The whip's green tassel
on the wrist loop was still fluffy and soft as silk.
I was squeezing the tassel to make finger waves in it when I
saw Mama coming. I put up the whip quick!
It didn't take Mama long to get Dale untied, waked up, and
headed around toward the Drake Eye Springs road.
"What do you know, Bandershanks, Dale actually wants to trot
now!'
"How come?"
"His head is turned towards home!"
"Mama?"
"What, hon?"
"Mister Ward's gonna shoot me."
"What?"
"Mister Ward's gonna kill me with his gun."
"Child, what on earth are you talking about?"
"Mister Ward said it!"
"Bandershanks, sometimes I wonder about you! When did you see
Mister Ward?"
"I didn't see him good, but-"
"Well, then, you quit imagining things-or telling stories.
It's mean to tell stories, and a sin, besides. You don't want the
Old Bad Man to get you when you die, do you?"
"No'm!"
Mama had told me a long time before who the Bad Man was. When
Brother Milligan preached about him, he called him "that Old
Split-Foot Devil.
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