Mark looked at the house careful, but Jethro wasn’t in sight.
“Rock,” he says, “you and Plunk go to the kitchen and yell to Jethro that you’re hungry. If he comes, one of you back over to that kitchen window there and waggle your hand behind you.”
Off they went, and pretty soon Plunk showed up in front of the window and waggled his hand. So we knew Jethro was in there where he couldn’t see. Then, quick as a wink, Mark looked up at the window and waggled his hand. The man inside saw it, because he shoved as much of his hand through the shutters as he could, and wiggled it as hard as he could wiggle. Mark nodded his head.
Plunk was still standing in the kitchen window, so we knew Jethro was there yet. Mark gave a look, and then started making letters with his fingers. You know that sort of deaf and dumb alphabet that every boy in the United States can use if he wants to—mostly behind his geography in school. Well, that’s what Mark was doing now. He was trying to talk to Pekoe.
“Is your name Pekoe?” he spelled out as slow as time. Then he spelled out, “If you can read what I say wiggle one finger.”
Just one finger came through the blinds and wiggled.
“Are you a friend of Rock’s? If you are show two fingers,” Mark signaled.
Two fingers came into sight.
“If you know who he is, and why he’s kept here, show two fingers again. If you don’t know, show one finger.”
Just one finger came through.