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1"There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact," he answered, laughing. "Besides, we may chance to hit upon some
2other obvious facts which may have been by no means obvious to Mr. Lestrade. You know me too well to think that I am
3boasting when I say that I shall either confirm or destroy his theory by means which he is quite incapable of employing,
4or even of understanding. To take the first example to hand, I very clearly perceive that in your bedroom the window is
5upon the right-hand side, and yet I question whether Mr. Lestrade would have noted even so self-evident a thing as
6that." "How on earth--" "My dear fellow, I know you well. I know the military neatness which characterises you. You
7shave every morning, and in this season you shave by the sunlight; but since your shaving is less and less complete as
8we get farther back on the left side, until it becomes positively slovenly as we get round the angle of the jaw, it is
9surely very clear that that side is less illuminated than the other. I could not imagine a man of your habits looking at
10himself in an equal light and being satisfied with such a result. I only quote this as a trivial example of observation
11and inference. Therein lies my métier, and it is just possible that it may be of some service in the investigation which
12lies before us. There are one or two minor points which were brought out in the inquest, and which are worth
13considering." "What are they?" "It appears that his arrest did not take place at once, but after the return to Hatherley
14Farm. On the inspector of constabulary informing him that he was a prisoner, he remarked that he was not surprised to
15hear it, and that it was no more than his deserts. This observation of his had the natural effect of removing any traces
16of doubt which might have remained in the minds of the coroner's jury." "It was a confession," I ejaculated. "No, for it
17was followed by a protestation of innocence." "Coming on the top of such a damning series of events, it was at least a
18most suspicious remark." "On the contrary," said Holmes, "it is the brightest rift which I can at present see in the
19clouds. However innocent he might be, he could not be such an absolute imbecile as not to see that the circumstances
20were very black against him. Had he appeared surprised at his own arrest, or feigned indignation at it, I should have
21looked upon it as highly suspicious, because such surprise or anger would not be natural under the circumstances, and
22yet might appear to be the best policy to a scheming man. His frank acceptance of the situation marks him as either an
23innocent man, or else as a man of considerable self-restraint and firmness. As to his remark about his deserts, it was
24also not unnatural if you consider that he stood beside the dead body of his father, and that there is no doubt that he
25had that very day so far forgotten his filial duty as to bandy words with him, and even, according to the little girl
26whose evidence is so important, to raise his hand as if to strike him. The self-reproach and contrition which are
27displayed in his remark appear to me to be the signs of a healthy mind rather than of a guilty one." I shook my head.
28"Many men have been hanged on far slighter evidence," I remarked. "So they have. And many men have been wrongfully
29hanged." "What is the young man's own account of the matter?" "It is, I am afraid, not very encouraging to his
30supporters, though there are one or two points in it which are suggestive. You will find it here, and may read it for
31yourself." He picked out from his bundle a copy of the local Herefordshire paper, and having turned down the sheet he
32pointed out the paragraph in which the unfortunate young man had given his own statement of what had occurred. I settled
33myself down in the corner of the carriage and read it very carefully. It ran in this way: "Mr. James McCarthy, the only
34son of the deceased, was then called and gave evidence as follows: 'I had been away from home for three days at Bristol,
35and had only just returned upon the morning of last Monday, the 3rd. My father was absent from home at the time of my
36arrival, and I was informed by the maid that he had driven over to Ross with John Cobb, the groom. Shortly after my
37return I heard the wheels of his trap in the yard, and, looking out of my window, I saw him get out and walk rapidly out
38of the yard, though I was not aware in which direction he was going. I then took my gun and strolled out in the
39direction of the Boscombe Pool, with the intention of visiting the rabbit warren which is upon the other side. On my way
40I saw William Crowder, the game-keeper, as he had stated in his evidence; but he is mistaken in thinking that I was
41following my father. I had no idea that he was in front of me. When about a hundred yards from the pool I heard a cry of
42"Cooee!" which was a usual signal between my father and myself. I then hurried forward, and found him standing by the
43pool. He appeared to be much surprised at seeing me and asked me rather roughly what I was doing there. A conversation
44ensued which led to high words and almost to blows, for my father was a man of a very violent temper. Seeing that his
45passion was becoming ungovernable, I left him and returned towards Hatherley Farm. I had not gone more than 150 yards,
46however, when I heard a hideous outcry behind me, which caused me to run back again. I found my father expiring upon the
47ground, with his head terribly injured. I dropped my gun and held him in my arms, but he almost instantly expired. I
48knelt beside him for some minutes, and then made my way to Mr. Turner's lodge-keeper, his house being the nearest, to
49ask for assistance. I saw no one near my father when I returned, and I have no idea how he came by his injuries. He was
50not a popular man, being somewhat cold and forbidding in his manners, but he had, as far as I know, no active enemies. I
51know nothing further of the matter.' "The Coroner: Did your father make any statement to you before he died? "Witness:
52He mumbled a few words, but I could only catch some allusion to a rat. "The Coroner: What did you understand by that?
53"Witness: It conveyed no meaning to me. I thought that he was delirious. "The Coroner: What was the point upon which you
54and your father had this final quarrel? "Witness: I should prefer not to answer. "The Coroner: I am afraid that I must
55press it. "Witness: It is really impossible for me to tell you. I can assure you that it has nothing to do with the sad
56tragedy which followed. "The Coroner: That is for the court to decide. I need not point out to you that your refusal to
57answer will prejudice your case considerably in any future proceedings which may arise. "Witness: I must still refuse.
58"The Coroner: I understand that the cry of 'Cooee' was a common signal between you and your father? "Witness: It was.
59"The Coroner: How was it, then, that he uttered it before he saw you, and before he even knew that you had returned from
60Bristol? "Witness (with considerable confusion): I do not know. "A Juryman: Did you see nothing which aroused your
61suspicions when you returned on hearing the cry and found your father fatally injured? "Witness: Nothing definite. "The
62Coroner: What do you mean? "Witness: I was so disturbed and excited as I rushed out into the open, that I could think of
63nothing except of my father. Yet I have a vague impression that as I ran forward something lay upon the ground to the
64left of me. It seemed to me to be something grey in colour, a coat of some sort, or a plaid perhaps. When I rose from my
65father I looked round for it, but it was gone. "'Do you mean that it disappeared before you went for help?' "'Yes, it
66was gone.' "'You cannot say what it was?' "'No, I had a feeling something was there.' "'How far from the body?' "'A
67dozen yards or so.' "'And how far from the edge of the wood?' "'About the same.' "'Then if it was removed it was while
68you were within a dozen yards of it?'
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