Afterwards he turned toward Rob and remarked:
“Queer thing for Peleg to want to go into town at night; but then he’s a pretty busy fellow all day long. I wonder if he did get a letter this afternoon when the rural delivery mail man came along in his buggy?”
“I saw him reading some sort of letter half an hour ago, so I imagine he did,” Rob told him, and the subject was dropped.
The patrol leader had noticed, however, that Peleg looked flushed more than ordinarily at the time he asked permission to accompany them to town. From this fact he imagined the boy had something on his mind. Perhaps that letter had been from the sister who was living in service some seven miles away in an opposite direction from Wyoming, and whom he did not often see. However, it was no business of his who Peleg corresponded with, and so Rob put the matter out of his mind.
Later on the four boys jumped into the big old car as Ralph drew up in front of the farmhouse. Peleg, too, was ready, and found a place on one of the extra movable seats. Rob again noticed that the boy seemed to be excited, though never speaking unless addressed. Several times he believed Peleg was chuckling to himself as if secretly pleased; but, then, a trip to town after nightfall might be a treat that excited his delight.
When they finally had covered the distance separating the Jeffords’ farm from Wyoming, and put the car up at a convenient garage where it could be called for at any hour of the night, Peleg said he guessed he would move along.
“We don’t know just when we’ll be starting back, Peleg,” Ralph called after him; “but better show up here by eleven at the latest, or you might get left.”
“Oh! I’ll be along before that,” confidently replied the other, as he hurried away down the street.
Sim was chuckling as though secretly amused.
“Now what has got hold of you, Sim, to keep making all those queer sounds like you do?” demanded Andy Bowles.