At this the man stared at them for a few moments in a wild way, and then burst forth into laughter so strange and so wild that both the boys felt uncomfortable. Tom began to think that he was not drunk, but insane, and felt sorry that they had allowed the boat to touch the shore.
Suddenly the man stopped, and looked at them with a totally different expression. He looked at them fixedly, and there was on his face a certain pity and commiseration which struck them forcibly.
“Boys,” said he at length, in a gentle voice, “you’re on the lookout for a settlement, are you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, look at me. Now look at all this country. Well, I’m the only settler here. I’m the only settler you’ll ever find here, if you sail a hundred years. Do you know where you’ve got to?”
“Why, we thought it was Newfoundland,” said Tom.
“Or Gaspé,” said Arthur.
The man looked at them with a solemn face for some time, and said not a word.
“Poor boys! poor boys!” he murmured at last; “p’raps they was worse off’n I was. An air you all alone, boys?”
“No; we’ve left our friends some, miles back.”