Swamp Water Page #3

---

and a fine hound so I can breed old Trouble

and raise some little Troubles.

And not long after that, maybe I'll be

around here with a proposition to make you.

- What kind of a proposition?

- You'll find out.

I'm going into Okefenokee. You never seen

the like of hide animals in there.

- You'll lose yourself. I'll never see you again.

- No, I won't.

Yes, you will. Please don't go in there again.

- You'll get gator-ate, like those two trappers.

- They was snake-bit.

Man knows his way around like I do

ain't gonna get snake-bit.

How come you know they were snake-bit?

How come you say that?

How come?

- Well, I seen where they's buried.

- Who buried 'em?

Who could bury 'em in that swamp?

You can ask more doggone questions.

Don't get mad about it, Ben. Why don't you

tell me who's a-hiding in the swamp?

There ain't nobody a-hiding in the swamp.

If you was to find men that had been

cottonmouth-bit, you'd bury them.

Well, that's what I done.

- Promise me you won't tell nobody.

- Why?

They might try to keep me

from going back there.

Then my trapping would be over,

and I couldn't make you that proposition.

You know I won't tell nobody, Ben.

After all, I got reasons

for wanting you to make good, ain't I?

Yeah, you sure have.

When you going in the swamp again?

Two or three days.

- Supposin' you ain't back for the dance?

- Well, I'll be back.

Yeah, but supposin' you ain't?

A girl can't settle down to one, Ben.

Especially when he don't show up

unless the notion strikes him.

Why, I told you I'd be back.

You better be.

- Howdy, Ben.

- Howdy, Tom.

Hadn't ought to be carrying Trouble

in a boat with you.

Gator'll turn over a boat to get at a dog.

You ought to leave him here with me.

I ain't leaving him nowhere.

- I'd take care of him like he was my own dog.

- Yeah, I reckon you would.

Got a present for you here, mister, see?

- You'd steal my dog if I gave you a chance.

- I'd like to, Ben.

But I reckon I can't now,

seeing as how you're my partner.

Like another world in here, ain't it?

I heard tell that stars is other worlds too.

Big, shining rafts

a-floating in the ocean of God's night.

With living things on every raft, just like

there is on this one they call the Earth.

Living alone in this swamp's

just like living on another star.

This swamp ain't dangerous as I can see,

like they say.

If you know it, it ain't. But you can get lost

and go crazy trying to find your way out.

You got to know things that live here

to get along with them.

Just like you got to know people on the

outside afore you can get along with them.

Speaking of people outside, Ben,

you ain't told me yet how my Julie looks.

Well, she looks all right, I reckon.

Kinda raggedy.

I know how come you could make it

out in this swamp without no gun or nothing.

It's cos you know Indian ways.

I heard tell you knowed a lot about Indians.

I used to hunt with a half-breed

afore my trouble.

Indians knowed a heap of things, Ben.

They buried their dogs with them cos they

figured a dog had a soul just like a man's.

I don't see no sense in a thing like that.

You say a dog is dead when he dies.

I don't see how come that should be.

Don't he breathe like you? And ain't he got

a heart, and feelings, and a heap of sense?

Look at this skeeter

trying to get his sticker into me.

Ain't he got life in him, just like me?

Not now, he ain't.

You ain't killed him.

His life's just gone somewheres else.

If you're so sure you're gonna go on living

after you're dead, Tom,

what about that man you killed?

Ain't you gonna be kinda feared

to face Shep Collins up yonder?

I never killed Shep Collins.

Why, he was shot dead with your own gun,

wasn't he? I remember that.

Sheriff Jeb tell how you bashed

him in the head and escaped,

just afore he was gonna hang you.

Sure. I wasn't gonna hang

for something I never done.

Ain't there no way

to make Sheriff Jeb get at the truth?

No, Ben.

I'm gonna live and die in this old swamp.

But I don't mind,

if my Julie ain't left

to run wild and shift for herself.

You're gonna help me take care of her.

I wish you'd smile at me, Miss Hannah,

like you used to.

I waited for Thursday to go fox-hunting.

As soon as I heard his dog sound off,

I sneaked over here.

Listen.

The more little foxes they chase,

the better I like it.

I'd rather you worry about me this way

than about that old man.

I ain't worried about you. Thursday

could break you in pieces with one hand.

The Dorsons might say something about that.

Somebody might get killed.

Why, I seen them once

with my own eyes when...

- You seen what?

- Never you mind. They don't like Thursday.

They'd be purely pleased if they had

a good reason to do something about it.

- That's what I'm afeard of.

- Shucks, this ain't no way for us to talk.

I'd rather die than quarrel with you.

I'm cold-out crazy about you. You know I am.

Go away, Jesse.

Go away and don't never come back no more.

- Hannah, don't go away.

- No.

Go away and leave me alone.

Go away. Please.

Please.

- Go away, please.

- Hannah.

Hannah.

- Thursday.

- You stop, sir. Stop, sir.

You hear me? Stop, sir.

Hannah, where are you?

- Are you all right?

- I'm all right.

Who was it?

Who was it, Hannah?

- You're limpin'. How'd you hurt yourself?

- Never mind my limpin'. I asked who it was.

Why, I...

- You know you it was, don't you?

- No. No, I don't know.

What do you mean you don't know?

He had hold of you.

I don't know.

I didn't reckon for you to lie to me,

Miss Hannah.

I can't tell you, Thursday, I can't.

I kind of begin to see.

- You told him when to come.

- No, I never. He just knowed.

This ain't the first time.

No.

I can't hardly believe it, Miss Hannah.

You gotta tell me who it were.

- I can't do that.

- You've got to.

I can't. I know what would happen -

you'd go at him with your gun.

Well, there ain't so many men in this country

I can't figure it out for myself.

Tell me how you hurt yourself. I can help you.

No.

No, you can't, Miss Hannah.

Si, Si.

Come on inside if you want to see

something you never did see afore.

Aye-yippety-aye.

Ain't that a leather-headed old rip?

That's the biggest panther skin I ever seen.

- Where'd you catch him?

- In the swamp.

- How'd you get him?

- We got him with buckshot.

- You was with somebody?

- I mean, me and my dog.

I knowed you had a smart dog, Ben,

but I never heard he could handle a shotgun.

- You know what I mean.

- No, I ain't certain, Ben, yet.

- I ain't neither.

- That panther ain't nothing.

If you think you're big trappers, you oughta

see the rest of them hides Ben brung in.

Honest to Katy, he's got that old shack

of Marty's just plumb full of otter skins.

He sure has. I declare I never seen the like.

You'll see a sight better

when we go trapping Okefenokee with Ben.

Bud and me's got more traps than you, but

we'll just share and share alike. How about it?

- I ain't taking no partners.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes