Fayre hitched up his chair nearer to the bed, his friendly gaze on the man’s face.
“I’ve been on trek myself without a watch,” he said cheerily, “and had to go by the skies. It’s a gift in itself and I’ll wager you’re as good a hand as any at calculating time. What time would you put it at, now?”
The man observed him shrewdly for a moment. Then:
“Seein’ as you’re the first as ’as spoke to me friendlylike since I’ve been ’ere I’ll tell you as near as may be. Gettin’ on for half-past six, I should say it was.”
“And more likely right than a dozen watches. Can you remember if it was a big car?”
The tramp nodded.
“Goin’ a lick of a pace, too. And what’s more, I see it again, goin’ back. And it was fair scorchin’ then.”
“Where was that?”
“On the road, just as I was comin’ away from that there Lodge.”
“Much later?”