Still moaning he sought vaguely about and found a twig and put it in the other bottle. "Whyn't you hush?" Luster said. "You want me to give you somethin to sho nough moan about?
Sposin I does dis." He knelt and swept the bottle suddenly up and behind him.
Ben ceased moaning.
He squatted, looking at the small depression where the bottle had sat, then as he drew his lungs full Luster brought the bottle back into view. "Hush!" he hissed. "Dont you dast to beller! Dont you.
Dar hit is.
See?
Here.
You fixin to start ef you stays here.
Come on, les go see ef dey started knockin ball yit." He took Ben's arm and drew him up and they went to the fence and stood side by side there, peering between the matted honeysuckle not yet in bloom.
"Dar," Luster said. "Dar come some.
See um?"
They watched the foursome play onto the green and out, and move to the tee and drive.
Ben watched, whimpering, slobbering.
When the foursome went on he followed along the fence, bobbing and moaning. One said,
"Here, caddie.
Bring the bag."
"Hush, Benjy," Luster said, but Ben went on at his shambling trot, clinging to the fence, wailing in his hoarse, hopeless voice.
The man played and went on, Ben keeping pace with him until the fence turned at right angles, and he clung to the fence, watching the people move on and away.
"Will you hush now?" Luster said. "Will you hush now?" He shook Ben's arm.
Ben clung to the fence, wailing steadily and hoarsely. "Aint you gwine stop?" Luster said. "Or is you?" Ben gazed through the fence. "All right, den," Luster said. "You want somethin to belier about?" He looked over his shoulder, toward the house.
Then he whispered: "Caddy!
Beller now.
"Caddy!
"Caddy!
"Caddy!
A moment later, in the slow intervals of Ben's voice, Luster heard Dilsey calling.
He took Ben by the arm and they crossed the yard toward her.
"I tole you he warnt gwine stay quiet," Luster said.
"You vilyun!" Dilsey said. "Whut you done to him?"
"I aint done nothin.
I tole you when dem folks start playin, he git started up."
"You come on here," Dilsey said. "Hush, Benjy.
Hush, now." But he wouldn't hush.
They crossed the yard quickly and went to the cabin and entered. "Run git dat shoe," Dilsey said. "Dont you sturb Miss Cahline, now.
Ef she say anything, tell her I got him.
Go on, now; you kin sho do dat right, I reckon." Luster went out.
Dilsey led Ben to the bed and drew him down beside her and she held him, rocking back and forth, wiping his drooling mouth upon the hem of her skirt. "Hush, now," she said, stroking his head. "Hush.
Dilsey got you." But he bellowed slowly, abjectly, without tears; the grave hopeless sound of all voiceless misery under the sun.
Luster returned, carrying a white satin slipper. It was yellow now, and cracked, and soiled, and when they gave it into Ben's hand he hushed for a while.
But he still whimpered, and soon he lifted his voice again.
"You reckon you kin find T. P.?" Dilsey said.
"He say yistiddy he gwine out to St John's today.
Say he be back at fo."
Dilsey rocked back and forth, stroking Ben's head.
"Dis long time, O Jesus," she said. "Dis long time."
"I kin drive dat surrey, mammy," Luster said.
"You kill bofe y'all," Dilsey said. "You do hit fer devilment.
I knows you got plenty sense to.
But I cant trust you.
Hush, now," she said. "Hush.