granting the son’s statement to be correct, was a certainty. We have come

now out of mere vagueness to the definite conception of an Australian from

Ballarat with a grey cloak.”


“Certainly.”


“And one who was at home in the district, for the pool can only be

approached by the farm or by the estate, where strangers could hardly

wander.”


“Quite so.”


“Then comes our expedition of to-day. By an examination of the ground I

gained the trifling details which I gave to that imbecile Lestrade, as to the

personality of the criminal.”


“But how did you gain them?”


“You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of

trifles.”


“His height I know that you might roughly judge from the length of his

stride. His boots, too, might be told from their traces.”


“Yes, they were peculiar boots.”


“But his lameness?”


“The impression of his right foot was always less distinct than his left.

He put less weight upon it. Why? Because he limped—he was lame.”


“But his left-handedness.”


“You were yourself struck by the nature of the injury as recorded by the

surgeon at the inquest. The blow was struck from immediately behind, and yet

was upon the left side. Now, how can that be unless it were by a left-handed

man? He had stood behind that tree during the interview between the father and

son. He had even smoked there. I found the ash of a cigar, which my special

knowledge of tobacco ashes enables me to pronounce as an Indian cigar. I have,

as you know, devoted some attention to this, and written a little monograph on

the ashes of 140 different varieties of pipe, cigar, and cigarette tobacco.

Having found the ash, I then looked round and discovered the stump among the

moss where he had tossed it. It was an Indian cigar, of the variety which are

rolled in Rotterdam.”


“And the cigar-holder?”


“I could see that the end had not been in his mouth. Therefore he used a