or tragedy, and then probably some
important point would crop up, which the eye had not considered of
sufficient importance to dwell upon. By then, in the case of a
murder, the body would have been removed, and everything about it
either re-ordered or obliterated.

Malcolm Sage proceeded to stuff his pipe with tobacco which he drew
from the left-hand pocket of his jacket. He had discovered that a
rubber-lined pocket was the best and safest pouch.

He picked up a third photograph and laid it beside the others. It
was a print of Mr. Challoner's head, showing, marked in ink, the
course of the bullet towards the left of the frontal bone.

"A man shooting himself," began Malcolm Sage, "places the pistol in
a position so that the muzzle is directed towards the back of the
head. On the other hand, anyone approaching his victim from behind
would have a tendency to direct the muzzle towards the front of the
head. That is why I got Dawkins to take a photograph of me holding
the pistol to my head and of you holding it from behind. These
photographs will constitute the principal evidence at the trial."

Sir James nodded. He was too interested to interrupt.

"On this enlargement of the wound," continued Malcolm Sage, "you
will see an abrasion on the side nearer the ear, as if the head had
suddenly been jerked backwards between the time of the muzzle being
placed against the temple and the actual firing of the shot."

Thompson leaned across to examine the photograph.

"If the eyes of someone sitting at a table are suddenly and
unexpectedly covered from behind, the natural instinct is to jerk
backwards so that the head may be turned to see who it is. That is
exactly what occurred with Challoner. He jerked backwards, and the
barrel of the pistol grazed the skin and was deflected still more
towards the frontal bone."

Sir James and Thompson exchanged glances. Dawkins stood by, a look
of happiness in his eyes. His beloved camera was justifying itself
once more. Inspector Wensdale breathed heavily.

"Apart from all this, the position of the head on the table, and the
way in which the hand was holding the pistol, not to speak of the
curve of the arm, were unnatural. You get some idea of this from the
photograph that Dawkins took of me, although I could only simulate
death by relaxing the muscles. Again, the head would hardly be
likely to twist on to its side."

"The doctor ought to have seen that," said the inspector.

Anoth