Chapters 16-18 Summary

In the late spring, all the children go crazy waiting for summer to arrive. The world is ripe with the promise of summer, and Bobby loves the way everything smells. The Old Man tells him that this is the time of year for walking in the woods and just watching, rather than hunting. The Old Man says that if Bobby listens carefully, he may hear an ancient god, like Pan. The Old Man tells Bobby about all kinds of myths from around the world, and though Bobby hates school, he thinks that the Old Man probably knows just about everything. Bobby and the Old Man put several days' effort into maintaining a network of caves that Bobby likes to play and hide in. Each summer, Bobby thinks about going to camp, but he worries too much about what he will miss...