The victim, on the contrary,
falling back, and trying to avoid the assault, props himself on his
heels, and therefore buries the heels in the soil. If the
adversaries are equally strong, the number of imprints of the toes
and the heels will be nearly equal, according to the chances of the
struggle. But what do we find here?"
M. Plantat interrupted:
"Enough; the most incredulous would now be convinced." After
thinking a moment, he added:
"No, there is no longer any possible doubt of it."
M. Lecoq thought that his argument deserved a reward, and treated
himself to two lozenges at a mouthful.
"I haven't done yet," he resumed. "Granted, that the countess could
not have been murdered here; let's add that she was not carried
hither, but dragged along. There are only two ways of dragging a
body; by the shoulders, and in this case the feet, scraping along
the earth, leave two parallel trails; or by the legs--in which
case the head, lying on the earth, leaves a single furrow, and that
a wide one."
Plantat nodded assent.
"When I examined the lawn," pursued M. Lecoq, "I found the parallel
trails of the feet, but yet the grass was crushed over a rather
wide space.
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