ve.

"Here you are, Darrin," said the officer. "You know how to put
these things on, don't you?"

"I can figure the job out, sir," Dave made reply.

Tag submitted, wearily, to having the steel bracelets snapped
over his wrists. Then he heaved a sigh that had something of
a sob in it.

"I let you put these on, but I wish you'd take them off again,"
he said, addressing Valden. "I know I'm bad, and I know I'm tough,
but I never had these things on my hands before. Take 'em off,
won't you? Please!"

Such submission was tame, indeed. Deputy Valden, who had never
seen young Mosher before glanced sharply at young Prescott.

"This fellow doesn't seem much like the hardened criminal I've
been told about," remarked the officer.

"Did Prescott tell you I was tough?" demanded the prisoner. "He
ought to know! He had a touch of my style when I was feeling
better than I feel to-night. I suppose I've been nabbed for helping
myself to a sandwich or two from their camp."

"Do you demand to know why you're under arrest?" inquired Deputy
Valden.

Tag nodded.

"Well, then," continued the deputy, "you're wanted for cracking
the skull of a farmer named Leigh. There's a doubt if Leigh will
live and you may be charged with killing him."

"I? Killed a farmer?" demanded Tag, in what appeared to be very
genuine amazement.

"Leigh says you're the chap that did it," Valden answered.

"I never heard of a man of any such name," argued Tag. "Still,
if he says I did it, oh, well, he ought to know, and I suppose
it will be all right."

"It'll have to be all right---whatever the courts may do to you,
Mosher," Deputy Valden rejoined curtly. "Darrin, will you help
the prisoner to his feet and lead him back to where the bridge
was? Simmons will expect to find us there when he gets back."

So Darry and Greg Holmes assisted young Mosher to his feet. Dave
took hold of Tag's arm, though the latter did not resist, but
walked along like one in a dream.

"Want any help, Dick?" asked Greg.

"I believe I wouldn't object to having a friendly arm to lean
on," Prescott replied. "I've been standing here so long that
my hip is stiff again."

As the leader of Dick & Co. moved down the road, Tag turned in
astonishment.

"What's the matter?" Tag asked, at last.

"We were in an automobile accident, and I was slightly injured,"
Dick confessed.

"And you can hardly walk?"

"I can walk only with effort and considerable pain," said