I shot
the son-of-a-gun out in the middle of his cornfield! He was
tryin' to kill Ned, hisself. I put a stop to that! Then I went
straight and told Nellie. I said, 'Nellie, I done it for you.' I
said, 'Now the road's all your'n. That damn Ward Lawson and his
automobile ain't gonna run you in the ditch no more!'"
The sheriff looked at Papa, at Mister Wes, and then at Doctor
Elton. All three shook their heads. The other men, too. Grandpa
Thad just kept on shaking his head, and he went over to stand by
Mister Hawk.
"What you waitin' on, Sheriff? Let's go. You can lock me
up-on one condition: I take my mule with me! If I go to jail,
Nellie's goin' to jail. Where I go, my mule goes."
"Papa?"
"Bandershanks, baby, you've talked enough for one day! Don't
say no more!"
"Papa, I just wanta know when you're gonna let Black Idd wake
up! I ain't gonna tell nobody Stray's in the flour barrel and
Ned's in the oil drum!"
"Bandershanks!"
Every man in the store looked at me. Then at Papa. They began
to laugh. And their laughing was real-not like Mister Hawk's.
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