The Right Side of Wrong by Reavis Wortham Page B

good.”
    â€œThat’s what I’m talking about. Somebody set up a still way back up in the woods down there, and then some others came along and left ’em in a shaller grave.”
    â€œSo that’s why you here?”
    â€œPartly. I saw y’all when we went by, and figgered you might need some help. I also figgered you might have seen who’s been driving in and out, before we showed up.”
    She snorted like a colt. “A-course I noticed. There ain’t no door or screen on this sorry-assed shack, so I hear everybody that comes by.”
    â€œYou know what they look like?”
    â€œThe dead’uns?”
    â€œOr them that did it.”
    She stabbed the melting chocolate with the tines. “I watched the moonshiners come and go, but they didn’t come by much. They only made a trip or two. I knew what they was doin’ down there, ’cause they had a truck with a tarp coverin’ the back. Don’t nobody cover nothing like that ’less they don’t want anybody to see what they got back there.”
    â€œCould have been anything under that tarp.”
    â€œBut it weren’t.” She tilted the bowl and drank the cool chocolate.
    â€œWhat about the others?”
    â€œFour of ’em. Three was greasy-looking no-account white mens. The other’n was big, like you, only white, and he wore shades.”
    â€œWould you know ’em if you’s to see ’em again?”
    â€œYeah, they slowed once to get a real good look while I was hanging out clothes one day. I’s facin’ the road, and gave ’em a good look right back.”
    John dipped his finger in his bowl and let the baby suck on it.
    â€œYou got kids?”
    â€œAin’t married.”
    â€œYou handle ’em like you know what you doin’.”
    One little girl draped herself over John’s big shoulder. He could tell they were all starving for love. He patted her hand, and gave the least one another chocolate-covered finger to lick.
    â€œI know about kids. My sister has two. You from around here?”
    â€œNot really. We moved here from Jefferson when I was carryin’ the oldest girl there, Belle. My husband Walter said things might be more better for us here than back on the Caddo, but he was wrong, as usual. It’s as hard here, as there.”
    â€œWhat does he do?”
    â€œSheeeiiittt. I don’t know. I ain’t seen him in a year. Probably laid up with somebody else.” When she realized that her story was blown, she stopped.
    â€œHow do you get by?”
    She ducked her head, but didn’t say anything for a long minute. “We manage.”
    â€œWell, you got a job now. Mr. Ned’ll send a truck by to get you.”
    Her eyes flashed. “I ain’t no field hand.”
    â€œWell, there’s a difference in a hired hand, and there ain’t no shame in working a field. Mr. Ned pays good wages for a day’s work. He’ll pay them older kids, too, the same wage.”
    â€œWho gonna watch these little ’uns?”
    â€œBring ’em all along. There’s always a young gal or two who’ll watch ’em while everbody works.”
    â€œMaybe I don’t want to.”
    â€œI guess you figure a car’s gonna drive out here from Chisum to give you money, or a job at the soup factory. It’s a job , and it’ll make a difference here.”
    She stared at the empty road. “I heard the shots.”
    â€œWhen them fellas was killed?”
    â€œI figger it was about that time. Them four drove past, and then a while later there was a whole bunch of shooting, a lot more than it takes to kill two people. Then, they drove back past with only two in the car. Two more was driving the first truck.”
    â€œThat must have been it, then.”
    â€œShades stopped for a minute.”
    John waited.
    â€œHe got out of the car and came up here in the yard, pretty as you