announced Hobby Lull from the
anteroom.

"Mr. Dines, how does your client propose to question that horse, if I
may ask?" inquired the judge.

"I propose to prove by my horse," said Johnny, "that though I may have
murdered this man I certainly did not shoot him while I was riding
this horse. And I depend on the evidence of the prosecution's
witnesses"--he smiled at the prosecution's witnesses--"to establish
that no one rode in Redgate that day except me--and them! If the court
will appoint some man known to be a rider and a marksman, and will
instruct him to ride my horse by the courthouse windows, we can get
this testimony over at once. It has been shown here that I carried a
.45. Set up a box out there where we can see from the windows; give
your man a gun and tell him to ride as close as he likes and put three
shots in that box. If he hits that box more than once--"

"Gun-shy?" said Judge Hinkle.

"Watch him!" said Johnny rapturously.

The judge's eye rested on Mr. Wade with frank distaste.

"We will now have another gross instance of collusion," he announced.
"I will call on Frank Bojarquez to assist the court."

Francisco Bojarquez upreared his straight length at the back of the
hall.

"Excuse, please, if I seem to tell the judg