The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-02-06


uses the same means that we do. It'll
all come out on those lines"
Having said this, he asked me for
the paper pattern of the footprint
which he had given me to take care
of and applied 1t to very clear foot
mark behind the thicket. "Ahaw he
said, rising.
thought he was now going to trace
back the track of the murderer's foot
marks to the vestibule window, but he
led us instead far to the left, saying
that it was useless ferreting in the
mud and that he was sure now of the
road taken by the murderer.
'He went along the wall to the hedge
and dry ditch, over which he jumped.
See, just in front of the little path
leading to the lake. that was his near
est way to get out"
How do you know he went to the
lake,"
Because Frederic Larsan has not
quilted the borders of it since this
morning. There must be some impor-
tant marks there"
A few minutes later we reached the
lake.
1t was a little sheet of marshy wa
| ter, surrounded by reeds, on which
floated some dead water lily leaves.
The great Fred may have seen us ap-
preaching, but we probably interested
him very little, for he took hardly any
notice of us and continued to be stir
| ring with his cane something which
I we could not see.
"Lookr' said Rouletabille. Here
again are the footmarks of the escap-
finally disappear just before this path,
which leads to the high road to Epi-
nay. The man continued his flight to
Paris"
"What makes you think that?"
asked, "since these footmarks are not
continued ON the path?"
"What makes me think that? Why,
these footprints, which l expected to
| findw he cried, pointing to the sharply
outlined imprint of neat boot. "See!"
And he called to Frederic Larsan.
IN. Fred, these neat footprints seem
to have been made since the discovery
of the crime"
"Yes, young man, yes. They have
been carefully made" replied Fred
without raising his head. "You see,
there are steps that come and steps
that go back"
"And the man had a bicyclev' cried
the reporter.
Here, after looking at the marks of
the bicycle, which followed, going and
coming, the neat footprints, / thought
I might intervene.
"The bicycle explains the disappear
ance of the murderer's big footprints" "
/ said. 1.-The murderer, with his rough
boots, mounted bicycle. His accom-
plice. the wearer of the neat boots,
had come to wait for him on the edge
of the lake with the bicycle. It might
be supposed that the murderer was
working for the other"
mo, nor replied Rouletabille, with
strange smile. II have expected to
find these footmarks from the very
beginning. These are not the foot
marks Of the murderer"
"Then there were twoW
mo; there was but one, and he had
no accomplice."
VERY good! Very goodw cried Fred
eric Larsan.
"Lookw continued the young report.
er, showing us the ground where II
had been disturbed by big and heavy
heels. "The man seated himself
there and took off his hobnailed boots
which he had worn only for the pur'
pose of misleading detection, and then
no doubt, taking them away with him
he stood up in his own boots and
quietly and slowly regained the high
road, holding his bicycle in his hand
for he could not venture to ride 1t Oh
this rough path. That accounts fol
the lightness of the impression made
by the wheels along it in spite Of the
softness of the ground If there had
been a man on the bicycle the wheels
would have sunk deeply into the soil
No, no; there was but one man there
the murderer on foot"
"Bravo Bravor' cried Fred again
And. coming suddenly toward US ant
planting himself in front of NJ. Rob
ert Darzac, he said to him.
"If we had bicycle here we nigh
demonstrate the correctness of thu
young mans reasoning, NJ. Rober
Darzac. Do you know whether ther'
is one at the chateaur'
mo" replied NJ Darzac. "there 4
, not. / took mine four days ago t
Paris, the last time l came to tn,
I chateau before the crime"
, That's pity" replied Fred yer.
coldly. Then, turning to Rouletabille
he said: "If we go ON at this rate wei
, both come to the same conclusion. Hav
you any idea as to how the murdere
, got away from the yellow roomY'
: "Yes," said my young friend, "
= have an idea"
$50 have l." said Fred, "and 1t mus
q be the same as yours. There are n
4 two ways Of reasoning in this affair
am waiting for the arrival Of m
( chief before offering any explanation
;. 70 the examining magistrate"