"I saw that curved thing—like a scimitar."
"But who on earth would be using a scimitar in these islands? And what a futile way to use it—jabbing down at you from overhead!"
"The point of it hit the rock hard enough."
"You had only the sound to go by."
"That's all," I admitted.
"And you heard that in the dark." He shook his head, "My dear fellow! I know you are telling me honestly what you think happened, but to be quite frank—"
He broke off and shook his head again.
"Well," said I, "that's explained away very happily. What I saw was only something else and what I heard was something else too. You put the alternatives so clearly, Jack, that one can't help being convinced. And what about the shooting affair? I only heard a thingumabob and saw a what-you-may-call-it, I suppose?"
"My dear Roger, I only want to test the alternatives and see what can't be explained away. Have you ever been under fire before?"
"No, but I've seen pictures of it in the illustrated papers."