The one inhabitant of Hallsands had a visitor. Visitors rarely came to the ruined village but today 9th November, 1967 she was entertaining a young relative. To be more exact Miss Prettijohn sat in a corner saying little while the lad amused himself peering out through a small window with his binoculars watching the gulls on the rocky ledge below. He was panning around aimlessly when into view came a boat. He steadied his elbows on the windowsill and refocused.

"Aunt Pretty I can see a boat."

"That's what you see on the sea my dear," she replied with a half-hearted affection.

"Hang on, there's two. One's towing the other."

He saw some words on the towing boat and holding very steady read out the letters
A N T O N Y. There was another word underneath which he could not make out.

" The boat's name dear. Antony.”

" There's another word underneath. Its Devon, and something else. P then O then N. No it's not N it's R , then--."

Miss Prettijohn straight away came to life but her sudden animation was fired with nothing akin to enthusiasm. Venom and malice blazed in her eyes.

"Devonport" she muttered contemptuously.

"Devonport. My village killers. You must go lad. Go home now. Leave me."

She stood alone in her doorway and watched as the boats passed out of view and all the time cursed the name Devonport. When the boats had been long out of sight she was still there uttering incantations. And then suddenly she stopped. The fire in her eyes went out and a look of calm pleasure came over her face. She laughed, stood a while longer, laughed again, then went back into her house and died.

Barratt Steer had told that story many times. He was convinced of its authenticity or so he would have everyone believe. Even when one day he was challenged by a lady from the Cookworthy Museum in Kingsbridge who had carried out a detailed study of the Hallsands disaster.

"No Captain Steer, not true."

"Why so Kathy?"

"Because Miss Prettijohn had died well before."

"Well?"

"Well, that disposes of your silly fairy tale and besides she was a very sweet, shy, inoffensive lady."

" Her spirit could have looked out from that doorway. Spirits have powers too."

"You're making it up as you go along. And besides, the wrong boat sank, so what was the point.?”

"Totnes didn't think she were the wrong boat. Stopped 'er being broken up”