Marken and its people : being some account written from time to time both during and after visits covering some considerable space of time ... . since I have beenhere, and of these not one has ever been identi-fied. They come to Marken. Why? That is a mvsterv. On the dike end I joined the men sitting in thesun. They were talking of the drowned spoke of something which excited mycuriosity. Now on Marken if you would satisfyyour curiosity, do not seem to desire informa-tion, particularly when the men are gatheredtogether. I listened eagerly, pretending indif-ference. I then sought ol
Marken and its people : being some account written from time to time both during and after visits covering some considerable space of time ... . since I have beenhere, and of these not one has ever been identi-fied. They come to Marken. Why? That is a mvsterv. On the dike end I joined the men sitting in thesun. They were talking of the drowned spoke of something which excited mycuriosity. Now on Marken if you would satisfyyour curiosity, do not seem to desire informa-tion, particularly when the men are gatheredtogether. I listened eagerly, pretending indif-ference. I then sought old Gerrit Willemzoon,whom I found sitting before his door busy overhis sail with awl and twine. To him I adroitlymade known my curiosity as to what I had heardthe men discussing on the dike. When he hadlighted the cigar I gave him, he said, WhatMynheer has heard is true, I know it. When adead body has come ashore, as they all do in theZuyder Zee, we first look to see if he sucks histhumb, for if so then he is a sailor, and the seawill not rest until it gets him back. He must beput back or the storm will not abate. And if he »!»«»«» i. / JUST BOYS THE GREAT STORM in be burled, and the storm continues, then he isknown by us to be of the sea which claims is so, Mynheer. I know it. Then this man was not a seaman, I said,*for the storm has passed with the night. Seehow bright the sun shines, and how cleat is thesky I He did not look at me, but he said,Even so. Mynheer, he was of the sea—I knowit, and would say no more. At noon the Heer Pastoor returned to thehouse and we dined together. He was unusu-ally silent and preoccupied. I told him of the things I had overlieard onthe dike, and of my conversation with oldGerrit Willemzoon. He seemed troubled atthis, and when I asked him pointblank if whatGerrit had told me of the matter was true, heevaded my question, and begged me not to in-quire too deeply into the superstitions of thefishermen. It were better not, he said, ad
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1912
