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Chapter 5
It’sthemonster.Menmadeit,buttheycan’tcontrolit.
Thetenantscried,GrampakilledIndians,Pakilledsnakesfortheland.Maybewecankillbanks—they’reworsethanIndiansandsnakes.Maybewegottofighttokeepourland,likePaandGrampadid.
Andnowtheownermengrewangry.You’llhavetogo.Butit’sours,thetenantmencried.WeNo.Thebank,themonsterownsit.You’llhavetogo.We’llgetourguns,likeGrampawhentheIndianscame.Whatthen?Well—firstthesheriff,andthenthetroops.You’llbestealingifyoutrytostay,you’llbemurderersifyoukilltostay.Themonsterisn’tmen,butitcanmakemendowhatitwants.Butifwego,where’llwego?How’llwego?Wegotnomoney.We’resorry,saidtheownermen.Thebank,thefifty-thousand-acreownercan’tberesponsible.You’reonlandthatisn’tyours.Onceoverthelinemaybeyoucanpickcottoninthefall.Maybeyoucangoonrelief.Whydon’tyougoonwesttoCalifornia?There’sworkthere,anditnevergetscold.Why,youcanreachoutanywhereandpickanorange.Why,there’salwayssomekindofcroptoworkin.Whydon’tyougothere?Andtheownermenstartedtheircarsandrolledaway.
Thetenantmensquatteddownontheirhamsagaintomarkthedustwithastick,tofigure,towonder.Theirsunburnedfacesweredark,andtheirsun-whippedeyeswerelight.Thewomenmovedcautiouslyoutofthedoorwaystowardtheirmen,andthechildrencreptbehindthewomen,cautiously,readytorun.
