diff --git a/include/boost/graph/cuthill_mckee_ordering.hpp b/include/boost/graph/cuthill_mckee_ordering.hpp
index 13b5bf62..3a1abe33 100644
--- a/include/boost/graph/cuthill_mckee_ordering.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/graph/cuthill_mckee_ordering.hpp
@@ -113,56 +113,57 @@ namespace boost {
       DegreeMap degree;
     };
 
-    // Compute Pseudo peripheral
-    //
-    // To compute an approximated peripheral for a given vertex. 
-    // Used in <tt>reverse_cuthill_mckee_ordering</tt> algorithm.
-    //
-    template <class Graph, class Vertex, class ColorMap, class DegreeMap>
-    Vertex 
-    pseudo_peripheral_pair(Graph& G, const Vertex& u, int& ecc,
-			   ColorMap color, DegreeMap degree)
-    {
-      typedef typename property_traits<ColorMap>::value_type ColorValue;
-      typedef color_traits<ColorValue> Color;
-
-      rcm_queue<Vertex, DegreeMap> Q(degree);
-
-      typename boost::graph_traits<Graph>::vertex_iterator ui, ui_end;
-      for (tie(ui, ui_end) = vertices(G); ui != ui_end; ++ui)
-	put(color, *ui, Color::white());
-      breadth_first_search(G, u, Q, bfs_visitor<>(), color);
-
-      ecc = Q.eccentricity(); 
-      return Q.spouse();
-    }
-
-    // Find a good starting node
-    //
-    // This is to find a good starting node for the
-    // reverse_cuthill_mckee_ordering algorithm. "good" is in the sense
-    // of the ordering generated by RCM.
-    //
-    template <class Graph, class Vertex, class Color, class Degree> 
-    Vertex find_starting_node(Graph& G, Vertex r, Color color, Degree degree)
-    {
-      Vertex x, y;
-      int eccen_r, eccen_x;
-
-      x = pseudo_peripheral_pair(G, r, eccen_r, color, degree);
-      y = pseudo_peripheral_pair(G, x, eccen_x, color, degree);
-
-      while (eccen_x > eccen_r) {
-	r = x;
-	eccen_r = eccen_x;
-	x = y;
-	y = pseudo_peripheral_pair(G, x, eccen_x, color, degree);
-      }
-      return x;
-    }
-
   } // namespace detail  
 
+  // Compute Pseudo peripheral
+  //
+  // To compute an approximated peripheral for a given vertex. 
+  // Used in <tt>reverse_cuthill_mckee_ordering</tt> algorithm.
+  //
+  template <class Graph, class Vertex, class ColorMap, class DegreeMap>
+  Vertex 
+  pseudo_peripheral_pair(Graph& G, const Vertex& u, int& ecc,
+			 ColorMap color, DegreeMap degree)
+  {
+    typedef typename property_traits<ColorMap>::value_type ColorValue;
+    typedef color_traits<ColorValue> Color;
+
+    detail::rcm_queue<Vertex, DegreeMap> Q(degree);
+
+    typename boost::graph_traits<Graph>::vertex_iterator ui, ui_end;
+    for (tie(ui, ui_end) = vertices(G); ui != ui_end; ++ui)
+      put(color, *ui, Color::white());
+    breadth_first_search(G, u, Q, bfs_visitor<>(), color);
+
+    ecc = Q.eccentricity(); 
+    return Q.spouse();
+  }
+
+  // Find a good starting node
+  //
+  // This is to find a good starting node for the
+  // reverse_cuthill_mckee_ordering algorithm. "good" is in the sense
+  // of the ordering generated by RCM.
+  //
+  template <class Graph, class Vertex, class Color, class Degree> 
+  Vertex find_starting_node(Graph& G, Vertex r, Color color, Degree degree)
+  {
+    Vertex x, y;
+    int eccen_r, eccen_x;
+
+    x = pseudo_peripheral_pair(G, r, eccen_r, color, degree);
+    y = pseudo_peripheral_pair(G, x, eccen_x, color, degree);
+
+    while (eccen_x > eccen_r) {
+      r = x;
+      eccen_r = eccen_x;
+      x = y;
+      y = pseudo_peripheral_pair(G, x, eccen_x, color, degree);
+    }
+    return x;
+  }
+
+
   // Reverse Cuthill-McKee algorithm with a given starting Vertex.
   //
   // This algorithm requires user to provide a starting vertex to
@@ -170,13 +171,12 @@ namespace boost {
 
   template <class Graph, class OutputIterator,
             class ColorMap, class DegreeMap>
-  void 
+  OutputIterator
   cuthill_mckee_ordering(Graph& g,
                          typename graph_traits<Graph>::vertex_descriptor s,
                          OutputIterator inverse_permutation, 
                          ColorMap color, DegreeMap degree)
   {
-
     typedef typename property_traits<DegreeMap>::value_type DS;
     typedef typename property_traits<ColorMap>::value_type ColorValue;
     typedef color_traits<ColorValue> Color;
@@ -216,11 +216,12 @@ namespace boost {
       }
       put(color, u, Color::black());
     } // while
+    return inverse_permutation;
   }  
   
   template < class Graph, class OutputIterator, 
              class Color, class Degree >
-  inline void 
+  inline OutputIterator 
   cuthill_mckee_ordering(Graph& G, OutputIterator inverse_permutation, 
                          Color color, Degree degree)
   {
@@ -229,10 +230,10 @@ namespace boost {
     VerIter ri = vertices(G).first;
     Vertex r = *ri;
 
-    Vertex s = detail::find_starting_node(G, r, color, degree);
-    cuthill_mckee_ordering(G, s, inverse_permutation, color, degree);
-
     //if G has several forests, how to let is cover all. ??
+
+    Vertex s = find_starting_node(G, r, color, degree);
+    return cuthill_mckee_ordering(G, s, inverse_permutation, color, degree);
   }
 
 } // namespace boost