in some confused part of his mind bill knew that was n't true : if they had really thought him dead , they would have run , scattered , and it would have picked them off easily , one by one . he 's still leaning against the door , staring at me with the strangest expression and his eyes are so flat that they do n't even glitter . persons in most areas would be in more danger of being struck by lightning in a storm than by being hit a piece of comet debris . '' 