“Night? I don’t run the woods in the daytime now, nor ain’t for quite a spell—for a year, maybe—or maybe two. There’s a reason, but I can’t jist agsactly recollect it. Maybe it’s because I stop to home an’ sleep all day.”
“What about to-night?”
“Suits me fine.”
“Good! I’ll meet you here at eleven o’clock to-night.”
“No, you best give me a call. That there’s my window. You give a knock on it with yer knuckles, an’ I’ll be right there.”
They retraced their steps as far as Pete Sledge’s little house in company. Then Vane returned directly to Moosehead House. He heard from Miss Hassock that old Dave had not yet put in an appearance.
CHAPTER V
THE GUARDED ROAD
Vane told Jard Hassock of his meeting with poor Pete Sledge but not a word about their engagement for eleven o’clock that night. He spoke of Pete’s illusion to the effect that he killed Amos Dangler with an axe.
“Sure, that’s his crazy idee,” said Jard. “An’ Amos Dangler keeps out of his way. That ain’t hard to do, for Pete sticks pretty close ’round home. He’s crazy—but he’s still got a heap of ordinary horse-sense left, has Pete Sledge.”