"Oh," the man said.
"You're the one, are you.
Well, they aint here."
"I reckon so," Jason said.
He leaned against the wall and put his hand to the back of his head and looked at his palm. "I thought I was bleeding," he said. "I thought he hit me with that hatchet."
"You hit your head on the rail," the man said. "You better go on.
They aint here."
"Yes.
He said they were not here.
I thought he was lying."
"Do you think I'm lying?" the man said.
"No," Jason said. "I know they're not here."
"I told him to get the hell out of there, both of them," the man said.
"I wont have nothing like that in my show.
I run a respectable show, with a respectable troupe."
"Yes," Jason said. "You dont know where they went?"
"No.
And I dont want to know.
No member of my show can pull a stunt like that.
You her … brother?"
"No," Jason said. "It dont matter.
I just wanted to see them.
You sure he didn't hit me?
No blood, I mean."
"There would have been blood if I hadn't got there when I did.
You stay away from here, now.
That little bastard'll kill you.
That your car yonder?"
"Yes."
"Well, you get in it and go back to Jefferson.
If you find them, it wont be in my show.
I run a respectable show.
You say they robbed you?"
"No," Jason said. "It dont make any difference." He went to the car and got in.
What is it I must do? he thought.
Then he remembered.
He started the engine and drove slowly up the street until he found a drugstore.
The door was locked.
He stood for a while with his hand on the knob and his head bent a little.
Then he turned away and when a man came along after a while he asked if there was a drugstore open anywhere, but there was not.
Then he asked when the northbound train ran, and the man told him at two thirty.
He crossed the pavement and got in the car again and sat there.
After a while two negro lads passed.
He called to them.
"Can either of you boys drive a car?"
"Yes, suh."
"What'll you charge to drive me to Jefferson right away?"
They looked at one another, murmuring.
"I'll pay a dollar," Jason said.
They murmured again.