Tobacco Road Page #7

if they'd give me $ 15 a week.

No, no, I just simply couldn't...

Well, I just simply couldn't

live like that, that's all.

I guess it'll be a whole lot better

on the poor farm.

Well, that's all right, Ada.

You go on up there...

...and look for the rest of the children.

I wouldn't stop you.

No, I wouldn't do anything

to stop you...

...but not for me.

Me, it's different.

I couldn't live in the city.

The city don't like me

and I don't like the city.

I can't live propped up.

I've got to be on the ground.

And that's why I like the poor farm.

It's on the ground

and it's in the country.

I better go where you go.

Well, I don't know

what else there is to say.

I hate this about as much

as anything in the world.

But it's not my land and not my bank,

and I haven't got any choice.

Well, you can't blame you.

- You don't...

- Tomorrow's the 1 st.

- Yeah, that's right.

- I'm sorry.

- So am I.

- Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Well...

...if we start now, we ought

to get there in time for supper.

Want a lift?

It's Captain Tim. Hi, Captain Tim.

Hi, Ada. Come on, hop in.

Come on, come on, Ada.

Come on, come on.

You're gonna get a ride after all. Yes.

Which way?

Well, we was just taking a walk

over to Ludlow.

It's such a nice day.

To the poor farm?

Well, that's about it, Captain Tim.

We're here, Jeeter.

Thank you, Captain Tim.

Hey, wait a minute.

This ain't no poor farm.

You won't ever see no poorer farm.

Why, you made a mistake.

This is my place, boy.

Maybe I did, but I had to do it.

I don't mind telling you, Jeeter,

I couldn't really afford it...

...but I had to do it.

Well, the man's done

been here and put us off...

...and if he comes back

and finds us still here...

...he's liable to send us

to the chain gang.

He won't be back.

I saw him down the road and fixed it...

...so you and Ada can stay here,

for six months anyway.

I'd like to have made it the whole year,

but I just didn't have the money.

You mean you paid him some rent?

Yes, I gave him $50, Jeeter.

And here's $ 10 for you

to get yourself some seed and guano.

What I'm really doing,

I'm staking you for six months...

...to see if you can really grow yourself

a crop this time.

You think you can do it?

Well, answer the man, can't you?

You can do it, Jeeter. You did it

for my dad, you can do it for me.

The good Lord certainly looks out

after the poor.

You keep after him, Ada.

He'll do it all right if you keep after him.

You mind if he gets me some snuff

out of that $ 10?

If snuff's gonna help you get Jeeter

to work, Ada, get all you want.

Ada, Ada, you know

what I'm gonna do?

- Take a nap?

- I'm gonna raise myself a bale an acre.

I'm gonna... I know where

I can borrow me a good mule...

...and I'm gonna buy myself

$ 10 worth of seed-cotton...

...and guano and snuff.

You see all that land there?

I'm gonna burn off

all that broom-sedge...

...and clear myself

about a hundred acres.

Then I'm gonna plow up

that ground...

...and I'm gonna clear it

as far as you can see.

And look at that sky, Ada.

Yeah, this is just about

the best year for...

For planting

since the Lord knows when.

Yeah, I can just tell the way it smells...

...that this is gonna be

a great year for cotton, yeah.

When you gonna do

all these big things?

Oh, pretty soon.

Next week, maybe.

With Dude and Ellie May gone...

...there's nobody left but us.

Where's Grandma?

Why, I ain't seen her since yesterday.

Well, maybe she's gone up

in the woods and couldn't get back.

Maybe she even died up there.

She never stayed away

like that before.

No.

I'll go up there one of these days

and look for her.

I think this looks like...

...it's gonna be the best year

I ever had.

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