“Barnes, you are a smart fellow in your line of business, but you are not at home in what belongs to detective work. Had their first blow been ineffective, and they had been recognized by Mr. Field, it would have been far easier for them to have finished their work than taken him with them. Remember, you are then presupposing that they came back with the express purpose of killing your friend.” “I see it now. Yes, it was a foolish idea on my part.” Nick laughed and said: “Come along, and we will see where these tracks lead to.” Barnes was somewhat abashed by having made such a blunder, and he was silent for some minutes. He then said: “How is it about these tracks?” “How about them in what respect?” “Did these drops of blood come from Field?” Without hesitation came the reply: “They did not.” “Will you tell me why you can be so positive?” “You can keep a still tongue in your head?” “I think so.” “Then I will show why it is positively true that the blood you see did not come from any wound inflicted on your friend. See that spot of blood?” “I do.” “Where is the next one?” “Right there.” “How far would you judge it to be removed from the one pointed out?” “About two feet.” “Look for the next spot. Do you see it?” “I do.” “How far is that removed from the second?” “About two feet.” “What is the distance to the next spot?” “Within a fraction of the distance between each of the others, I should judge.” “And the one beyond that, and the next, and the next, are they not at nearly equal distances?” “They are.” “Well, what does that say to you?” “Nothing.” “Is it possible? Does it not strike you that Mr. Field, if he shed this blood, bled with remarkable regularity?” “I see it now!” And he added: “If blood drops had come from his wound as they carried him along they would have dropped with less regularity. There would have been considerable space where no drop would have been visible.” “Exactly.” “Then his body was not carried along here?” “That does not follow at all.” “Doesn’t it?” “No.” “You puzzle me.” “There is no reason for your being puzzled, and you would not be if you had brought to bear the same amount of practical common sense that you take to your business.” “Explain.” “Why, as I said, these blood drops do not prove that Mr. Field was carried along here. Yet neither do they disprove it.” “But, if the villains went so far--no matter what their purpose--to create the belief that he had been carried along here, is it not fair to presume that they did not carry him along here at all?” “Yes, it is fair to presume so. In fact, to think of the possibility of this does honor to your shrewdness. And yet the presumption would be a bad one to act upon.” “Why so?” “Because it is evident to me already that the persons who are engaged in this affair are not common criminals, but men keen, shrewd and with any quantity of brains.” “Then you think Mr. Field was carried along this way?” “I do not.”