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           Youyelledandscreamedandracedandrolledandtumbledandallofasuddenthesunwasgoneandthewhistlewasblowingandyouwereonyourlongwayhometosupper.Whenyouweren’tlooking,thesungotaroundbehindyou!Theonlywaytokeepthingsslowwastowatcheverythinganddonothing!Youcouldstretchadaytothreedays,sure,justbywatching!

           "John!"

           Therewasnowaytogethimtohelpnow,savebyatrick.

           "John,ditch,ditchtheothers!"

           Yelling,DouglasandJohnsprintedoff,kitingthewinddownhill,lettinggravityworkforthem,overmeadows,aroundbarnsuntilatlastthesoundofthepursuersfaded.

           JohnandDouglasclimbedintoahaystackwhichwaslikeagreatbonfirecrispingunderthem.

           "Let’snotdoanything,"saidJohn.

           "JustwhatIwasgoingtosay,"saidDouglas.

           Theysatquietly,gettingtheirbreath.

           Therewasasmallsoundlikeaninsectinthehay.

           Theybothheardit,buttheydidn’tlookatthesound.WhenDouglasmovedhiswristthesoundtickedinanotherpartofthehaystack.Whenhebroughthisarmaroundonhislapthesoundtickedinhislap.Helethiseyesfallinabriefflicker.Thewatchsaidthreeo’clock.

           Douglasmovedhisrighthandstealthilytotheticking,pulledoutthewatchstem.Hesetthehandsback.

           Nowtheyhadallthetimetheywouldeverneedtolooklongandcloseattheworld,feelthesunmovelikeafierywindoverthesky.

           ButatlastJohnmusthavefeltthebodilessweightoftheirshadowsshiftandlean,andhespoke.

           "Doug,whattimeisit?"

           "Two-thirty."