7
The voice didn’t sound much bigger than a boy’s, but that didn’t comfort me. I’d already found that boys can be as dangerous as men.
As for Horace, who was still looking Droopy to me, I hoped he would be dangerous if he had to be. I could tell he’d been treated badly in his life, and creatures treated badly can have a kind of cowardly way.
“We’re just passing through,” I called back. “Looking for the caves.”
There was nothing for a moment, and then he said, “The caves?”
“That’s right,” said Horace. “Jus’ a place to sleep for the night.”
“Well, you’re at the caves,” said the boy. “But there’s no more room here.”
“That can’t be,” I said. “The red man told us there was a whole bunch of them in the hills. There must be one where we can sleep.”
“The red man?” he called back.
“The
