The boys and Peaceful must have stayed down in the garden, he thought.

He glanced up at the tops of the nodding poplars, and estimated idly by their shadow on the bluff how long it would be before sundown, and as idly wondered if Stanley and the others would go, or stay.

There was nothing they could gain by staying, he knew, now that Baumberger was out of it.

Unless they got stubborn and wanted to fight.

In that case, he supposed he would eventually be planted alongside his father.