WHAT YOU RECKON they gonna do to o’Arlon oncet they catch him, Papa said. I know xactly what they gonna do to o’Arlon oncet they catch him, Calley said. They gonna Hang him off a limb by his neck til his Eyes bug out on him. But it ain’t o’Arlon that got me worried. What got me worried, he said, is Little Missey here. That was funny her putting that Man’s Hat on her head and giving him hers in the trade wadn’t it, Papa said. Funny like that round here can get you Dead and dropped down a deep Hole somewheres quickern you can say Bessa my Coola, Calley said, and we can’t have no more of it. She was just Funning, Papa said. Lot worsen that, Calley said, she was being Human and they’s more People in this o’World’n you can shake a stick at don’t like the idea a’Black People being Human. But you and me do don’t we, Papa said, ain’t that right. Well I admit I go Back and Forth on it some time, Calley said, same way I go Back and Forth on some White People I know and on some Mexkins People I know and on some o’Hard Headed German Farmers I know too. Yes Sir, he said, I pretty much go Back and Forth on ever body til I see if they gonna be a Man or a Mouse or a god dam Bob Tail Rat and I learned over my Life Time you can’t tell which one just by how they Look but only by they Deeds. I’m that way too ain’t I, Papa said. I would say Yes Sir you are, Calley said, I ain’t never seen you no other. I think Little Missey is the same way too don’t you, Papa said. I think so, Calley said, but the thing you got to remember bout her is she ain’t been in the World long enough to get Tested yet and til she does, he said, we can’t be for Total sure what she is. The only thing I ever seen her do is steal my Hat, Papa said, but she give it right back. She’s a Woman, Calley said, and you can’t hold it against the Womens they wanna look Pretty and it’s our Job to just be glad of it. How you reckon she’s gonna get tested, Papa said, is that our Job too. No Sir that ain’t our Job, Calley said, That’d be the World’s Job and it wouldn’t surprise me if it went on and give Me and You a little Test or two while It’s at it.
FIRST THING ME AND O’FRITZ SEEN next morning when we waked up, Papa said, was o’Wasskum and Possum a’setting over there side by side a’looking at Little Missey’s Pitchur a’how she remade the World. You look at it long nough, Mister Yancy said, it starts to making Sense to you don’t it. I looked over to where Little Missey was a’hugging her Travelling Bundle in her sleep to make sure she couldn’t hear me and said Well I ain’t so sure bout that Mister Yancy. They just ain’t nothing in they Right Place. No, o’Wasskum said, I think maybe she just saying they ain’t nothing got a Right Place in the World cause Ever Thing just a Part a’Ever Thing else. It’s all just one Big One Together, he said, Don’t you see that. I said I thought I did even if I didn’t, Papa said, then found me two Smooth Rocks and went on out in the Bushes to do my Morning Bidness and then I heared Mister Pearsall over there some wheres in the Bushes a’doing his too and I hollered Morning Mister Pearsall. Morning, o’Calley hollered back. Soons we finish here we need to pack up and get on out this Country fore we run cross them Men from San Antoneya a’looking to shoot me or that dam Boy going round Murdering People and maybe us too if we ain’t careful. Yes Sir, Papa said, I’m ready to go right now Mister Pearsall. So, Papa said, we went back and o’Calley put Little Missey and her Travelling Bundle up on Firefoot with him and o’Wasskum got up behind me on o’Edward but fore that he picked up all the pieces a’Little Missey’s Pitchur so he could put em back together again like she had em some wheres else and see her Pitchur any o’time he wanted to. They’s some People might look at that Pitchur and say yall both gone Loonie, o’Calley said, The World don’t look nothing like that. Well it does to Little Missey, o’Wasskum said, and I’d be a’Lying if I didn’t admit its starting to Look a little bit like that to me too. Oh and then bout that time o’Possum went to howling at the Moon even if it was still Day and they wadn’t one and next thing we heared a Shot from a Gun somewheres way off then another one. That’s Trouble for some body, o’Calley said and come over and set Little Missey down triple on o’Edward with me and o’Wasskum then hollered Yeeha Yeeha Yeeha and run on off on o’Firefoot to go see what all the shooting was bout and so did o’Possum right behind him, Papa said, but poor o’Possum had to limp to do it. O’Possum’s a’Tough o’Bird ain’t he, Mister Yancy said. I can’t help but admire him for it. I reckon you a Tough o’Bird you self ain’t you Mister Yancy, Papa said, the way you kicked that Man in his Ear when he come at us under the Table back yonder in San Antoneya. Well I wadn’t never Tough in my Life til I come to Texas, he said. I reckon that’s just what happens to you when you do huh. I don’t know it does or not, Papa said. I always just been here my self. Then, he said, we bumped on off to catch up with o’Calley.
WE GOT UP THERE to where Calley went, Papa said, and first thing we seen was the Superintendent’s Man Medcalf who sassed Calley a’setting there in the Road a’holding his Belly and Oh Blood just a’running ever wheres and o’Possum a’trying to Lick it up fore it run down in the ground and course, he said, I knowed right off who done it to him without no body a’having to tell me. That Bad Boy yall a’looking for shot you huh, Calley said. I reckon he killed me Mister Medcalf said, Papa said, and Oh when he said that Why Blood just come a’leaking out his mouth to where you didn’t hardly even wanna Look at it but Little Missey jumped off o’Edward and run over there to Heal him if she could but he give her a mean Push a’way. What’s she doing, he said. Why she’s trying to save your Life for you fore you die out here in the Road like this, Calley said. I don’t want her dam Help, Medcalf said. She made a Laughing Stock out a’me in front a’all them others. No Sir it was you done that you self, Calley said. I’d guess you been a Laughing Stock all you whole god dam Life ain’t you. I’m gonna shoot you for saying that Medcalf said But, Papa said, his hand was too Blood Slick to hold his Pistol and it kep a’squirting out. Well if you gonna shoot me, Calley said, you better hurry it on up if you can cause I don’t believe you got moren a few minutes left in you to do it in if you don’t let this Little Missey here work a Cure on you like she done on me when o’Pelo Blanco shot me. You just a’trying to Trick me into letting her touch me ain’t you, Mister Medcalf said. No Sir I ain’t, Calley said, but you sure a’Tricking you self into a Hole in the Ground if you don’t change you View on such Matters here pretty Quick. And then, Papa said, Mister Medcalf said I’d rather kiss the o’Devil’s Red Ass then let her touch her Hand to me and Calley set back on his heels and went to twirling his Spur Ching e Ching e ChingChingChing and said Well have your own god dam Ignert Way bout it then Mister. You come in this World a Laughing Stock and I reckon you gonna go out a Laughing Stock same way ain’t you and then, he said, Mister Medcalf give Little Missey a Look a’Hate for being the Color she was and tried to Spit Blood at her but, Papa said, it just come a’dribbling out his mouth and run down his chin and on his shirt. We got Company, Calley said, and I looked over there and seen Superintendent Shettles come a’riding up to look down at his Man a’dying there in the Road. Medcalf, he said, are you Dead. But, Papa said, o’Mister Medcalf couldn’t say nothing back no more and just give a little Whistle and went over Dead in the Road on top a’o’Possum and o’Possum went to howling bout it and Me and Little Missey and o’Wasskum all three had to go over there and pull him out from under Mister Medcalf fore it was too Late. Well if that dam Boy was gonna have to go and Murder some body else, Superintendent Shettles said, I reckon I ain’t all that Sorry it was o’Shitty Medcalf here.
IT TOOK A LITTLE DOING, Papa said, but we roped poor o’Mister Medcalf cross his Horse and Superintendent Shettles made ready to ride him on back to his Family where ever they was. Might a’been a whole different Story, he said, if o’Medcalf here’d been a’looking for that Boy like he was supposted to be a’doing in sted a’going back to get after you for the Friendships you keep. I didn’t know he was, Calley said. Well he was, Shettles said, He didn’t like it worth a dam the way you talked to him and was gonna make you Pay for it. Well I reckon that’s how the World works ain’t it,
Calley said. This Man here went a’looking to do Harm on some body else and Why that same Harm come right back on him in a Bullet and blowed a Hole in his Belly didn’t it. Mister Armke said The Devil his self got his Hand on o’Arlon I said, Papa said, I reckon he’s right huh. Mister Armke knows a lot a’things, Calley said, and Yes Sir I reckon that is sure nough Right ain’t it. Where you Boys a’going from here, Superintendent Shettles said. We gonna get this Little Missey here on up to Safe Ground, Calley said, She don’t know nough to be scared a’things when they come up on her round here. Where she been not to know, Shettles said, in a god dam Cave somewheres all her Life. Yes Sir that’s xactly right, Calley said. Well I wish you Luck getting Her through the Country the Superintendent said, Papa said. They’s People all round here don’t like to see no Black Person less they chained to a Tree and a’getting they Backs whupped to a Bloody Mess. I usted to be one a’them People my self, he said, just til the Other Day in Fact. How’d you get over it, Calley said. They was this o’Red Face Fella there in San Antone got his Face all burned off by the Devil, Superintendent Shettles said, and he painted ever body a pretty good Pitchur a’what it was gonna be like when you got sent down yonder to Hell for you Bad Deeds in Life and had to set there on a Flat Rock for all time to come. And, he said, I decided right then and there I better pay attention to things I already didn’t feel was Right to do and not never do em again. Oh, Papa said, I could tell Mister Pearsall was bout to get Mad all over a’gain at o’Pelo for a’taking Pela Rosa off some wheres. I know that Red Face Man you a’talking bout, Calley said. Ugly o’Son of a Bitch ain’t he. Ain’t Ugly to me, Superintendent Shettles said, not if what he said keeps me off that god dam Flat Rock. That’s the way I feel bout it my self, Papa said. Yes Sir but you still Young and ain’t thought bout it nough yet have you, Calley said. Here’s what I’d like to see, Superintendent Shettles said, I’d like to see that Bad Boy we a’hunting set down with o’Red Face and let him tell him bout that Flat Rock he’s gonna be a’setting on if he don’t stop a’Murdering People like this. Course, he said, if I get the chance I’m the one gonna send that little Son of a Bitch down there to set on that Flat Rock my self ain’t I. Then, Papa said, Little Missey seen o’Dead Medcalf lost his Hat some wheres and went over there and put Hers on his face to keep the Sun out his Eyes on his Trip Home. No Hard Feelings huh, Shettles said, That’s a Rare Woman for you now ain’t it. Yes Sir ain’t it o’Calley said and then, Papa said, o’Wasskum nodded and said yes Sir the Rarest kind they is on Earth.
WELL THERE THEY GO, Papa said, when the Superintendent rode off with poor o’Dead Mister Medcalf then I looked over at Calley and said I reckon Little Missey gonna need her a new Hat now that she give her other one a’way to that Dead Man. Yes Sir and I reckon we gonna have to Buckle the next one on her Head too like you would a Saddle the way she’s a’going through em huh, Calley said. She can wear my John B til we run cross another One somewheres I said, Papa said, then set it down on Little Missey’s Head and Oh she tried it all different ways she liked it so much. You know, Calley said, if we ain’t careful we gonna be riding pass people on the Road’d shoot a Black Person just for a’wearing a Good Hat like that same way that Dead Man back there’d a’shot her just for a’riding up on a Horse with a White Man. Little Missey got a Hard Life a’coming you know it, Mister Yancy said. Yes Sir, Least til we get her up yonder to the Choats where she got her a Home to be Safe in, Calley said. We just gonna have to Baby her long til then I reckon. She don’t Look much like a Baby to me, Papa said. She’s bout a hunderd years old ain’t she. Don’t matter if she’s six hunderd and nine, Calley said, it’s still our Job to keep her Safe you know it. Yes Sir, Papa said, I do know it but how we gonna do that with ever body in the Country a’wanting to do her Harm ever Time they see her. I been a’thinking bout that, Calley said, and first thing come to mine is We just gonna have to keep our Head down and stay off the Road, he said, so won’t no body even see her How you like that Idea. Yes Sir I like it, Papa said, but we still gonna be needing to find her another Hat so I can get mine back ain’t we I said then turned o’Edward to where me and Mister Yancy could keep up with Calley and Little Missey a’going out cross the Country like he said. Well you had a Hat but you give it away didn’t you, Calley said. Well Little Missey give hers away too I said, Papa said, that’s Why. Yes Sir but when Little Missey gives her Hat away you always a’standing there to give her another one back in its place ain’t you, Calley said. But now here’s the Thing, he said, Who’s a’standing there to give you another one so the Sun don’t burn your Head cause now you give your John B away. Ain’t no body a’standing there, Papa said. No Sir ain’t no body a’standing there is they, Calley said, Cep me I reckon. Then, Papa said, Why o’Calley just took his own new John B Steson Hat off his Head and set it right down on mine. Why thank you Mister Pearsall, I said and he said, You remember me a’saying how the Bad Things you do in you Life come back on you Well that’s True a’the Good Things too ain’t it. Yes Sir, Papa said, I reckon so. Well I’m just trying to make that Point to you since you done a Good Thing and give Little Missey your Hat when she didn’t have one, he said, and now Look a new John B Stetson Hat come right back to you cause you done a Good Thing ain’t that Right. Yes Sir, Papa said. So you understand how it works now don’t you, he said. Yes Sir I do, Papa said. You do Bad and Bad Things comes back on you You do Good and Good Things comes back on you Ain’t that how it works, Papa said. Yes Sir, Calley said, That is xactly how it works. Now that you understand it, he said, Gimme my Hat back, then reached over and grabbed it right off my Head again.
THAT NIGHT WHEN WE CAMPED, Papa said, o’Wasskum pulled out his new Canvases and went to painting like his Pants was on Fire and Little Missey and Fritz and o’Possum all three crowded round to watch and I did too he said but o’Calley set over there by the Fire and cleaned his big o’Pistola and shined his Bullets. What’s this Pitchur gonna be bout Mister Yancy I said, Papa said, and o’Wasskum said I don’t have no Idea What its gonna be bout I’m just gonna let it paint it self this time and see. What if it turns out it ain’t bout Nothing, Papa said, What you gonna think bout that. Well if it ain’t bout Nothing then they ain’t Nothing I can think bout it is they, o’Wasskum said. Mister Pearsall, Papa said, Is Mister Yancy a’teasing Me over here. Yes Sir he is, Calley said, You want me to come over there and shoot him for you. Oh and we all went to laughing bout that even if Little Missey didn’t have no Notion what she was laughing bout. Yall need to Hush now so I can work, o’Wasskum said. So, Papa said, we just set there and Oh Boy Hidy he went to Dabbing Paint ever which way didn’t make no sense to me at all but Little Missey liked it any how and went to Nodding and Grinning her o’Snaggle Tooth Grin and a’Clapping her hands together. She likes it I hollered at Calley, Papa said, What you reckon’s wrong with her. Then, he said, o’Calley come over to take a Look at it his self and scrunched up his Face when he did. What is it he said and o’Wasskum said It’s just Its Self is all. That was a Stupid Question Mister. Oh now this Sassy Artist is a’teasing me too ain’t he, Calley said. That’s a’nother reason to go on and shoot him ain’t it. But, Papa said, o’Calley just set right down there with the rest a’us to watch and ever oncet in a while o’Wasskum’d give Little Missey a Look to see what she Thought bout it and she’d study his Pitchur a minute then Nod or reach over with her Finger and Smear it a little bit here and there and then o’Wasskum’d study her Smear a minute then reach over with his own Finger and make a’nother Smear on top a’hers and Oh they went back and forth making Smears like that til they was both Happy bout it then o’Wasskum’d start painting on his Pitchur again and they wadn’t no sound in the whole World cep some o’Owl a’hooting off in the Dark some wheres and then o’Fritz and Possum layed cross each other over there and went to Snoring. I still don’t know what I’m a’Looking at, Papa said. It ain’t what you Look at Mister, o’Wasskum said, It’s only what you See. So I Looked at his Pitchur a’gain, Papa said, and this t
ime Why I seen a Storm just a’blowing ever thing this way and that way and ever other which a’way. Well it’s a Storm a’Coming ain’t it, Papa said, Hooo a big one too. And then, he said, I could feel a Cold Wind a’blowing up my Shirt Tail and I reckon Little Missey could too cause she give me my Hat back then pulled the Sleeping Blanket up over her Head to get warm.
BUT NEXT MORNING, Papa said, they wadn’t no Storm in the Sky it was all Buzzerds. Oh Buzzerds and Buzzerds and Buzzerds he said ever wheres you looked. You Reckon they a’lookin for they o’Amigo Pelo Blanco or just some thing Dead to Eat, o’Calley said. Course, he said, they gonna be one and the same if o’Pelo done any thing Bad to Pela Rosa. Who yall talking bout, o’Wasskum said so I told him Who o’Pelo was and he said Yes Sir I heared bout that o’Red Face Man and how he’s a’going Up and Down the Country doing Good and trying to get Ever Body else to do Good too fore they Pass. He’s a Liar and a Thief and when I catch the o’Son of a Bitch I’m gonna kick his o’Butt from Hell to Breakfast for him, Calley said, and some other Bad Things too if he ain’t careful. O’Wasskum didn’t have no Idea why Calley was so Mad to say that so, Papa said, I told him bout how o’Pelo run off with his Sweet Heart and wouldn’t let her take her Word back so they could get Married and whatnot. So you just been walking round with a’Broken Heart all this whole time I knowed you huh, Mister Yancy said, Is that Right. I won’t deny it, o’Calley said, No Sir I won’t deny it. Well Womens was born to Break Hearts any how, o’Wasskum said. I reckon you know that now if you didn’t already know it before huh Mister Pearsall, he said. I been walking round with a Broken Heart all my Whole Life, Calley said, This ain’t nothing new to me if you want the Truth. If it wadn’t for my Horse I don’t know what I’d do. And my Dog too, he said, when I had one. Well I don’t have a Horse or a Dog neither one, o’Wasskum said, but I know just xactly what you mean Sir. We gonna go see ain’t we, Papa said. Go see what, o’Calley said. Go see what all them Buzzerds is a’doing, Papa said. Oh I bout forgot bout them Birds, Calley said. Yes Sir that’s what happens ever time you go to talking bout some Woman ain’t it, o’Wasskum said. Yes Sir ever time and then some. Well don’t you wanna go see if o’Pelo ain’t down there under them Buzzerds some wheres and Pela Rosa right there with him, Papa said. Yes Sir I do, o’Calley said. But I already give my Word I’d get Little Missey up to the Choats safe and sound, he said, and that’s what I got to do fore I do any thing else.
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