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Authors: Jeff Egerton
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shoulder. After the events of the
past few days, it felt good to be working. He didn’t blame the
farmer for being cautious and in spite of that, there was something
about the guy that he liked. He hoped they’d be able to stay on and
work for him. Maybe they’d even be able to write his Momma that
letter soon. With a smile on his face, he laid the whip to the
mule.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Catwalk silently ate his third helping of
beef stew. After a full day’s work it tasted wonderful and he hoped
the farmer, whose name was Barney, would keep them around. He’d
seen the farmer’s look of appreciation at their work and in spite
of his broken arm, Barney didn’t sit down and watch. He worked
harder than most men with two arms.
Their fourth day on the farm found Catwalk
mending fences and Curly butchering a hog so Barney could take a
ham to the soup kitchen for the transients. Over a lunch of soup
and ham sandwiches, Catwalk said, “Curly, we’ve gone to heaven.
Steady work, sleeping under a roof and regular meals, this is
great.”
“ It beats walkin’ down the
road with your stomach growling. We’ll probably get fat like that
lady I seen in the circus.”
Catwalk laughed and said, “I think this
guy’s pretty rich. This is a big spread and he don’t seem to be
wanting for anything.”
“ I know. He’s got two new
Ford trucks in that garage and he said he’s buying a new tractor.
What do you suppose is in that big building out by the
field?”
“ I don’t know; must be
more machinery. What’s a tractor? I never heard of a tractor
before.”
“ It’s kind of like a
truck, with a motor and all, but it’s used to pull your farm
machinery. You can even put a plow behind it so you don’t have to
plow with a mule.”
“ No kidding.” Catwalk said
behind a smile. “If a guy had one of those you could plow a whole
section in a day.”
Two weeks later Barney invited the boys to
join him and his housekeeper on the porch one evening. A cool
breeze rustling through the chinaberry bushes and the thrashers
constant chirping made for a relaxing setting. Catwalk took a long
sip of lemonade; it tasted so good.
Barney handed both boys three ten dollar
bills and said, “This is your first two week’s wages. I held off
paying you until I was sure you earned your pay without stealing
anything. I like the way you work and you can stick around if you
have a mind to.”
This was more money than Catwalk had ever
seen. Tears filled his eyes as he said, “Thank you, Mr. Barney. I’m
going to send my Momma twenty dollars, first thing.” He smiled,
thinking of the joy his Mother would feel when she got the
money.
Barney said, “She’ll be real proud of that,
Catwalk.”
Curly said, “We like working for ya’ and
we’ll stick around as long as there’s work to do.”
Barney said, “I was skeptical because the
last two guys I hired, stole from me. One took off with a mare, so
I didn’t figure to hire anyone else, but when I broke my arm things
changed.”
Curly asked, “How long you had this
place?”
“ About four years. I used
to be in the oil business back in Odessa. Back then, a small
producer with a few wells pumping could make a lot of money, and I
did. A few years back I thought the economy was going take a
plunge, so I got out of that and bought three farms. Then my wife
died in the spring of ’29. She’d been sickly for a year or so.
That’s another reason I got out of the oil business, so I could
take care of her. Turns out I didn’t have to for long.”
Barney looked off into the distance. Catwalk
knew he was thinking of his late wife and he felt sorry for the
man’s loss. He liked Barney and thoroughly enjoyed his new
home.
Barney continued, “Oh, there ain’t nothin’ I
like more than working the land and having a good crop year. I paid
cash for all my property and put the rest of my money in a foreign
bank. When all the American banks had to close, I was still O.K. I
sold one of the
past few days, it felt good to be working. He didn’t blame the
farmer for being cautious and in spite of that, there was something
about the guy that he liked. He hoped they’d be able to stay on and
work for him. Maybe they’d even be able to write his Momma that
letter soon. With a smile on his face, he laid the whip to the
mule.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Catwalk silently ate his third helping of
beef stew. After a full day’s work it tasted wonderful and he hoped
the farmer, whose name was Barney, would keep them around. He’d
seen the farmer’s look of appreciation at their work and in spite
of his broken arm, Barney didn’t sit down and watch. He worked
harder than most men with two arms.
Their fourth day on the farm found Catwalk
mending fences and Curly butchering a hog so Barney could take a
ham to the soup kitchen for the transients. Over a lunch of soup
and ham sandwiches, Catwalk said, “Curly, we’ve gone to heaven.
Steady work, sleeping under a roof and regular meals, this is
great.”
“ It beats walkin’ down the
road with your stomach growling. We’ll probably get fat like that
lady I seen in the circus.”
Catwalk laughed and said, “I think this
guy’s pretty rich. This is a big spread and he don’t seem to be
wanting for anything.”
“ I know. He’s got two new
Ford trucks in that garage and he said he’s buying a new tractor.
What do you suppose is in that big building out by the
field?”
“ I don’t know; must be
more machinery. What’s a tractor? I never heard of a tractor
before.”
“ It’s kind of like a
truck, with a motor and all, but it’s used to pull your farm
machinery. You can even put a plow behind it so you don’t have to
plow with a mule.”
“ No kidding.” Catwalk said
behind a smile. “If a guy had one of those you could plow a whole
section in a day.”
Two weeks later Barney invited the boys to
join him and his housekeeper on the porch one evening. A cool
breeze rustling through the chinaberry bushes and the thrashers
constant chirping made for a relaxing setting. Catwalk took a long
sip of lemonade; it tasted so good.
Barney handed both boys three ten dollar
bills and said, “This is your first two week’s wages. I held off
paying you until I was sure you earned your pay without stealing
anything. I like the way you work and you can stick around if you
have a mind to.”
This was more money than Catwalk had ever
seen. Tears filled his eyes as he said, “Thank you, Mr. Barney. I’m
going to send my Momma twenty dollars, first thing.” He smiled,
thinking of the joy his Mother would feel when she got the
money.
Barney said, “She’ll be real proud of that,
Catwalk.”
Curly said, “We like working for ya’ and
we’ll stick around as long as there’s work to do.”
Barney said, “I was skeptical because the
last two guys I hired, stole from me. One took off with a mare, so
I didn’t figure to hire anyone else, but when I broke my arm things
changed.”
Curly asked, “How long you had this
place?”
“ About four years. I used
to be in the oil business back in Odessa. Back then, a small
producer with a few wells pumping could make a lot of money, and I
did. A few years back I thought the economy was going take a
plunge, so I got out of that and bought three farms. Then my wife
died in the spring of ’29. She’d been sickly for a year or so.
That’s another reason I got out of the oil business, so I could
take care of her. Turns out I didn’t have to for long.”
Barney looked off into the distance. Catwalk
knew he was thinking of his late wife and he felt sorry for the
man’s loss. He liked Barney and thoroughly enjoyed his new
home.
Barney continued, “Oh, there ain’t nothin’ I
like more than working the land and having a good crop year. I paid
cash for all my property and put the rest of my money in a foreign
bank. When all the American banks had to close, I was still O.K. I
sold one of the
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