“A murder had been committed, and Joe Wyvil was found bending over the dead man, with the fallen pistol on the ground at his feet, when he was rudely collared and well shaken by the strong hand of the constable who arrested him.
“But so utterly dazed and confounded was the boy by all that had so suddenly happened to him, like a hurricane or an earthquake in its swift destruction, that he was totally unable to give any intelligible account of himself.
“His companions had fled, and taken to the covert of the woods on either side. Joe, the guiltless, was the only one arrested.
“With the help of many hands the overturned stage coach was righted, and the passengers—all of whom, except the murdered man, were more frightened than hurt—got upon their feet and were helped to their places.
“The stage driver, somewhat bruised and shaken, was assisted to mount his box and take the reins once more in his hands, and so the coach resumed its journey.
“Nothing but the dead man on the roadside and the wretched boy in custody remained to tell the tale of the catastrophe.
“The dead body was placed on a hastily procured plank, and borne away to the police station to await the action of the coroner. And the boy, with handcuffs on his wrists, was marched off between two constables to the lock-up house.
“Poor Joe was no hero. This violent separation from Lil; this stern arrest and imprisonment; this sudden, overwhelming calamity was so wondrous, so incredible that he could not realize or believe in it, but rather imagined himself to be the victim of some horrible nightmare dream from which he tried to awaken.
“Yet still he told a pitiable tale to the constable of how he had been unconsciously drawn into that fatal adventure, and begged that some one might be sent to Hayhurst to his little wife, to tell her that he was only detained on business, and would return to her as soon as he possibly could.
“The officer, half in pity for the boy, half in impatience at his importunity, I suppose, promised to do all that he wished, and so locked him up for the night.