The Wreck of the South Pole and Other Strange Tales — page 39: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

32 The Wreck of the South Pole. your answer.” He stopped as if he proposed to leave me in darkness if he was not allowed his own way of explain- ing. “But I heard voices.”’ “Yes, you heard voices, or rather one voice—mine. “T was the guard, if so you choose to call it—I who was on guard watching for shipwrecked mariners from the ship which was storm tossed upon our shores. “T saw you out on the ocean. I saw your boat driven toward a certain part of our coast and made ready for you. It was I who lighted the fires and who warned you which way to travel to reach the nearest hut.” “Why did you never appear to me?” “T did once, and it caused such fright in you that I never did so again.” “But the voices, you seem to know [| heard them, as you say the words were from you. How could you speak and I not see you? Were you hidden any place near? But the voices seemed at my very ear. You have not ex- plained the mystery yet? How could you speak and I not see you? How could you attend to my wants, light my fires and cook my suppers and I not see you?” “Yet I was ever close by your side. I spoke to you. I was your guard.” “Then you must be a spirit,” I fairly shouted. “Yes, Iam,” he calmly replied. After a moment he continued, having seen the effect his remark that he was a spirit had made upon me. “Every man is spiritual as well as physical. He has Eomichooks. co