"Found both shell-men. Police familiar
with both, and both wanted here. One arrested at noon in a second-hand
clothes store, wearing Harkless's hat, also trying dispose torn full-dress
coat known to have been worn by Harkless last night. Stains on lining
believed blood. Second man found later at freight-yards in empty lumber
car left Plattville 1 P.M., badly hurt, shot, and bruised. Supposed
Harkless made hard fight. Hurt man taken to hospital unconscious. Will
die. Hope able question him first and discover whereabouts body. Other man
refuses talk so far. Check any movement Cross-Roads. This clears Skillett,
etc. Come over on 9.15."
The telegram was signed by Homer and by Barrett, the superintendent of
police at Rouen.
"It's all a mistake, boys," the lawyer said, as he handed the paper to
Watts and Parker for inspection. "The ladies at the judge's were mistaken,
that's all, and this proves it. It's easy enough to understand: they were
frightened by the storm, and, watching a fence a quarter-mile away by
flashes of lightning, any one would have been confused, and imagined all
the horrors on earth. I don't deny but what I believed it for a while, and
I don't deny but the Cross-Roads is pretty tough, but you've done a good
deal here already, to-day, and we're saved in time from a mistake that
would have turned out mighty bad.
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