The Old Man's Voice Changed

Crawford knew his father was an excellent swimmer, so he thought the words were no cause for worry. The fear struck now in Crawford's throat and begged him to run but the boy knew he had to keep talking. With his mother's encouragement for years, the boy had thought of her long dead pitiful father as safe in heaven,. literally hunting in a far better shot than ever on earth. And since Crawford's own father prayed every night and often commended the habit to him, the boy now felt a huge trap door fall open in the ground nearby. If he took three steps in any direction, he'd surely drop through an endless hole.