DEATH IN THE WOODS.docx

DEATH IN THE WOODS.docx

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DEATHINTHEWOODS

DEATHINTHEWOODS

ShewasanoldwomanandlivedonafarmnearthetowninwhichIlived.Allcountryandsmall-townpeoplehaveseensucholdwomen,butnooneknowsmuchaboutthem.Suchanoldwomancomesintotowndrivinganoldworn-outhorseorshecomesafootcarryingabasket.Shemayownafewhensandhaveeggstosell.Shebringstheminabasketandtakesthemtoagrocer.Thereshetradesthemin.Shegetssomesaltporkandsomebeans.Thenshegetsapoundortwoofsugarandsomeflour.

Afterwardsshegoestothebutcher'sandasksforsomedog-meat.Shemayspendtenorfifteencents,butwhenshedoessheasksforsomething.Formerlythebutchersgavelivertoanyonewhowantedtocarryitaway.Inourfamilywewerealwayshavingit.Onceoneofmybrothersgotawholecow'sliverattheslaughter-housenearthefairgroundsinourtown.Wehadituntilweweresickofit.Itnevercostacent.Ihavehatedthethoughtofiteversince.

Theoldfarmwomangotsomeliverandasoup-bone.Shenevervisitedwithanyone,andassoonasshegotwhatshewantedshelitoutforhome.Itmadequitealoadforsuchanoldbody.Noonegaveheralift.Peopledriverightdownaroadandnevernoticeanoldwomanlikethat.

TherewassuchanoldwomanwhousedtocomeintotownpastourhouseoneSummerandFallwhenIwasayoungboyandwassickwithwhatwascalledinflammatoryrheumatism.Shewenthomelatercarryingaheavypackonherback.Twoorthreelargegaunt-lookingdogsfollowedatherheels.

Theoldwomanwasnothingspecial.Shewasoneofthenamelessonesthathardlyanyoneknows,butshegotintomythoughts.Ihavejustsuddenlynow,afteralltheseyears,rememberedherandwhathappened.Itisastory.HernamewasGrimes,andshelivedwithherhusbandandsoninasmallunpaintedhouseonthebankofasmallcreekfourmilesfromtown.

Thehusbandandsonwereatoughlot.Althoughthesonwasbuttwenty-one,hehadalreadyservedaterminjail.Itwaswhisperedaboutthatthewoman'shusbandstolehorsesandranthemofftosomeothercounty.Nowandthen,whenahorseturnedupmissing,themanhadalsodisappeared.Nooneevercaughthim.Once,whenIwasloafingatTomWhitehead'slivery-barn,themancamethereandsatonthebenchinfront.Twoorthreeothermenwerethere,butnoonespoketohim.Hesatforafewminutesandthengotupandwentaway.Whenhewasleavingheturnedaroundandstaredatthemen.Therewasalookofdefianceinhiseyes."Well,Ihavetriedtobefriendly.Youdon'twanttotalktome.IthasbeensowhereverIhavegoneinthistown.If,someday,oneofyourfinehorsesturnsupmissing,well,thenwhat?

"Hedidnotsayanythingactually."I'dliketobustoneofyouonthejaw,"wasaboutwhathiseyessaid.Irememberhowthelookinhiseyesmademeshiver.

Theoldmanbelongedtoafamilythathadhadmoneyonce.HisnamewasJakeGrimes.Itallcomesbackclearlynow.Hisfather,JohnGrimes,hadownedasawmillwhenthecountrywasnew,andhadmademoney.Thenhegottodrinkingandrunningafterwomen.Whenhediedtherewasn'tmuchleft.

Jakeblewintherest.Prettysoontherewasn'tanymorelumbertocutandhislandwasnearlyallgone.

HegothiswifeoffaGermanfarmer,forwhomhewenttoworkoneJunedayinthewheatharvest.Shewasayoungthingthenandscaredtodeath.Yousee,thefarmerwasuptosomethingwiththegirl--shewas,Ithink,aboundgirlandhiswifehadhersuspicions.Shetookitoutonthegirlwhenthemanwasn'taround.Then,whenthewifehadtogoofftotownforsupplies,thefarmergotafterher.ShetoldyoungJakethatnothingreallyeverhappened,buthedidn'tknowwhethertobelieveitornot.

Hegotherprettyeasyhimself,thefirsttimehewasoutwithher.Hewouldn'thavemarriedheriftheGermanfarmerhadn'ttriedtotellhimwheretogetoff.Hegothertogoridingwithhiminhisbuggyonenightwhenhewasthreshingontheplace,andthenhecameforherthenextSundaynight.

Shemanagedtogetoutofthehousewithoutheremployer'sseeing,butwhenshewasgettingintothebuggyheshowedup.Itwasalmostdark,andhejustpoppedupsuddenlyatthehorse'shead.HegrabbedthehorsebythebridleandJakegotouthisbuggy-whip.

Theyhaditoutallright!

TheGermanwasatoughone.Maybehedidn'tcarewhetherhiswifeknewornot.Jakehithimoverthefaceandshoulderswiththebuggy-whip,butthehorsegottoactingupandhehadtogetout.

Thenthetwomenwentforit.Thegirldidn'tseeit.Thehorsestartedtorunawayandwentnearlyamiledowntheroadbeforethegirlgothimstopped.Thenshemanagedtotiehimtoatreebesidetheroad.（IwonderhowIknowallthis.Itmusthavestuckinmymindfromsmall-towntaleswhenIwasaboy.）JakefoundherthereafterhegotthroughwiththeGerman.Shewashuddledupinthebuggyseat,crying,scaredtodeath.ShetoldJakealotofstuff,howtheGermanhadtriedtogether,howhechasedheronceintothebarn,howanothertime,whentheyhappenedtobealoneinthehousetogether,hetoreherdressopencleardownthefront.TheGerman,shesaid,mighthavegotherthattimeifhehadn'theardhisoldwomandriveinatthegate.Shehadbeenofftotownforsupplies.Well,shewouldbeputtingthehorseinthebarn.TheGermanmanagedtosneakofftothefieldswithouthiswifeseeing.Hetoldthegirlhewouldkillherifshetold.Whatcouldshedo?

Shetoldalieaboutrippingherdressinthebarnwhenshewasfeedingthestock.Iremembernowthatshewasaboundgirlanddidnotknowwhereherfatherandmotherwere.Maybeshedidnothaveanyfather.YouknowwhatImean.

Suchboundchildrenwereoftenenoughcruellytreated.Theywerechildrenwhohadnoparents,slavesreally.Therewereveryfeworphanhomesthen.Theywerelegallyboundintosomehome.Itwasamatterofpureluckhowitcameout.

II 

ShemarriedJakeandhadasonanddaughter,butthedaughterdied.

Thenshesettleddowntofeedstock.Thatwasherjob.AttheGerman'splaceshehadcookedthefoodfortheGermanandhiswife.Thewifewasastrongwomanwithbighipsandworkedmostofthetimeinthefieldswithherhusband.Shefedthemandfedthecowsinthebarn,fedthepigs,thehorsesandthechickens.Everymomentofeveryday,asayounggirl,wasspentfeedingsomething.

ThenshemarriedJakeGrimesandhehadtobefed.Shewasaslightthing,andwhenshehadbeenmarriedforthreeorfouryears,andafterthetwochildrenwereborn,herslendershouldersbecamestooped.

Jakealwayshadalotofbigdogsaroundthehouse,thatstoodneartheunusedsawmillnearthecreek.Hewasalwaystradinghorseswhenhewasn'tstealingsomethingandhadalotofpoorbonyonesabout.Alsohekeptthreeorfourpigsandacow.TheywereallpasturedinthefewacresleftoftheGrimesplaceandJakedidlittleenoughwork.

Hewentintodebtforathreshingoutfitandranitforseveralyears,butitdidnotpay.Peopledidnottrusthim.Theywereafraidhewouldstealthegrainatnight.Hehadtogoalongwayofftogetworkanditcosttoomuchtogetthere.IntheWinterhehuntedandcutalittlefirewood,tobesoldinsomenearbytown.Whenthesongrewuphewasjustlikethefather.Theygotdrunktogether.Iftherewasn'tanythingtoeatinthehousewhentheycamehometheoldmangavehisoldwomanacutoverthehead.Shehadafewchickensofherownandhadtokilloneoftheminahurry.Whentheywereallkilledshewouldn'thaveanyeggstosellwhenshewenttotown,andthenwhatwouldshedo?

Shehadtoschemeallherlifeaboutgettingthingsfed,gettingthepigsfedsotheywouldgrowfatandcouldbebutcheredintheFall.Whentheywerebutcheredherhusbandtookmostofthemeatofftotownandsoldit.Ifhedidnotdoitfirsttheboydid.Theyfoughtsometimesandwhentheyfoughttheoldwomanstoodasidetrembling.

Shehadgotthehabitofsilenceanyway--thatwasfixed.Sometimes,whenshebegantolookold--shewasn'tfortyyet--andwhenthehusbandandsonwerebothoff,tradinghorsesordrinkingorhuntingorstealing,shewentaroundthehouseandthebarnyardmutteringtoherself.

Howwasshegoingtogeteverythingfed?

--thatwasherproblem.Thedogshadtobefed.Therewasn'tenoughhayinthebarnforthehorsesandthecow.Ifshedidn'tfeedthechickenshowcouldtheylayeggs?

Withouteggstosellhowcouldshegetthingsintown,thingsshehadtohavetokeepthelifeofthefarmgoing?

Thankheaven,shedidnothavetofeedherhusband--inacertainway.Thathadn'tlastedlongaftertheirmarriageandafterthebabiescame.Wherehewentonhislongtripsshedidnotknow.Sometimeshewasgonefromhomeforweeks,andaftertheboygrewuptheywentofftogether.

Theylefteverythingathomeforhertomanageandshehadnomoney.Sheknewnoone.Nooneevertalkedtoherintown.WhenitwasWintershehadtogathersticksofwoodforherfire,hadtotrytokeepthestockfedwithverylittlegrain.

Thestockinthebarncriedtoherhungrily,thedogsfollowedherabout.IntheWinterthehenslaidfewenougheggs.Theyhuddledinthecornersofthebarnandshekeptwatchingthem.IfahenlaysanegginthebarnintheWinterandyoudonotfindit,itfreezesandbreaks.

OnedayinWintertheoldwomanwentofftotownwithafeweggsandthedogsfollowedher.Shedidnotgetstarteduntilnearlythreeo'clockandthesnowwasheavy.Shehadn'tbeenfeelingverywellforseveraldaysandsoshewentmutteringalong,scantilyclad,hershouldersstooped.Shehadanoldgrainbaginwhichshecarriedhereggs,tuckedawaydowninthebottom.Thereweren'tmanyofthem,butinWinterthepriceofeggsisup.Shewou