The Reivers Page #5

and bring me a nice ripe melon?

You bring me a salt shaker, hear?

I take it with salt.

I'm a nosy old coot.

When strangers show up, I do, too.

You ask old Possum Hood, there.

Old Possum Hood knows me.

Don't you, Uncle?

Everybody around here knows you,

Mr. Butch.

A lady woke me up early this morning...

told me about you folks leading a horse

down the main street of our town.

Said there was a little boy...

a pretty girl...

a n*gger, and a Mississippi swamp rat.

I figured that was worth

rolling out of bed to see.

What brings you?

We got us a horserace fixed up.

Folks don't come much to Possum

no more for horseracing.

They all go to Iuka...

or Raleigh, the Ozarks...

Well, we come here.

Now, here's my melon.

Did you thump it?

Yes, sir, it's ripe.

Green ones gives me gas.

You care for some, little lady?

- No, I don't.

- No, you don't.

Thank you just the same.

Ain't that what you meant?

I just meant what I said.

Come on over here, honey.

Ain't we met up somewhere before?

Now that I study you some...

wasn't it over at Mr. Binford's cathouse

down in Memphis?

Ain't you the one

with the little strawberry mole...

right below your bellybutton?

You know something,

you're beginning to get my goat.

Don't. Uncle Possum's gotta live here.

- Don't, Boon.

- Wait!

That's right, Sugar Boy. He does.

All I have to do...

is go back in town, go in the barber shop...

say I saw Old Man Possum here...

with a white lady.

Why, in 10 minutes,

half the town would be out here crawling...

among the bushes. Whiffing, sniffing...

like hunting dogs after a stump.

Be seeing you, little lady.

Good morning to you.

He drove away, but I could still smell him...

his sweat souring the summer day.

I was tired and my hand hurt...

and I felt ashamed

and afraid for Uncle Possum.

There are conditions in the world...

which should not be there, but are.

But I hated having to learn about them.

I was just 11, remember.

Healing up real good.

I'm gonna fix you up

so you can ride a good race.

Can you fix a horse?

Depends. What's he need?

A miracle.

- Against the law around here.

- That's what I figured.

You and your wife got a fine boy here.

Not my wife. I ain't married.

Who does this pretty little lady belong to?

Myself.

You know, young lady,

your color ain't none too good.

I bet you're anemic.

I'm gonna have to listen to your chest.

- Am I all right?

- You're lovely, just lovely.

What's going on there? There's nothing

wrong with her chest. Let's get out of here!

Just a minute, Boon. We have to pay him.

- How much do we owe you?

- Nothing in cash.

But if you had a handkerchief

or something personal.

Personal?

I've heard of diddling in my time

but this beats everything.

Will this do?

- Thank you, missy.

- Come on.

Keepsakes.

That's all that old age leaves you.

How come every man you...

How come every man you meet tries to take

a snatch at your drawers...

before he even tips his hat to you?

I can't help it if men see me

and like what they see, Boon.

Do you have to go give

that old quack your garter?

I felt sorry for him.

Do you always go giving things to people

because you feel sorry for them?

Lots of times.

Next you'll be saying you gave yourself

to me because you were sorry for me.

I've done that, too!

Corrie!

Hi!

I hope you're all well.

How are you, Corrie?

I said to the girls:

"Let's just get away from it all for a while.

"Go put our money on Boon's horse,

get rich and retire..."

Come on, Lucius. We're going upstairs!

Corrie?

What is it? What's the...

Corrie's not here.

She's down at the other end of the hall.

Boon! Stop that!

- What do you think you're doing?

- What does it look like I am doing?

- You're getting undressed!

- That's right!

What's come over you?

Same thing that comes over me

three times a week, every week.

Except when I got hay fever.

You put your clothes back on

right this minute!

Come on, Hannah.

Let's be quick. You ain't getting

any better looking with time.

I wouldn't dream of it!

Not in 100 million years.

It's gonna be over and done with

before you even know it!

Absolutely not!

Corrie's been like a sister to me.

She nursed me through double pneumonia...

and she spoon-fed me

tapioca for two solid weeks.

You're tromping on the urge.

I'm getting out of the mood.

I'm not going to lose the dearest

and sweetest friendship...

of my life on account of you!

Men like you come and go,

but you don't find a Corrie under every tree!

Now you get right out of here!

Give me back my dollar.

Horse, you're the one we want.

Now, what's holding you back?

You got that long neck for balance...

you got them laid-back

shoulders for speed...

and you got them big hocks...

for drive.

What you waiting for?

What you be looking at

when you look far off like that?

What?

When you gonna do it, horse?

So we can all get out of here.

Go back home again.

We're gonna be rich!

Stop yawning and hang on tight.

Y'all ready?

Don't know what I'm supposed to see

that I ain't seen already.

Just you watch.

Are you ready?

I am, but I don't think he is.

I ain't even had my breakfast yet.

"Man does not live by bread alone."

Make sure he sees me.

That's the main thing.

And cut him at the end.

And make him go past.

Make him go past!

- I can't hold him.

- Then let go!

Fly!

I don't believe it.

How'd you do it?

I've been telling you all along I would.

All we gotta do now is find us

$1 million to bet with.

Bring her in!

What did you make of that?

Did he run, or didn't he?

- He was terrific.

- You bet.

I couldn't believe it.

- You did it, baby.

- We got company.

It's that Butch again.

Here.

Take this. Go on. Hide it.

Keep it. Don't lose it.

- They ain't gonna bother you.

- What's in it?

Put it in your pocket. Never you mind.

Just do what I say and act natural.

All right. Come on over here. All of you.

You two are under arrest.

What's it for?

It's for jail, son.

That's what we call it around here.

I don't know what you call it

where you come from.

Yes, sir. We call it jail, too,

only we mention why.

A lawyer, huh?

Well, we got a law now...

about bringing good-looking girls

across state lines...

for lewd and immortal purposes.

We just came to see a horse race.

And anyway...

we've always had very close

relations with the police.

Sure. You lay them and pay them,

but not in this county.

Hush up now, Butch,

we can settle all this back in town.

Right, you folks, you come along now.

What about the boy?

He's a little young to be in jail, isn't he?

He can stay with Uncle Possum. Can't he?

No, I don't like that.

I don't like no white boy

staying with a family of n*ggers.

Mister.

There's somewhere that you stop.

What'd you say?

I said, there's somewhere that the law stops

and just people begin.

Poleymus, try out our new cuffs

on the gentleman.

Sure thing, Sheriff.

Now, you just simmer down there, boy.

N*gger.

Don't you ever talk back to me. Hear?

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