I smiled. Not so the company. They regarded Mr. Fenning's words with different eyes. Mr. Hedges gave expression to the general opinion.
"You ain't never seen such bowling afore, and you won't never see such bowling again. 'Cause why? 'Cause it's a ghost that's bowling, not a man!"
Mr. Fenning looked about him with open eyes, and with open mouth as well. "A ghost!" he mumbled.
"A ghost!" said Mr. Hedges.
I expostulated.
"Come, Mr. Hedges, you frighten the lad. I am surprised, too, that a man of your age and experience and wisdom should talk nonsense about ghosts."
Mr. Hedges looked up at me a little sharply.
"If he ain't a ghost, what's become of the things that he's took off?"
I asked him what he meant. He pointed across the ground.
"He took off his hat and his coat and his scarf, and he laid 'em on the grass. He ain't touched 'em, and no one ain't took 'em, yet they're gone! We saw 'em go. If he ain't a ghost, what's become of the things that he's took off?"