154 Winkle: the Eel-Man 



I was not unprepared for this, and let him 

 have his fill of enjoyment at my expense 

 before I spoke again ; then I remarked, in a 

 quiet way that showed how sure I felt of 

 what I was saying, " It was a long time 

 ago ; long before you were born ; more than 

 one hundred years ago. A great wind came 

 up suddenly, just as the boat got inside the 

 creek, and sent her over on her side and 

 wedged her between trees growing on the 

 bank, and stove a hole in her stern, so that 

 she had her cargo spoiled. They didn't 

 get a great deal out of her, and when she 

 was hauled off she sank. One account says 

 she was burning when she sank. Anyhow, 

 the hulk lay there in the channel and rotted 

 away, I suppose. Let's go see if we can 

 find any signs of her this late day." 



My long speech ended, Winkle looked me 

 very searchingly in the eyes in a way that 

 makes it impossible to hold anything back, 

 if you happen to be telling him only half a 

 truth. Then he stared at the clouds and 

 towards the creek and at times hummed to 

 himself, but not a word for me. I waited, 

 knowing he was thinking of all he knew of 

 that part of the creek. Suddenly his whole 



