Hide and Seek

Jsledgehammer, its works spilling out over the cabinet ledge to the

floor. The double cabinets themselves looked dusty but in pretty fair

condition. Propped up beside it was an old tin washtub big enough to

bathe in, its underside rusted clean away.

Here, too, were all the old accoutrements of farm life. I guessed

there hadn't been much lost when the barn burned down. Most everything

was in here. A small plow with a broken handle, hoes, rakes, a couple

of pitchforks with splayed and broken tines. In one corner a mound of

scrap reached halfway up the wall- shovels, an old harness, horseshoes,

buckets filled with nails and keys and doorknobs, a currycomb, locks,

window fittings, a dog's studded collar, pots and pans, a gunstock,

rimless wheels, a pair of flatirons, a whip, buckles, belts, work

gloves, knives, a dull pitted axe. We stood back and looked. You

didn't want to get too close to it at all.

"This place is crawling with antiques," said Kim.

"Junk," said Steve.

"No, there are some good things here. Funny nobody's gone through the

stuff."

"Probably the stink drove' em out."

He was right about that. The smell was much worse over here.

He headed for the stairs. I followed him. I'd seen enough. We got to

the top and went to the window and filled our lungs with clean night

air.

The cellar would be a good place to hide, I thought, if you could stand

it long enough. I wasn't sure I'd want to. Maybe there would be

something better- and cleaner- on the second floor.

Kim and Casey followed us up. Kim brushed nervously at the cobwebs on

her shirt. Casey looked happy as a clam.

"Well, that much has character, anyway."

Steven looked at her sourly. "What it has is stink."

"Let's try the second floor."

"Nuts," I said.

"What's that?"

"I wanted to look for that plaster job I told you about. In the wall.

Forgot a bout it."

"You can look later. Let's see the upstairs first."