"well, now, in considering this case there are two points about young mccarthy’s narrative which struck us both instantly, although they impressed me in his favour and you against him. one was the fact that his father should, according to his account, cry ‘cooee!’ before seeing him. the other was his singular dying reference to a rat. he mumbled several words, you understand, but that was all that caught the son’s ear. now from this double point our research must commence, and we will begin it by presuming that what the lad says is absolutely true."