Гроздья гнева

           "Maybeitain’tniceforpurty,butit’snicefornice,"shesaid.

           Tomsaid,"Le’sgo.Wegottomakemiles."

           Pawhistledshrilly."Nowwhere’dthemkidsgo?"Hewhistledagain,puttinghisfingersinhismouth.

           Inamomenttheybrokefromthecornfield,RuthieaheadandWinfieldtrailingher."Eggs!"Ruthiecried."Look!"Adozensoft,grayish-whiteeggswereinhergrubbyhand.Andassheheldupherhand,hereyesfelluponthedeaddogbesidetheroad."Oh!"shesaid.RuthieandWinfieldwalkedslowlytowardthedog.Theyinspectedhim.

           Pacalledtothem,"Comeon,you,’lessyouwanttogitleft."

           Theyturnedsolemnlyandwalkedtothetruck.Ruthielookedoncemoreatthegrayreptileeggsinherhand,andthenshethrewthemaway.Theyclimbedupthesideofthetruck."Hiseyeswasstillopen,"saidRuthieinahushedtone.

           ButWinfieldgloriedinthescene.Hesaidboldly,"Hisgutswasjuststrowedallover—allover"—hewassilentforamoment—"strowed—all—over,"hesaid,andthenherolledoverquicklyandvomiteddownthesideofthetruck.Whenhesatupagainhiseyeswerewateryandhisnoserunning."Itain’tlikekillin’pigs,"hesaidinexplanation.

           AlhadthehoodoftheHudsonup,andhecheckedtheoillevel.Hebroughtagalloncanfromthefloorofthefrontseatandpouredaquantityofcheapblackoilintothepipeandcheckedthelevelagain.

           Tomcamebesidehim."WantIshouldtakeherapiece?"heasked.

           "Iain’ttired,"saidAl.