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Through
the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting. They
were coming toward where the flag was and I went along the fence. Luster was
hunting in the grass by the flower tree. They took the flag out, and they
were hitting. Then they put the flag back and they went to the table, and
he hit and the other hit. Then they went on, and I went along the fence. Luster
came away from the flower tree and we went along the fence and they stopped
and we stopped and I looked through the fence while Luster was hunting in
the grass.
"Here, caddie."
He hit. They went away across the pasture. I held to the fence and watched
them going away.
"Listen at
you, now." Luster said. "Aint you something, thirty three years
old, going on that way. After I done went all the way to town to buy you that
cake. Hush up that moaning. Aint you going to help me find that quarter so
I can go to the show tonight."
They were hitting
little, across the pasture. I went back along the fence to where the flag
was. It flapped on the bright grass and the trees.
"Come on."
Luster said. "We done looked there. They aint no more coming right now.
Les go down to the branch and find that quarter before them niggers finds
it."
It was red, flapping
on the pasture. Then there was a bird slanting and tilting on it. Luster threw.
The flag flapped on the bright grass and the trees. I held to the fence.
"Shut up
that moaning." Luster said. "I cant make them come if they aint
coming, can I. If you dont hush up, mammy aint going to have no birthday for
you. If you dont hush, you know what I going to do. I going to eat that cake
all up. Eat them candles, too. Eat all them thirty three candles. Come on,
les go down to the branch. I got to find my quarter. Maybe we can find one
of they balls. Here. Here they is. Way over yonder. See." He came to
the fence and pointed his arm. "See them. They aint coming back here
no more. Come on.
We went along
the fence and came to the garden fence, where our shadows were. My shadow
was higher than Luster's on the fence. We came to the hroken place and went
through it.
"Wait a minute."
Luster said. "You snagged on that nail again. Cant you never crawl through
here without snagging on that nail."
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