Swamp Water Page #2

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That's how come I took to the swamp instead

of getting away where I could live like folks.

Couldn't bear to be that far away

from my Julie.

Julie?

Marty McCord took her in after I was arrested.

She does chores and Mrs McCord

gives her rations and a place to sleep.

Sure, I seen her.

- Lately?

- Sure, I seen that gal young 'un.

- She doing all right?

- I reckon so.

How come she don't go by the name

of Keefer if she's your young 'un?

Ain't a good name to bear, is it?

My wife was a Gordon.

When they was gonna hang me, Mrs McCord

promised she'd raise Julie by that name.

Purely fine woman, Mrs McCord.

Don't nobody know?

Sure. Didn't Thursday never talk about it?

Ben,

you know, there's a lot of fine folks

outside this swamp.

Most people's a whole lot better

than we think they are.

And some men's a whole lot worse.

What do you mean?

Who?

What's got into you?

Keefer.

What's wrong?

Man, you're cottonmouth-bit.

Keefer.

Keefer.

I'm going to get him now, Lord.

There's a dead soul coming,

it ain't nobody but Tom Keefer.

But he died without no hollering

nor cutting the fool.

I ain't gonna hold nothin' against him, Lord,

even his trying to steal old Trouble.

So if you want to go easy on him for

killing Shep Collins, it'll be all right with me.

Amen.

Come on, Trouble.

Never thought to see you

around here no more.

I sort of stayed to bury you.

Looks like I worked all night for nothing.

If I let them things kill me,

I'd have been dead a long time ago.

You got some kind of snake cure?

I just make up my mind to get well,

think hard on it, and...

maybe do a little praying.

I bet I've been cottonmouth-bit a dozen times.

When I found my knife was took,

I figured you'd lit out.

No. No, I took it to cut that snake bite,

to make it bleed.

Thanks.

Reckon you can have your gun back

if you want it, Ben.

You ain't a-listening, Miss Hannah.

You better go now, Mr Wick.

How come you can't call me Jesse

like you used to 'fore you was married?

- You better go.

- How come, Miss Hannah?

You know how come.

Thursday'd kill any man he catched here now.

He ain't a-catching me. I'm safe

as long as I hear them hounds a-baying.

- He won't come back till they catch their fox.

- He ain't fox-hunting, he's hunting Ben.

He's working his way around Okefenokee,

blowing his horn till Ben'll hear it.

Thursday holds hisself to blame

for letting Ben get losted.

Ben don't never come back,

I reckon it'll just about kill him.

Somebody's coming.

Don't run.

Ben.

- Ben.

- Miss Hannah.

- Guess you all about gave me up.

- We feared you was dead.

- Howdy, Jesse.

- I was passing by. She asked if I'd seen you.

How come you were away so long?

We feared you was gator-ate.

I told you I'd be back when I got ready.

I just got ready.

- I just happened to be passing by.

- You've been in that swamp all this time?

Yes. Me and that darn dog

has travelled ourselves half to death.

I told her I ain't seen you.

I was just passing by.

- Be sure, Jesse.

- I better be a-rambling.

Good night, Jesse.

You forgot your guitar.

Thanks, Ben. I was just passing by.

- I'll get you something to eat.

- I could sure eat it, Miss Hannah.

It's Thursday.

Evening, Thursday.

I told you I'd get back, sir.

And I found old Trouble.

You took your time about it.

No, sir, I come back as soon as I could.

I catched me a lot of hide animals.

I told you to be back here in two days.

I was losted.

Just getting too biggety. I'm still the man

that can slim you down, you hear me?

- I might have been dead.

- You're butt-headed. Just gonna show me.

- You wouldn't care what happened to me.

- I said to be right back.

To show me who's boss.

If that's what you think,

that's what I aim to show you.

Thursday.

- Come here.

- I ain't gonna fight my father.

- You're gonna stand there and take it.

- No, I ain't.

I'm my own man.

I won't do everything you say.

- Don't be hard on him.

- Quiet.

Many a man's gone into Okefenokee

and not come out.

Promise me you won't go near that swamp

no more and I won't romp on you.

There's coon and otter in that swamp.

I'm gonna go trapping there.

Not and live under this roof with me,

you ain't.

He's been worrying himself half-crazy

over you, Ben.

Well, he won't have to no more.

Please don't go thisaway. He'll get over it.

You ought to see I gotta do it.

Ain't right for you to go.

Your father needs you, Ben.

I need you too.

I can't tell you why.

I'm scared of something here.

Oh, Ben. I love you like you was my own boy.

- Don't go and leave us.

- Don't you worry none, Miss Hannah.

Marty McCord's got an old empty shack

on his place I can get.

I reckon this just had to happen,

so's I could really be my own man.

Goodbye, Miss Hannah.

Julie.

Julie.

Julie.

Come here, young 'un.

Come here. I've been looking for you.

Come on. I ain't gonna hurt ya.

Get inside.

Go on. I got something to tell you.

I seen your father in the swamp.

- We nearly killed each other before I got out.

- My father ain't hiding in no swamp, he ain't.

What you scared of? I ain't gonna tell.

Me and him's gonna be partners.

We're gonna trap together. Look here.

I already sold Marty some of the hides

we catched. Half this money's yours.

You ain't gonna tell on him?

Of course I ain't. We gonna make a raft

of money trapping that swamp, Tom and me.

You get enough money saved up,

Tom wants you to get you some schooling.

He don't want you to be no little stray cat

like you are now, dependent on other folks.

I ain't no beggar. I work for my rations.

You needn't get mad about it. Here.

- I ain't no place to hide it.

- Tom says I was to give it to you.

I'd be scared to hold all that.

I ain't never had no money.

I'll keep it for you till I see what Tom says

when I go back into Okefenokee.

Is he all right? Is he sick or anything?

Tom Keefer? Can't nothing hurt him.

You better scoot

before Marty's wife misses you.

- You keep your mouth shut, mind.

- I mind.

Now, get.

Can't I straighten up for you?

I reckon you can at that. If there's one thing

I don't get the hang of, it's making up a bed.

But don't you let nobody see you

a-running over here.

No, you don't, boy. You stay here.

Don't let him out,

or he'll go buck-chasin' again.

- Can I feed him?

- Sure. Trouble's like me, he can always eat.

Trouble. That's a fine name, ain't it?

Mabel.

Ben.

Oh, Ben, I thought

you was never coming back.

Go on thinking if it makes you act thisaway.

Don't guess this is no way

for a nice girl to behave.

That's the way I want my girl to behave

when I come to see her.

- Mabel. I got something to tell you.

- What?

- I run off from home.

- You did?

- Moved into Marty's old shack.

- That old place.

I aim to fill that shack with hides

come wintertime.

There ain't nobody in this town

I'll have to say "sir" to.

- I'm my own man now.

- You're just talking big again.

No, I ain't. Gonna get me a saddle horse,

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