The sight of the dim-eyed, decrepit old man before him gave exquisite humour to the idea.
Morrison had already launched forth upon the story of the second day.
"Well, as I was telling you, I was that curious that next morning at daybreak I comes here and squats behind those bushes, and a dreadful fright I was in for fear my old woman would come and look for me and see me squatting there." His old frame shook for a moment with the laugh he gave to emphasize the situation, and he poked Caius with his finger.
"And I looked and I looked out on the gray water till I had the cramps." Here he poked Caius again.

"But I tell you, young sir, when I saw her a-coming round from behind the bank, where I couldn't see jist where she had come from, like as if she had come across the bay round this point here, I thought no more of the cramps, but I jist sat on my heels, looking with one eye to see that my old woman didn't come, and I watched that 'ere thing, and it came as near as I could throw a stone, and I tell you it was a girl with long hair, and it had scales, and an ugly brown body, and swum about like a fish, jist moving, without making a motion, from place to place for near an hour; and then it went back round the head again, and I got up, and I was that stiff all day I could hardly do my work.

I was too old to do much at that game, but I went again next morning, and once again I saw her; but she was far out, and then I never saw her again.

Now, what do you think of that ?" "I think"-- after a moment's reflection--"that it's a very remarkable story." "But you don't believe it," said the old man, with an air of excited certainty.
"I am certain of one thing; you couldn't have made it up." "It's true, sir," said the old man.

"As sure as I am standing here, as sure as the tide goes in and out, as sure as I'll be a-dying before long, what I tell you is true; but if I was you, I'd have more sense than to believe it." He laughed again, and pressed Caius' arm with the back of his hard, knotted hand.