解説　場面 61「雪上の争い」

"There was a double line of tracks of a booted man, and a second double line which I saw with delight belonged to a man with naked feet. I was at once convinced from what you had told me that the latter was your son. The first had walked both ways, but the other had run swiftly, and as his tread was marked in places over the depression of the boot, it was obvious that he had passed after the other. I followed them up and found they led to the hall window, where Boots had worn all the snow away while waiting. Then I walked to the other end, which was a hundred yards or more down the lane. I saw where Boots had faced round, where the snow was cut up as though there had been a struggle, and, finally, where a few drops of blood had fallen, to show me that I was not mistaken. Boots had then run down the lane, and another little smudge of blood showed that it was he who had been hurt. When he came to the high road at the other end, I found that the pavement had been cleared, so there was an end to that clue.

長靴を履いた男の二列の足跡と、裸足の男のものだと喜びとともに分かった、もう一組の二列の足跡がありました。あなたから聞いた話により、後者が息子さんだとただちに確信しました。最初の男は歩いて往復していましたが、もう一人は速く走り、その足跡が所々で長靴のくぼみの上についていたため、後から通ったのは明らかでした。跡をたどると玄関広間の窓へ続き、そこで長靴の男は待つ間に雪をすべて踏み消していました。次に、百ヤード以上小道を下った反対側の端まで歩きました。長靴の男が向きを変えた場所、争いがあったかのように雪が乱れた場所、そして最後に、私が間違っていないことを示す数滴の血が落ちた場所を見ました。その後、長靴の男は小道を走り、もう一つの小さな血の跡が、傷ついたのは彼だと示していました。反対側の大通りへ出ると歩道は掃除されており、その手掛かりはそこで途切れました。