Barn Burning.docx

Barn Burning.docx

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BarnBurning

BarnBurning

WilliamFaulkner

ThestoreinwhichthejusticeofthePeace'scourtwassittingsmelledofcheese.Theboy,crouchedonhisnailkegatthebackofthecrowdedroom,knewhesmelledcheese,andmore:

fromwherehesathecouldseetherankedshelvesclose-packedwiththesolid,squat,dynamicshapesoftincanswhoselabelshisstomachread,notfromtheletteringwhichmeantnothingtohismindbutfromthescarletdevilsandthesilvercurveoffish-this,thecheesewhichheknewhesmelledandthehermeticmeatwhichhisintestinesbelievedhesmelledcominginintermittentgustsmomentaryandbriefbetweentheotherconstantone,thesmellandsensejustalittleoffearbecausemostlyofdespairandgrief,theoldfiercepullofblood.HecouldnotseethetablewheretheJusticesatandbeforewhichhisfatherandhisfather'senemy（ourenemyhethoughtinthatdespair;ourn!

mineandhisnboth!

He'smyfather!

）stood,buthecouldhearthem,thetwoofthemthatis,becausehisfatherhadsaidnowordyet:

"Butwhatproofhaveyou,Mr.Harris?

"

"Itoldyou.Thehoggotintomycorn.Icaughtitupandsentitbacktohim.Hehadnofencethatwouldholdit.Itoldhimso,warnedhim.ThenexttimeIputthehoginmypen.WhenhecametogetitIgavehimenoughwiretopatchuphispen.ThenexttimeIputthehogupandkeptit.IrodedowntohishouseandsawthewireIgavehimstillrolledontothespoolinhisyard.Itoldhimhecouldhavethehogwhenhepaidmeadollarpoundfee.Thateveninganiggercamewiththedollarandgotthehog.Hewasastrangenigger.Hesaid,'Hesaytotellyouwoodandhaykinburn.'Isaid,'What?

''Thatwhuthesaytotellyou,'theniggersaid.'Woodandhaykinburn.'Thatnightmybarnburned.IgotthestockoutbutIlostthebarn."

"Whereisthenigger?

Haveyougothim?

"

"Hewasastrangenigger,Itellyou.Idon'tknowwhatbecameofhim."

"Butthat'snotproof.Don'tyouseethat'snotproof?

"

"Getthatboyuphere.Heknows."ForamomenttheboythoughttoothatthemanmeanthisolderbrotheruntilHarrissaid,"Nothim.Thelittleone.Theboy,"and,crouching,smallforhisage,smallandwirylikehisfather,inpatchedandfadedjeanseventoosmallforhim,withstraight,uncombed,brownhairandeyesgrayandwildasstormscud,hesawthemenbetweenhimselfandthetablepartandbecomealaneofgrimfaces,attheendofwhichhesawthejustice,ashabby,collarless,grayingmaninspectacles,beckoninghim.Hefeltnofloorunderhisbarefeet;heseemedtowalkbeneaththepalpableweightofthegrimturningfaces.Hisfather,stiffinhisblackSundaycoatdonnednotforthetrialbutforthemoving,didnotevenlookathim.Heaimsformetolie,hethought,againwiththatfranticgriefanddespair.AndIwillhavetodohit.

"What'syourname,boy?

"thejusticesaid.

"ColonelSartorisSnopes,"theboywhispered.

"Hey?

"theJusticesaid."Talklouder.ColonelSartoris?

IreckonanybodynamedforColonelSartorisinthiscountrycan'thelpbuttellthetruth,canthey?

"Theboysaidnothing.Enemy!

Enemy!

hethought;foramomenthecouldnotevensee,couldnotseethatthejustice'sfacewaskindlynordiscernthathisvoicewastroubledwhenhespoketothemannamedHarris:

"Doyouwantmetoquestionthisboy?

"Buthecouldhear,andduringthosesubsequentlongsecondswhiletherewasabsolutelynosoundinthecrowdedlittleroomsavethatofquietandintentbreathingitwasasifhehadswungoutwardattheendofagrapevine,overaravine,andatthetopoftheswinghadbeencaughtinaprolongedinstantofmesmerizedgravity,weightlessintime.

"No!

"Harrissaidviolently,explosively."Damnation!

Sendhimoutofhere!

"Nowtime,thefluidworld,rushedbeneathhimagain,thevoicescomingtohimagainthroughthesmellofcheeseandsealedmeat,thefearanddespairandtheoldgriefofblood:

"Thiscaseisclosed.Ican'tfindagainstyou,Snopes,butIcangiveyouadvice.Leavethiscountryanddon'tcomebacktoit."

Hisfatherspokeforthefirsttime,hisvoicecoldandharsh,level,withoutemphasis:

"Iaimto.Idon'tfiguretostayinacountryamongpeoplewho…"hesaidsomethingunprintableandvile,addressedtonoone.

"That'lldo,"theJusticesaid."Takeyourwagonandgetoutofthiscountrybeforedark.Casedismissed."

Hisfatherturned,andhefollowedthestiffblackcoat,thewiryfigurewalkingalittlestifflyfromwhereaConfederateprovost'sman'smusketballhadtakenhimintheheelonastolenhorsethirtyyearsago,followedthetwobacksnow,sincebetweenthetwolinesofgrim-facedmenandoutofthestoreandacrosstheworngalleryanddownthesaggingstepsandamongthedogsandhalf-grownboysinthemildMaydust,whereashepassedavoicehissed:

"Barnburner!

"

Againhecouldnotsee,whirling;therewasafaceinaredhaze,moonlike,biggerthanthefullmoon,theownerofithalfagainitssize,heleapingintheredhazetowardtheface,feelingnoblow,feelingnoshockwhenhisheadstrucktheearth,scrabblingupandleapingagain,feelingnoblowthistimeeitherandtastingnoblood,scrabblinguptoseetheotherboyinfullflightandhimselfalreadyleapingintopursuitashisfather'shandjerkedhimback,theharsh,coldvoicespeakingabovehim:

"Gogetinthewagon."

Itstoodinagroveoflocustsandmulberriesacrosstheroad.HistwohulkingsistersintheirSundaydressesandhismotherandhersisterincalicoandsunbonnetswerealreadyinit,sittingonandamongthesorryresidueofthedozenandmoremovingswhicheventheboycouldrememberthebatteredstove,thebrokenbedsandchairs,theclockinlaidwithmother-of-pearl,whichwouldnotrun,stoppedatsomefourteenminutespasttwoo'clockofadeadandforgottendayandtime,whichhadbeenhismother'sdowry.Shewascrying,thoughwhenshesawhimshedrewhersleeveacrossherfaceandbegantodescendfromthewagon."Getback,"thefathersaid.

"He'shurt.Igottogetsomewaterandwashhis…"

Hisolderbrotherhadappearedfromsomewhereinthecrowd,notallerthanthefatherbutthicker,chewingtobaccosteadily,

"Getbackinthewagon,"hisfathersaid.Hegotintoo,overthetail-gate.Hisfathermountedtotheseatwheretheolderbrotheralreadysatandstruckthegauntmulestwosavageblowswiththepeeledwillow,butwithoutheat.Itwasnotevensadistic;itwasexactlythatsamequalitywhichinlateryearswouldcausehisdescendantstoover-runtheenginebeforeputtingamotorcarintomotion,strikingandreiningbackinthesamemovement.Thewagonwenton,thestorewithitsquietcrowdofgrimlywatchingmendroppedbehind;acurveintheroadhidit.Foreverhethought.Maybehe'sdonesatisfiednow,nowthathehas...stoppinghimself,nottosayitaloudeventohimself.Hismother'shandtouchedhisshoulder.

"Doeshithurt?

"shesaid.

"Naw,"hesaid."Hitdon'thurt.Lemmebe."

"Can'tyouwipesomeofthebloodoffbeforehitdries?

"

"I'llwashto-night,"hesaid."Lemmebe,Itellyou."。

Thewagonwenton.Hedidnotknowwheretheyweregoing.Noneofthemeverdidoreverasked,becauseitwasalwayssomewhere,alwaysahouseofsortswaitingforthemadayortwodaysoreventhreedaysaway.Likelyhisfatherhadalreadyarrangedtomakeacroponanotherfarmbeforehe...Againhehadtostophimself.He（thefather）alwaysdid.Therewassomethingabouthiswolflikeindependenceandevencouragewhentheadvantagewasatleastneutralwhichimpressedstrangers,asiftheygotfromhislatentraveningferocitynotsomuchasenseofdependabilityasafeelingthathisferociousconvictionintherightnessofhisownactionswouldbeofadvantagetoallwhoseinterestlaywithhis.

Thatnighttheycampedinagroveofoaksandbeecheswhereaspringran.Thenightswerestillcoolandtheyhadafireagainstit,ofarailliftedfromanearbyfenceandcutintolengths-asmallfire,neat,niggardalmost,ashrewdfire;suchfireswerehisfather'shabitandcustomalways,eveninfreezingweather.Older,theboymighthaveremarkedthisandwonderedwhynotabigone;whyshouldnotamanwhohadnotonlyseenthewasteandextravaganceofwar,butwhohadinhisbloodaninherentvoraciousprodigalitywithmaterialnothisown,haveburnedeverythinginsight?

Thenhemighthavegoneastepfartherandthoughtthatthatwasthereason:

thatniggardblazewasthelivingfruitofnightspassedduringthosefouryearsinthewoodshidingfromallmen,blueorgray,withhisstringsofhorses（capturedhorses,hecalledthem）.Andolderstill,hemighthavedivinedthetruereason:

thattheelementoffirespoketosomedeepmainspringofhisfather'sbeing,astheelementofsteelorofpowderspoketoothermen,astheoneweaponforthepreservationofintegrity,elsebreathwerenotworththebreathing,andhencetoberegardedwithrespectandusedwithdiscretion.

Buthedidnotthinkthisnowandhehadseenthosesameniggardblazesallhislife.Hemerelyatehissupperbesideitandwasalreadyhalfasleepoverhisironplatewhenhisfathercalledhim,andoncemorehefollowedthestiffback,thestiffandruthlesslimp,uptheslopeandontothestarlitroadwhere,turning,hecouldseehisfatheragainstthestarsbutwithoutfaceordepth——ashapeblack,flat,andbloodlessasthoughcutfromtinintheironfoldsofthefrockcoatwhichhadnotbeenmadeforhim,thevoiceharshliketinandwithoutheatliketin:

"Youwerefixingtotellthem.Youwouldhavetoldhim."Hedidn'tanswer.Hisfatherstruckhimwiththeflatofhishandonthesideofthehead,hardbutwithoutheat,exactlyashehadstruckthetwomulesatthestore,exactlyashewouldstrikeeitherofthem