This is a repost of an older story that has been re-edited.
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"Davy, who is coming up the road?"
"I am not sure. It doesn't look like he is from around here."
"If he is selling something, get rid of him quickly."
"Yes dear." I tried to say that without seeming like a smart ass.
I watched from the porch as he wandered toward the house. He wasn't walking directly in that direction; it was more as if he was meandering to get here. He was carrying a briefcase, a clipboard, and what looked like a metal detector. He stumbled twice and had a hard time keeping control of his things. I couldn't help smiling a little.
He was about fifty feet away when he looked up and noticed me sitting there. I was on my large overstuffed leather recliner; an odd piece of furniture to be on a porch, but I preferred it to some hard, wooden rocker.
He waved in my direction, the best he could with his hands full. I could see his lips moving, so I knew that he was saying something, but I couldn't make it out. I just smiled and waved back as he walked closer.
"Good morning. My name is Rayborne Welles. Do you mind if I sit a spell?"
I smiled and nodded again. He looked to be about thirty years old but he had already started to get a few gray hairs around his temples. There was an imitation Berber cap plunked square in the middle of his head which confirmed my first impression; he was not local.
"Where are you from Mister Welles? What brings you to Dowgas?"
He took a short breath to recover from the climb to the house. "I am from the Massachusetts Mythological Society in Reading, Massachusetts." That short sentence seemed to wear him out momentarily.
That was a new one for me. Over the past few years, we have had several people poking around, but this was the first from Massachusetts. I tried not to let him see me snicker.
"Joy. Bring this poor man a little cool water, would you Hon?"
Rayborne Welles gave me a small smile to let me know that the offer was appreciated.
"And as to the second part of my inquiry, Mister Welles?"
"Well, there have been some very strong reports of a 'Knocker' in this area. The information that we got was strong enough to support a trip to check it out."
I sat quietly as Mister Welles took the glass of water from my wife and gulped it down like a man lost in the desert. He let out a contented sigh and handed the glass back to her. Joy gave me a little wink before going back into the stone carriage house.
"Where did this information come from, if I may ask?"
"There are several mythological organizations in and around Cornwall. They are quite active in these areas. Normally we ignore isolated reports, but we have been getting far too many from here to let this one slide."
"What do you mean this area?"
"Around the tin mine. The Dowgas Mine to be exact. This has been reported to be the strongest and most concentrated area for Knockers in the entire Cornwall area."
"Are you sure you are not getting confused with the radon reports?"
"Tell me, Mister Welles. How will be able to tell if you found one of these Knockers and how come no one has ever found one before?"
"Well, they are considered to be clever creatures. We have a list of characteristics to look for, but we are not certain how accurate they are."
"Okay, now why don't you describe one to me and I'll let you know if I have seen any?"
"This is all conjecture, mind you. Nobody knows anything for sure; yet."
