"Squat down behind this big old stump!"
"Shoogie, silly! That ain't a mean man. That's- Ouch,
Shoogie! You're hurting my arm!"
Shoogie grabbed my other arm! "Look, Bandershanks! Yonder,
comin' this way! More mens! Naw, it's Ned and Little Stray!
Sylvie, too-just a-streakin' 'cross the field. Sylvie must be
chasin' a rabbit. Lawd, no! There's a white man chasin' Ned!
Who's that white man, Bandershanks?"
"I can't see nobody! Where?"
Then I saw!
"Don't let him get me, Shoogie! Don't let him steal me!"
"Stop, Bandershanks! Come back here! Don't run! Mister
Ward'll see us! Be still, still. Scrooch way low!"
We huddled closer together. Closer to the stump.
"Don't breathe, nor nothin'!"
We could hear the dry cornstalks popping like little
firecrackers as Ned and Stray and Mister Ward got closer and
closer. Shoogie poked her head up to look. I took a quick peep.
"He gonna shoot 'em! Mister Ward gonna shoot!" Two loud
blasts! Another! Little Stray darted by. Another blast! Mister
Ward kept coming! Shoogie shoved me to the ground! I couldn't see
Ned any more.
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