"there was a double line of tracks of a booted man, and a second double line which i saw with delight belonged to a man with naked feet. i was at once convinced from what you had told me that the latter was your son. the first had walked both ways, but the other had run swiftly, and as his tread was marked in places over the depression of the boot, it was obvious that he had passed after the other. i followed them up and found they led to the hall window, where boots had worn all the snow away while waiting. then i walked to the other end, which was a hundred yards or more down the lane. i saw where boots had faced round, where the snow was cut up as though there had been a struggle, and, finally, where a few drops of blood had fallen, to show me that i was not mistaken. boots had then run down the lane, and another little smudge of blood showed that it was he who had been hurt. when he came to the highroad at the other end, i found that the pavement had been cleared, so there was an end to that clue.