The Sea of Grass Page #8

FOR THE RANCH NOW AND THEN.

IT WOULD BREAK YOUR HEAR TO RIDE THROUGH THIS COUNTRY NOW, LUTIE.

IT'S ALL DRYING UP

AND BLOWING AWAY.

BREWTON WAS RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING.

THIS LAND WAS NOT READY FOR THE PLOW.

IT NEEDED HELP FROM US.

DURING THOSE FIRST YEARS

WHEN THE RAINS CAME,

WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT WORK

PLANNING AGAINST THE TIME

WHEN NATURE WOULD FAIL US.

WE SHOULD HAVE BUILT DAMS

AND BROUGHT OUR OWN RAIN

AND IRRIGATION DITCHES

AND CULVERTS AND DIVERTED STREAMS.

SOMEDAY WE WILL DO THESE THINGS

AND THE LAND WILL COME BACK.

THE HOPE OF SEEING THA KEEPS ME HERE.

AND SOMETHING ELSE

HOLDS ME, TOO.

BROCK IS GROWING UP, LUTIE,

AND THE WAY IT'S HAPPENING WORRIES ME.

WHEN SARAH WAS HOME,

SHE USED TO LOOK OUT FOR HIM.

BUT NOW THAT SHE'S AWAY

AT SCHOOL,

BREWTON MAKES NO MOVE

TO CURB BROCK IN ANYTHING.

IT'S ALMOST AS THOUGH HE WERE TRYING

TO MAKE UP TO HIM FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

YOU, LUTIE.

WHATEVER IT IS,

IT'S BAD FOR BROCK AND I DON'T LIKE IT.

BUT I'M FORCED TO STAND BY

HELPLESS TO DO ANYTHING,

AND WATCH THE WILDNESS

IN THE BOY GROW STRONGER.

EVERYONE LIKES HIM.

MAYBE THAT'S THE TROUBLE.

HE'S RIGHT AT HOME EVERYPLACE.

WHETHER HE'S JOSHING THE

GIRLS AT CLANCY'S DANCE HALL,

OR PLAYING THE BLUE DANUBE

ON MYRA NETHERWOODS' NEW GRAND PIANO.

HE'S A PRIME FAVORITE.

BUT HE'S A WALKING

CONTRADICTION, TOO.

ONE DAY HE'LL BE DEALING

WESTERN EUCHRE FROM THE BES HORSEHAIR FURNITURE IN TOWN,

AND THE NEXT HE'LL BE PRANCING

UP AND DOWN THE STREETS IN

HIS NEW RED-WHEEL BUGGY

WITH A HOMESTEADER GIRL

BESIDE HIM.

YOU MAY SEE HIM BUYING OU A SHOWCASE OF JAWBREAKERS

AT THE KINGMAN MERCANTILE CO.

FOR A BUNCH OF RUNNY-NOSED KIDS,

GENTLE AS A WOMAN,

OR KEEPING A TOMATO CAN ROLLING

AT 50 FEET WITH A SIX-SHOOTER.

IT GIVES ME PAUSE, LUTIE,

TO SEE HIM.

THERE'S SUCH A LOT OF RECKLESSNESS

UNDER THAT CRAZY CHARM.

THERE'S A DANGER IN HIM

AND A KIND OF VIOLENCE.

IT'S HARD FOR ME

TO KEEP MY HANDS OFF.

SOMETIMES WHEN HE LOOKS AT ME AS WE PASS

THERE'S NEVER MORE THAN

A FLICK OF HIS EYE-

I FEEL THAT HE MUST KNOW SOMETHING,

AND THAT HE MUST HATE ME FOR IT.

I UNDERSTAND SARA BETH GRADUATED

LAST WEEK WITH HIGH HONORS.

SARAH BETH BREWTON.

HAZEL SAWYER.

THEY TELL ME:

SHE'LL BE HOME SOON.

I WONDER HOW SALT FORK

WILL SEEM TO HER NOW

AFTER HER YEARS OF SCHOOLING?

PARDON ME, MA'AM.

I'M LOOKING FOR A LITTLE, SAWED-OFF,

FRECKLED, UGLY RUNT OF A GIRL.

I'M LOOKING FOR

A HANDSOME YOUNG GENTLEMAN.

WELL, YOU FOUND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING

FOR, BUT HOW ABOUT ME?

YOU WENT AND:

CHANGED ON US.

OH, BROCK!

HELLO, SARAH BETH.

WHERE'S PAPA?

PAPA!

PAPA!

GOOD TO SEE YOU,

SARAH BETH.

OH, I MIGHT HAVE KNOWN

YOU'D BE LIKE THIS, BOTH OF YOU.

LIKE WHAT?

OH, GOOD-LOOKING.

A COUPLE OF YEARS DO A LOT FOR

A YOUNG LADY, DON'T THEY?

WHAT DID YOU EXPECT-

OF ME, I MEAN?

NOT AS MUCH:

AS WE GOT, EH, BROCK?

NOT HALF. I DON'T KNOW THOUGH.

LOOKS STUCK UP TO ME

PROBABLY WON'T EVEN

LIKE OUR TOWN ANYMORE.

YOUR TOWN? MY TOWN.

OH HO. MAYBE YOU'LL DO,

HUH, COLONEL?

WELL, IT'S THE SAME OLD

PLACE. SAME...

YEAH. WELL, I'M GONNA LEAVE

YOU HERE.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

RIGHT HERE. CHARLEY'S.

CARDS ARE PRETTY HOT FOR ME TODAY.

YOU BETTER NOT GET FRESH WITH

CHARLEY. HE CAN TEACH YOU.

YEAH? CHARLEY SAID YOU WERE PRETTY

GOOD AT CARDS, BUT I WAS BETTER.

I CAN TAKE CHARLEY THE BES DAY HE EVER LIVED

WITH YOU STANDING

ON HIS SHOULDERS.

TRY IT ANYTIME YOU SAY, COLONEL,

ANYTIME AT ALL.

I'LL BET THE WOMEN

SPOIL HIM SILLY.

YEAH.

NOT ONLY THE WOMEN

EITHER.

JEFF SAYS HE CAN CHARM THE GOLD

RIGHT OUT OF YOUR TEETH.

HOW IS JEFF, PAPA?

WELL, HE'S LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE

AROUND HERE,

LOST HIS BITE.

NOT MUCH LIKE THE NIGHTGOWN YOU WORE

WHEN I PUT YOU TO BED.

OH, JEFF.

WELL, HOW DO YOU LIKE THE WAY

I FIXED UP YOUR ROOM, HONEY?

OH, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

AIN'T IT, THOUGH?

I GOT MY IDEA FROM ONE OF THEM

MAGAZINES.

WELL, IF YOU WAN ANYTHING, YELL.

OH, DON'T GO.

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU.

I WANT TO KNOW:

ABOUT BROCK.

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW?

OH, JUST HOW HE'S BEEN.

WHAT HE'S BEEN DOING.

SAME AS ALWAYS. BROCK'S BEEN HAVING

A GOOD TIME FOR BROCK.

WHAT YOU DOING?

WHERE'D THIS COME FROM?

I'VE BEEN SAVING IT.

WHY DON'T YOU ASK ME SOME MORE

QUESTIONS, SARAH BETH?

ABOUT WHAT?

ABOUT HER. AIN'T YOU CURIOUS ABOU YOUR MOTHER? YOU NEVER THINK OF HER?

WHAT FOR?

SHE'S YOUR MOTHER.

I DON'T KNOW

WHO SHE IS.

DON'T YOU EVER WONDER WHY

SHE'S NEVER COME TO SEE YOU?

YOU'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO SAY GOOD

THINGS ABOUT HER.

YOU'VE ALWAYS STUFFED YOUR EARS

WHEN I DID.

SHE GAVE UP A LOT WHEN SHE WENT AWAY.

AND SHE HASN'T GOT MUCH LEFT NOW.

HOW ABOUT PAPA?

HAS HE GOT ANYTHING LEFT?

HE'S GOT YOU.

HE'S GOT BROCK.

YEAH-BROCK.

PLEASE STOP WHISTLING.

10. I'LL RAISE YOU 20.

3 TREYS.

3 DEUCES

YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT, BOY.

NOBODY CAN BEAT THAT, KID.

THAT'S RIGHT, CHARLEY.

NOBODY EVER HAS. YOU OUGH TO KNOW THAT, BILL.

YEAH, I KNOW.

6. MISDEAL, ISN'T IT?

OH, HAVE YOU GOT 6, TOO?

5. I COULD HAVE USED ANOTHER.

LOOK, KID, GAMBLING IS MY BUSINESS.

YEAH.

AND I KNOW MY BUSINESS.

AFTER THIS, IF I'VE GOT 6 CARDS,

I'LL MAKE IT KNOWN.

SURE. YOU BET.

YOU DEAL.

ANY OF YOU BOYS SEEN CHAMBERLAIN

AROUND? JUDGE CHAMBERLAIN?

NO. WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH HIM?

HIS OFFICE WANTS HIM.

TRY THE BANK.

FORGET IT, JOE.

HE DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING.

IT'S ALL RIGHT, CHARLEY.

ALL RIGHT, KID.

YOU'RE THE JUDGE.

JUDGE OF WHAT?

GO AHEAD. DEAL.

3, JUDGE.

THANK YOU, JUDGE.

3 FOR THE JUDGE.

$10.

I'LL LET YOU OFF WITH A LIGHT SENTENCE.

PAIR OF 9s.

PAIR OF DOGS.

I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD A TWIN

BROTHER, JUDGE.

ALL RIGHT, BROCK, THE DOOR'S OPEN.

TEMPORARY ANYHOW.

WHO OPENED I FOR ME, BILL?

SUPPOSE I OUGHT TO SAY THANKS.

I DON'T KNOW THE PARTY.

BROCK, YOU'RE HOME!

PAPA, BROCK'S HOME.

WELL, WERE YOU STILL AS LUCKY?

OH, SURE.

I'M ALWAYS LUCKY.

STOP THAT.

PLAY SOMETHING ELSE.

LIKE?

OH, ANYTHING BU THAT FUNERAL MARCH.

PLAY SOMETHING WITH PEOPLE IN IT.

CAN'T HAVE A FUNERAL

WITHOUT PEOPLE.

HAD DINNER?

YEAH, ATE AT BEATTY'S PLACE

ON THE WAY OUT.

BROCK SAID HE WAS LUCKY AGAIN, PAPA.

REALLY? THAT'S FUNNY.

LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE BOYS TOOK HIM.

THEY TRIED. I WAS PLAYING WITH

JOE HORTON.

HORTON? HE'S A BAD BOY. YOU

WANT TO LOOK OUT FOR HIM.

I DID, IN ONE HAND,

ESPECIALLY.

WE BOTH DREW ONE,

ONLY I DREW FIRST.

GOT HIM RIGH IN THE BELLY.

YOU MEAN:

YOU SHOT HIM.

NOT CONCLUSIVELY.

HE'S GOING TO LIVE.

WHAT HAPPENED?

HOW'D THE FIGHT START?

AH, I HAD A FEW TOO MANY, I GUESS.

I DON'T REMEMBER.

I NEVER SAW YOU:

THAT DRUNK.

THEN I'M A-LYIN'.

HOW LONG WERE YOU IN JAIL?

NOT LONG.

WHO GOT YOU OUT?

MCCURTIN?

HASN'T HE ALWAYS

BEFORE?

YEAH. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TELL

ME HOW THE FIGHT STARTED?

I TOLD YOU. I WAS DRUNK.

NOW, IF YOU'D RATHER I HADN' COME HOME, I'LL GET OUT.

I'D RATHER YOU DIDN'T LIE, BROCK.

NOW, COME ON, LET'S GO

INTO TOWN.

AND FACE WHATEVER'S

GOT TO BE FACED.

NOT ME. I'M GOING

TO DENVER.

YOU'RE GOING TO SALT FORK,

BROCK,

AND GET THIS THING OVER WITH

AND THEN YOU'RE COMING BACK HERE.

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