ever did.
Adam moved a few steps, angling away from Tom's path.
"That isn't gonna help you. I'll get you if I want you."
Adam bent over and picked up the ax. Tom looked warily at the boy standing with the broadax held loosely in his right hand. Adam turned the ax, to give to Tom handle first. "I was in the wrong last evening," he said be-grudgingly. "I already apologized to UUah, and she said it was you I owed the apology."
"What makes you think an apology is going to make any difference? If you're thinkin' it excuses you, it doesn't."
"I didn't say that it did," Adam said flatly.
Tom's face tightened. "You don't look all that sorry to me anyhow."
"I am for last evening." The sincerity in Adam's voice was not reflected in the hard blue eyes. "I'll be on my way. My friends are waiting."
"Why didn't they come with you?'*
"They didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who sassed you."
"Think you're quite the man, don't you, boy?" Tom said sarcastically.
"I am the man in my family. I disremembered that last evening. I won't again. Good day, sir." He walked off, leaving Tom to stare after him bereft of words..
UUah was waiting by the worm fence when he returned. "Did you see Tom?"
"Yes, but you're right. He's not satisfied with just an I'm sorry."
"It's what he feels that matters. Tom's fair an' honest He come 'round when he's done some thinkin' on it. Heah Ah thought you didn't want them cookies."
Adam looked at her questioningly, then grinned.
UUah listened as Adam talked and ate in turns. He lived alone with his widowed mother beyond the woods, two miles away. He was nearly finished with his academy and would be going to the university next year. To him it all seemed a bother, for his interests lay in ships and the sea and not the classical subjects he was to study, except for mathematics.
"You sho' doan wanta grow up like some iggerant no 'count, does you?"
"Of course not, but I want to be about making my way. I would read and study twice as hard if I didn't have to go to college."
"Sez you. Shows how much you knows. You better go to college like yo' mama say. She knows what's good fo' you."
He enjoyed Ullah's gentle scolding. He liked this sort of argument.
"What you think you gwine do that cain't wait fo' yo' schoolin'? Why, you ain't much mo'n a shirttail boy."
"I'll be sixteen, and I've got my own business," he said indignantly.
Ullah made a face at him, her eyebrows raised. "WeU
now, ain*t that somethin'. What kin' o' bizness you got fo* yo'seff, Adam?"
"I haul railroad ties, settle the accounts, and pay the bayou men. I get a percentage of their pay and a fee for the use of my boat."
She smiled. "So you cap'n of a bugboat.'*
He ignored the amusement in her voice, looking down in serious concentration at the cookie in his hand. His voice was low and quietly moving. "I will be the captain of a ship. As soon as I'm out of school, Beau LeClerc, Ben West, and I—we're all going to sign on as apprentices."
"What's yo' mama say to that?"
"Oh, she likes the idea iBine. If I go to the university first."
He was deeply engrossed in telling Ullah how he would one day own a ship and sail the seas of the world when Tom came into the house, a handkerchief tied around his hand.
Ullah hurried to him. "What you gone an' done to yo'seff, Tom?"
Adam jumped to his feet. "I didn't intend to come here—"
"Ne'mind the sorryin' now!" Ullah snapped. "You done say enuf!" Tom had gouged out a piece of flesh. "Well, thank the Lawd, it's not bad." She made a poultice of roots and herbs to draw out the poisons in Tom's hand. "Stay where you is, Adam! Be jes' a minit afore Ah get Tom all set, then he kin have some lemonade an' a mulatto belly with you, if you lef him any."
"Ullah . . ." Tom began, scowling as he looked from her to Adam. He couldn't refuse anyone the courtesy of his home, but Ullah damned well didn't have to extend it further.
She spoke quickly. "He the cap'n o' his own boat, Adam is. Even got a
Adam moved a few steps, angling away from Tom's path.
"That isn't gonna help you. I'll get you if I want you."
Adam bent over and picked up the ax. Tom looked warily at the boy standing with the broadax held loosely in his right hand. Adam turned the ax, to give to Tom handle first. "I was in the wrong last evening," he said be-grudgingly. "I already apologized to UUah, and she said it was you I owed the apology."
"What makes you think an apology is going to make any difference? If you're thinkin' it excuses you, it doesn't."
"I didn't say that it did," Adam said flatly.
Tom's face tightened. "You don't look all that sorry to me anyhow."
"I am for last evening." The sincerity in Adam's voice was not reflected in the hard blue eyes. "I'll be on my way. My friends are waiting."
"Why didn't they come with you?'*
"They didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who sassed you."
"Think you're quite the man, don't you, boy?" Tom said sarcastically.
"I am the man in my family. I disremembered that last evening. I won't again. Good day, sir." He walked off, leaving Tom to stare after him bereft of words..
UUah was waiting by the worm fence when he returned. "Did you see Tom?"
"Yes, but you're right. He's not satisfied with just an I'm sorry."
"It's what he feels that matters. Tom's fair an' honest He come 'round when he's done some thinkin' on it. Heah Ah thought you didn't want them cookies."
Adam looked at her questioningly, then grinned.
UUah listened as Adam talked and ate in turns. He lived alone with his widowed mother beyond the woods, two miles away. He was nearly finished with his academy and would be going to the university next year. To him it all seemed a bother, for his interests lay in ships and the sea and not the classical subjects he was to study, except for mathematics.
"You sho' doan wanta grow up like some iggerant no 'count, does you?"
"Of course not, but I want to be about making my way. I would read and study twice as hard if I didn't have to go to college."
"Sez you. Shows how much you knows. You better go to college like yo' mama say. She knows what's good fo' you."
He enjoyed Ullah's gentle scolding. He liked this sort of argument.
"What you think you gwine do that cain't wait fo' yo' schoolin'? Why, you ain't much mo'n a shirttail boy."
"I'll be sixteen, and I've got my own business," he said indignantly.
Ullah made a face at him, her eyebrows raised. "WeU
now, ain*t that somethin'. What kin' o' bizness you got fo* yo'seff, Adam?"
"I haul railroad ties, settle the accounts, and pay the bayou men. I get a percentage of their pay and a fee for the use of my boat."
She smiled. "So you cap'n of a bugboat.'*
He ignored the amusement in her voice, looking down in serious concentration at the cookie in his hand. His voice was low and quietly moving. "I will be the captain of a ship. As soon as I'm out of school, Beau LeClerc, Ben West, and I—we're all going to sign on as apprentices."
"What's yo' mama say to that?"
"Oh, she likes the idea iBine. If I go to the university first."
He was deeply engrossed in telling Ullah how he would one day own a ship and sail the seas of the world when Tom came into the house, a handkerchief tied around his hand.
Ullah hurried to him. "What you gone an' done to yo'seff, Tom?"
Adam jumped to his feet. "I didn't intend to come here—"
"Ne'mind the sorryin' now!" Ullah snapped. "You done say enuf!" Tom had gouged out a piece of flesh. "Well, thank the Lawd, it's not bad." She made a poultice of roots and herbs to draw out the poisons in Tom's hand. "Stay where you is, Adam! Be jes' a minit afore Ah get Tom all set, then he kin have some lemonade an' a mulatto belly with you, if you lef him any."
"Ullah . . ." Tom began, scowling as he looked from her to Adam. He couldn't refuse anyone the courtesy of his home, but Ullah damned well didn't have to extend it further.
She spoke quickly. "He the cap'n o' his own boat, Adam is. Even got a
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