Premise: Almost at the same time a pistol-shot , flash and report , came from the hedge side .<br>And that was plainly the last signal of danger , for the buccaneers turned at once and ran , separating in every direction , one seaward along the cove , one slant across the hill , and so on , so that in half a minute not a sign of them remained but Pew .
Hypothesis: Flash and report came at almost the same time as a slowly-moving snail.