said, “but it happens we ain’t
goin
to Evansville. Where we’re goin is back to Virginia.”
“Now who in hell decided
that?”
Will said.
“You cuss one more time in this house—”
“It ain’t but a stable, Ma,” Will said. “Who went and decided we’re turnin around?”
“
I
did,” Hadley said. “I’m still head of this family, son, and I ain’t about to lead it into danger. Now I know it cost us a penny to get here, but what I plan to do is sell the whiskey we brung with us, make up the loss that way. You know what kind of prices they’re getting here?”
“Pa, I found us a man can get us to St. Louis in no more’n ten days,” Will said. “Ain’t that right, Lester?”
“That’s right.”
“And if we travel fast when we leave Independence—”
“Wagon trains’ve already
left
Independence,” Minerva said.
“I know that, Ma. But we can catch up with them, ain’t that right, Lester?”
“It can be done, yes,” Lester said.
“Common rum’s selling for four dollars a gallon here,” Hadley said. “Brandy’s fetchin six. I want to sell my whiskey high, and head back home fore the Cassadas take over my still. That’s what I want to do,” Hadley said.
“Aye,” Minerva said, and nodded.
“Let’s put it to a vote,” Will said.
“We don’t need no vote. I already decided,” Hadley said.
“There’s others in this family,” Will said.
Hadley looked at his son.
“Yes, Pa,” Will said. “I got a life, too. I want to go west. I want to start livin my life, Pa.”
Hadley looked at him a moment longer. Then he turned away and said, “Go on and vote then.”
“Pa?”
“I said go on and vote.”
“What’s your say?”
“You know my say. I want to go home.”
“Ma?”
“Aye. Home.”
“Gideon?”
Gideon looked into his father’s eyes.
“West,” he said.
“Bobbo?”
“West.”
“Bonnie Sue?”
“West.”
“Annabel?”
“West.”
“I vote west, too,” Will said, and paused. “Pa?” he said.
“I heard it,” Hadley said, and walked suddenly to the wagon and pulled his gunnysack from the toolbox. Moving to where Lester was standing all fine and fancy in his frills, Hadley said, “You’ve been west and back a dozen times, is that it?”
“Five times, sir,” Lester said.
Minerva watched. She knew what was in the gunnysack. She suspected that Lester knew as well, though there was no sound from inside the sack, nothing to betray the coiled cool secret within. She’d heard that some men could smell the presence of danger, and she watched Lester’s eyes now and saw something other than intelligence sparking them, saw too the slight flaring of his nostrils. He either knew there was a rattlesnake inside that sack, or else he was reacting to Hadley’s stance and manner. Whatever was in that sack, Lester was sniffing hostility in the air, over and above the strong stench of horse sweat and mule dung.
“Five times or six, there’s small difference,” Hadley said. “What I’m driving at is I’m sure you’re a man skilled in the ways of the trail.”
“That I am, sir,” Lester said. His eyes were still on the sack.
“And being skilled in the ways of the trail, I’m sure you’ve many times seen what I’ve got right here in this old sack.” Hadley opened the sack, and reached into it, and came out with his hand clutched behind the rattler’s head. He squeezed gently and the jaws gaped wide.
Lester looked at the snake. “Yes, sir,” he said, “but of the western variety.”
“A brother or a cousin, aye,” Hadley said.
“It might be put that way.”
“Have a closer look at him,” Hadley said, and put the snake down on the hay-strewn floor, directly at Lester’s feet. The moment he released his grip, the snake began rattling and hissing.
Lester took a step to the right just as the snake struck, its fangs sinking into the leather of his left boot. The snake withdrew, was slithering into an S as Lester moved swiftly
goin
to Evansville. Where we’re goin is back to Virginia.”
“Now who in hell decided
that?”
Will said.
“You cuss one more time in this house—”
“It ain’t but a stable, Ma,” Will said. “Who went and decided we’re turnin around?”
“
I
did,” Hadley said. “I’m still head of this family, son, and I ain’t about to lead it into danger. Now I know it cost us a penny to get here, but what I plan to do is sell the whiskey we brung with us, make up the loss that way. You know what kind of prices they’re getting here?”
“Pa, I found us a man can get us to St. Louis in no more’n ten days,” Will said. “Ain’t that right, Lester?”
“That’s right.”
“And if we travel fast when we leave Independence—”
“Wagon trains’ve already
left
Independence,” Minerva said.
“I know that, Ma. But we can catch up with them, ain’t that right, Lester?”
“It can be done, yes,” Lester said.
“Common rum’s selling for four dollars a gallon here,” Hadley said. “Brandy’s fetchin six. I want to sell my whiskey high, and head back home fore the Cassadas take over my still. That’s what I want to do,” Hadley said.
“Aye,” Minerva said, and nodded.
“Let’s put it to a vote,” Will said.
“We don’t need no vote. I already decided,” Hadley said.
“There’s others in this family,” Will said.
Hadley looked at his son.
“Yes, Pa,” Will said. “I got a life, too. I want to go west. I want to start livin my life, Pa.”
Hadley looked at him a moment longer. Then he turned away and said, “Go on and vote then.”
“Pa?”
“I said go on and vote.”
“What’s your say?”
“You know my say. I want to go home.”
“Ma?”
“Aye. Home.”
“Gideon?”
Gideon looked into his father’s eyes.
“West,” he said.
“Bobbo?”
“West.”
“Bonnie Sue?”
“West.”
“Annabel?”
“West.”
“I vote west, too,” Will said, and paused. “Pa?” he said.
“I heard it,” Hadley said, and walked suddenly to the wagon and pulled his gunnysack from the toolbox. Moving to where Lester was standing all fine and fancy in his frills, Hadley said, “You’ve been west and back a dozen times, is that it?”
“Five times, sir,” Lester said.
Minerva watched. She knew what was in the gunnysack. She suspected that Lester knew as well, though there was no sound from inside the sack, nothing to betray the coiled cool secret within. She’d heard that some men could smell the presence of danger, and she watched Lester’s eyes now and saw something other than intelligence sparking them, saw too the slight flaring of his nostrils. He either knew there was a rattlesnake inside that sack, or else he was reacting to Hadley’s stance and manner. Whatever was in that sack, Lester was sniffing hostility in the air, over and above the strong stench of horse sweat and mule dung.
“Five times or six, there’s small difference,” Hadley said. “What I’m driving at is I’m sure you’re a man skilled in the ways of the trail.”
“That I am, sir,” Lester said. His eyes were still on the sack.
“And being skilled in the ways of the trail, I’m sure you’ve many times seen what I’ve got right here in this old sack.” Hadley opened the sack, and reached into it, and came out with his hand clutched behind the rattler’s head. He squeezed gently and the jaws gaped wide.
Lester looked at the snake. “Yes, sir,” he said, “but of the western variety.”
“A brother or a cousin, aye,” Hadley said.
“It might be put that way.”
“Have a closer look at him,” Hadley said, and put the snake down on the hay-strewn floor, directly at Lester’s feet. The moment he released his grip, the snake began rattling and hissing.
Lester took a step to the right just as the snake struck, its fangs sinking into the leather of his left boot. The snake withdrew, was slithering into an S as Lester moved swiftly
Similar Books
