“Spotty Morgan has confessed everything and agrees to extradition.  Shall we send him on?”

“Send him on?  I should say so!” cried the colonel to himself, as he made a grab for the telephone to dictate a message telling the police of Sango, the Western city, to hold Spotty Morgan until he could come for him.  “And so Spotty has confessed?  Well, that let’s me out, even if he did save my, life!  But it was a close call!”

CHAPTER XX

IN THE SHADOWS

Colonel Ashley, after a night’s sleep, was about to prepare for the trip, when he thought of Darcy in jail.

“I’ve got to send him word,” he reasoned.  “No, I’ll let his sweetheart take it to him.  It will be all the sweeter.  Here, Shag!” he called.

“Yes, sah, Colonel!  Whut is it?”

“Get me an auto, Shag—­any kind of car will do.  I want to take a run out to Pompey where Miss Mason lives.  I won’t trust the telephone, and I’ll have time enough before I leave for the West.  Get an auto.”

“Yes, sah, Colonel!” and Shag hurried down to the hotel office.

It was while getting into the machine that a message was handed the colonel.  Hastily he tore the note open.  It was from James Darcy and read: 

“Have just been informed they are going to put me on trial to-morrow for the murder of Mrs. Darcy.  I don’t know what this unexpected move on the part of the prosecutor means, but I would like to see you.”

“Whew!” whistled the colonel.  “I never counted on this.  Maybe the prosecution has something up their sleeve they’re waiting to spring.  They’re trying to get ahead of me.  Well, by gad, sir, they shan’t!  I’ll beat ’em yet.  This trip West will have to wait.  Shag, you keep this auto here.  I’m going into the hotel to telephone.”

“Yes, sah, Colonel!”

Getting Kenneth on the wire, the detective ascertained that the message from Darcy was correct—­the trial was to go on unexpectedly.

“I may be able to get a postponement,” said the lawyer, “but it would not be safe to count on it.  We had better prepare our defense.  Are you all ready, Colonel?”

“Not quite.  I’ve got to get a certain man back here from the West, but I can send for him.  I’ll not go myself, it’s too risky.  See what you can do about getting a postponement.  It will be so much better if we can.  I was going to tell Miss Mason to go and give some good news to Darcy, but maybe I’d better wait now.”

“Can you produce the real murderer, Colonel Ashley?”

“I can, Mr. Kenneth.  Don’t let that worry you.  When I want him I can lay my hands on the real murderer!  He can’t get away!  We’ll have our little surprise, too!”

“Good!  That will make Darcy feel better.  I think I’ll go to see him!”

“All right.  And if you want to arrange for Miss Mason to visit him I think it would be a good thing.  He may never go to trial, and then again he might, and, as you never can count on legal tangles, all the sentiment you can work up in his favor will be so much gained.  You might let a discreet reporter know about Miss Mason’s going to the jail.”