About eight o'clock
replied Fred ; and he started to tell Bristles how Colon learned Corny Ludson had also been in Riverport that afternoon , acting in a suspicious manner . The next morning opened cloudy , and rather warm for the season , much to the regret of all those fellows who had planned to take a spin over the twenty-five mile course laid out by the committee of arrangements . So long as it did not rain , they were not to be kept from carrying out their ambitious plans . About eight o'clock Bristles and Colon , standing in front of the picket fence that divided the Carpenter garden from the road , saw Fred coming up the street . `` There 's Fred , '' announced Colon , `` and I hope Sid shows up soon , because we 'd better be making an early start . '' The way in which he looked up at the sky when saying this caused Bristles to instantly remark : `` Now , I reckon you 're thinking it 's going to rain on us before we get back home again . That left leg of yours that you got hurt once , is a regular old barometer , it seems , Colon . ''