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Show -2J-Peppermint Monday vegetables, and a few other food staples, all of them positioned neatly on the shelves. It was neater than ma's pantry at home. The hooks next to the door held a few old clothes, but they were all hung up. Nothing was scattered or out of place. The floor was swept clean; the few items of furniture minus dust. All of this time, neither Jason or I had said a word, What was there to say, we'd been wrong. Jake didn't have much in the material sense, but this place was far from creepy. It was small, gloomy, and out of a different century, but it was clean. \ My eyes traveled over the whole room again, still wishing I could find something negative to report. I couldn't even see a cobweb, and the animal hide that served as a mat at the door, was swept clean. It must need a lot of sweeping after all that black dirt has sifted through Jake's boots. I could see him now, tramping his feet on the furry mat before he entered his room; hoij tired and ornery looking. I blinked hard, then realized I wasn't daydreaming. Big Jake stood at the entrance, under his muzzle-loader. This was his house, and we had invited ourselves into it. I wanted to turn and warn Jason, but I was hypnotized by those angry eyes. Jason would have to take care of himself. "Best leave the way ya got in." Jake's voice was a croaked whisper. I had to strain to hear him. "Russ is outside. If ya be quick, he ain't gonna know ya wuz here. Now git!" He didn't have to tell either of us twice. We were sliding out that tiny window as if it were big enough for Jake. We kept running for a good mile after that. I completely forgot how bad my feet had ached. I wasn't even sure if we were running in the right direction, but we were |