At the angle formed by the corner of the building was a strong iron drain pipe, which went down to the ground, and with singular uniformity projected at least an inch from the wall, being held in position by iron clips; there was one of these clips every four or five feet.
Going back to the house, I descended to the garden, stood at the foot of the iron drain pipe, and came to the conclusion that by means of that pipe the assassin had mounted and descended. It was not a feat that an ordinary man could have performed; but a sailor, for instance, or an acrobat, would have found no difficulty in it. Assuming this surmise of mine was right, it suggested that few crimes had been more deliberately planned, or carried out with more cold-blooded determination than this one.
I was satisfied in my
