The dinner missed at noon was, according to Nora’s prophecy, warmed up for supper; and after it was eaten and the dishes had been washed Archibald walked down to Mrs. Benderby’s with Pegeen, because she was later than usual and the shadows were black.
As the two passed out of the meadow, they found Mr. and Mrs. Neal standing in the middle of the road in front of their home, talking excitedly and looking down toward Pisgah, where a red glow lighted the sky from behind a crouching black hill.
“What’s up?” Archibald asked. “Oh, I see—fire. What do you think it is?”
“Another barn, I guess,” Mr. Neal said grimly. “From the looks, I should say ’twas Frisbie’s. Getting past a joke, this thing is. Makes a man feel darned uncomfortable when he goes to bed. Something’s got to be done. That’s the fifth.”
“Fifth barn burning! Set on fire every one of ’em. Nobody suspected at first, but the fires began coming along too regular to be accidental and then there were signs of the work found, but they ain’t been able to catch the fire-bug. He don’t seem to steal anything—crazy, most likely. Just likes to watch the things burn, but there’s been a big loss and one house went too, and folks are mighty stirred up about it. I don’t feel none too easy myself. There’s no telling where the thing’ll hit next.”
“Had detectives on the job, I suppose?” said Archibald.
“Oh, yes, the town got a couple of ’em up here. Ate everything within sight and looked wise and got nowheres. They sort of suspected Ezra Watts, but, jumping Jerusha, everybody else had thought of that before they did. That’s the first rule up here when anything goes wrong. Suspect Ezra. He’s a good deal of a pill, Ezra is, and I don’t put much past him in the way of meanness, but I can’t say as I held him accountable for the drought last year or for my horses having pink eye this spring. I’ve got a leaning toward proof, and there ain’t a ghost of proof against Ezra in this barn business—except just his general cussedness and that he thinks he’s got a grudge against the Valley folks—but I’m kind of afraid some of the young fellows’ll handle him rough, without asking for proof, if this barn burning keeps up. When Nick Bullard and Lem Tollerton and that crowd get a drink or two aboard, they don’t set much store by law and order. I kind of figure that this would be a healthy time for Ezra to visit somewheres without waiting to be invited.”