What does Proctor tell Hale about why the children are ill? How does he claim to know?

What John Proctor tells Reverend Hale is that it is not witchcraft that has made the children get sick.  He implies that their sickness has to do with them being startled and wanting to get out of being in trouble.

He claims to know this because of what Abigail Williams has told him.  He says she told him that the kids were surprised while "sportin'" and took ill.  He says that, on the first day that Hale came to town, Abigail told him (Proctor) that the girls' illness had nothing to do with witchcraft.