“No, I don’t see him. I don’t believe he would dare to follow us as far as the house.”
“I’ll go and report him to the constable first thing to-morrow mornin’. I don’t feel safe with such a man ’round. It’s gettin’ late, Ben. We’d better be gettin’ to bed.”
“Albert, won’t you sleep with me to-night? I don’t like to have you go home alone. You might meet the tramp.”
“Yes, I guess I’ll stay, Ben. Mother won’t be frightened. She’ll know I stayed with you.”
“Yes, Albert, you can stay,” said Jacob with unusual complaisance. “If—if that terrible man comes in the night there’ll be three of us to meet him.”
Usually Mr. Winter did not make any effort to be agreeable to Ben’s friends, and under ordinary circumstances he would have objected to Ben’s having a boy stay with him, but fear had softened his asperities and made him more amiable than usual.
“Mr. Winter, will you let me take the gun up to my room?” asked Ben.
“Do you know how to fire it?”
“Yes, sir.”
On several occasions when Mr. Winter was away from home Ben had gone out gunning, and in this way had learned how to manage firearms. The farmer, however, did not ask any uncomfortable or disagreeable questions, but asked, “What do you want with the gun, Ben?”