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Chapter 1
"Wonderwhathedoesinthere,"hewouldmurmur."Lookslikehe’djuststickhisheadoutthedoor."
Jemsaid,"Hegoesout,allright,whenit’spitchdark.MissStephanieCrawfordsaidshewokeupinthemiddleofthenightonetimeandsawhimlookingstraightthroughthewindowather...saidhisheadwaslikeaskulllookin’ather.Ain’tyoueverwakedupatnightandheardhim,Dill?Hewalkslikethis—"Jemslidhisfeetthroughthegravel."WhydoyouthinkMissRachellocksupsotightatnight?I’veseenhistracksinourbackyardmanyamornin’,andonenightIheardhimscratchingonthebackscreen,buthewasgonetimeAtticusgotthere."
"Wonderwhathelookslike?"saidDill.
JemgaveareasonabledescriptionofBoo:Boowasaboutsix-and-a-halffeettall,judgingfromhistracks;hedinedonrawsquirrelsandanycatshecouldcatch,that’swhyhishandswerebloodstained—ifyouateananimalraw,youcouldneverwashthebloodoff.Therewasalongjaggedscarthatranacrosshisface;whatteethhehadwereyellowandrotten;hiseyespopped,andhedrooledmostofthetime.
"Let’strytomakehimcomeout,"saidDill."I’dliketoseewhathelookslike."
JemsaidifDillwantedtogethimselfkilled,allhehadtodowasgoupandknockonthefrontdoor.
OurfirstraidcametopassonlybecauseDillbetJemTheGrayGhostagainsttwoTomSwiftsthatJemwouldn’tgetanyfartherthantheRadleygate.Inallhislife,Jemhadneverdeclinedadare.
