Part 22 (1/2)
He seemed puzzled 'I don' understan'”
''I saw a field of com out there,” I said
'That's nothin',” he said ''On'y three acres I kin handle that myself”
'What if the union comes in an' says that you have to have a couple men to help?”
'They ain't comin' up here Ain't nobody co time nobody even knows I'm farmin' up here The land all aroun' is wasted”
I remembered the words he quoted froo ”I he'ped my paith the plowin' and 'shi+nin'”
Suddenly I knew ”My grandfather's still”
There was a sudden pale under his tan ''What did you say?”
”My grandfather's still,” I repeated ”Did you find it?”
He hesitated a an to make sense Three acres of com in moonshi+ne was a small fortune ”I want to see it”
”Now?” he asked
”Now”
Silently he rose froun and started for the door I rose to follow him
Betty May's voice suddenly wasn't a child's voice anymore ”No, Jeb Stuart, no Don't do it”
I looked at hi to do anything”
Jeb Stuart nodded and went out the door, I looked at Anne ”You wait here until I get back”
Anne nodded
”I'll have supper fixed by the tiet back,” Betty May said
”Thank you,” I said, and went out the door after Jeb Stuart
He walked ahead ofback He didn't say a word as we threaded our way through the small forest on the side of the hill on a path almost completely obliterated by weeds Suddenly he stopped 'It's there”
I looked at what seemed an almost solid wall of forest brush ”Yes,” I said
”How did you know?” he asked
”You told me,” I said
”Idon'tunderstan'”
”It doesn't matter,” I said
He walked a few steps farther on and pulled a cluh the closed behind us The still was in a s partly cut into the side of the hill behind it, a log roof covered with forest brush over it The black iron smoke pot see shone like new Ten forty-gallon charred oak barrels were lined up next to the still, and on the other side was a long pile of neatly cut and stacked fire logs I heard the thin trickle of a small strea in the thin light as it ran down over the stones and rocks I put my hands in the water and held it up to my lips It eet and fresh
”That water runs into our well below,” he said
”How did you find it?” I asked
”Huntin' Two years ago My dog treed a coon I took the coon, then tracked the streaht away I knehat I had to do Three good years an' I'd be rich No more chicken-shi+t farmin' I could live like a human bein'”
I walked back to the still He followed”The pipes are new?”
He nodded ”I had to fix ever'thing up Betty May an' I worked fer a whole year Clearin' the land fer the com, buildin' the shack Took all our savin's to buy the supplies an' the ot the co that we really believed it was all happenin' Ever'thing was jes' co fine nobody even knoas here We never went down to Fitchville to buy anythin' Once a e drive down to Grafton, fifty-soit our stuff It was jes' fine 'N'en you co
He put the shotgun down on the ground and looked around thoughtfully while he fished in a shi+rt pocket for a cigarette It rinkled and crooked, as if it had been in there for a long tihtened it, then lit it He let the smoke out slowly, and it swirled up around his face as he turned to uess Betty May an' ood to be true That it would never happen” He paused for a ot much here We can be off the place by tomorrow momin'”
”What makes you think I would want you to do that?”
''It's your propitty, ain't it?” He met my eyes 'I saw that in the county records when I went to check on the owners I saw your nait-out Yer father put it in yer nao But ever'one down there in the record office said ain't nobody been around the place in ister the transfer”
I turned away from him I didn't want hi Just another thingothers ”Go back down to the house and tell Betty May that I said you're notI'll be down there in a little while”
I heard hiet to his feet behind me ”Sure you kin fin' your way back?”
”I'm sure”
I heard the rustle of the brush, and when I turned around he was gone I could still hear the sound of his steps crackling down the path Then that was gone too and there was nothing but silence and the sound of a soft wind in the trees I sat down on the ground It was cool and da my hand into it and came up with a handfiil of earth I looked at it It was black and wet I pressed it to my face and let my tears run into it For the first tian to cry
It was still daylight e finished eating Sreens in a thin brown gravy, with ho coffee I saw Betty May watching ood,” I said, wiping up the gravy in my plate with the bread
She smiled, pleased ” 'Tain't much, but it's real down-home cookin'”