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 spoke quite seriously. However, I could not refrain
from uttering an exclamation.
The reporter looked gravely at Fred, who looked gravely at him.
And Fred immediately concluded:
"The man allowed the blood to flow into his hand and handkerchief,
and dried his hand on the wall. The fact is highly important," he
added, "because there is no need of his being wounded in the hand
for him to be the murderer."
Rouletabille seemed to be thinking deeply.
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