.

All these strange occurrences were as simple as the alphabet to Uncle
Robin. He would explain it as a sight reflected on the cloud and thrown
on a sea of mist or a desert as on a screen, using difficult words, like
"refraction," and words from Euclid, like "angles." But Uncle Alan would
object, Uncle Alan mistrusting difficult words and words from Euclid.
Alan would raise his head from splicing a fishing-rod or cleaning the
lock of a gun or polishing a snaffle:

"You were ay the one for explanations, Robin. Maybe you've got an
explanation for the gift?" By the gift Uncle Alan meant the second
sight.

"Ah, sure; 't is only mind reading and sympathy."

"O my God! Now listen, Robin. You ken when you dragged me from the
horse-show the last time we were in Dublin, to the library of the
What-you-may-call-him--Archaeological Society or so'thin'. You ken the
book you showed me about Antrim, and what was seen off the cliffs one
time. There was a great black arm in the air, and a hand to the wrist
of it, and to the shoulder a crosspiece with a ring, like one end of an
anchor. And that disappeared. And then immediately there showed a ship,
with the masts and sails and tackles and men, and it sailed stern
foremost and it sank stern foremost, all in the red sky. And then there
was a fort with a castle on the top of it and there were fire and smoke
coming out of it, as if a grand fight was on. And the fort divided into
two ships, that chased each other, and then sank. Then there was a
chariot with two horses, and chasing that was a strange thing like a
serpent, a snake's head at one end, and a bulk at the other like a
snail's house. And it gained on the chariot and gave it a blow. And out
of the chariot came a bull, and after it came a dog, and the bull and
the dog fought as in a gaming-pit. And then suddenly all was clear, no
cloud or mist or anything in the northern air. Am I right or am n't I?
Wasn't that in the book, Robin More?"

"It was."

"And now, Robin, my man, wasn't that signed by respectable people: Mr.
Allye, a minister, and a Lieutenant Dunsterville and a Lieutenant Dwine
and Mr. Bates and twelve others, all of whom saw it near or around the
time of the Boyne Water? Wasn't it signed by the decent people?"

"It was."

"And what explanation have you got for that, you and your master of arts
of Trinity College!"

"They were daft--gone in the head. Daft or drunk."

"My song! And maybe John was daft when he s