THEN, Papa said, I went to looking all round for Pela Rosa and a’hollering her name Loud as I could all the way PELA ROSA PELA ROSA WHERE ARE YOU PELA ROSA I hollered but No no answer come back to me then bout the time the Sun come up I seen that little rope o’Pelo’d tied her hands up with out in the Cactuses but didn’t see no other sign a’her. Oh I didn’t know what become a’her, he said, but what I hoped was she slipped the Knot and run on off somewheres to start her a new Life without o’Pelo to use her up. I didn’t know how Calley was gonna take the news, Papa said. If he asked me Where is Pela Rosa at I got to say Well Mister Pearsall I ain’t got no idea Where she is at and, Papa said, if he ask me Where is my big o’Pistola you run off with here a while ago at I got to say Why o’Pelo Blanco run off with it now Mister Pearsall but I ain’t got no more idea Where he went with it than I got bout any thing else tonight. Course I didn’t have no idea the way back to Calley through all them Cactuses and Mesquites neither so now I went to hollering FRITZ FRITZ FRITZ COME HERE AND GET ME FRITZ but No I didn’t get no more back from him then I got back from Pela Rosa here just a minute or two ago. So now, he said, they wadn’t no body in the World but just me a’standing out there in the Cactuses and Mesquites all by my self with out no Friend any wheres to help me. Course, Papa said, I been in this same Fix many the Time fore in my Life so I just set my self down by a Mesquites Tree and went to Crying bout it like always cause I didn’t have no Idea a’what to do next. But then, he said, some Words come a’Falling down on me from out the sky and what they said was Don’t Never Just Set There Mister and I knowed right then when I first heared it that was gonna be my Family Motto from here on out. Don’t Never Just Set There Mister was what they said, Papa said, so I wiped the Tears off a’my face and got my self up on my feet and went a’walking off in the Direction I figgured I come from and Oh I walked and I walked and I walked with them o’Mesquites Thorns just a’eating me up ever step a’the way but it didn’t bother me too much cause now, he said, I wadn’t just setting there a’crying bout it like my Family Motto said don’t never do.
OH YES SIR I WAS LOST, Papa said. Just Lost Lost Lost as could be and didn’t have no idea What to do next or Where to go but only not to set down on it So, he said, I just kep on a’walking then bout the Time the Sun started a’going down again I seen this Blood on the ground bout where o’Pelo shot Calley off o’Firefoot and a’going off from there was these two Rows in the Dirt from Mister Pearsall’s Spurs a’plowing up the ground where some body come along and dragged him off and Oh then I seen the Foot Tracks a’who it was dragged him off and Oh Listen Here Mister, Papa said, I bout come all to pieces when I did cause they was the Tracks a’that o’Panther chased us out the Cave here just yesterday. And not only that, he said, but Fritz was gone and so was Firefoot and o’Edward all just Gone Gone Gone and I knowed where to cause they tracks was all a’going in the same Direction that o’Panther was a’dragging my o’Amigo Calley Pearsall off in to eat for his suppers and may be all them others too.
I grabbed me up a Stick big as I could find to use for a Head Knocker if I had to, Papa said, and went to follering them Panther Tracks a’dragging Calley and they was Drops a’his Blood all long the way and they was ugly Yeller Fester in it too and then I knowed that Bullet Hole in his leg already gone to Poison and Oh I went to trotting fast as I could to get there fore o’Calley died a’that or that Panther eat him up one but, he said, the Cactuses and Mesquites thorned me back to a walk and it was bout all Day fore I could get up to that Cave where all them Tracks went in and Oh wadn’t nothing to do, Papa said, but light me up a Fire Stick and go on in behind em.
OH IT WAS DARK IN THERE, Papa said, so Dark to where I couldn’t hardly see nothing in front a’me even with my Fire Stick a’leading the Way then I give out a Holler MISTER PEARSALL MISTER PEARSALL MISTER PEARSALL to let o’Calley know I was a’coming to Help him if he was a’listening but No I didn’t get nothing back again so now I quit a’hollering MISTER PEARSALL and went to hollering FRITZ FRITZ FRITZ in sted but No o’Fritz didn’t give me no answer back neither, he said. Oh and then my Fire Stick went plum out on me and I couldn’t even see my Hand front a’my Face no more and went to hollering HELP HELP HELP just louds I could HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP and took off a’running I was so scared a’that o’Panther a’getting me but didn’t have no Idea where I was a’running to and run straight in the Wall ever time til I couldn’t even get up off the Floor no more and just set there with Spiders and Bugs a’some kind or other a’climbing all Up and Down me and then, he said, I heared Some Body or Some Thing a’coming up behind me and Oh who ever it was just set right down there in the Dark cause I could feel em breathing on me and I said Who are you Mister and What you want with me But they didn’t say nothing back so I took my Hat off and give Who Ever it was a good hard Swat with it and Oh when I did they went EeeeEeeeEeee like that and Oh Boy I knowed I’d just swatted me a Live Panther most likely the same one dragged o’Calley off some wheres to eat. You get out a’here Mister and leave me alone I said, Papa said, and give him another good Hard Swat but this time, he said, that o’Panther bit it right out my Hand and I took off a’Running fast as I could but didn’t get no moren a step or two then run straight in the Wall again like before and bounced back down on my Bottom where I come from. Oh and then, he said, that o’Panther went EeeeEeeeEeee at me so I grabbed up a Rock to hit him with when he come to Bite me but No he just set out there in the Dark some wheres and I bout went Loonie a’waiting for him to come on and eat me. You better Look Out Mister I said, Papa said, I’ll knock you in the Head with this Rock if I got to And I might a’done it too, he said, cep What come out a’the Dark next wadn’t no Panther Bite but was a little Bony Human Hand in sted and it took a’holt a’my Hand and give it a little Pull to say Get Up Mister Get Up but No, Papa said, I pulled my Hand right back cause I didn’t have no idea Who this was or What they was a’wanting with me. You go on I said, Papa said, I reckon I’m okay here where I am but No, he said, that Hand took a’holt a’my Ear and give it a Pinch and a Twist to get me up on my feet then led me off in the Dark and ever time I tried to get a’loose Why that o’Panther’d go EeeeEeeeEeee and give me a Push on my Bottom with his Nose to keep a’Going and Oh Yes Sir that done the Job ever time.
COURSE, Papa said, I didn’t have no Idea in the World who it was a’leading me off in the Dark by my Ear or what they was gonna do with me oncet they got me there neither. All I could think bout, he said, was Where is my Friends Calley Pearsall and Fritz and Firefoot and o’Edward at and Am I ever gonna see em a’Live again in my Life. Oh I was scared to Death, Papa said, cause not only this but I seen that Yeller Fester in o’Calley’s Blood too and I knowed that was Bad and most likely a’getting Badder and Badder all the Time. Where yall a’taking me to any how I said, Papa said. I ain’t got no Time for walking round in the Dark like this you know it. But No, he said, they didn’t pay no Mine and On and On and On we went, that o’Bony Hand just a’leading me a’Long and that o’Panther a’giving me little Pushes on my behind. And then, Papa said, why of a sudden we come round this Corner and Oh they was Fire Light a’flickering out a Side Cave way up yonder and not only that, he said, but Oh there was my little o’Amigo Fritz a’standing there just a’crying his Heart out bout some thing or other so I slapped my Ear a’loose from that o’Bony Hand and run on up there quick as I could to see what was Wrong for him to be a’crying like this and what I seen was a Camp Fire out in the middle a’this big o’Cave Room where Firefoot and o’Edward was a’eating some Grass Some Body piled up on the Floor for em and Oh then I looked over and seen Mister Pearsall a’laying over there on his Back just a’Moaning and a’Groaning and a’Shaking like a Leaf from a Fever that got a’holt on him and wouldn’t let go but he raised his self up on a Elbow when he seen me coming, he said, and said Where’s Pela Rosa at and I had to say No Sir I don’t have no idea Where she’s at and then he said Where is my Big o’Pistola at. I don’t have no Idea bout that
neither Mister Pearsall, I said, o’Pelo run off with it some wheres in the Night. And another thing, he said, is who the Hell put me here. No Sir I don’t know, Papa said. Well Dam if you ain’t a’Cold Splash a’Water here first thing in the Morning, Calley said, ain’t you. Yes Sir I know it, I said, and I don’t feel very Good bout it my self neither. Well you was right to give me the Bad News first thing. Do Right and Risk the Consequences, he said, You ever heared that. No Sir I never, Papa said. O’Samuel Houston was the one said it, Calley said, I reckon you heared a’him huh. Yes Sir he was that Fella helped my Grandaddy Andrew and his Daddy John whup the Mexkins over yonder some wheres or other. San Hacinto, Calley said. Then I give him the little rope I found out in the Cactuses and said I reckon Pela Rosa ain’t got her Hands tied up back behind her Back no more huh. She’s out there some wheres then, Calley said, She’s out there somewheres just a’waiting on me to come and Save her. Now help me up Amigo, he said, and let’s be away fore who ever it is brought me here comes back to eat me up or something worse’n that. But No, Papa said, Mister Pearsall was too Big and too Hurt and I was too Little and Scrawny to where I couldn’t do no moren just Squirrel him round in the Dirt on his Bottom a’little. Oh Calley tried and tried to get up on his Feet, Papa said, but he just couldn’t do it. Maybe I oughta take me a’little Siesta and give it another Try here in a minute or two he said then reached up and give me a little Knock on my Head. I want you to know I admire it you tried to save Pela for me when I wadn’t up to the Job my self he said then went on off to Sleep even if he was still a’shaking so Bad it made his spurs go Ching e Ching e ChingChingChing without him a’doing it with his own Finger like before.
. . . seen Mister Pearsall a’laying over there on his Back just a’Moaning and a’Groaning . . .
OH I DIDN’T HAVE NO IDEA what to do, Papa said, but I knowed if I didn’t get o’Calley some Doctoring here pretty quick I was gonna lose him to the Fevers or to the Festers one. Mister Pearsall I said, he said, we gotta get you up to Miz Choat so she can bring you back to Health or I reckon you just gonna up and Die here in a Day or two but I don’t believe you can count on much moren that. What you think bout that Mister Pearsall I said, Papa said, but o’Calley just curled up in a Ball and went to Shivvering so Bad I thought he was gonna roll on off some wheres. And then in a minute he went to Shaking so Bad he shaked his self a’wake again. Where you been he said I been a’looking ever wheres for you. I been right here with you the whole Time Mister Pearsall, I said. I wouldn’t never just run off and leave you in a Fix like this. Oh I’m gonna make it now Amigo, he said, soons we get out a’this Ugly o’Swamp. We ain’t in no Ugly o’Swamp Mister Pearsall, Papa said, you just got the Fevers is all and they a’making you see things ain’t there. This ain’t no Swamp we in he said, and I said, No Sir they ain’t no Swamp no wheres round here. They’s just the Fevers. The Fevers, Calley said, Hell I ain’t a’scared a’no Fevers. A Fevers don’t scare me no moren a Fly scares me, he said. Yes Sir, Papa said, but a Fevers can kill you Dead where some o’Fly just gonna pester you some. Well No Sir that ain’t always Right, he said, They’s some Flies get together and Gang up on you and then here in a minute some of em is a’eating your Ears off and some others is trying to get up in your Nose and down in your Pants and then, Papa said, he just went total Loonie on me and went to swatting all over his self at Make Believe Flies and I don’t know what all else. Mister Pearsall I said you gonna swat you self to Death here in a minute you don’t quit doing that you know it. And Oh, Papa said, Then he give me a Look and said Who you any how I ain’t never seen you fore in my Life. Oh Yes Sir you have too I’m your o’Amigo, I said, That’s Who I am. He give me a’nother Look tween Swats and Shakes and I could tell he still didn’t have no idea in the World who I was. No you ain’t, he said. Well Yes Sir I am too I said back, Papa said, we been Amigos here a Long time now don’t you remember it. If you my o’Amigo, he said, Why you a’letting these Flies here eat me up like this. They ain’t really no Flies here a’eating you up Mister Pearsall, I said, that’s just your o’Head a’playing Tricks on you cause you got the Fevers from o’Pelo a’shooting you in the Leg is all. What, he said, O’Pelo shot me in the leg. Where is that mean o’Son of a Bitch then o’Calley Squinted his Eyes and pulled a Make Believe Pistola out his Pants and Cocked it back then went to pointing it all round ever which a’way and I had to duck to keep from a’getting Make Believe hit. You see him, he said. Just show me where he is. No Sir I don’t see him, I said. Well I don’t know why not, Calley said, he’s a’setting right over yonder on that little Jackass a’combing his hair. No Sir, I said, that’s just o’Fritz a’licking on his Hiney is all Don’t you remember him. Who, he said. Fritz my Dog I said, Papa said, Oh and now Calley bugged his Eyes out to get a better Look and said Oh you mean the one in the Wagon there. I don’t see no Wagon Mister Pearsall, I said, that’s just some big o’Rock you a’looking at. Yes Sir but my Pela Rosa is a’cooking my Suppers for me back behind it ain’t she, he said. No Sir, Papa said, they ain’t no Pela Rosa no wheres round here that I know of. They ain’t, Calley said. No Sir they ain’t, Papa said. Well where is she at then, Calley said, She was here just a minute ago. I don’t have no idea Where she’s at, Papa said, She either run off with o’Pelo Blanco on her own or he made her do it one or the other. You mean she don’t Love me no more, he said. Oh he was bout to break down and cry bout it, Papa said, So I said No Sir I wouldn’t go so Far to say she don’t Love you no more No Sir I wouldn’t never say that. But here’s something you might wanna think bout you self, I said. She might not wanna trade o’Pelo off for some Crazy o’Loonie thinks a bunch a’Flies is trying to eat him up when they ain’t None there. It took o’Calley bout a year, Papa said, but then he pulled his self back together in one piece again much as he could tween Shakes and said I’m okay now Amigo. Them Flies is gone back to where they come from ain’t they. Then he made sure the Hammer wadn’t cocked back no more and put his big o’Make Believe Pistola back down his Pants and went on off to sleep again. And then so did me and o’Fritz, Papa said.
OH AND THEN I COME A’WAKE with that o’Panther a’eating on my Face, Papa said, but No it was my o’Amigo Fritz giving me a Lick in sted. Fritz you bout made me Jump up and Run I said then looked over there and seen poor o’Calley still bout shaking his self to Death with the Fevers. How you doing Mister Pearsall I said, Papa said, but I knowed he wadn’t doing no Good cause I could see in the Fire Light that Bullet Hole in his Leg was a’Oozing big ugly Yeller Fester out it And I knowed one more thing too, he said. I knowed I wadn’t never gonna get him back to Miz Choat in time to Save his Life and they was only Me to Save It if I could. So, Papa said, I pulled me a Fire Stick out the Fire to light my way and went a’looking round in there to see what I could find might Heal him but No I didn’t have no Luck just seen where Water come a’dripping down out the ceiling in a good size Puddle there on the floor to where me and the Creatures could get us a Drink a’Water anytime we wanted one. Oh and then I seen something else too, Papa said, but I didn’t give it much Thought at the time cause I was so busy trying to find something might save Mister Pearsall’s Life and that was they was Pitchurs somebody’d drawed all up and down the Wall with a sharp Stick or something and one a’them Pitchurs showed a bunch a’People a’Horseback with Guns and Pitch Forks and Ropes a’chasing some Poor Girl had a Little Baby there in her Arms. But right then, he said, o’Calley give out a Holler and when I looked back over there to where he was Why I seen in the Fire Light they was a Little o’Wrinkled Up Black Man a’Pushing a long Stick all the way down through that Bullet Hole in o’Calley’s Leg and then on out the other side and not only that but he was a’wearing my o’Hat too, Papa said.
I HOLLERED STOP IT STOP IT, Papa said, and run over there to Stop Who Ever it was a’poking that Stick down through Mister Pearsall’s Leg like that but fore I got there Why that o’Panther raised up out the Dark in front a’me and Oh it scared me so Bad I just set right down there
on the Floor and now we was Eye Ball to Eye Ball our Nose just bout touching each other and then I seen his Eye Balls was just white as Egg Shells and he was Blind as a Bat. And, he said, he didn’t hardly have no Teeth in his head neither. Oh and then, Papa said, I seen that Little Man a’wearing my Hat wadn’t no Little Man neither but was a Little o’Wrinkled Up Bare Foot Black Lady in sted must a’been a’hunderd and ten years old and Snaggle Toothed bout the same as that o’Panther. Oh and now she went to wrapping a Long Rag round and round that Stick then poked it all the way back through that Hole in Calley’s Leg again to the other side like before but this time she give that Stick a little Twist fore she pulled it out and when she did, he said, Why that o’Rag was still a’running through the Hole. And then she grabbed a’holt a’each end a’that Rag and went to sawing it Back and Forth down through that o’Festered Up Bullet Hole in his Leg and Oh then here come Gobs a’that o’Ugly Yeller Fester a’spurting out both ends bout made you Sick just to see it. And then, he said, she grabbed up this Honey Comb she had and ever time that Rag come out her end Why she squeezed some Bee Honey on it and sawed it Back and Forth on down in the Hole again and Oh she went at it like that just a’Sawing Back and Forth and a’Squeezing Honey on til they wadn’t no more Yeller Fester a’coming out neither end the Hole no more but was just Bee Honey a’Going In and Bee Honey a’Coming Out both, Papa said. And all this time, he said, I been scared I wadn’t never gonna find a Doctor in time to save o’Calley’s Life but they was already One just a’waiting for us right here in this Dark o’Cave and that made me think a’what o’Calley said one time and that was What ever you a’looking for in this o’World is out there somewheres in the World a’looking for you too. That’s the Great Secret a’Every Thing they is, he said. And Yes Sir it sure was this time wadn’t it, Papa said.
The Devil's Sinkhole Page 5
