His little brothers were in the street.
It was growing dusk, and another fear beset him.

If a serpent had crawled into the house, the creature might have hidden itself, and might not come out till sometime in the night.

Comale guiltily slipped into the veranda again.

The unprotected portion had not been discovered.

It lay exposed as he had left it.
As well as he could, Comale replaced the cocoanut-husk material, so that it might be a defense as before.