, like a
son. It was Dirk Peters, the half-breed, who came back alone from
there--beyond."

"The half-breed, Dirk Peters!" I exclaimed.

"Yes."

"Alone?"

"Alone."

"And Arthur Pym may be--"

"There," answered Hunt, in a loud voice, bending towards the
southern line, from which he had not diverted his gaze for a moment.

Could such an assertion prevail against the general incredulity? No,
assuredly not! Martin Holt nudged Hurliguerly with his elbow, and
both regarded Hunt with pity, while West observed him without
speaking. Captain Len Guy made me a sign, meaning that nothing
serious was to be got out of this poor fellow, whose mental
faculties must have been out of gear for a long time.

And nevertheless, when I looked keenly at Hunt, it seemed to me that
a sort of radiance of truth shone out of his eyes:

Then I set to work to interrogate the man, putting to him precise
and pressing questions which he tried to answer categorically, as we
shall see, and not once did he contradict himself.

"Tell me," I asked, "did Arthur Pym really come to Tsalal
Island on board the _Grampus_?"

"Yes."

"Did Arthur Pym separate himself, with the half-breed and one of
the sailors, from his companions while Captain William Guy had gone
to the village of Klock-Klock?"

"Yes. The sailor was one Allen, and he was almost immediately
stifled under the stones."

"Then the two others saw the attack, and the destruction of the
schooner, from the top of the hill?"

"Yes."

"Then, some time later, the two left the island, after they had
got possession of one of the boats which the natives could not take
from them?"

"Yes."

"And, after twenty days, having reached the front of the curtain
of vapour, they were both carried down into the gulf of the
cataract?"

This time Hunt did not reply in the affirmative; he hesitated, he
stammered out some vague words; he seemed to be trying to rekindle
the half-extinguished flame of his memory. At length, looking at me
and shaking his head, he answered,--

"No, not both. Understand me--Dirk never told me--"

"Dirk Peters" interposed Captain Len Guy, quickly. "You knew
Dirk Peters?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"At Vandalia, State of Illinois."

"And it is from him that you have all this information concerning
the voyage?"

"From him."

"And he came back alone--alone--from that voyage, having left
Arthur Pym."

"Alone!"

"Speak, man--do speak!" I cried, impatiently. Then, in