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Show 21 chief differences lying in Mrs Satterwhite's attempts to be pleasant. The Colonel didn't bother. He had small, deep eyes, and an edged laugh that implied more to the joke than the auditor realized. Such a combination was formidable, and Jennings tended to scuttle out of the way, while several other officers let tha afternoon pass without their paying respect, a dereliction (they were subtly aware) that did not pass unnoticed. Later some of the officers hiked to the promontory, and by the time they returned the shadows had taken on a long mellow slant. "It'll take a while to get back," Louise murmured to Sid. "Shouldn't we go?" "Probably." And signalling to Sergeant Koontz he told him to notify the swimmers. The group began to pull itself together. Children were rounded up and rubbed off, baskets repacked, fires extinguished. A coolness had come into the air and some of the women slipped on sweaters. The Wilsons said their farewells to the Satter-whites and the Smeads (Nell's husband Red smiled up with his yellow teeth, and gave a curt toss of his head), and finally, at a signal from Sid, the Detachments left for the dock. Furukawa was waiting, with bows and smiles; at a word from Sid he scrambled about among the pipes, and put the aged engine in a mood to run. Tha passengers climbed aboard, looking back nostalgically at the darkening grove. The waves tossed bleakly against the dock. The farmers had disappeared, and when the boat pulled away the scene was deserted. |