"Nothing can make any difference now," he said.
The lodge keeper, in reply to Bonner's eager query, informed them that
Mr. Barnes had gone away ten or fifteen minutes before with an old man
who claimed to be a detective, and who had placed the great lawyer under
arrest.
"Good Lord!" gasped Bonner with a sinking heart.
"It's an outrage, sir! Mr. Barnes is the best man in the world. He never
wronged no one, sir. There's an 'orrible mistake, sir," groaned the
lodge keeper. "Judge Brewster is in Boggs City, and the man wouldn't
wait for his return. He didn't even want to tell Mr. Barnes what 'e was
charged with."
"Did you ever hear of anything so idiotic?" roared Bonner. Rosalie was
white and red by turn. "What direction did they take?"
"The constable told Mr. Barnes he'd 'ave to go to Tinkletown with 'im at
once, sir, even if he 'ad to walk all the way. The old chap said
something, sir, about a man being there who could identify him on sight.
Mr. Barnes 'ad to laugh, sir, and appeared to take it all in good
humour. He said he'd go along of 'im, but he wouldn't walk. So he got
his own auto out, sir, and they went off together. They took the short
cut, sir, by the ferry road, 'eaded for Tinkletown. Mr. Barnes said he'd
be back before noon, sir--if he wasn't lynched."
"It's all over," groaned Bonner dejectedly.
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