But what about the town? I asked. Did they get to the town?
They did, said the captain, and found inhabitants; twas an awful condition of things. It appeared, as near as Gaffett could express it, like a place where there was neither living nor dead. They could see the place when they were approaching it by sea pretty near like any town, and thick with habitations; but all at once they lost sight of it altogether, and when they got close inshore they could see the shapes of folks, but they never could get near them,all blowing gray figures that would pass along alone, or sometimes gathered in companies as if they were watching. The men were frightened at first, but the shapes never came near them,it was as if they blew back; and at last they all got bold and went ashore, and found birds eggs and sea fowl, like any wild northern spot where creatures were tame and folks had never been, and there was good water. Gaffett said that he and another man came near one o the fog-shaped men that was going along slow with the look of a pack on his back, among the rocks, an they chased him; but, Lord! he flittered away out o sight like a leaf the wind takes with it, or a piece of cobweb. They would make as if they talked together, but there was no sound of voices, and they acted as if they didnt see us, but only felt us coming towards them, says Gaffett one day, trying to tell the particulars. They couldnt see the town when they were ashore. One day the captain and the doctor were gone till night up across the high land where the town had seemed to be, and they came back at night beat out and white as ashes, and wrote and wrote all next day in their notebooks, and whispered together full of excitement, and they were sharp-spoken with the men when they offered to ask any questions.
Then there came a day, said Captain Littlepage, leaning toward me with a strange look in his eyes, and whispering quickly. The men all swore they wouldnt stay any longer; the man on watch early in the morning gave the alarm, and they all put off in the boat and got a little way out to sea. Those folks, or whatever they were, come about em like bats; all at once they raised incessant armies, and come as if to drive em back to sea. They stood thick at the edge o the water like the ridges o grim war; no thought o flight, none of retreat. Sometimes a standing fight, then soaring on main wing tormented all the air. And when theyd got the boat out o reach o danger, Gaffett said they looked back, and there was the town again, standing up just as theyd seen it first, comin on the coast. Say what you might, they all believed twas a kind of waiting-place between this world an the next.
The captain had sprung to his feet in his excitement, and made excited gestures, but he still whispered huskily.
Sit down, sir, I said as quietly as I could, and he sank into his chair quite spent.
Gaffett thought the officers were hurrying home to report and to fit out a new expedition when they were all lost. At the time, the men got orders not to talk over what they had seen, the old man explained presently in a more natural tone.
Werent they all starving, and wasnt it a mirage or something of that sort? I ventured to ask. But he looked at me blankly.
Gaffett had got so that his mind ran on nothing else, he went on. The ships surgeon let fall an opinion to the captain, one day, that twas some condition o the light and the magnetic currents that let them see those folks. Twant a right-feeling part of the world, anyway; they had to battle with the compass to make it serve, an everything seemed to go wrong. Gaffett had worked it out in his own mind that they was all common ghosts, but the conditions were unusual favorable for seeing them. He was always talking about the Gegraphical Society, but he never took proper steps, as I viewed it now, and stayed right there at the mission. He was a good deal crippled, and thought theyd confine him in some jail of a hospital. He said he was waiting to find the right men to tell, somebody bound north. Once in a while they stopped there to leave a mail or something. He was set in his notions, and let two or three proper explorin expeditions go by him because he didnt like their looks; but when I was there he had got restless, fearin he might be taken away or something. He had all his directions written out straight as a string to give the right ones. I wanted him to trust em to me, so I might have something to show, but he wouldnt. I suppose hes dead now. I wrote to him an I done all I could. Twill be a great exploit some o these days.
I assented absent-mindedly, thinking more just then of my companions alert, determined look and the seafaring, ready aspect that had come to his face; but at this moment there fell a sudden change, and the old, pathetic, scholarly look returned. Behind me hung a map of North America, and I saw, as I turned a little, that his eyes were fixed upon the northernmost regions and their careful recent outlines with a look of bewilderment.
VII. The Outer Island
GAFFETT WITH HIS good bunk and the bird-skins, the story of the wreck of the Minerva, the human-shaped creatures of fog and cobweb, the great words of Milton with which he described their onslaught upon the crew, all this moving tale had such an air of truth that I could not argue with Captain Littlepage. The old man looked away from the map as if it had vaguely troubled him, and regarded me appealingly.
We were just speaking ofand he stopped. I saw that he had suddenly forgotten his subject.
There were a great many persons at the funeral, I hastened to say.
Oh yes, the captain answered, with satisfaction. All showed respect who could. The sad circumstances had for a moment slipped my mind. Yes, Mrs. Begg will be very much missed. She was a capital manager for her husband when he was at sea. Oh yes, shipping is a very great loss. And he sighed heavily. There was hardly a man of any standing who didnt interest himself in some way in navigation. It always gave credit to a town. I call it low-water mark now here in Dunnet.
He rose with dignity to take leave, and asked me to stop at his house some day, when he would show me some outlandish things that he had brought home from sea. I was familiar with the subject of the decadence of shipping interests in all its affecting branches, having been already some time in Dunnet, and I felt sure that Captain Littlepages mind had now returned to a safe level.
As we came down the hill toward the village our ways divided, and when I had seen the old captain well started on a smooth piece of sidewalk which would lead him to his own door, we parted, the best of friends. Step in some afternoon, he said, as affectionately as if I were a fellow-shipmaster wrecked on the lee shore of age like himself. I turned toward home, and presently met Mrs. Todd coming toward me with an anxious expression.
I see you sleevin the old gentleman down the hill, she suggested.
Yes. Ive had a very interesting afternoon with him, I answered, and her face brightened.
Oh, then hes all right. I was afraid twas one o his flighty spells, an Mari Harris wouldnt
Yes, I returned, smiling, he has been telling me some old stories, but we talked about Mrs. Begg and the funeral beside, and Paradise Lost.
I expect he got tellin of you some o his great narratives, she answered, looking at me shrewdly. Funerals always sets him goin. Some o them tales hangs together tolerble well, she added, with a sharper look than before. An hes been a great reader all his seafarin days. Some thinks he overdid, and affected his head, but for a man o his years hes amazin now when hes at his best. Oh, he used to be a beautiful man!