“Yes, sir. There weren’t any tracks of hers to be found, of course, but we figured it out that her feet are so small and she is so light in weight, that the snow would have hidden her tracks so that we were unable to find them, while the tracks of the man, when he went to the house, can still be seen.�
The reader will understand that this man was referring to the tracks that Nick Carter had made when he first entered the house, and to the tracks that he made again when he came away from it and went after his two assistants to take them back there with him. The tracks that Nick had found, that took him into the house, could no longer be discovered, of course.
“Does the chief think that some person, a man, went to that house with—— What are you talking about, man?â€�
“That is what the chief thinks. That somebody went there with her—or took her there by force.â€�
“By force?�
“But that is preposterous.�
“Drugged her, sir, maybe, and carried her there; or carried her there without drugging.�
“It is outrageous!�
“Yes, sir. You see, sir, she wouldn’t go there alone, at that time of the night, unless she did it with the intention of killing herself—and to tell you the honest truth, sir, the chief doesn’t think she did kill herself—unless you prefer that he should think so, Mr. Lynne.â€�