So me and Annie went on down the Street with her a’trying to hold my Hand ever step a’the way. You come back to Marry me didn’t you, Annie said, like you said you was some day. Well I remember You a’saying it I said, Papa said, but I don’t xactly remember Me a’saying it. You can’t hold me to some thing I don’t remember I said or not, he said. No and I wouldn’t, Annie said, but you did say it Mister. They ain’t never gonna be No Body else for me in my Life cep you Annie, Papa said, I just don’t know it’s Now or Later. You already seen me without no clothes on, she said, Don’t that count for nothing. I just barely looked, Papa said, I don’t know that I even seen any thing or not. I think you did, Annie said, cause I seen your Eyes Bug out on you like some o’Frog. No you didn’t neither, Papa said, my Eyes don’t Bug out. They do when they see me neckid Annie said and Oh, Papa said, we just went on down the street a’laughing bout it til we come to this little House where Annie and her o’Granny Oster was a’living there in San Antoneya.
GRANNY OSTER WAS OUT BACK A’THE HOUSE a’warshing some body’s Dirty Clothes for em cause that was a’nother way they was a’making they Living now, Papa said, but fore she could even say Hello to me Why Annie said He come in the Store and seen me without no clothes on Don’t that mean we gotta go on and get Married now. No, Granny Oster said, it means I’m gonna have to tie you to a Fence Post somewheres if you don’t start behaving you self Young Lady then, Papa said, she give me a Look too and said And you shouldn’t been a’looking at some thing ain’t none a’your Business any how. Annie thought that was the funniest thing she ever did hear in her Life and said He’s turning Red as a Beet bout it ain’t he Granny but all she said was How’s your o’Amigo Calley Pearsall a’doing these days. He’s a’doing Good, Papa said, I don’t see how he could be doing no Better. You must be a’doing pretty Good you self, she said, to be a’wearing a John B Stetson Hat like that one there on you Head. Mister Pearsall give it to me for a Gift, Papa said. I Lost my Son did you know that, Granny Oster said, here just a’couple months or so ago. Annie told me, Papa said. I was sorry to hear it. He went down in his Head after what them two Men done to his Wife, she said, and just couldn’t never get it back up again. I know it, Papa said. I was sorry to hear bout that too. Well I reckon it just shows how much he Loved her with all his Heart don’t it. Yes Ma’am it does to me, Papa said. I wouldn’t want you and Annie to go a’getting Married til you can say to each other I Love You with all my Heart and mean it much as my Son did his own Wife fore he Hanged his self off that Tree down yonder by the Creek. You remember it, she said. Yes Ma’am, Papa said, that big o’Oak Tree just up from the bank a’ways. Yes Sir that one, Granny Oster said, Yes Sir.
LATER WE FOUND US A BENCH TO SET ON out there in front a’the Alamo, Papa said, cause I remembered o’Calley a’saying it was a Holy Place and just a’being there could help you say things you needed to say but couldn’t say just all on you own. I got some things I need to say to you Annie, I said, and she said Yes I know you do and I got some things I need to say to you too but You First. I didn’t know I could do it or not, Papa said, but I drawed back and said Annie they ain’t never gonna be No Body else in the whole World for me but You. But I don’t know I’m ready to Hang my self off a Tree for You just yet. And then, he said, Why Annie took my Hand and a Tear come out and she said No I can’t say it neither much as I thought I could. And Oh Boy Hidy, Papa said, that did Hurt my Feelings after all her Talk bout wanting us to get Married ever time I even seen her. You sure I said, Papa said. Yes I reckon I am sure, she said. So I reckon it don’t mean nothing to you that I seen you without no clothes on like that huh, Papa said. You said you didn’t see nothing any how, Annie said. You wadn’t just Storying to me bout it was you. Maybe I was and maybe I wadn’t, Papa said, you just gonna have to go on worrying bout it all your Life. I ain’t gonna worry bout it for one minute, Annie said, you wouldn’t know what you was a’looking at even if you did see some thing. Oh Yes I would too, Papa said, it ain’t nothing for me to see some o’Gal a’walking round neckid all the time. Oh you never, Annie said, you just a’saying that to make me feel Bad. No I ain’t, Papa said, they’s one o’Gal down the Street’ll take all her clothes off for a Nickle. I heared all bout her, Annie said. You ain’t telling me you give her a Nickle to see some thing are you. No I ain’t a’telling you that, Papa said. No I didn’t think you was, she said. I don’t reckon you even got a Nickle any how do you. No I don’t I said, Papa said, So she just went on and showed me ever thing for Free cause she liked me so much and couldn’t help it. And Oh when I said that, he said, Why Annie give me a slap cross my face knocked my John B Stetson Hat off my Head then she run on back Home just a’crying all the way.
I SET THERE A LONG TIME feeling Bad for what I said to Annie Oster, Papa said, and I reckon I was hoping she was feeling the Same for what she said to me. And if that wadn’t Bad enough, he said, then here come o’Wasskum on o’Edward with his canvases and that Pretty Dress and a Pair a’Britches and a Shirt for Little Missey and he said Where you been Jesus the Christ I been a’looking all over for you. I been a’setting right here, Papa said. I don’t see nothing wrong with it. Here’s what’s wrong with it Mister, Mister Yancy said, then come out his Pocket with a big o’piece a’paper had that Pitchur a’me and o’Arlon on it was made that time over yonder in Kendalia. These are nailed up all over Town you know what it says, Mister Yancy said. Some of it I reckon, Papa said, I seen that Paper before. It says they a’looking for Arlon Clavic for four Murders and maybe some more and they a’willing to pay good Money for some body to help em catch him. Yes Sir that’s what I thought it says too, Papa said, but then o’Wasskum said But what they don’t tell you is which one a’these Boys in the Pitchur here is Arlon Clavic and which one is just some body else they don’t care nothing bout. Yes Sir and that one is Me ain’t it, Papa said. Yes Sir it is, o’Wasskum said, but how’s any body gonna know which One is you if they don’t tell you. Oh I got the Squirms when he said that, Papa said, cause I seen then what he was talking bout. Well you’d tell em I ain’t the One they a’looking for wouldn’t you I said, Papa said. Yes I most certainly would, Wasskum said, but who’s gonna believe a Artist over getting some Reward Money in they Pocket to spend You ever think bout that. Oh, Papa said, I looked all round to see if they was any body a’looking at me then pulled my John B down on my Head so far it bent both my Ears down double. I’d wear it like that the rest a’my Life if I was you, Wasskum said, They think you Murdered some body round here Why they’ll Hang you for it and won’t be nothing you can do bout it when you up there a’swinging off a Sickemore Limb. Did I just paint a Pitchur for you, he said. Yes Sir you did, Papa said. Well then, Mister Yancy said, you get on up here on o’Edward with me and we just gonna slip on outta Town like we wadn’t never even here. And then, Papa said, o’Wasskum pulled out his little Two Shot Sissy Pistol and put it down tween his legs to where couldn’t No Body see it less he was a’pulling it out to shoot em.
SO I CLIMBED ON UP, Papa said, and off we went a’riding Double through San Antoneya to get shed a’it quicks we could. You see any body a’Looking at us, o’Wasskum said. No Sir not a’ one, Papa said. Keep a Good Eye, he said, I don’t want no Surprises you hear. Yes Sir me neither I said, Papa said, but didn’t No Body even look up when we went a’riding by. Maybe they all just gone Blind today, Wasskum said, you’d think least one of em’d wanna know who that Boy is a’riding by here and who all did he Murder. Let’s not talk bout it no more I said, Papa said, let’s just keep a’going but o’Wasskum couldn’t stand it that hadn’t No Body noticed the Boy a’riding right by em was One a’the Boys in the Pitchur nailed up everwheres all round Town. How they ever gonna catch a Murderer if they won’t even look up at you when you go by, Wasskum said. Let’s just keep a’going, Papa said, I don’t need no body a’looking at me but o’Wasskum was getting Huffy bout it and said what kind a’Citizenry is this any how I don’t believe they’d know o’Robert E. Lee his self if
he was to come a’riding down the street on a Jack Ass with a Sign round his neck would they. It don’t matter, Papa said, let’s just go. But Mister Yancy looked over there to where four Men was playing at a Game a’Dominoes on a table set out there on the Board Walk tween em. Looks like yall got a good Game a’going, o’Wasskum said, but I ain’t so sure I’d wanna set out here like this with that Boy a’running loose and a’Murdering People all over the place ever chance he gets. But they didn’t even look up, Papa said, So I said Let’s just us go on now but the o’Artist just couldn’t stand it they didn’t say nothing back so he said How yall ever gonna catch a Criminal round here if you got your o’Nose stuck so far way up your Butt like this. And Oh, Papa said, when o’Wasskum said that Why all them Men looked up and Oh One of em had a Black Eye and a Broke Nose and both his Ears was all puffed up like a Piller off the bed. I know you, the Man said, you the Friend a’that Son of a Bitch Pistol Whupped me and o’Curley ain’t you and then he reached down his Pants for his Pistol but by then I already give o’Edward my Heels and we was a’running on off down the Street, Papa said, cause I knowed him too. He was that Man that come at Little Missey’s poor o’Blind Panther with his Knife to skin him and then o’Calley’d gone back and whupped him and this other Man a’setting there to a Frazzle for it. Oh and then I looked back, he said, and now them Men was getting on they Horse and a’chasing us. Maybe I ought not to said any thing, o’Wasskum said.
OH WE RUN AND WE RUN, Papa said, them Men right after us and a’catching up fast with they Pistols in the Air. Run Run, o’Wasskum said, Run Run Run and o’Edward he did Run Run all he could but I knowed it wadn’t nough and them Men was gonna get us for sure but then, he said, bout that time we come a’Running in to Mexkin Town and I seen two Men a’selling little Mesquite Saint Lalos off a table set out there on the Plaza and Oh I knowed em both, Papa said, They was my o’Amigos Pepe and Peto and then they seen us a’coming and then they seen them Men a’chasing us and they give me a wave to say Come On Over Here Come On Come On Come On and Oh we did fast as we could then jumped off o’Edward and Pepe and Peto pushed us under they Table with all them Little Saint Lalos on top then got bout six thousand and four Mexkins to crowd round to where couldn’t no body see us under the Table. Then, he said, here come them Men a’charging in on they Horse and the one with the Face o’Calley beat up on said Where you Mexkins a’hiding em from us but Pepe and Peto and all them other Mexkins just give em a Look like they just only been borned that Morning and didn’t know nothing bout nothing in the World. Yall ain’t fooling me, the o’Beat Up Man said and climbed off his Horse but when he did, Papa said, o’Pepe reached down and chunked a little Saint Lalo at him and put another Knot on his Head for him and Oh when Pepe done that Why Peto and all them other Mexkins started grabbing Little Saint Lalos and went to chunking em too and Oh them Men just Hollered and Jumped cause it hurt so Bad them Little Mesquite Lalos a’hitting em like that and then that o’Beat Up Man got him a Lalo right in his mouth and it put him down on the ground but now, Papa said, he could see me a’hiding there under the Table with o’Wasskum and Oh his Eyes went big as some o’Supper Plate and he said Why you little Son of a Bitch I got you now ain’t I and brung his Pistol round to shoot me and Oh he would a’done it too, he said, cep right then o’Wasskum reared back on his Bottom and give him a Kick right in his Ear that rolled him back out from under the Table and then next thing was o’Pepe and Peto and all them other Mexkins went to stepping on him like he was in they way and they just couldn’t help it. Oh and then, Papa said, Pepe looked down under the Table at me and o’Wasskum and said You know I think it is Time for you two to go. So we crawled back out from under that Table and sneaked over and climbed up on o’Edward a’standing there and Oh Listen Here, he said, o’Edward went a’running on off down the Street with us just a’barely hanging on he was a’going so Fast. And then, Papa said, bout the time we run pass the Alamo I looked back behind us and Oh here come Annie a’Running down the street after us and just a’Waving her arms and a’Hollering at me to Stop Stop Stop but No they wadn’t no Stopping o’Edward now that he got his Feet a’going like that and, Papa said, I wouldn’t know for a long time after that what it was Annie was a’wanting to tell me so Bad.
WE DIDN’T GET BACK TO CAMP til bout Dark, Papa said, and Why here come o’Fritz and Possum a’trotting out to say Hidy. I believe that Bee Honey is a’doing its Job on o’Possum ain’t it, I said, he’s up on his feet and getting round pretty good now ain’t he. But o’Wasskum had his Eye on Little Missey over there a’putting all them stabbed Up pieces a’his Pitchurs back together again but just not in the same place they come from. Why they was Cactuses up in the Sky and Clouds down under a Rock and the Creek run round in a Circle like a Snake biting his Tail. We got us a’nother Artist here ain’t we, Calley said, I bet you ain’t never seen the World like this. Then he give Little Missey a big Smile for what she was doing But, Papa said, o’Wasskum didn’t like it worth a Lick and went to hollering No Ma’am No Ma’am No Ma’am and run over there and started putting things back where they belonged. Yes Sir, he said, they’s always Some Body knows more bout a pitchur than the Artist who painted it in the First Place does ain’t that Right. Oh, Papa said, Calley didn’t like it him a’talking to Little Missey that a’way and give him a Look and said If I was you Mister I don’t believe I’d go to getting Huffy with Little Missey like that. Well I never seen the All Mighty put Cactuses up in the Sky that’s why, o’Wasskum said. Well He had his Turn to put it any wheres he wanted to put it and so did you Mister, o’Calley said. Now its Little Missey’s Turn and she can put it any god dam wheres she wants to put it and ain’t you or Him neither one got any thing to say bout it now. Oh it wouldn’t a’surprised me a Lick but what a Bolt a’Lightning come down out a’the Sky and knocked o’Calley’s John B Stetson Hat right off the top a’his Head for talking that way, Papa said. But No the All Mighty just set there and didn’t let out a Peep. And o’Wasskum Yancy didn’t neither, he said, cause now o’Wasskum was down on his knees just a’watching Little Missey remake the World to suit her self but he couldn’t stand it she had that Cloud down under a Rock and pulled it out and put it back up in the Sky where it come from but No, Papa said, Little Missey put it right back down under that Rock again then scooched over to set on it so he couldn’t move it again. She got Some Brass don’t she, o’Wasskum said, May be she is a Artist after all huh. Then he just set there a’watching her and a’petting o’Possum and Fritz both and I went on and told Mister Pearsall bout them two Men he Pistol Whupped over Little Missey’s poor o’Dead Panther and how they bout got us cause they was still so Mad bout it. They foller you to here, he said, and I said No Sir I don’t believe they did but I don’t know they did or not for sure. And Oh right then, Papa said, we heared some Riders a’coming fast through the Brush at us and o’Calley pulled his big o’Pistola out his Pants and hollered at Little Missey and o’Wasskum to get over here behind him right now but to go Run and Hide some wheres else when the Shooting starts.
. . . you the Friend a’that Son of a Bitch Pistol Whupped me and o’Curley . . .
BUT NO, Papa said, wadn’t them Men from San Antoneya but was o’Superintendent Shettles from the other Day and all his Men. How do, Calley said, I don’t see you got that Boy you been a’looking for yet do you. Got more reason to put him in Chains now’n ever, the Superintendent said. Just yesterday bout Supper Time he come up on this Family a’Mexkins a’working out there in they Field and put em all down with a Pistol he stole even they poor o’Skinny Dog but not quite So we had to go on and put him down all the way our self. That’s a mean little SonofaBitch you after there for sure ain’t it, Calley said. Mean little Son of a Bitch and a’getting meaner ever dam Day, Superintendent Shettles said, I’d stay me Total Clear a’him if I was you. We already a’leaving this part a’ the Country any how, Calley said, Taking this Little Lady here to a new Home up yonder round Pleasant Valley on the Blanco River if you know it there clos
e to Fischer Hall where ever body goes to Dance when they got a Band a’playing some Music. Why ain’t she Picking Cotten some wheres, one of the Superintendent’s Men said then pointed at Little Missey and spit on the ground like he had some thing in his mouth didn’t taste good. Cause she’s a’standing here with me, Calley said, What’d you do Mister run off and leave your Spectacles in the Shit House. My Daddy’s old enough he could a’owned her and all her Family too, the Man said then heeled his Horse up close to Calley and climbed off Eye to Eye. And they wouldn’t a’been a god dam thing you or no body else could a’done bout it neither, he said. But when he said that, Papa said, Why Little Missey took a shine to his Hat and just reached right round me and made him a Trade Hers for His and Oh, he said, all them other Men just went to Whooping and Laughing at him like a bunch a’Loonies and one of em said Why I do believe you look Prettier wearing her Hat then you do a’wearing your own Medcalf but then Calley reached over and traded they hats back again and said Yall better go on We ain’t got no more time for Fun. Yes Sir, Superintendent Shettles said, we ain’t got no more time for Fun neither less it comes from putting the Budge on that Murdering little Son of a Bitch we a’looking for. I wouldn’t worry bout it so much, the Superintendent’s Man Medcalf said, Hell it was just a’bunch a’Mexkins he shot and they’s a lot more where them come from if you scared we gonna run out a’Mexkins round here. Oh and then bout Half of em laughed, Papa said, and the other Half didn’t and Calley said Always a Pleasure to see you Boys then, Papa said, him and me and o’Wasskum tipped our Hats Adios and then Little Missey I reckon wanting to be like us tipped hers Adios too and they rode on off from there in the Direction I reckon they already been a’going in any how.
The Devil's Sinkhole Page 13
