The Grapes of Wrath Page #5

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SON:

(angrily)

All right. Where's the bank?

THE MAN:

(fretfully)

Tulsa. But what's the use of picking

on him? He ain't anything but the

manager, and half crazy hisself,

trying to keep up with his orders

from the east!

MULEY:

(bewildered)

Then who *do* we shoot?

THE MAN:

(stepping on the

starter)

Brother, I don't know. If I did I'd

tell you. But I just don't know

*who's* to blame!

MULEY:

(angrily)

Well, I'm right here to tell you,

mister, ain't *nobody* going to push

me off *my* land! Grampa took up

this land seventy years ago. My pa

was born here. We was *all* born on

it, and some of us got killed on it,

and some died on it. And that's what

makes it ourn--bein' born on it, and

workin' it, and dyin' on it--and not

no piece of paper with writin' on

it! So just come on and try to push

me off!

The scene dissolves to the BACK ROOM. The sound of the storm

is heard again as Tom and Casy watch Muley.

TOM:

(angrily)

Well?

MULEY:

(without emotion)

They come. They come and pushed me

off.

We see MULEY at close range.

MULEY:

They come with the cats.

TOM'S VOICE

The what?

MULEY:

The cats--the caterpillar tractors.

The scene dissolves to a MONTAGE OF TRACTORS: tractors looming

over hillocks, flattening fences, through gullies, their

drivers looking like robots, with goggles, dust masks over

mouth and nose--one after the other, crossing and recrossing

as if to convey the impression that this was an invasion of

machine-men from some other world.

MULEY'S VOICE

And for ever' one of 'em ten-fifteen

families gets throwed outa their

homes--one hundred folks with no

place to live but on the road. The

Rances, the Perrys, the Peterses,

the Joadses--one after another they

got throwed out. Half the folks you

and me know--throwed right out into

the road. The one that got me come a

month ago.

The scene dissolves to MULEY'S FARM. We see the backs of

Muley and the two younger men standing shoulder to shoulder

watching a lumbering tractor headed straight toward them. It

is at some distance. Muley holds a shotgun. His son has a

baling hook. The son-in-law has a two-by-four. Behind them

is their cabin. Frightened and huddled together are the women

and children. The roar of the tractor comes closer.

MULEY:

(shouting)

You come any closer and I'm gonna

blow you right outa that cat!

(He lifts his shotgun)

The TRACTOR continues to lumber along, its driver goggled

and black of face where his dust mask doesn't cover. MULEY

lifts his shotgun to his shoulder, and aims.

MULEY:

I *tol'* you!

The TRACTOR stops. The driver takes off his goggles and dust

mask. Like the others he's a country boy. His face is sullen.

Muley is lowering his shotgun. There is a surprise in his

face as he recognizes the driver.

MULEY:

Why, you're Joe Davis's boy!

He moves forward, followed by his son and son-in-law in the

TRACTOR. Davis is wiping his face as they walk toward him.

DAVIS:

I don't like nobody drawin' a bead

on me.

MULEY:

Then what are you doin' this kind a

thing for--against your own people?

DAVIS:

For three dollars a day, that's what

I'm doin' it for. I got two little

kids. I got a wife and my wife's

mother. Them people got to eat. Fust

and on'y thing I got to think about

is my own folks. What happens to

other folks is their lookout.

MULEY:

But this is *my land*, son. Don't

you understand?

DAVIS:

(putting his goggles

back on)

*Used* to be your land. B'longs to

the comp'ny now.

We see THE WOMENFOLKS. A small girl pulls her mother's dress.

GIRL:

What's he fixin' to do, ma?

MA:

Hush!

Back to the TRACTOR AND THE MEN:

MULEY:

(grimly)

Have it your own way, son, but just

as sure as you touch my house with

that cat I'm gonna blow you plumb to

kingdom come.

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