There was a considerable pause, while the boys canvassed this matter
inwardly. Then Tom whispered:
Say, Hucky do you reckon Hoss Williams hears us talking?
O course he does. Least his sperrit does.
Tom, after a pause:
I wish I d said Mister Williams. But I never meant any harm. Everybody
calls him Hoss.
A body can t be too partic lar how they talk bout these-yer dead
people, Tom.
This was a damper, and conversation died again.
Presently Tom seized his comrade s arm and said:
Sh!
What is it, Tom? And the two clung together with beating hearts.
Sh! There tis again! Didn t you hear it?
I
There! Now you hear it.
Lord, Tom, they re coming! They re coming, sure. What ll we do?
I dono. Think they ll see us?
Oh, Tom, they can see in the dark, same as cats. I wisht I hadn t
come.
Oh, don t be afeard. I don t believe they ll bother us. We ain t doing
any harm. If we keep perfectly still, maybe they won t notice us at
all.
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