Uttering an
ejaculation, he removed the woollen scarf which the dead man had
probably worn to keep himself from catching cold, and those who
looked on saw that a red-colored window cord was tightly bound
about the throat of the dead.
"The poor devil has been strangled," said the doctor quietly.
"See: the assassin has left the bow-string on, and had the
courage to place over it this scarf, which belonged to Bolton."
"How do you know that, sir?" asked Painter heavily.
"Because Widow Anne knitted that scarf for Bolton before he went
to Malta. He showed it to me, laughingly, remarking that his
mother evidently thought that he was going to Lapland."
"When did he show it to you, sir?"
"Before he went to Malta, of course," said Robinson in mild
surprise. "You don't suppose he showed it to me when he
returned. When did he return to England?" he asked the
Professor, with an afterthought.
"Yesterday afternoon, about four o'clock," replied Braddock.
"Then, from the condition of the body"--the doctor felt the dead
flesh--"he must have been murdered last night. H'm! With your
permission, Painter, I'll examine the corpse."
The constable shook his head. "Better wait, sir, until the
inspector comes," he said in his unintelligent way.
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