He had no doubt now that many of the people had fled like his mother.

Most of the houses must be closed and shuttered like hers.

That was why the town was so silent.
He would have been glad to see Dr.Russell and old Judge Kendrick and others again, but it would have been risky to go into the center of the place, and it would have been a breach, too, of the faith that Colonel Winchester had put in him.
He crushed the wish and turned away.

Then he saw the white walls of Colonel Kenton's house shining upon a hill among the pines beyond the town.

He was quite sure that it would be deserted, and there was no harm in passing it.