Lone Star Rising by Elmer Kelton

Author:Elmer Kelton
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780765308917
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

The Dawkins farm lay just ahead. Much as he might deny it, Pete had begun looking forward to seeing it again. He had been in his early teens when Old Colonel had built the big house. It was often an unhappy place, but home nevertheless. His father sometimes treated him as if he were a black slave in the fields. His protective mother, on the other hand, had tried to shelter him and ease his wounded pride when she thought the colonel had been too harsh. He learned early how to manipulate her. He was never able to manipulate his father.

Caleb Dawkins had been brought up to believe in supplementing the sermon with the lash. He bore scars from his own boyhood and visited their like upon his son. He believed in bending the twig in the direction he wanted the tree to grow. But Pete had thwarted him. He grew in his own direction.

The nearer they came to the house, the more nervous Scully became. Some of that nervousness was contagious, but Pete would not acknowledge it for a hundred dollars in Yankee silver.

Pete tried to ease Scully’s fears. “Who knows? He may even kill the fatted calf.”

“More likely he’ll meet us with a shotgun. It near tore the heart out of him to admit what you done.”

“What we done. You was mixed up in it as deep as I was.”

“But it was your idea.”

“We’re stayin’ just long enough to get us a fresh outfit and maybe some better horses. And to dig up that can of gold and silver from under the woodpile.”

“He may have dug it up already.”

“He’s too tight. He’d let it lay there and rust before he’d spend it. I’m takin’ it for all the work I done on this place and never got paid for.”

“What if he puts up a fight?”

“He’s an old man, and I’m tougher than when I went into the army. I can whip him.”

“You didn’t talk this brave the last time.”

Pete gave Scully an angry look. Scully was getting too free with his mouth. One of these days he was liable to earn himself a good stomping. That would teach him to stay in his proper place. “I’ll handle the old man, don’t you worry yourself about that.”

In truth, Pete had no idea what the reception would be or how he would react to it. He thought he would try being politely formal. That would please his mother and make her easy to handle. It might be unexpected enough to keep the old man off balance as well. If it did not work, military service had taught Pete a few things, like standing up for his rights so long as that stand did not put his life in jeopardy. He knew there was a time to be bold and a time to back away. He could always try boldness if being polite did not disarm Old Colonel.

One of the slaves came out from the barn and stared in surprise. “Marse Pete? Can that be you?”

“Sure as hell is, Jethro.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.