BooksBarbecue
Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

Eli lowered his voice a notch. “I’d go easy on that kind of talk if I was you, Bill. You keep runnin that mouth, we’re goin to tangle. I aint as young as I was, but neither are you. That aint a fight I’m goin to lose.”

“I aint the kind of man to forget a thing like this.”

“I know you aren’t, Bill. I surely hope you are not. I hope you remember this every day for the rest of your sorry life, because you are one hundred percent pure weasel shit. One half a you is mean and the other half is greedy and I don’t know which is worse. Only thing you see in this world is what you can grab and throw a brand on. It’s sonsofbitches like you that never get enough, you’re the ones put this country in the mess it is in. You can’t take it with you, Bill, and the only thing you’re goin to leave behind when you go is them two sorry boys. Lon is dumber than dirt and Pardo is so mean, I do believe that boy was raised by boll weevils. When you’re gone, you’ll be done like the goddamned dinosaurs.”

Eli paused, hand on the whip handle, waiting to see if Big Bill was going to be man enough to challenge him. When Bury didn’t make a move, Eli swung back into the saddle and tipped his hat.

“We’re goin to be ridin on back to the ranch now, Bill. If you or any of them sorry snakes you got with you touches any of mine, I’ll flay your hide and stake you out for the red ants to finish. Same goes for them horses. They’re loose now and it would take a helluva sight of hard ridin to gather them up again, so best you leave them alone. They aint eatin a blade of grass that you want for your animals, so there’s no need to bother them.”

Eli tapped a spur and his big sorrel jumped a bit and started on along as Juanita rode up beside him. When Eli pulled even with Willie and Zeke, he paused and held the whip under Willie’s jaw.

“I knew I should a fired you way back when I wrecked the Cadillac, when you wouldn’t help Juanita look for me. And I hope you parked that Poland China boar somewhere I can’t find him, Zeke, or we’ll have us one helluva pork barbecue.”

They rode half a mile before Juanita started giggling. Emaline started laughing too. Soon they were all chuckling.

“The look on that man’s face,” Juanita said. “Like he just swallowed a bucket of vinegar. That was the funniest thing I’ve seen in years. That and Willie when you talked to him. I think he was about to pee his britches.”