Part 36 (1/2)
Shoogie was glad to see me. Doanie, too. When we got back to the buggy, Doanie asked Papa if Shoogie could ride back home with us.
”Yeah, I reckon so, Doanie. What's going on?”
”Trouble, Mister Jodie. Trouble's pilin' up! Shoogie, she is plum puny. And now, Huldie and me just got word to go quick and help with a birthin'. Huldie see'd you pa.s.s Ned's house. She said ask, maybe y'all carry Shoogie back. She just in the way. Huldie said tell Black Idd he better put her in the bed. She look puny, plum puny!”
”In that case, we'll take her.”
Shoogie didn't look puny to me. She was grinning and eating hickory nuts. She let me have a bite and whispered that she knew where we could find lots, lots more.
”They's just lyin' on the ground-right down yonder at the field. Wanta go get some, Bandershanks?”
”Yeah, let's do! Papa, I'm going with Shoogie. We're gonna pick me up some hickor'nuts!”
”No, no, I don't want you out of my sight.”
”It's just right yonder, Papa.”
”Where's the tree at, Shoogie?”
”This side o' that rail fence.”
”Well, don't y'all be gone long, Bandershanks. Surely your mama will soon quit talking and come on so we can go home. I declare, this is nearly 'bout too much!”
There weren't as many nuts lying under the hickory tree as Shoogie had thought. We found a few. Then we climbed over the fence to look under two more trees closer to the edge of the cornfield. None there.
”Bandershanks, let's go to them big trees 'cross the field yonder on that hill. See them? I just knows there's plenty under all o' them hickor'nut trees. I bet that's where Little Stray and Ned's chillen picks up their'n.”
”Papa won't like it!”
”We'll run and get back quick. Your mama still ain't back to the buggy. And your papa won't never know we's went. Look at him.
He's just walkin' back and forth. Come on, Bandershanks! We's gotta run fast!”
We did run fast, but it was farther across the cornfield than we had thought. When we finally got to the clump of hickory trees, all we could find were a few hulls lying around on the ground, and they were buried in dried-up leaves.
”I don't see none to pick up, Shoogie!”
”Squirrels has et them all.”
”Shoogie, let's go back.”
Shoogie caught my sleeve. ”Be quiet a minute,” she whispered.
”I thought sho' I heerd somebody out in the woods. Yeah! Look!
Some man with his shotgun! Run back in the field! He may be mean!”
”A man? Where?”
”'Tween them 'simmon trees! We's gotta hide, Bandershanks!
Quick! Get behind these bushes!” Shoogie pulled me into some high weeds. ”Squat down behind this big old stump!”