“You are sure of that?”
“I am.”
“Would you swear to it?”
“With great willingness.”
“How can you be so positive?”
“Easily enough. The red corpuscles in the blood are different in everything that lives and breathes, and as a rule this difference is so great that there can be no mistake between corpuscles of man and beast, or between any two beasts. As between human blood and that of fowls the difference is very distinct, so in this case there can by no possibility be a doubt. Singularly enough the closest approach to similarity is between the red corpuscles of a human being and the hog.”
“Will you now kindly seal up that piece of paper and preserve it for use in case of necessity?”
“I will.”
The blood-spotted paper was inclosed in a stout wrapper and then fastened with sealing wax, the latter being impressed with a seal belonging to the professor and another that the detective improvised on the moment, but which he could swear to.
This last was necessary, as if it should ever get into court the paper would have to be sworn to as being the one examined this day. Had it borne only one seal, it is evident that the wrapper might be opened and a substitution made.