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I suspected that Rouletabille's confident assertion was not pleasing
to him。 Why； I asked myself； if he was really afraid that the
murderer should be discovered； was he helping the reporter to find
him？ My young friend seemed to have received the same impression；
for he said； bluntly：
〃Monsieur Darzac； don't you want me to find out who the murderer
was？〃
〃Oh！ … I should like to kill him with my own hand！〃 cried
Mademoiselle Stangerson's fiance； with a vehemence that amazed me。
〃I believe you；〃 said Rouletabille gravely； 〃but you have not
answered my question。〃
We were passing by the thicket； of which the young reporter had
spoken to us a minute before。 I entered it and pointed out evident
traces of a man who had been hidden there。 Rouletabille； once more；
was right。
〃Yes； yes！〃 he said。 〃We have to do with a thing of flesh and blood；
who 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 it to a very
clear footmark behind the thicket。 〃Aha！〃 he said； rising。
I thought he was now going to trace back the track of the murderer's
footmarks 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 nearest way to get out。〃
〃How do you know he went to the lake？〃 …
〃Because Frederic Larsan has not quitted the borders of it since
this morning。 There must be some important marks there。〃
A few minutes later we reached the lake。
It was a little sheet of marshy water； surrounded by reeds； on which
floated some dead water…lily leaves。 The great Fred may have seen
us approaching； but we probably interested him very little； for he
took hardly any notice of us and continued to be stirring with his
cane something which we could not see。
〃Look！〃 said Rouletabille； 〃here again are the footmarks of the
escaping man； they skirt the lake here and finally disappear just
before this path； which leads to the high road to Epinay。 The man
continued his flight to Paris。〃
〃What makes you think that？〃 I asked； 〃since these footmarks are
not continued on the path？〃
〃What makes me think that？ … Why these footprints； which I expected
to find！〃 he cried； pointing to the sharply outlined imprint of a
neat boot。 〃See！〃 … and he called to Frederic Larsan。
〃Monsieur 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 bicycle！〃 cried the reporter。
Here； after looking at the marks of the bicycle； which followed；
going and coming； the neat footprints； I thought I might intervene。
〃The bicycle explains the disappearance of the murderer's big
foot…prints；〃 I said。 〃The murderer； with his rough boots； mounted
a bicycle。 His accomplice； 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。〃
〃No； no！〃 replied Rouletabille with a strange smile。 〃I have
expected to find these footmarks from the very beginning。 These
are not the footmarks of the murderer！〃
〃Then there were two？〃
〃No … there was but one； and he had no accomplice。〃
〃Very good！ … Very good！〃 cried Frederic Larsan。
〃Look！〃 continued the young reporter； showing us the ground where
it 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 purpose 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 it on this rough path。 That
accounts for 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！ … bravo！〃 cried Fred again； and coming suddenly towards
us and； planting himself in front of Monsieur Robert Darzac； he
said to him：
〃If we had a bicycle here； we might demonstrate the correctness of
the young man's reasoning； Monsieur Robert Darzac。 Do you know
whether there is one at the chateau？〃
〃No！〃 replied Monsieur Darzac。 〃There is not。 I took mine； four
days ago； to Paris； the last time I came to the chateau before the
crime。〃
〃That's a pity！〃 replied Fred； very coldly。 Then； turning to
Rouletabille； he said： 〃If we go on at this rate； we'll both come
to the same conclusion。 Have you any idea； as to how the murderer
got away from The Yellow Room？〃
〃Yes；〃 said my young friend； 〃I have an idea。〃
〃So have I；〃 said Fred； 〃and it must be the same as yours。 There
are no two ways of reasoning in this affair。 I am waiting for the
arrival of my chief before offering any explanation to the examining
magistrate。〃
〃Ah！ Is the Chief of the Surete coming？〃
〃Yes； this afternoon。 He is going to summon； before the magistrate；
in the laboratory； all those who have played any part in this
tragedy。 It will be very interesting。 It is a pity you won't be
able to be present。〃
〃I shall be present；〃 said Rouletabille confidently。
〃Really … you are an extraordinary fellow … for your age！〃 replied
the detective in a tone not wholly free from irony。 〃You'd make a
wonderful detective … if you had a little more method … if you
didn't follow your instincts and that bump on your forehead。 As I
have already several times observed； Monsieur Rouletabille； you
reason too much； you do not allow yourself to be guided by what you
have seen。 What do you say to the handkerchief full of blood； and
the red mark of the hand on the wall？ You have seen the stain on
the wall； but I have only seen the handkerchief。〃
〃Bah！〃 cried Rouletabille； 〃the murderer was wounded in the hand
by Mademoiselle Stangerson's revolver！〃
〃Ah！ … a simply instinctive observation！ Take care！ … You are
becoming too strictly logical； Monsieur Rouletabille； logic will
upset you if you use it indiscriminately。 You are right； when you
say that Mademoiselle Stangerson fired her revolver； but you are
wrong when you say that she wounded the murderer in the hand。〃
〃I am sure of it；〃 cried Rouletabille。
Fred； imperturbable； interrupted him：
〃Defective observation … defective observation！ … the examination
of the handkerchief； the numberless little round scarlet stains； the
impression of drops which I found in the tracks of the footprints；
at the moment when they were made on the floor； prove to me that the
murderer was not wounded at all。 Monsieur Rouletabille； the murderer
bled at the nose！〃
The great Fred spo