.. what's everybody doing up so early? Has
Penton come back?"
"No ... but do come down and join us," I replied.
* * * * *
"I tell you, I thought it was burglars at first, and I was going to the
drawer in Penton's room and get out his six-shooter."
"Does Penton keep a gun?" I asked.
"Yes ... it's the one he bought to shoot the mongrel dog with."
* * * * *
We ate some cold roast beef sandwiches and drank our coffee.
Hildreth stayed in the big house, not going down the path with me.
I went silently to my tent. It was blowing a little now. The moon was
surging along behind little, grey, running clouds. It would rain before
daylight. A haunted shiver swept through my back as I stole along the
path. I repeated poetry rapidly aloud to crowd out uncanny imaginings. I
had a silly, sick impulse to run back to the big house and sleep on the
couch in the library.
But I forced myself on. "If you're ever going to be a man, you'd better
begin now," I muttered to myself, as if talking to another person.
In my tent ... I lit the lamp. I removed all hanging objects because
their lurching shadows sent shivers of apprehension through me....
"That damned coffee--wish I hadn't drunk it."
* * * * *
The wind and rain came up like a phantom army.
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