It was late when they arrived, and the court house was already crowded. Johnson's garb and the knowledge of his connection with the dead girl obtained him entrance, and Lee pushing close after him, they managed to secure a very good position both for seeing and hearing. Jack was already under examination before the magistrate, an elderly gentleman with a professionally bland manner. The prisoner appeared cool and composed. He was apparently not the least perturbed at the position in which he found himself. Many of the Grimleigh folk were present, amongst them Carwell and Korah Brand. Everybody was ready for an exciting morning. As it came about, they had cause for no small measure of excitement, though hardly in the direction they had anticipated. "I am not guilty of this murder," said Finland in a clear voice, "and I will prove my innocence." As he spoke there was a commotion at the lower end of the court. A man and a woman pushed through the crowd and placed themselves in full view of the assembly. The man was Captain Jacob; the woman, a dark-skinned girl in a faded yellow dress with a tartan shawl. Lee uttered a cry. "Zara!" he said, as he caught sight of the dress; "it is Zara!" But he was wrong. It was not Zara, it was Tera! CHAPTER XV A STRANGE STORY "Who is this?" asked the magistrate, amazed at the commotion. The Grimleigh people, recognizing Tera, were talking loudly and excitedly amongst themselves. A babel of voices rose in answer to the question; but the usher of the court having proclaimed silence. Captain Jacob took upon himself to step forward. "This, sir," said he, with his nasal drawl, "is the young gal Tera, or Bithiah, who was supposed to have been scragged." "What does the man mean?" demanded the Bench. "How dare you interrupt the court, man?" "Mean?" interposed the accused. "Well, I guess he means that I'm here to answer to the charge of murdering a girl who's not dead. This is Tera--the young lady herself, your worship!" "Dear me! dear me!" said the magistrate, fretfully--he was a little man, most careful of the dignity of his position--"all this is very irregular, not to say unseemly. Mr. Inspector, perhaps you can enlighten us?" Chard rose, and cast no very friendly glance towards Jacob, whom he strongly suspected of having contrived this dramatic master-stroke. "The girl is Tera, I believe; usually called Bithiah, your worship. What was thought to be her body was found in a cornfield at Grimleigh, as set forth in the charge. It now seems that there has been some mistake as to identity. This is the girl herself, your worship." "And I am innocent!" finished Jack. "Silence in the court," roared the usher, as the crowd manifested signs of giving vent to their feelings.