I should think by his looks he must be 200 or 300 years old, indeed he might be Adam's brother and not look any older than he did.

He was evidently crippled.

A climate which would preserve for many days or weeks the carcass of an ox so that an eatable round stake could be cut from it, might perhaps preserve a live man for a longer period than would be believed.
I took a good long look at the wild creature and during all the time he never moved a muscle, though he must have known some one was in the well looking down at him.

He was probably practicing on one of the directions for a successful political career looking wise and saying nothing.

At any rate he was not going to let his talk get him into any trouble.