‘No, sir; you are mistaken.’
‘Dear me; why, I could have sworn to it. You wore a costume of dove-coloured silk with ostrich feather trimming.’
‘I never had such a dress, sir,’ answered the lady.
‘Ah; that quite settles it,’ said Holmes; and, with an apology, he followed the Inspector outside. A short walk across the moor took us to the hollow in which the body had been found. At the brink of it was the furze bush upon which the coat had been hung.
‘There was no wind that night, I understand,’ said Holmes.
‘None; but very heavy rain.’
‘In that case the overcoat was not blown against the furze bushes, but placed there.’
‘Yes, it was laid across the bush.’
‘You fill me with interest. I perceive that the ground has been trampled up a good deal. No doubt many feet have been there since Monday night.’
‘A piece of matting has been laid here at the side, and we have all stood upon that.’
‘Excellent.’
‘In this bag I have one of the boots which Straker wore, one of Fitzroy Simpson’s shoes, and a cast horseshoe of Silver Blaze.’
‘My dear Inspector, you surpass yourself!’
Holmes took the bag, and descending into the hollow he pushed the matting into a more central position. Then stretching himself upon his face and leaning his chin upon his hands he made a careful study of the trampled mud in front of him.
‘Hullo!’ said he, suddenly, ‘what’s this?’
It was a wax vesta, half burned, which was so coated with mud that it looked at first like a little chip of wood.
‘I cannot think how I came to overlook it,’ said the Inspector, with an expression of annoyance.
‘It was invisible, buried in the mud. I only saw it because I was looking for it.’
‘What! You expected to find it?’
‘I thought it not unlikely.’ He took the boots from the bag and compared the impressions of each of them with marks upon the ground. Then he clambered up to the rim of the hollow and crawled about among the ferns and bushes.
‘I am afraid that there are no more tracks,’ said the Inspector, ‘I have examined the ground very carefully for a hundred yards in each direction.’
‘Indeed!’ said Holmes, rising, ‘I should not have the impertinence to do it again after what you say. But I should like to take a little walk over the moors before it grows dark, that I may know my ground to- morrow, and I think that I shall put this horseshoe into my pocket for luck.’