“More than a little,” he corrected. “I expected you to be along even earlier today! An hour or two, at least.”
Even while he was speaking Young Denny turned back to the packing of the big bag on the table. Old Jerry stood there, still shifting from one foot to the other, considering in growing wonder that silent preparation, and waiting patiently for a further explanation of what it meant. At last, when he could no longer endure the suspense, he broke that silence himself.
“Packin’ up for a little trip, be you?” he ventured mildly.
There was no progress made or satisfaction gained from Young Denny’s short nod. Again the little man bore it as long as he was able.
“Figurin’ on bein’ gone quite a spell?” he ventured again.
And again the big-shouldered figure nodded a silent affirmative. Old Jerry drew himself up with an air 124 of injured dignity at that inhospitable slight; he even took one step backward toward the door; but that one step, in the face of his consuming curiosity, was as far as he could force himself to go.
“I––I kinda thought you might be leavin’. Why, I––kinda suspicioned it this morning when I seen you ridin’ townward with the Jedge.”
The boy stuffed the last article into the bulging bag and turned. Old Jerry almost believed that the lack of comprehension in Young Denny’s eyes was real until he caught again that hint of amusement behind it. But when Denny started toward him suddenly, without so much as a word, the old man retreated just as suddenly, almost apprehensively, before him.
“You say you was expectin’ me,” he faltered unsteadily, “but––but if there wa’n’t anything special you wanted to see me about, I––I reckon I better be joggin’ along. I just kinda dropped in, late’s it was, to tell you there wa’n’t no mail, and to say––to tell you–––”
He stopped abruptly. He didn’t like the looks of Denny Bolton’s eyes. They were different than he had ever seen them before. If their inscrutability was not actually terrifying, Old Jerry’s active imagination at that moment made it so. And never before had he noted how huge the boy’s body was in comparison with his own weazened frame. He groped 125 stealthily behind him and found the door catch. The cool touch of the metal helped him a little.