Міжзірковий мандрівник

           ”

           IinsistedongoingasIwas,asamalehumanthatworepants;butIsurrenderedquicklyenoughwhenfathersuggestedthathewouldfindsomeotherboytodressupandgoalongwithJed.

           AchestwasfetchedinfromtheChattoxwagon.TheChattoxgirlsweretwinsandofaboutasizewithJedandme.Severalofthewomengotaroundtohelp.TheyweretheSundaydressesoftheChattoxtwins,andhadcomeinthechestallthewayfromArkansas.

           InheranxietymotherleftthebabywithSarahDunlap,andcameasfarasthetrenchwithme.There,underawagonandbehindthelittlebreastworkofsand,JedandIreceivedourlastinstructions.Thenwecrawledoutandstoodupintheopen.Weweredressedpreciselyalike—whitestockings,whitedresses,withbigbluesashes,andwhitesunbonnets.Jed’srightandmylefthandwereclaspedtogether.Ineachofourfreehandswecarriedtwosmallpails.

           “Takeiteasy,”fathercautioned,aswebeganouradvance.“Goslow.Walklikegirls.”

           Notashotwasfired.Wemadethespringsafely,filledourpails,andlaydownandtookagooddrinkourselves.Withafullpailineachhandwemadethereturntrip.Andstillnotashotwasfired.

           Icannotrememberhowmanyjourneyswemade—fullyfifteenortwenty.