“Yes.”
“An’ you say it was creepin’?”
“Yes. I saw it in exactly the same place, too.”
“Um.... Did the boys finally turn you loose?”
“No. I got away from them.”
“Heh?” the voice struck a sharper pitch. “What’s that?”
The kid recited the story of his escape.
“Tommy,” the old man snorted, “you’re dumb. Yes, you be, an’ you needn’t look so indignant about it, nuther. You’re a good boy in some ways, but you don’t make enough use of your head.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why, them boys let you git away on purpose. The one you call Poppy wasn’t asleep at all. He was jest foxin’. Where was the other one?”