It's certainly interesting from a SAR behaviour analysis angle. This gentleman was obviously functioning well in some areas and blanking out in others. Any sort of contact with a person in a position of authority (even the telephone operator) would have resolved things very quickly.

As for the farmer: well, I'm actually tickled that there are still places in the country where it's customary to offer a hungry traveller a meal without too many questions. No doubt a gentleman of that era wouldn't accept something without offering to help out in return.

EDIT: He was only 240 miles from home when he was found. I'll bet he would have made it!