See that house up on the hill there? Less us stop a some water.』
No, we better wait. Well water gives you typhoid.』
I already had typhoid. I had pneumonia and a broken leg and a ied foot.』
I remember.』
Yeah, Mick said. Me and Bill stayed in the front room when we had typhoid fever ae Wells would run past on the sidewalk holding his nose and looking up at the window. Bill was very embarrassed. All my hair came out so I was bald-headed.』
I bet were at least ten miles from town. Weve been riding an hour and a half—fast riding, too.』
I sure am thirsty, Mick said. And hungry. What you got in that sack for lunch?』
Cold liver pudding and chi salad sandwiches and pie.』
Thats a good piiner. She was ashamed of what she had brought. I got two hard-boiled eggs—already stuffed—with separate little packages of salt and pepper. And sandwiches—blackberry jelly with butter. Everything ed in oil paper.
And paper napkins.』
I didnt intend for you t anything, Harry said. *My Mother fixed lunch for both of us. I asked you out here and all. Well e to a store soon a cold drinks.』
They rode half an hour longer before they finally came to the filling-station store. Harry propped up the bicycles and she went in ahead of him. After the bright glare the store seemed dark. The shelves were stacked with slabs of white meat, s of oil, and saeal. Flies buzzed over a big, sticky jar of
loose dy on the ter.
?What kind of drinks you got? Harry asked.
The storeman started to hem over. Mick opehe ice box and looked inside. Her hands felt good in the cold water.
I want a chocolate Nehi. You got any of them?』
Ditto, Harry said. Make it two.』
No, wait a minute. Heres some ice-cold beer. I want a bottle of beer if you treat as high as that Harry ordered one for himself, also. He thought it wasa sin for anybody uwenty to drink beer—but maybe he just suddenly wao be a sport. After the first swallow he made a bitter face. They sat oeps in front of the store.
Micks legs were so tired that the muscles in them jumped.
She wiped the neck of the bottle with her hand and took a long, cold pull. Across the road there was a big empty field of grass, and beyond that a fringe of pine woods. The trees were every color of green—from a bright yellow-green to a dark color that was almost black. The sky was hot blue.
I like beer, she said. I used to sop bread down in the drops our Dad left. I like to lick salt out my hand while I drink. This is the sed bottle to myself Ive ever had.』
The first swallow was sour. But the rest tastes good.』
The storeman said it was twelve miles from town. They had four more miles to go. Harry paid him and they were out i sun again. Harry was talking loud and he kept laughing without any reason.
Gosh, the beer along with this hot sun makes me dizzy. But I sure do feel good, he said.
I t wait to get in swimming.』
There was sand in the road and they had to throw all their weight on the pedals to keep from bogging. Harrys shirt was stuck to his back with sweat. He still kept talking. The road ged to red clay and the sand was behind them. There was a slow colored song in her mind—one Portias brother used to play on his harp. She pedaled in time to it.
Then finally they reached the place she had been looking for.
"This is it! See that sign that says PRIVATE? We got to climb the bob-wire fend then take that