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skull
crushed, I hightailed it over here and
got Dr. Almont. Then the three of us returned
to the Trelawney house. Doctor Almont checked
the coagulation of blood on the back of the murdered
man's head and tested the rigidity of the body
and delivered the opinion that the murder had
been committed between eight and ten."
    "Almont's
opinion would be accepted by any jury.
In conjunction with Alexandre Lacassagne of France,
he has made considerable contributions to the
advancement of forensic medicine." Holmes thought
for a moment. "If young Trelawney had just
arrived from Hereford, he is in the clear, but I understand
the stationmaster contested this."
    Bennett
nodded. "Pierce is a friend of young Charles, who is well liked
by one and all. He saw the boy get off
the last carriage of the six o'clock. A redheaded
stranger and Charles were the only ones who got off the train. It
meant nothing to him at the time, but at
the inquest he had to tell what he had seen."
    "Unwillingly,"
said Holmes. "That lends all the more
credence to his words. Perhaps you had better relate
what occurred, Bennett."
    The
constable's eyes narrowed, as though he did not
wish to overlook a single fact. "Charles
was in a state of semi-shock, but after discovering
the body, he had the presence of mind to
close the door to the study before leaving the house.
As I mentioned, the three of us returned there
promptly. Upon opening the study door, we found everything as Charles
had hastily related to me. Ezariah
Trelawney was slumped in his chair in front
of the fireplace. The right side of his skull was a
sight indeed."
    "The
back of the skull, according to the newspa pers,"
mentioned Holmes.
    "'Twas
the back that got hit, but on the right side."
    I
shifted impatiently in my chair for it seemed they
were splitting hairs. "And the dog,
Lama? He was still in the room?"
    This
point seemed of special interest to Holmes.
    "Yes,
sir," responded Bennett. "When Charles closed
the door behind him, how could the little fellow get out?"
    "That
is my point, or at least a point of puzzle ment."
My friend chewed reflectively on a piece of beef.
"Charles Trelawney testified that when he returned
to his home, he found the door to the study
closed. For his own sake, he might have said that the door was open.
Had this been the case, the possibility
could have existed that the dog was in some
other part of the house when the fatal blow was struck."
    "That
bothered me also," replied the constable.
    "Another
thought," continued Holmes. "From your
description and that in the papers, Trelaw ney's
skull had been shattered from behind very severely.
Would not a blow of such strength have driven
the body from the chair?"
    "Not
necessarily," I stated automatically. "It was mentioned
that the corpse was well beyond the three
score and ten. At that age, bones tend to become
more fragile. The blow need not have been delivered
with great strength."
    "A
good point, my dear Watson."
    Bennett
continued: "Whatever the weapon was, we
did not find it. After inspecting the wound in greater
detail, Dr. Almont delivered the opinion that
it was caused by a club or stave perhaps, but definitely
of wood. Lama was very nervous and whining,
but Charles was able to quiet him. A book was
on the floor, open, as though it had fallen from Ezariah's
hands."
    "Which
it probably had," reflected Holmes. "There
was a half-consumed cigar in a tray by the chair. I believe that it
was in the tray and lit when Ezariah was
killed. It looked like it had gone out
of its own volition."
    "Now
that is interesting," said Holmes. "I should have
guessed the victim was a smoker since he made
you a gift of a cigar."
    "'Twas
the same type that I'm smoking right now,"
replied Bennett. "Ezariah had them sent to
him from Amsterdam, as you divined, Mr. Holmes."
    "What
else can you tell us, Bennett?" asked Holmes.
    "Well,
sir, the maid and cook had left at seven, and
a number of people saw them crossing the town
square at that time. They