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now unable to find any motive for the crime and you can see how slight
are our hopes of success。 If ever we chance to find the man； … for I feel
that such a consummation would result more from chance than from
anything else； … I think we can convict him。
〃Here； for example；〃 he said； taking up a small slip of glass which he
had cut from the eastern parlour window of the Darrow house； 〃is
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something I have never shown either you or Miss Darrow。 It is utterly
worthless； so far as assisting us to track the assassin is concerned； but； if
ever we suspect the right man； the evidence on that glass would probably
convict him； though there were ten thousand other suspects。〃
I took the glass from him and； examining it with the utmost care； I
detected a smutch of yellowish paint upon it； nothing more。 〃For Heaven's
sake； Maitland！〃 I said in astonishment； 〃of what possible use can that
formless daub of paint be； or is there something else on the glass that has
escaped me？〃 He laughed at my excitement as he replied：
〃There is nothing there hut the paint spot。 Regarding that； however；
you have come to a very natural though erroneous conclusion。 It is not
formless〃； and he passed me a jeweller's eye…glass to assist me in a closer
examination。 He was right。 The paint lay upon the glass in little
irregular furrows which arranged themselves concentrically about a central
oval groove somewhat imperfect in shape。 〃Well；〃 continued。 Maitland；
as I returned him the magnifying glass； 〃what do you make of it？〃 〃If
you hadn't already attached so much importance to the thing；〃 I said； 〃I
should pronounce it a daub of paint transferred to the glass by somebody's
thumb； but； as such a thing would be clearly useless； I am at a loss to
know what it is。〃
〃Well；〃 he rejoined； 〃you've hit the nail on the head； … that's just what it
is； but you are entirely wrong in your assumption that the thumb…mark can
have no value as evidence。 Do you not know that there are no two
thumbs in the world which are capable of making indistinguishable
marks？〃 I was not aware of this。 〃How do you know；〃 I asked； 〃that
this mark was made by the assassin？ It seems to me there can hardly be a
doubt that one of the painters； while priming the sill； accidentally pressed
his thumb against the glass。 His hands would naturally have been painty；
and this impression would as naturally have resulted。〃
〃What you say；〃 replied Maitland； 〃is very good； so far as it goes。 My
reasons for believing this thumb…mark was made by the assassin are easily
understood。 First： there was another impression of a thumb in the moist
paint of the sill directly under that upon the glass。 Both marks were made
by the same thumb and； in the lower one； the microscope revealed minute
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traces of gravel dust； not elsewhere discernible upon the sill。 The thumb
carried the dust there； and was the thumb of the hand pressed into the
gravel； … the hand of which I have a cast。 You see how this shows how
the thumb came to have paint upon it when pressed upon the glass。
Second： the two men engaged in priming the house； James Cogan and
Charles Rice； were the only persons save the assassin known to have been
upon that side of the house the day of the murder。 〃Here；〃 he said；
carefully removing two strips of glass from a box； 〃are the thumb…marks
of Cogan and Rice made with the same paint。 You see that neither of
these men could； by any possibility； have made the mark upon the glass。
So there you are。 But we are missing the question before us。 What line
of procedure can you suggest； Doc？ I'm all at sea。〃
〃We must find someone；〃 I said； 〃who could have had a motive。 This
someone ought to have a particularly good reason for concealing his
footprints； and is evidently lame besides。 I can't for the life of me see
anything else we have to go by； unless it be the long nail of the little finger；
and I don't see how that is going to help us find the assassin … unless we
can find out why it was worn long。 If we knew that it might assist us。 As
I have already suggested； a Chinaman might have a long nail on the little
finger； but he would also have the other nails long； wouldn't he？
Furthermore； he might use the boards to conceal the prints of his telltale
foot…gear； but why should he not have put on shoes of the ordinary type？
If he had time to prepare the boards； … the whole affair shows
premeditation； … clearly he had time to change his boots。 The Chinese
are usually small； and this might easily account for the smallness of the
hand as shown by your cast。 These are the pros and cons of the only clue
that suggests itself to me。 By the way； Maitland； it's a shame we did not
try； before it was too late； to track this fellow down with a dog。〃
〃Ah；〃 he replied； 〃there is another little thing I have not told you。 After
you had left the house with Miss Darrow on the night of the murder； and
all the servants had retired； I locked the parlour securely and quietly
slipped out to look about a bit。 As you know； the moon was very bright
and any object moderately near was plainly visible。 I went around to the
eastern side of the house where the prints of the hand and boards were
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found； and examined them with extreme care。 What I particularly
wished to learn was the direction taken by the assassin as he left the house
and the point at which he had removed the boards from his feet。 The
imprints of the boards were clearly discernible so far as the loose gravel
extended； but beyond that nothing could be discovered。 I sat down and
pondered over the matter。 I had about concluded to drive two nails into
the heels of my boots to enable me to distinguish my own footprints from
any other trail I might intersect； and then； starting with the house as a
centre； to describe an involute about it in the hope of being able to detect
some one or more points where my course crossed that of the assassin；
when I remembered that my friend Burwell； whose Uncle Tom's Cabin
Combination recently stranded at Brockton was at home。 As you are
perhaps aware an Uncle Tom Company consists of a 'Legree；' one or two
'Markses；' one or two 'Topsies；' 'Uncle Tom；' a 'Little Eva；' who should not
be over fifty years old； … or at least should not appear to be； … two
bloodhounds； and anybody else that happens to be available。 It really
doesn't make the least difference how many or how few people are in t