"For instance," he continued, "your detection of someone watching the
house, and subsequently of someone forcing an entrance, had no visible
association with the presence of the bat wing attached to your front
door?"

"No," replied the Colonel, slowly, "these episodes took place a month
ago."

"Exactly a month ago?"

"They took place immediately before the last full moon."

"Ah, before the full moon. And because you associate the activities of
Voodoo with the full moon, you believe that the old menace has again
become active?"

The Colonel nodded emphatically. He was busily engaged in rolling one
of his eternal cigarettes.

"This belief of yours was recently confirmed by the discovery of the
bat wing?"

"I no longer doubted," said Colonel Menendez, shrugging his shoulders.
"How could I?"

"Quite so," murmured Harley, absently, and evidently pursuing some
private train of thought. "And now, I take it that your suspicions, if
expressed in words would amount to this: During your last visit to Cuba
you (_a_) either killed some high priest of Voodoo, or (_b_) seriously