In fact, his visits became less frequent after that. A company policeman told him he came too often; the company did not like outsiders to be such regular visitors. He was welcome only once a month, and then he must tell the police he was there.

C.J. tried to save me from the mines. It was like him to think that he could. Daddy started taking me with him when I was ten. The law said you had to be fourteen, but the company looked the other way. Daddy thought if I helped, he might get out of debt to the company store. C.J. came down to argue with him.

“They aint never going to let you out of debt,” he said. “The bastards is weighing you light as it is. They’ll keep right on no matter how much coal that boy loads.”

“It will help,” Daddy insisted. “Denbigh says hit could mean as much as fifty cent more a day. And he’s taking Talcott on as a breaker. We’ll do a lots better.”

“What about Rondal’s schooling?”

“What about it? He cant eat them books.”

“He could be a lawyer or a doctor someday.”

“Someday. You’re a-talking twenty year down the road about something might as well be a fairy story. Boy aint smart enough for that.”

“That boy is plenty smart. You just aint around to see it. They got you stuck in that hole so you dont know what’s going on in the world.”

“Damn it, C.J., I know what it takes to live. Look at my woman. She aint nothing but skin and bones. She dont eat no supper half the time sos the younguns can have some. Schooling takes money, and I aint got none. Have you?”

My heart sank when C.J. shook his head.

“No, I aint got it right now. Maybe in a couple years. Ermel talks about setting me up with a store in Annadel.”

“Then tell me about it in a couple years. Right now, I cant see wasting no more time on schooling when they’ll just be teaching the boy what that boss wants him to know anyhow. Hit’s got nothing to do with us that I can tell.”

I didn’t sleep that night, and hid under the bed the next morning when I heard Daddy get up. I hoped he would think I had run away. But Talcott was awakened by Daddy’s swearing and said, “He was just here. The bed is still yet warm.” Daddy looked all over, went out on the front porch and hollered, stuck his head under the house and rousted out the dogs. It was Mommy found me and dragged me out from under the bed. Daddy took the belt to me.

“Later we git started, longer we got to work. Otherwise theys one less biscuit on the plate. You git that through your head, boy.”