Maybe I couldn't stop them.
I didn't know they could shake so hard.
They shake both of us, shaking. "I never done it," he says. "I never touched them."
My hands stop shaking him, but I still hold him.
"What are you doing here?
Why didn't you answer when I called you?"
"I aint doing nothing."
“You go on to the house and get your supper."
He draws back.
I hold him.
"You quit now.
You leave me be."
"What were you doing down here?
You didn't come down here to sneak after me?"
"I never.
I never.
You quit, now.
I didn't even know you was down here.
You leave me be."
I hold him, leaning down to see his face, feel it with my eyes.
He is about to cry.
"Go on, now.
I done put supper on and I'll be there soon as I milk.
You better go on before he eats everything up.
I hope that team runs clean back to Jefferson."
"He kilt her," he says.
He begins to cry.
"Hush."
"She never hurt him and he come and kilt her."
"Hush."
He struggles.
I hold him.
"Hush."
"He kilt her."
The cow comes up behind us, moaning.
I shake him again.
"You stop it, now. Right this minute.
You're fixing to make yourself sick and then you cant go to town.
You go on to the house and eat your supper."
"I dont want no supper.
I dont want to go to town."
"We’ll leave you here, then.
Lessen you behave, we will leave you.
Go on, now, before that old green-eating tub of guts eats everything up from you."
He goes on, disappearing slowly into the hill.
The crest, the trees, the roof of the house stand against the sky.
The cow nuzzles at me, moaning.
"Youll just have to wait.
What you got in you aint nothing to what I got in me, even if you are a woman too."
She follows me, moaning.