ve been told that there was a little puddle of water on
the floor at the time the murder was discovered, also that you took a
sample of it for analysis. As I don't see any sign of that puddle
now, would you mind telling me what that analysis established. I
have heard, I may tell you, that you found the water to contain no
poisonous substance; but I should be obliged if you can tell me if
it was water drawn from a well or such as might have been taken
from a river or pond."

"As a matter of fact, my dear Mr. Cleek, I don't think it came from
any of the three."

"Hum-m-m! A manufactured mineral water, then?"

"No, not that, either. If it had been raining and there was any
hole or leak in this roof, I should have said it was rainwater that
had dripped in and formed a little puddle on the floor. If it had
been winter, I should have said it was the result of melted snow.
As a matter of fact, I incline more to the latter theory than to any
other, although it is absurd, of course, to think of snow being
obtainable anywhere in England in the month of July."

"Quite so, quite so--unless--it doesn't matter. That's all, thank
you, Doctor, and very many thanks."

"A word, please, Mr. Cleek," interposed the doctor as he turned to
move away and leave him. "I am afraid I was not very communicative
nor very cordial when you asked me if I had any idea of the means
employed to bring about the unfortunate man's death; may I hope
that you will be better mannered than I, Mr. Cleek, if I ask you if
you have? Thanks, very much. Then, have you?"

"Yes," said Cleek. "And so, too, will you, if you will make a second
blood test, with the specimens you have, at a period of about
forty-eight hours after the time of decease. It will take quite
that before the presence of the thing manifests itself under the
influence of any known process or responds to any known test. And
even then it will only be detected by a faintly alcoholic odour
and excessively bitter taste. The man has been murdered--done to
death by that devil's drug woorali, if I am not mistaken. But who
administered it and _how_ it was administered are things I can't
tell you yet."

"Woorali! Woorali! That is the basis of the drug curarin, produced
by Roulin and Boussingault in 1828 from a combination of the allied
poisons known to the savages of South America and of the tropics by
the names of corroval and vao, is it not?"

"Yes. And a fiend's thing it is, too. A mere scratch f