How do they ever come into your head ?" he rumbled.
I explained that one generally got a hint for a tale.
"What sort of hint ?" "Well, for instance," I said, "I got myself rowed out to the rocks the other day.

My boatman told me of the wreck on these rocks nearly twenty years ago.

That could be used as a hint for a mainly descriptive bit of story with some such title as 'In the Channel,' for instance." It was then that he flew out at the boatmen and the summer visitors who listen to their tales.

Without moving a muscle of his face he emitted a powerful "Rot," from somewhere out of the depths of his chest, and went on in his hoarse, fragmentary mumble.

"Stare at the silly rocks--nod their silly heads [the visitors, I presume].