TheHermitwasanoldfriendofours,asIhavealreadytoldyou.Hewasaverypeculiarperson. Faroutonthemarsheshelivedinalittlebitofashack—allaloneexceptforhisbrindlebulldog. Nooneknewwherehecamefrom—notevenhisname,just"LuketheHermit"folkscalledhim. Henevercameintothetown;neverseemedtowanttoseeortalktopeople. Hisdog,Bob,drovethemawayiftheycamenearhishut. WhenyouaskedanyoneinPuddlebywhohewasorwhyhelivedoutinthatlonelyplacebyhimself,theonlyansweryougotwas,"Oh,LuketheHermit?Well,there'ssomemysteryabouthim.Nobodyknowswhatitis.Butthere'samystery.Don'tgonearhim.He'llsetthedogonyou." Neverthelessthereweretwopeoplewhooftenwentouttothatlittleshackonthefens:theDoctorandmyself. AndBob,thebulldog,neverbarkedwhenhehearduscoming.ForwelikedLuke;andLukelikedus. Thisafternoon,crossingthemarsheswefacedacoldwindblowingfromtheEast.AsweapproachedthehutJipputuphisearsandsaid, "What'sfunny?"askedtheDoctor. "ThatBobhasn'tcomeouttomeetus.Heshouldhavehearduslongago—orsmeltus.What'sthatqueernoise?" "Soundstomelikeagatecreaking,"saidtheDoctor."Maybeit'sLuke'sdoor,onlywecan'tseethedoorfromhere;it'sonthefarsideoftheshack." "IhopeBobisn'tsick,"saidJip;andheletoutabarktoseeifthatwouldcallhim.Buttheonlyanswerhegotwasthewailingofthewindacrossthewide,saltfen. Wehurriedforward,allthreeofusthinkinghard. Whenwereachedthefrontoftheshackwefoundthedooropen,swingingandcreakingdismallyinthewind.Welookedinside.Therewasnoonethere. "Isn'tLukeathomethen?"saidI."Perhapshe'soutforawalk." "HeisALWAYSathome,"saidtheDoctorfrowninginapeculiarsortofway. "Andevenifhewereoutfora.walkhewouldn'tleavehisdoorbanginginthewindbehindhim. Thereissomethingqueeraboutthis—Whatareyoudoinginthere,Jip?" "Nothingmuch—nothingworthspeakingof,"saidJipexaminingthefloorofthehutextremelycarefully. "Comehere,Jip,"saidtheDoctorinasternvoice."Youarehidingsomethingfromme.Youseesignsandyouknowsomething—oryouguessit.Whathashappened?Tellme.WhereistheHermit?" "Idon'tknow,"saidJiplookingveryguiltyanduncomfortable."Idon'tknowwhereheis." "Well,youknowsomething.Icantellitfromthelookinyoureye.Whatisit?" FortenminutestheDoctorkeptquestioninghim.Butnotawordwouldthedogsay. "Well,"saidtheDoctoratlast,"itisnouseourstandingaroundhereinthecold.TheHermit'sgone.That'sall.Wemightaswellgohometoluncheon." Aswebuttonedupourcoatsandstartedbackacrossthemarsh,Jipranaheadpretendinghewaslookingforwater-rats. "Heknowssomethingallright,"whisperedtheDoctor. "AndIthinkheknowswhathashappenedtoo.It'sfunny,hisnotwantingtotellme. Hehasneverdonethatbefore—notinelevenyears. Hehasalwaystoldmeeverything—Strange—verystrange!" "DoyoumeanyouthinkheknowsallabouttheHermit,thebigmysteryabouthimwhichfolkshintatandallthat?" "Ishouldn'twonderifhedid,"theDoctoransweredslowly. "Inoticedsomethinginhisexpressionthemomentwefoundthatdooropenandthehutempty. Andthewayhesniffedthefloortoo—ittoldhimsomething,thatfloordid. Hesawsignswecouldn'tsee—Iwonderwhyhewon'ttellme.I'lltryhimagain.Here,Jip!Jip!—Whereisthedog?Ithoughthewentoninfront." "SodidI,"Isaid."Hewasthereamomentago.Isawhimaslargeaslife.Jip—Jip—Jip—JIP!" Buthewasgone.Wecalledandcalled.Weevenwalkedbacktothehut.ButJiphaddisappeared. "Ohwell,"Isaid,"mostlikelyhehasjustrunhomeaheadofus.Heoftendoesthat,youknow.We'llfindhimtherewhenwegetbacktothehouse." ButtheDoctorjustclosedhiscoat-collartighteragainstthewindandstrodeonmuttering,"Odd—veryodd!" 
