I ruther starve all over at oncet.”
Pa said,
“What the hell you talkin’ about?
I got a han’bill says they got good wages, an’ little while ago I seen a thing in the paper says they need folks to pick fruit.”
The ragged man turned to Pa.
“You got any place to go, back home?”
“No,” said Pa. “We’re out.
They put a tractor past the house.”
“You wouldn’ go back then?”
“’Course not.”
“Then I ain’t gonna fret you,” said the ragged man.
“’Course you ain’t gonna fret me.
I got a han’bill says they need men.
Don’t make no sense if they don’t need men.
Costs money for them bills.
They wouldn’ put ’em out if they didn’ need men.”
“I don’ wanna fret you.”
Pa said angrily,
“You done some jackassin’.
You ain’t gonna shut up now.
My han’bill says they need men. You laugh an’ say they don’t.
Now, which one’s a liar?”
The ragged man looked down into Pa’s angry eyes.
He looked sorry.
“Han’bill’s right,” he said. “They need men.”
“Then why the hell you stirrin’ us up laughin’?”
“’Cause you don’t know what kind a men they need.”
“What you talkin’ about?”
The ragged man reached a decision.
“Look,” he said. “How many men they say they want on your han’bill?”
“Eight hunderd, an’ that’s in one little place.”
“Orange color han’bill?”
“Why—yes.” “Give the name a the fella—says so and so, labor contractor?”
Pa reached in his pocket and brought out the folded handbill.
“That’s right.
How’d you know?”
“Look,” said the man. “It don’t make no sense.
This fella wants eight hunderd men.
So he prints up five thousand of them things an’ maybe twenty thousan’ people sees ’em.
An’ maybe two-three thousan’ folks gets movin’ account a this here han’bill. Folks that’s crazy with worry.”
“But it don’t make no sense!” Pa cried.
“Not till you see the fella that put out this here bill.
You’ll see him, or somebody that’s workin’ for him.
You’ll be a-campin’ by a ditch, you an’fifty other famblies.
An’ he’ll look in your tent an’ see if you got anything lef’ to eat.
An’ if you got nothin’, he says,
‘Wanna job?’
An’ you’ll say,
‘I sure do, mister.
I’ll sure thank you for a chance to do some work.’