As he approached the uncared for fence which surrounded the field, he heard horses stamping and champing at their bits in the woods not far away to his left.
At first he thought seriously of visiting the undergrowth on a tour of investigation, but finally decided that his actions might be misconstrued, so he passed on toward the house in the tobacco field.
It seemed to him that half a hundred dogs of all sizes and breeds leaped out as he advanced through the weeds toward the front door.
He was having his hands full with the dogs, fending them off, when the door opened and a woman made her appearance on the threshold.
“Down, you ornery purps!” she shouted in a voice that sounded more like that of a man than that of a woman. “Come right along in, stranger,” she added. “I reckon they won’t bite you up none.”
Under the protection of the woman’s voice and presence, Clay finally succeeded in making his way to the house.
“I’m sure ashamed of them ornery purps,” the woman declared, striking at a large brindle dog with a mop stick. “Somehow I can’t beat no manners into ’em!”
“They appear to be a fine lot of dogs!” Clay said, resolved to conciliate the woman if possible. “I’m used to Kentucky dogs, so I was not at all afraid of them.”
“What mought be your business, stranger?” the woman asked then.
“Well,” Clay answered, “I’m looking for something to eat.”
“Sho’!” answered the woman. “A nice, likely lookin’ lad like you goin’ around hungry! I’d be glad to give you a set-down of flapjacks and coffee. Come right in.”
“That would help some!” laughed Clay. “But what I want is provisions to carry away to my chums—eggs, chickens or anything of that sort you may have to sell.”
“And where mought your chums be?” asked the woman, a little suspiciously as Clay thought.
“We came down the river in a motor boat,” the boy replied, “and I left the boys in a cove some distance from here.”
“I wonder, now,” the woman queried, “whether you might have been on the river last night.”
“Well,” the woman went on, “I’ve been waiting all morning for news from the river. My men went out last night at dusk and haven’t returned.”
“There were horsemen along the river last night,” Clay suggested.
“And I heard horses champing their bits just as I came up to the fence,” Clay went on.