Chapter 5 Summary

Miss Habersham, Charles and Aleck Sander quickly rebury the pine box, careful to cover it with the flowers and rush back into town. Charles wakes his uncle and drags him out of bed, waking his mother at the same time. Uncle Gavin intervenes with Charles's mother when she insists her son go back to bed and instead takes him over to Sheriff Hampton's house. Though it is barely 4 in the morning, Sheriff Hampton is up making himself some breakfast. Uncle Gavin walks right into the house with Charles, Miss Habersham and Aleck Sander in tow.

When the story is relayed to him, Sheriff Hampton is reluctant to do anything because they do not know who the person on the mule was or whether it was a mule at all. Finally, he calls the district attorney in the next county and has him arrange...