AS may be supposed the police of Ministerfield had not been inactive or supine in the matter of the Black Lake Wood Tragedy, and in spite of adverse criticism and public opinion they had declined to arrest Jim Spedwick in the absence of anything like a clue. d**k Jopling had been severely questioned with regard to his belief that the man he alleged he had seen running away from the scene of the murder was Spedwick. But all he would assert was, that to the best of his belief it was Spedwick, though he would not swear it. He was not well acquainted with Spedwick, and when he came to describe the appearance of the man he saw running away, there were many discrepancies. Anyway, the police, while determined to bring the criminal to justice if it were possible to do so, were inclined to act prec
