At that time the men had made one more effort to "get track of SOMETHING," as Higgins had despairingly put it.

But the boy's answers to their questions were anything but satisfying, anything but helpful, and were often most disconcerting.

The boy was, in fact, regarded by most of the men, after that morning, as being "a little off"; and was hence let severely alone.
Who the man was the town authorities certainly did not know, neither could they apparently find out.

His name, as written by himself, was unreadable.

His notes told nothing; his son could tell little more--of consequence.