The Boxcar Blues Read Online Free PDF Page B

to string you up before you even see a
courtroom. Now this deputy that saw you duck into the field, he's
as mean as the guys you threw off the train. He hates black people
and he uses his badge as an excuse to shoot them. The sheriff ain't
got the guts to do anything about it, so he pretends it ain't
happening."
    Everyone started eating. Maxine said, "I
want you guys to stay in the hayloft until it gets dark. I'm going
to give you directions to a farm over by Junction City that has hay
trucks leaving for Oklahoma in the morning. Hop on one of those
trucks and stay out of sight. Don't try to hop a train 'cause the
railroad bulls around here are bad. Head north and try to find work
on a harvest crew."
    Curly said, "Trouble is, Maxine, there ain't
no work out there."
    Maxine became upset that the boys didn't
realize how much hatred they were up against. "Curly, damn it! You
can't stay around here. There are too many people looking for
someone to take out their anger on. You stay around here, you'll
end up behind bars and Catwalk—you’re a dead man walking."
    This brought about a silence while two boys,
who were growing up much quicker than they'd planned, finished
their meal.
    For the search, Deputy Jones had been paired
with John Townsend, a local farmer. He'd chosen John because he had
an Oldsmobile sedan and was meek enough not to question the
deputy’s instructions.
    The Deputy had planned his twofold strategy
that would continue the hunt for the two killers and give him a
chance to pay a call to the red head who’d moved into the old
Clements place. Ever since she’d moved in, Jones had been trying to
gain Maxine’s favor. Because she was a retired whore from New
Orleans, he thought she'd be an easy mark. To his chagrin he’d
discovered that she was more discriminating than he’d planned on
and had resisted his advances. Now, he had a reason to go by her
place, and he was determined to impress her. First, he had to get
rid of Townsend.
    They drove to an intersection of two farm
roads and he told Townsend to get out and watch the roads from all
four directions. The farmer asked, "What should I do if I see
them?"
    "Just fire a couple of shots into the air;
I'll be back right away."
    As the deputy drove to Maxine's place,
thoughts of the shapely red head brought a lecherous smile to his
face. This time he was going to be a little more assertive in his
advances toward the woman.

CHAPTER SIX
     
    The boys had been in the hayloft for an hour
when Maxine saw the car pull into the yard. Seeing Deputy Jones
step out of the Oldsmobile, she swore out loud. She despised the
man and right now he was the last person she wanted to see.
    Jones yelled, “Hello, the house.”
    Maxine walked out to meet him, while
thinking of the quickest way to get rid of him without raising his
suspicion. She said, “Hello, Alton. What can I do for you?”
    With an air of importance, Jones hitched up
his gun belt and tilted his Stetson back on his head. With a grin
he said, “I came to tell you about a couple of bad hombres that
might be around here.”
    “ Chet already told me
about them. I haven’t seen them; nobody’s been here.”
    Hoping Jones would get the hint that the
conversation was over, she turned and walked toward the door.
    The Deputy said, “You ain’t bein’ very
neighborly. Most people would invite me in for a cup of
coffee.”
    “ I don’t have time, Alton.
I have to get a pie out of the oven and then feed my chickens.
Thanks for stopping by.”
    Maxine walked into the house, locking the
screen door behind her.
    Jones, seething from her rebuff, decided to
use his official status to extend his stay. Through the screen, he
said, “You sure there ain’t been anyone here?
    “ I’m sure, deputy. Why
don’t you go look for these guys elsewhere?”
    Maxine’s uncooperative attitude infuriated
Jones. He yelled, “Lady, you ain’t bein’ very helpful to the law.
Maybe you’d better let me come in and take a look