In this story the author Sinclair Ross has left much suspense which forces us to keep guessing. One of the mysteries left behind is whether Arthur Vickers is a murderer or not. I believe that Arthur Vickers is a murderer. Firstly, he would not let the boy see the stall and never did let him see if his calves were in there, knowing that he didn't have them. Secondly, Vickers was a disturbed man that lived by himself, isolated from society which could lead to perplexing behavior. And thirdly, when the boy went to open the stall, Vickers reacted in a violent unexpected way which proves that he does have something in the stall that he does not want people to see and that he is capable of murder when faced with an irksome situation.
Throughout the story the boy asks Vickers to open the stall so that he can make sure that his cows are hidden.
Vickers Viscount
English: Orca by Arthur Vickers
English: Image of Arthur Vickers, a Canadian West ...However, the man never does open the stall even though he knew that the calves were not there. It is clear that the cows were not in the stall because towards the end of the story Aunt Ellen tells the boy..."You'd better forget about it now, and come over and get warm. The calves came home themselves yesterday. Just about an hour after you set out." Why would Vickers prohibit the entrance to the stall anyway? The only answer that makes sense is that he was hiding something terrible in there, the body of the girl that he could have murdered.
Moreover, there is a background to Vickers that might influence one's opinion about the contents of the stall. Vickers was a man that had lived in isolation for many years and hardly had any contact with society. The Isolation, more...