The Well Read Free Page A

other boys, and black. Altogether, they had some seven cows, and here we come with our fifteen, plus John Henry’s one.
    It didn’t look good.
    â€œâ€™Ey, there, Hammer, David, John Henry!” cried Joe with his good nature.
    â€œâ€™Ey, Joe,” I returned, and Hammer and John Henry gave a nod. Charlie and Ed-Rose and Dewberry gave us a mean look. George Melbourne moved his family’s cow away from the others. Hammer and me, we headed our cows towards the water. John Henry and his cow came along.
    â€œNow just hold it right there!” ordered Dewberry. “Hold it right there! There ain’t water ’nough here for all them cows!”
    Charlie laughed. “Don’t tell me y’all niggers gotta come to the creek now t’ water your animals. Thought y’all had a pond t’ water from.”
    â€œYeah, we got a pond,” answered Hammer. “Got some fifteen more cows too, to water from that pond. Figured to water these here from the Rosa Lee, yeah, like everybody else. Figured to save that pond water for our other cows.”
    I stood there not saying a word, figuring, though, we was about to die. John Henry looked as if he was figuring the same.
    The white boys looked at each other, then Charlie spoke again. “Y’all Logans some mighty uppity niggers, ya know that? Think y’all good’s white folks ’cause you got a little land and some livestock.”
    â€œAnd don’t forget…we got water too,” said Hammer, rubbing salt into Charlie Simms’ already festering soul. “Water y’all gotta come to us to get.”
    â€œWell don’t y’all go gettin’ so prideful ’bout that water, nigger! Maybe one day you won’t have it! Maybe one day y’all’ll find somethin’ dead floatin’ in it!”
    I thought my heart was going to burst, it was beating so fast and furious. I could see me or mine floating in that water. I was angry too that they were calling us by
that
word again. It was a galling word, an insulting word that made my blood boil, but a word I had to take because that was just the way white folks talked to us. Maybe some figured no insult by it, but to me it was always a stinging insult, and I stored that insult in my memory.
    â€œSo y’all niggers get!” ordered Dewberry, saying that word again. “Y’all ain’t waterin’ no nigger cows down here t’day!”
    â€œYeah,” said Ed-Rose, “go on and water ’em from that pond of y’alls!”
    George Melbourne ain’t said a thing. But Joe McCalister—bless his heart—he sure enough did. “Now jus’ wait-a minute, Mr. Ed-Rose!” he exclaimed. “Them cows be needin’ water and God ain’t gonna smile on a body turn ’way His dumb creatures needin’ water!”
    Ed-Rose, Dewberry, George, and Charlie too, all looked at Joe. Now one thing about Joe McCalister was that he was what some folks would call not so bright. He had a good heart, though, and most folks cared about him, and even if they didn’t, they put up with him. Joe was the kind of person who could speak his mind and folks wouldn’t take offense, I suppose because folks figured whatever Joe had to say wasn’t worth taking offense about.
    â€œNow ya gots t’ let ’em drink, Mr. Ed-Rose,” Joe went on, “’cause God, He done put this water here for everybody and—”
    â€œJoe, shut up,” said Charlie. And Joe shut up. Then Charlie turned back to Hammer and me. “Y’all get,” he said.
    â€œYeah,” said Dewberry.
    â€œAnd get now,” added Ed-Rose, “’fore we go and forget jus’ how y’all s’pose t’ be some of God’s dumb creatures too.”
    Hammer didn’t say anything back to any of them.He just looked at me, swatted one of the cows with his switch and headed the cows upstream. John