Part 7 (1/2)
”My feet hurt,” she coht for a uess so”
She followed him off the road into a field and they sat down beneath a tree They quickly took off their shoes and, lying back, let their toes wiggle in joyous freedooin' to town is shoes,” she said
”I don' like 'euess we'll have to git used to 'em”
”My mouth is dry,” she said ”I e had some water”
”There's a brook 'bout three et a drink then an' have our san'wiches”
”An' wash our feet too?”
He laughed 'That too” He got to his feet ”Let's go”
She stared at his feet ”You didn' put your shoes on”
”I reckon we ought to save 'eit to town they'll be all wore out”
She s their shoes, they began once again walking down the hill After a few minutes, she spoke ”Dan'l”
”Yes?”
”D'you think Mr Fitch really meant what he tol' Paw?”
”I reckon he did”
”You don' like him, do you?”
Daniel didn't answer
”Well, it don' it us the jobs he said”
Daniel thought for a moment ”I reckon it don't”
”Dan'l” A strained note caood”
He looked at her quickly She had suddenly gone pale, and there were beads of perspiration standing on her forehead Quickly he pulled off his hat and put it on her head Her long light brown hair was hot to his fingers He took her arm ”Come over here 'n' set,” he said ”You have a tetch o' the sun”
She let him lead her slowly to the shade of another tree He put her down gently ”You rest a mite”
She shook her head weakly ”No We have to keep on or on' git there”
A note of coit there if'n you git sunstroke neither You lay there while I see if n I can fin' us soht, Dan'l,” she said meekly
Nimbly he untied the knot that bound his sack and found the tinhis clothes He ran down the hill toward a larger group of trees Generally, where there were that many trees there would be water He knelt and scooped a handful of earth and sniffed at it It was da, tracking the an to scratch away the surface with his hands The water began to trickle through when he was about a foot deep into the ground
Quickly he scooped out a round hole in the ground, then patted the earth hard around its sides Spreading his fingers, he pressed the heel and palainst the bottoainst the earth A ers He kept up the pressure until it had al to drain away into the sides; then with his other hand he held the cup until it was filled ater
Holding the cup carefully, he ran back to his sister Molly Ann was lying quietly, her eyes closed She didn't seem as pale as she had been She opened her eyes wearily and tried to sit up
”Be still,” he said, kneeling beside her He pulled a s it, he pressed it to her forehead and gently wiped her face
”That do feel good,” she whispered
He wrung out the kerchief and ainst her parched lips Her lips ue licked at them ”Better?” he asked
She nodded ”I'm sathirsty Kin I have a drink?”
”Jes' a little” He put an arm under her shoulders and raised her He held the cup to her lips, ”Not much, now,” he warned ”Jes' a taste”
She took a shed She looked up at him ”I jes' don' knohat come over me”
''You should've wore a hat,” he said 'That there sun's powerful strong”
”Kin I jes' rest a bit?” she asked ”Then I'll be all right an' we kin go”
”No hurry,” he said ”Mr Fitch'll be there e git there”
She leaned back and closed her eyes A ain with the kerchief and then let her rest A little sleep would do no harm
Daniel sat back and squinted up at the sun, then down at the road shi+ back on the road now For the next few hours it would be like the inside of an oven It would be best to wait until after two o'clock By that time the sun would be over the hills to the west and the road would begin to cool He lay back, putting his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes Aon a branch over his head, woke hih the leafy branches at the clear blue sky, he stared up at the singing bird for a moment Then he sat up The bird, startled by the movement, fleay
He looked at his sister Her eyes were open ”How're you feelin'?” he asked
”Better,” she said
He pushed hio, then”
She sat up ”That never happened to me afore”
He smiled ”You never been out in the sun fer four hours with your head uncovered afore neither,”
”I s'pose” She rose and stood there for a ht now”
He nodded and began to tie up his clothing again