The Sound and the Fury

hips

You pushed me it was your fault it hurt me too

We were dancing sitting down I bet Caddy cant dance sitting down

Stop that stop that

I was just brushing the trash off the back of your dress

You keep your nasty old hands off of me it was your fault you pushed me down I'm mad at you

I dont care she looked at us stay mad she went away We began to hear the shouts, the splashings; I saw a brown body gleam for an instant.

Stay mad. My shirt was getting wet and my hair. Across the roof hearing the roof loud now I could see Natalie going through the garden among the rain. Get wet I hope you catch pneumonia go on home Cowface. I jumped hard as I could into the hogwallow the mud yellowed up to my waist stinking I kept on plunging until I fell down and rolled over in it 'Hear them in swimming, sister? I wouldn't mind doing that myself.' If I had time. When I have time. I could hear my watch. mud was warmer than the rain it smelled awful. She had her back turned I went around in front of her. You know what I was doing? She turned her back I went around in front of her the rain creeping into the mud flatting her bod ice through her dress it smelled horrible. I was hugging her that's what I was doing. She turned her back I went around in front of her. I was hugging her I tell you.

I dont give a damn what you were doing

You dont you dont I'll make you I'll make you give a damn. She hit my hands away I smeared mud on her with the other hand I couldn't feel the wet smacking of her hand I wiped mud from my legs smeared it on her wet hard turning body hearing her fingers going into my face but I couldn't feel it even when the rain began to taste sweet on my lips

They saw us from the water first, heads and shoulders. They yelled and one rose squatting and sprang among them. They looked like beavers, the water ripping about their chins, yelling.

'Take that girl awayl What did you want to bring a girl here for? Go on awayl'

'She wont hurt you. We just want to watch you for a while.'

They squatted in the water. Their heads drew into a clump, atching us, then they broke and rushed toward us, hurling water with their hands. We moved quick.

'Look out, boys; she wont hurt you.'

'Go on away, Harvard!' It was the second boy, the one that thought the horse and wagon back there at the bridge. 'Splash them, fellows!'

'Let's get out and throw them in,' another said. 'I aint afraid of any girl.'

' Splash them! Splash them!' They rushed toward us, hurling water. We moved back. 'Go on away!' they yelled. 'Go on away!'

We went away. They huddled just under the bank, their slick heads in a row against the bright water. We went on. 'That's not for us, is it.' The sun slanted through to the moss here and there, leveller. 'Poor kid, you're just a girl.' Little flowers grew among the moss, littler than I had ever seen. 'You're just a girl. Poor kid.' There was a path, curving along beside the water. Then the water was still again, dark and still and swift. 'Nothing but a girl. Poor sister.' We lay in the wet grass panting the rain like cold shot on my back. Do you care now do you do you

My Lord we sure are in a mess get up. Where the rain touched my forehead it began to smart my hand came red away streaking off pink in the rain. Does it hurt

Of course it does what do you reckon

I tried to scratch your eyes out my Lord we sure do stink we better try to wash it off in the branch 'There's town again, sister. You'll have to go home now. I've got to get back to school. Look how late it's getting. You'll go home now, wont you?' But she just looked at me with her black, secret, friendly gaze, the half-naked loaf clutched to her breast. 'It's wet. I thought we jumped back in time.' I took my handkerchief and tried to wipe the loaf, but the crust began to come off, so I stopped. 'We'll just have to let it dry itself. Hold it like this.' She held it like that. It looked kind of like rats had been eating it now. and the water building and building up the squatting back the sloughed mud stinking surfaceward pocking the pattering surface like grease on a hot stove. I told you I'd make you

I dont give a goddam what you do

Then we heard the running and we stopped and looked back and saw him coming up the path running, the level shadows flicking upon his legs.

'He's in a hurry. We'd--' then I saw another man, an oldish man running heavily, clutching a stick, and a boy naked from the waist up, clutching his pants as he ran.

' There's Julio,' the little girl said, and then I saw his Italian face and his eyes as he sprang upon me. We went down. His hands were jabbing at my face and he was saying something and trying to bite me, I reckon, and then they hauled him off and held him heaving and thrashing and yelling and they held his arms and he tried to kick me until they dragged him back. The little girl was howling, holding the loaf in both arms. The half naked boy was darting and jumping up and down, clutching his trousers and someone pulled me up in time to see another stark naked figure come around the tranquil bend in the path running and change direction in midstride and leap into the woods, a couple of garments rigid as boards behind it. Julio still struggled. The man who had pulled me up said, 'Whoa, now. We got you.' He wore a vest but no coat. Upon it was a met shield In his other hand he clutched a knotted, polished stick.

' You're Anse, aren't you?' I said. 'I was looking for you. What's the matter?'

'I warn you that anything you say will be used aganst you,' he said. 'You're under arrest.'

' I killa heem,' Julio said. He struggled. Two men held him. The little girl howled steadily, holding the bread. 'You steala my seester,' Julio said. 'Let go, meesters.'

' Steal his sister?' I said. 'Why, I've been--'

'Shet up,' Anse said. 'You can tell that to Squire.'

' Steal his sister?' I said. Julio broke from the men and sprang at me again, but the marshal met him and they struggled until the other two pinioned his arms again. Anse released him, panting.

'You durn furriner,' he said. 'I've a good mind to take you up too, for assault and battery.' He turned to me again. 'Will you come peaceable, or do I handcuff you?' 'I'll come peaceable,' I said. 'Anything, just so I can find someone--do something with-- Stole his sister,' I said. 'Stole his--'

' I've warned you,' Anse said. 'He aims to charge you with meditated criminal assault. Here, you, make that gal shut up that noise.'

'Oh,' I said. Then I began to laugh. Two more boys with plastered heads and round eyes came out of the bushes, buttoning shirts that had already dampened onto their shoulders and arms, and I tried to stop the laughter, but I couldn't.

'Watch him, Anse, he's crazy, I believe.'

'I'll h-have to qu-quit,' I said. 'It'll stop in a mu-minute. The other time it said ah ah ah,' I said, laughing. 'Let me sit down a while.' I sat down, they watching me, and the little girl with her streaked face and the gnawed looking loaf, and the water swif and peaceful below the path. After a while the laughter ran out. But my throat wouldn't quit trying to laugh, like retching after your stomach is empty.

'Whoa, now,' Anse said. 'Get a grip on yourself.'

'Yes,' I said, tightening my throat. There was another yellow butterfly, like one of the sunflecks had come loose. After a while I didn't have to hold my throat so tight. I got up. 'I'm ready. Which way?'

We followed the path, the two others watching Julio and the little girl and the boys somewhere in the rear. The path went along the river to the bridge. We crossed it and the tracks, people coming to the doors to look at us and more boys materialising from somewhere until when we turned into the main street we had quite a procession. Before the drug store stood an auto, a big one, but I didn't recognise them until Mrs Bland said,

' Why, Quentin! Quentin Compson!' Then I saw Gerald, and Spoade in the back seat, sitting on the back of his neck. And Shreve. I didn't know the two girls.

'Quentin Compson!' Mrs Bland said.

' Good afternoon,' I said, raising my hat. 'I'm under arrest. I'm sorry I didn't get your note. Did Shreve tell you?'