“Over there,” said Ma. “Come on, Rosasharn.
We’re a-goin’.”
The girl sat still, her chin sunk on her breast.
Tom walked over to her.
“Come on,” he said.
“I ain’t a-goin’.” She did not raise her head.
“You got to go.”
“I want Connie.
I ain’t a-goin’ till he comes back.”
Three cars pulled out of the camp, up the road to the highway, old cars loaded with the camps and the people.
They clanked up to the highway and rolled away, their dim lights glancing along the road.
Tom said,
“Connie’ll find us.
I lef’ word up at the store where we’d be.
He’ll find us.”
Ma came up and stood beside him.
“Come on, Rosasharn.
Come on, honey,” she said gently.
“I wanta wait.”
“We can’t wait.” Ma leaned down and took the girl by the arm and helped her to her feet.
“He’ll find us,” Tom said. “Don’ you worry.
He’ll find us.” They walked on either side of the girl.
“Maybe he went to get them books to study up,” said Rose of Sharon. “Maybe he was a-gonna surprise us.”
Ma said,
“Maybe that’s jus’ what he done.”
They led her to the truck and helped her up on top of the load, and she crawled under the tarpaulin and disappeared into the dark cave.
Now the bearded man from the weed shack came timidly to the truck.
He waited about, his hands clutched behind his back.
“You gonna leave any stuff a fella could use?” he asked at last.
Pa said,
“Can’t think of nothin’.
We ain’t got nothin’ to leave.”
Tom asked,
“Ain’t ya gettin’ out?”
For a long time the bearded man stared at him.
“No,” he said at last.
“But they’ll burn ya out.”
The unsteady eyes dropped to the ground.
“I know.
They done it before.”
“Well, why the hell don’t ya get out?”
The bewildered eyes looked up for a moment, and then down again, and the dying firelight was reflected redly.
“I don’ know.
Takes so long to git stuff together.”
“You won’t have nothin’ if they burn ya out.”
“I know.
You ain’t leavin’ nothin’ a fella could use?”
“Cleaned out, slick,” said Pa.
The bearded man vaguely wandered away. “What’s a matter with him?” Pa demanded.
“Cop-happy,” said Tom. “Fella was sayin’—he’s bull-simple.