The Inspector motioned his wishes to the Indian, who with a subtle twist of his body slipped behind the pedestal.

“That’s better,” was the Inspector’s quick comment.  “Can you handle the bow easily from where you now stand?”

“There is plenty of room.”

“Very well.  But wait!  Before we proceed further, there is a matter to which I wish to call the attention of these gentlemen.  It must have been apparent to you all that a person standing where Mr. La Fleche did a moment ago would be easily visible to anyone looking up from the court or across from the opposite gallery, or even from the broad corridors at either end of the building.  But would the same hold true if instead of being in front he had been behind the pedestal, as Mr. La Fleche is now?  Run below, Barney; and, gentlemen, disperse yourselves in different directions and give me your opinion.  Now!” he demanded after a few minutes’ wait, during which there had been a scattering to right and left along the galleries, “what do you say?”

“If anyone chanced to be looking directly there, yes,” was shouted up from below.

“What do you say, Coroner Price?”

“Ask the man to kneel.”

The Inspector gave the word.

“Ah, that’s different!  The bulge of the vase hides the upper part of his head, and the pedestal itself the lower.  He might shoot from his present position with impunity.”

“Do you all agree?”

“Yes, yes!” came from different parts of the building.

“Then, Mr. La Fleche, here’s another arrow from the same quiver.  Take fresh aim and shoot.”

Another breathless moment—­more breathless than the other; then a second arrow flew across the court and hung quivering in the breast of the dummy.

From both ends of the gallery men came running, and leaning eagerly over the gallery-rail they watched the Coroner as he stepped again into view to make a second examination.

This time he kept them several minutes in suspense, and when he had drawn out the arrow, he looked long at the hole it had made.  Then, instead of shouting his decision across the court, he could be seen leaving the gallery and coming around their way.

What had he to say?  As they waited, a clock struck from some neighboring steeple—­three sonorous peals!  The two directors glanced at each other.  Doubtless they felt the weirdness of the hour as well as of the occasion.  It was a new experience for these amateurs in police procedure.

Arrived on their side, the Coroner advanced quickly.  When close upon the reassembled group, he remarked quickly but with great decision: 

“Mr. Travis seems to have been correct in denying that the arrow flew either from before or behind this pedestal.  The first arrow sent by Mr. La Fleche entered the dummy almost at a right angle; the last departed but a little from this same line.  But the real wound which I probed and located to a hair was a decidedly slanting one.  It must have been sent from a place further off.”