Then he handed the projectile back to me.
A single glance at the point of the steel rod made the whole thing clear, and I gave a whistle of consternation; for the "rod" was a fine tube with a sharply pointed end.
"The infernal scoundrel!" I exclaimed; "it is a hypodermic needle." "Yes.

A veterinary hypodermic, of extra large bore.

Now you see the subtlety and ingenuity of the whole thing.

If he had had a reasonable chance he would certainly have succeeded." "You speak quite regretfully," I said, laughing again at the oddity of his attitude towards the assassin.
"Not at all," he replied.

"I have the character of a single-handed player, but even the most self-reliant man can hardly make a _post-mortem_ on himself.