“How you know?” Pa asked.
“I took a sight on her, off the end of the car.” He held his hand. “’Bout this far up she’ll come.”
“Awright,” Pa said. “What about it?
We won’t be here.”
“We got to be here.
Truck’s here.
Take a week to get the water out of her when the flood goes down.”
“Well—what’s your idear?”
“We can tear out the side-boards of the truck an’ build a kinda platform in here to pile our stuff ’an to set up on.”
“Yeah?
How’ll we cook—how’ll we eat?”
“Well, it’ll keep our stuff dry.”
The light grew stronger outside, a gray metallic light.
The second little stick floated away from the cat-walk.
Pa placed another one higher up.
“Sure climbin’,” he said. “I guess we better do that.”
Ma turned restlessly in her sleep.
Her eyes started wide open.
She cried sharply in warning,
“Tom!
Oh, Tom! Tom!”
Mrs. Wainwright spoke soothingly.
The eyes flicked closed again and Ma squirmed under her dream.
Mrs. Wainwright got up and walked to the doorway.
“Hey!” she said softly. “We ain’t gonna git out soon.” She pointed to the corner of the car where the apple box was. “That ain’t doin’ no good.
Jus’ cause trouble an’ sorra.
Couldn’ you fellas kinda—take it out an’ bury it?”
The men were silent.
Pa said at last,
“Guess you’re right.
Jus’ cause sorra. ’Gainst the law to bury it.”
“They’s lots a things ’gainst the law that we can’the’p doin’.”
“Yeah.”
Al said,
“We oughta git them truck sides tore off ’fore the water comes up much more.”
Pa turned to Uncle John.
“Will you take an’ bury it while Al an me git that lumber in?”
Uncle John said sullenly,
“Why do I got to do it?
Why don’t you fellas?
I don’ like it.” And then, “Sure.
I’ll do it.
Sure, I will. Come on, give it to me.” His voice began to rise. “Come on!
Give it to me.”
“Don’ wake ’em up,” Mrs. Wainwright said.
She brought the apple box to the doorway and straightened the sack decently over it.
“Shovel’s standin’ right behin’ you,” Pa said.
Uncle John took the shovel in one hand.
He slipped out the doorway into the slowly moving water, and it rose nearly to his waist before he struck bottom.
He turned and settled the apple box under his other arm.