14
PARTISAN REVIEW
over at Tex. The boy sat, expressionless and silent. Sandy puffed at his
cigarette.
"Ain't yuh gonna start it fo' us?" The Negro's eyes wavered.
"I would, suh. But I jest cain't do it now. It's all of six miles from
heah, and it's eight o'clock now, or theah' bouts, an' ... "
Sandy spoke without moving his lips at all.
"Git down an' crank that car." The Negro looked up, startled. He
stared down at the crank, then looked up at Tex.
"I'm gonna be late and git bawled out, please suh." The Negro ven–
tured. Sandy remained silent. The Negro looked at Tex and grinned in
a peculiar fashion. Then he bent over the crank once more., The Kid's
lips moved in count, mechanically. After twenty turns, the black worker
stopped to unbutton his coat. Then Tex counted twenty more. Sud–
denly the buck stopped and gasped breathlessly,
"It's warmin' up now, but I'm jest knocked out."
Sandy waited, and
watched him. He stood, leaning on the radiator, his chest riSIng and fall–
ing in painful rhythm. Then Sandy snapped,
"Git on that crank, yuh black bastard, befo' I knock yo' teeth dow...
yo' throat
I"
He made a movement as if to advance on the black, but the latter
was already down and turning away at the crank. From where he sat in
the car, Tex could hear the labored gasping of the Negro. Suddenly the
motor coughed and sputtered. The Negro jerked the crank around once
more. Texas' foot jiggled on the gas-peddle and the engine started. Sandy
went around to the driver's side and stepped on the running-board. Tex
slid over to the other side, making room for Sandy. He saw the Negro,
his back against the vibrating car, still trying to get his breath.
"Give us that crank." The Negro shuffled up to Texas and handed
in the crank. For a second, his lips moved without making sound, and
then he asked jerKily.
"e-ould I go 'long wid yuh, please suh ... jest tuh Knoxville?"
Sandy threw the gear into first speed.
"Don't yuh see theah ain't no room heah fo' yuh?"
''I'll hang on outside, somehow...." Sandy's left foot came up slowly
to engage the clutch. His right foot pressed down
Ol!
the throttle.
"No, yuh, won't hang on nowhere, Nigger!!"
The car jerked forward . Tex looked back through the yellowed and
cracked isinglass. The Negro stood still on the highway, drawing on his
torn mackinaw. Then Sandy grunted,
"Jest goes tuh show yuh, how lazy them niggers kin be."