Read Online The Well by Mildred D. Taylor - Free Book Online Page B

“Look like I done beat y’all to this sweet water this morning!”
    Mr. Peabody laughed and got down, followed by his boys. “Well, jus’ don’t get it all! We got us a mighty thirst!”
    The Peabodys went over and stood by the well. Mr. Tom Bee got down along with John Henry, and the two of them gave the Peabodys and the Melbournes a polite nod, then grinned at Hammer and me. “How y’all boys doin’?” asked Mr. Tom Bee. “And how’s the rest of the family?”
    â€œFine,” we said.
    â€œGood. Think I’ll go on in and speak while’s I wait my turn.”
    Mr. Tom Bee started across the lawn.
    I followed after him, carrying the basket of pickledonions and tomatoes and such. John Henry stayed with Hammer.
    Hammer lifted the top off the well.
    I stopped and turned. So did Mr. Tom Bee.
    â€œLord have mercy!” exclaimed Mr. Melbourne, and he stepped back from the well. Everybody standing there did the same. All hands went to their faces. “What in God’s name is that stench?” cried Mr. Melbourne.
    I set down the basket and hurried over. Mr. Tom Bee followed.
    â€œMama!” called Hammer, stepping back to the well. “Mama!”
    Mama immediately appeared in the doorway. “What is it? What…what’s that I smell?”
    â€œIt’s the well, Mama!” I yelled to her. “It’s the well!”
    Mama left the doorway and ran to the well. She peered down it, down, down into the blackness of it. Then she unhooked the bucket from its post and lowered it, down, down into the well.
    â€œHere, Miz Caroline, let me do that,” said Mr. Tom Bee.
    Mama shook her head, not even turning to him. Her eyes were on the blackness of the well.
    We all heard the bucket drop. We all heard thebucket fill. Then Mama pulled on the rope and began to haul water. Hammer went over to her. “Let me, Mama,” he said. But again she shook her head, almost as if she didn’t hear.
    Hand over fist, hand over fist, she drew the water up.
    The stench became almost unbearable.
    The bucket was up.
    Mama wrapped the rope back to its pole and peered into the water; then she shook her head. Strands of long hair lay on top of the bloody water. “Something’s dead down there,” she said in a voice unbelieving. “Some animal done fell in, tryin’ t’ get to the water. She shook her head again and moaned, “Oh, Lord…”
    â€œCharlie.”
    Everyone’s eyes settled on Hammer.
    â€œCharlie Simms. Son-of-a—”
    â€œHammer!” cried Mama, not stupefied enough to let Hammer swear.
    â€œNo animal jus’ done fell down there, Mama. The top was on,” Hammer said. “But some animal I know done put something foul down in there!”
    â€œBoy, you know what you sayin’?” demanded Mr. Peabody.
    Mr. Tom Bee stepped forward. “Now, Hammer, wait—”
    â€œYeah, I know.”
    There was only silence. A dead silence.
    Mama stepped back from the well. “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.”
    â€œLord ain’t had nothin’ t’ do with this!” exclaimed Hammer. “It was them Simmses! David knows it! They ain’t never liked the fact we had water on our land and they ain’t, and they had to come up here and get water. Charlie and Ed-Rose much as told David and me they’d come up and poison this well one day. They said it a time we was all down at the creek watering our cows. Another time too. Said maybe one day we’d find something dead down our well. Ain’t that right, David? Ain’t that what they said?”
    John Henry had heard the same but Hammer didn’t put his name in it, and I think John Henry was just as glad he didn’t. I looked around the circle of folks, at Hammer, and nodded. “It’s the truth all right.”
    Mr. Peabody stepped forward. “Y’all know what y’all