“I? Never! What a game!” He became excited. “Figure to yourself, each hole it is of a different length. The obstacles, they are not arranged mathematically. Even the greens are frequently up one side! There is only one pleasing thing—the how do you call them?—tee boxes! They, at least, are symmetrical.” I could not refrain from a laugh at the way the game appeared to Poirot, and my little friend smiled at me affectionately, bearing no malice. Then he asked: “But M. Renauld, without doubt he played the golf?” “Yes, he was a keen golfer. It’s mainly owing to him, and to his large subscriptions, that this work is being carried forward. He even had a say in the designing of it.” Poirot nodded thoughtfully. Then he remarked: “It was not a very good choice they made—of a spot to bury the body? When the men began to dig up the ground, all would have been discovered.” “Exactly,” cried Giraud triumphantly. “And that _proves___ that they were strangers to the place. It’s an excellent piece of indirect evidence.” “Yes,” said Poirot doubtfully. “No one who knew would bury a body there—unless—unless—they _wanted___ it to be discovered. And that is clearly absurd, is it not?” Giraud did not even trouble to reply. “Yes,” said Poirot, in a somewhat dissatisfied voice. “Yes—undoubtedly—absurd!” 7 The Mysterious Madame Daubreuil As we retraced our steps to the house, M. Bex excused himself for leaving us, explaining that he must immediately acquaint the examining magistrate with the fact of Giraud’s arrival. Giraud himself had been obviously delighted when Poirot declared that he had seen all he wanted. The last thing we observed, as we left the spot, was Giraud, crawling about on all fours, with a thoroughness in his search that I could not but admire. Poirot guessed my thoughts, for as soon as we were alone he remarked ironically: “At last you have seen the detective you admire—the human foxhound! Is it not so, my friend?” “At any rate, he’s _doing___ something,” I said, with asperity. “If there’s anything to find, he’ll find it. Now you—” “_Eh bien!___ I also have found something! A piece of lead-piping.” “Nonsense, Poirot. You know very well that’s got nothing to do with it. I meant _little___ things—traces that may lead us infallibly to the murderers.”