# The Isle of Pines explained — Can Such Things Be? > Chapter companion for Can Such Things Be? by Ambrose Bierce. ## What happens The chapter recounts the mysterious life and death of Herman Deluse, a reclusive old man living near Gallipolis, Ohio, rumored to have been a pirate. After his death under unexplained circumstances, the Reverend Henry Galbraith, unaware of Deluse's demise, claims to have spent a stormy night at Deluse's house, witnessing the old man's somnambulant behavior. Later, Galbraith, Maren, and Galbraith's son investigate the house, hear violent sounds from within, and upon entering find it empty and undisturbed. Young Galbraith suddenly dies after discovering a hidden sack of old Spanish coins, leading to another inconclusive inquest. ## Themes in this chapter ### Death and the Supernatural The chapter centers on the mysterious death of Herman Deluse and the subsequent ghostly apparition witnessed by Reverend Galbraith, blurring the line between life and death. ### The Uncanny and the Grotesque The sleepwalking figure of Deluse after his death, the inexplicable sounds of combat, and the sudden death of young Galbraith create an unsettling, grotesque atmosphere. ### Fate and Inevitability The inescapable doom surrounding the Deluse house, culminating in the fatal discovery of the hidden treasure, suggests an inevitable, fateful outcome for those who disturb it. ## Character check-ins ### Herman Deluse Reclusive old man, rumored former pirate, found dead on November 10, 1867; later appears to Reverend Galbraith as a sleepwalker. ### Rev. Henry Galbraith Lutheran minister who unknowingly spent a night in Deluse's house after Deluse's death, witnessing the old man's ghostly wanderings. ### Robert Mosely Maren Lawyer and littérateur from Columbus who accompanies Galbraith to investigate the Deluse house and witnesses the death of young Galbraith. ### Mr. Galbraith Son of Rev. Henry Galbraith, dies suddenly after discovering a hidden sack of old Spanish coins in the Deluse house. ## Key lines > For many years there lived near the town of Gallipolis, Ohio, an old man named Herman Deluse. Very little was known of his history, for he would neither speak of it himself nor suffer others. Herman Deluse, a mysterious old man, lived near Gallipolis, Ohio, for years, keeping his past secret and forbidding others from discussing it. _Introduces the enigmatic character of Deluse and his secretive nature._ > The night of November 20 was boisterous. A furious gale stormed across the country, scourging it with desolating drifts of sleet. On the night of November 20, a violent storm with sleet and wind raged across the land. _Sets the atmospheric scene for the supernatural events to follow._ > I saw a light moving about the house, and being nearly blinded by the sleet, and half frozen besides, drove in at the gate and put up my horse in the old rail stable, where it is now. Reverend Galbraith, lost in the storm, saw a light in Deluse's house and took shelter there, stabling his horse. _Describes Galbraith's arrival at the house, unaware of Deluse's death._ > The explanation of your adventure is very simple,' said Mr. Maren. 'I don't believe old Deluse walks in his sleep⁠—not in his present one; but you evidently dream in yours.' Maren suggests that Galbraith's encounter with Deluse was a dream, as Deluse was already dead and buried. _Highlights the rational attempt to explain the supernatural occurrence._ > Directly over the body as it lay, a board had been torn from its fastenings in the wall, and from the cavity so disclosed it was evident that the bag had been taken. Above the dead body of young Galbraith, a board was ripped from the wall, revealing a hidden cavity from which the bag of coins had been removed. _Reveals the discovery of the hidden treasure and its fatal consequences._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/can_such_things_be_se/chapters/the-isle-of-pines - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/can_such_things_be_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/can_such_things_be_se/chapters