DAYS 5T0LP:N FOR SPORT 249 



I discovered that, after all, Anthony was a man, or as 

 near to one as he could ever hope to be again. I had 

 thought Noah's 950 years a clerical error and his not 

 getting married until he was 500 a mistake until I saw 

 Anthony's face, which 1000 years could not account 

 for, as there would stiU be left a look as if the spirit 

 had quitted it more than once to return again, after 

 failing to discover another such saintly habitation. 



The sail he hoisted proved useless, as the little 

 wind there had been died away before we started, 

 and so the oars were put out, and, to my surprise, 

 Tony's automaton figure was seated just in front of 

 me to row the stroke while the man of flesh and blood 

 took the easy bow. I could only guess how little flesh 

 still remained to aid Tony to sit in comfort by what 

 was left upon his arms and legs, as shown by the way 

 their coverings hung. There appeared to be so little 

 flesh upon his bones that I thought he might, if the 

 occasion came, say, as a thin patient did when a 

 mustard plaster was being put on : 'It's very httle 

 meat for so much mustard, doctor.' 



The facial features of this much-shrunken man 

 were overhung by a cumbrous crown that belittled 

 every item except the chin, which stretched to a 

 lengthy point and was adorned with a goat-like beard 

 that time had whitened, and a further time had added 

 a yellow tinge to what was white before. This beard 

 was much in e\ddence, for it made a journey from its 

 wearer's right shoulder to his left each time he bent 

 forward to take a stroke, and when he pulled the 

 beard made the journey back; and so it went, to and 

 fro, with the regularity of a pendulum. 



After my faith in fairies went (my love for the 

 memory of the one who told me of them will nevo]- 

 go) cpirits rapped and tables turned in vain, and the 

 ghosts I have seen since then have not alarmed mo 

 or even made me curious, but Ton}'' showed quite 

 plainly that when the spirit was willing it needed 



