He could not feel prepossessed in favor of the man before him, who was small of stature, with a deformed body, bushy red hair and beard, one eye alone visible, the other hidden completely under a black patch.
"Wal," remarked the queer looking man, "you have the appearance of being a water-fowl anyhow. Come up by the fire and wring yourself, and get the chills out of your system. I havn't got much of a home to offer you, but it's good enough for me, and what's good enough for me is good enough for anybody."
Then the queer stranger led the way to the fire, where the light revealed the features of the saturated man completely.
"Eh!"
The peddler started and uttered the exclamation as though astonished.
"Now what?" demanded the young engineer as he began to wring himself.
"I reckon I've seen you before."
"It wouldn't be strange."
"Your from Grandon?"
"Yes."