The Boxcar Blues Read Online Free PDF

asked
him, "Are you sure we should eat here?"
    "Whad'ya mean? Of course we should eat here.
She's fixin' fried chicken with biscuits an' gravy. We ain't gonna
get a better offer than that in a year."
    "Well, O.K." Catwalk still sounded
apprehensive.
    "What are you worried about?"
    "It could be a trap. As soon as we sit down
to eat, the sheriff shows up and arrests us."
    Curly had been so focused on the sumptuous
meal that he hadn't thought about this possibility. He told
Catwalk, "Nah, this ain't no trap. This lady ain't like that."
    "How’re you so sure?"
    "Well, shit. I ain't sure, but I'm to the
point where I'd rather be arrested with a full stomach than goin'
down the road on an empty stomach. C'mon, it's O.K."
    Although Catwalk had some reservations, he
followed his friend. Fried chicken sounded real good.
    Maxine Puckett watched the boys walk across
the road. In her previous profession she'd become an accurate judge
of men’s character. She didn't think these were the desperadoes
Barker had warned her about, but they fit the physical description,
and that could be as bad as being guilty. She decided to find out
what was going on, because according to Chet, the Deputy was ready
to shoot the colored boy on sight. She knew of Alton Jones' Klan
activities and his reputation as a violent hot head. If anyone
needed a warning, it was the two boys and not the local
residents.
    She met them at the door and said, "Come on
in. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."
    The boys shuffled into the kitchen, hats in
hand. Maxine noticed the black boy’s eyes were the size of saucers.
She offered Curly a cigarette, which he accepted. When she offered
Catwalk one, he shook his head. She asked him, "Have you ever
smoked a cigarette?"
    Catwalk shook his head. She asked Curly,
"Who's your friend?"
    "This is Luke, but I call him Catwalk 'cause
he can run a boxcar catwalk like a rabbit."
    Maxine smiled and said, "That so,
Catwalk?"
    He nodded, his eyes filled with
apprehension. Maxine said, "You can talk, I don't mind."
    He cleared his throat and managed, "Thank
you, ma'am."
    Maxine motioned to the table, "Sit down. We
need to talk before we eat."
    She lit a cigarette and said, "The sheriff
and his deputy are spreading the word about a couple of murderers.
Seems these guys killed and raped a couple hoboes over by Bailey's
Junction. Their description fits you two, but I don't think you're
the killer types. You better tell me what this is all about,
because there's a misunderstanding circulating, and you could be in
a hell of a lot of trouble."
    Curly took a drag on his cigarette, and then
told his story.
    When he finished, Maxine asked Catwalk, "Did
you hurt the guy before you threw him off the train?"
    Catwalk looked at Curly; he wasn't sure what
to say. Curly answered, "He broke his arm to get the knife away
before he threw him out the door."
    Maxine again asked, "You sure that's all you
did?"
    This time Catwalk answered, "Yes ma'am, when
I saw they had Curly's pants down.…"
    Curly piped up, "Ya' didn't have to tell her
that."
    Maxine said, "Were they trying to rape you,
Curly?"
    Sheepishly, "Uh, yes ma'am."
    Maxine asked, "So what happened to the
second hobo?"
    Curly said, "Well, see these guys were some
real mean bastards. I didn't know what to do, so I threatened to
cut him. He begged me not to, but I felt like hurting this guy
really bad."
    He took a drag off his cigarette and Maxine
asked, "What did you do?"
    "I wanted to stick that knife in him, but
Catwalk told me not to, or he'd die for sure."
    Maxine said, "Good thinking, Catwalk."
    Curly continued, "I made the guy jump off
the train without his pants."
    Maxine talked as she served dinner. "You
better listen close because these are the cold, hard facts. You
both murdered someone. The circumstances point to self defense, but
unless you can find a lawyer to defend you and a jury to acquit
you, you're going to do hard time. And Catwalk, in this part of the
country, they'll find a way