Time dragged slowly by. Late in the afternoon, I saw Papa coming. Our old mule was jogging along. Water was shooting out from under his feet in small squirts at every step.
Papa had tied the halter rope around the mule's neck. He was sitting humped over, with his hands jammed deep in the pockets of his patched and worn mackinaw. I felt sorry for him. He was soaking wet, tired, sleepy, and hungry.
Telling Mama, 'Here he is,' I grabbed my jumper and cap, and ran out to the gate and waited.
I was going to ask him what had happened at the Pritchards' but on seeing his tired face and wet clothes, I said, 'Papa, you had better go in to the fire. I'll take care of the mule, and do the feeding and milking.'
'That would be fine,' he said.
After doing the chores, I hurried to the house. I couldn't wait any longer. I had to find out what had happened.
Walking into the front room, I saw my father had changed clothes. He was standing in front of the fireplace, drinking coffee.
'Boy, that's bad weather, isn't it?' he said.
I said it was, and asked him about Rubin.
'We went to the old tree and got Rubin's body,' Papa said. 'We were on our way back to the Pritchards' when we met them. They were just this side of their place. They had started to look for him. Rainie had been so dazed when he got home, they couldn't make out what he was trying to tell them, but they knew it must have been something bad. They wanted to know what had happened. I did my best to explain the accident. It hit Old Man Pritchard pretty hard. I felt sorry for him.'
Mama asked how Mrs. Pritchard was taking it.
Papa said he didn't know as he never did get to see any of the womenfolks. He said they were the funniest bunch he had ever seen. He couldn't understand them. There wasn't one tear shed that he could see. All of the men had stayed out at the barn. They never had been invited in for a cup of coffee or anything.
Mama asked when they were to have the funeral.
'They have their own graveyard right there on the place,' Papa said. 'Old Man Pritchard said they would take care of everything, and didn't want to bother people. He said it was too far for anyone to come, and it was bad weather, too.'
Mama said she couldn't help feeling sorry for Mrs. Pritchard, and wished they were more friendly.
I asked Papa about Rainie.
Papa said, 'According to what Old Man Pritchard said, Rainie just couldn't seem to get over the shock. They were figuring on taking him into town to see the doctor.'
In a stern voice, Papa said, 'Billy, I don't want you fooling around with the Pritchards any more. You have plenty of country around here so you don't have to go there to hunt.'
I said I wouldn't.
I felt bad about the death of Rubin. I didn't feel like hunting and kept having bad dreams. I couldn't forget the way he had looked at me just before he died. I moped and wandered around in a daze. I wanted to do something but didn't know what it was.
I explained my feelings to my mother. She said, 'Billy, I feel the same way and would like to do something to help, but I guess there's nothing we can do. There are people like the Pritchards all through the hills. They live in little worlds of their own and are all alone. They don't like to have outsiders interfere.'
I told my mother I had been thinking about how dangerous it was to carry an ax while hunting, and I had decided I'd save a few coon hides and get a good gun. Boy, I just shouldn't have mentioned getting a gun. My mother got 'sitting-hen' mad.
'You're not getting a gun,' she said. 'I won't have that at all. I told you a long time ago you could have one when you are twenty-one years old, and I mean just that. I worry enough with you out there in the hills all hours of the night, running and jumping, but I couldn't stand it if I knew you had a gun with you. No, sir. You can just forget about a gun.'
'Yes, Mama,' I said, and sulked off to my room.
Lying on my bed, still trying to figure out what I could do to help, I glanced over to the wall. There, tied in a small bundle, was just what I needed.
