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old man might of come up here.
    P INKY Pat?
    Pinky shakes his head. McEvoy looks to the other men about the stove but they look down, look dubious.
    F IRST M AN Get ye a chair there. Get over here and warm.
    McEvoy looks about. There is a peachcrate to one side. He looks at the men gathered about the stove. Pinky opens the stove door and hefts a chunk of wood through and spits after it and clanks the door shut and wiping his mouth on his sleeve looks toward McEvoy, squinting.
    P INKY Come up son. Aint no need to be a stranger.
    McEvoy hobbles over to the crate and gets it and sets it by the stove and leans his crutches back and sits and rubs his hands together at the warmth. The men watch him and he watches the stove.
    F IRST M AN Give that man a drink of whiskey, Ed.
    The whiskey is passed to McEvoy and he holds it up to the light of the lamp and gives it a shake to check the bead and unscrews the lid and tilts it and takes a drink. He lowers the jar and looks at the men and swallows and blows. He takes the knife and potato offered him and slices off a piece and eats it and replaces the jar lid and passes the jar and the potato back.
    The second man leans forward and looks at McEvoy, somewhat suspiciously, as if he doesnt expect the truth.
    S ECOND M AN What all did she die of?
    M C E VOY Malaria fever.
    S ECOND M AN Funny time of year to die of that.
    M C E VOY She took sick back two months ago. I come quick as I heard but she died fore I got here.
    P INKY When did she die, honey?
    M C E VOY Yesterday mornin.
    F IRST M AN Well leastways ye got here for the buryin. They aint buried her have they?
    McEvoy shakes his head no. He sits slumped, he is weary.
    P INKY Here Ed, lets see a little of that muleshoe.
    He takes the jar and unscrews the cap and drinks and hands the jar to McEvoy.
    P INKY Here, honey. Get ye a drink. Ed, lets see that tater here.
    McEvoy takes the jar and dr inks and passes it back.
    P INKY You all are all about growed aint ye? I mean, they aint no babies at home.
    M C E VOY Maryellen's the least’n. She’s eleven.
    P INKY It’s hard when they leave young’ns. A man caint raise em. My sister died left five and the oldest’n not started school. We had to hunt homes for em. They done all right. But it was hard.
    F IRST M AN You tell your daddy we was sorry as we could be.
    P INKY A finer son of a bitch never wore shoe leather. Let’s have a little old drink Ed.
    The jar is passed around.
    F IRST M AN You back to stay are ye?
    M C E VOY I dont know.
    F IRST M AN Reckon you seen a right smart of the world since you left out of here.
    M C E VOY Some.
    P INKY Its kindly slack times here. Reckon it is everwheres.
    F IRST M AN You reckon to get on at the mill?
    M C E VOY I aint lost nothing down there.
    P INKY I hear ye. Only way to get ahead down there is to get your wife knocked up by the boss. Give ye a little leverage.
    S ECOND M AN Talkin about people dyin . . .
    M C E VOY I better get on, I reckon.
    S ECOND M AN Talkin about people dyin they found another old boy dead in the woods down towards Vaucluse. Speculate the niggers got him.
    M C E VOY I best get on. I got to hunt the old man.
    McEvoy does not rise nor move.
    F IRST M AN Most likely he’d been at church this evenin wouldnt he? Wife dead and all.
    P INKY Aint no Catholic church in Graniteville.
    F IRST M AN Well now that is right. I forgot about him bein Catholic.
    P INKY You wont find him carryin on in no Amen corner. Will ye son?
    McEvoy shakes his head no. He looks toward the tong game.
    M C E VOY I better get on and hunt him.
    P INKY Just jump in that tong game there why dont ye. Get ye feet wet.
    M C E VOY I aint never played.
    F IRST M AN Lord, dont let em hear that. They’ll be over here a courtin ye.
    S ECOND M AN Had his throat cut, they said. Reckoned it to of been the niggers.
    Second man spits against the stove.
    F IRST M AN Where’d that jug get to?
    The third man, who has not spoken, reaches down alongside the crate where he is