There was a moment of silence, tensely charged, which Bear Cat's voice broke with a steady precision of judicial inquiry.
"What proof hev ye got ter offer us?"
"Make him lift up his right foot an' show ther patch thet he's got on ther sole an' ther nails on ther heel," demanded Kelly eagerly, but at that Stacy shook his head.
"No. Fust ye tell us what manner of shoe hit war—then we'll see ef ye're right."
George Kelly described a print made by a shoe, home-mended with a triangular patch, and with a heel from whose circle of hobs, two were missing. "Now," snapped Bear Cat. "Let's see thet shoe. Tek hit off."
Reluctantly the man whose house had been invaded stooped and unlaced his brogan.
Stacy wheeled abruptly to face one of the lines against the wall. "You men thet seen them foot-prints, atter thet fire, step ter ther fore."
A quartette of figures detached themselves and formed a squad facing the captives and when the shoe had been passed from hand to hand along their line Turner went forward with his inquisition. From no other throat came a syllable of sound.
"I wants every man thet's willin' ter take oath thet he recognizes thet sole—as ther same one thet made them prints—ter raise his right hand above his head. Ef he hain't p'intedly sure, let him keep his arms down, an' ef he misdoubts hit's ther same identical shoe, let him hold up his left hand."
In prompt unison four right hands came up, and, having testified, the mute witnesses fell back again to their places against the walls.