Last night these here friends e round to my house and say that Buster were home and had something to tellme about Willie. I run all the way and this here is what he said.』
Yes.』
There were three of them. Willie and Buster and this other boy. They were friends. Then this here trouble e up. Portia halted. She wet her finger with her tongue and then moistened her dry lips with her finger. It were something to do with the way this here white guard picked on them all the time. They were out on roadwork one day and Buster he sassed bad theher boy he try to run off in the woods. They taken all three of them. They taken all three of them to the camp and put them in this here ice-cold room.』
He said yes again. But his head quavered and the word sounded like a rattle in his throat.
It were about six weeks ago, Portia said. You remember that cold spell then. They put Willie and them boys in this room like ice.』
Portia spoke in a low voice, and she her paused between words nor did the grief in her face soften. It was like a low song. She spoke and he could not uand. The sounds were distin his ear but they had no shape or meaning. It was as though his head were the prow of a boat and the sounds were water that broke on him and then flowed past. He felt he had to look behind to find the words already said.
. . . and their feets swolled up and they lay there and struggle on the floor and holler out. And nobody e. They hollered there for three days and three nights and nobody e.』
I am deaf, said Doctor Copeland. I ot uand.』
They put our Willie and them boys in this here ice-cold room.
There were a rope hanging down from the ceiling. They taken their shoes off and tied their bare feets to this rope. Willie and them boys lay there with their backs on the floor and their feets in the air. And their, feets swolled up and they struggle on the floor and holler out. It were ice-cold in the room and their feets froze. Their feets swolled up and they hollered for three nights and three days. And nobody e.
Doctor Copeland pressed his head with his hands, but still the steady trembling would not stop. I ot hear what you say.』
Then at last they e to get them. They quickly taken Willie and them boys to the sick ward and their legs were all swolled and froze. Gangrehey sawed off both our Willies feet.
Buster Johnson lost one foot and the other boy got well. But our Willie—he crippled for life now. Both his feet sawed off.』
The words were finished and Portia leaned over and struck her head upoable. She did not oan, but she struck her head again and again on the hard-scrubbed top of the table. The bowl and spoon rattled and he removed them to the sink. The words were scattered in his mind, but he did not try to assemble them. He scalded the bowl and spoon and washed out the dish-towel. He picked up something from the floor and put it somewhere.
Crippled? he asked. William?』
Portia knocked her head oable and the blows had a rhythm like the slow beat of a drum and his heart took up this rhythm also. Quietly the words came alive and fitted to the meaning and he uood.
When will they send him home?』
Portia leaned her drooping head on her arm. Buster dont know that. Soon afterward they separate all three of them in different places. They sent Buster to another camp. Since Willie only haves a few more months he think he liable to be home soon now.』
They drank coffe