Cane

61

A

em over the sto

n him. His feet

hot coals. The

. He circled t

twig cracked be

path that led t

sly down it. H

hin him veere

he bordering c

face and lips.

lf down and du

e earth was co

from his hand

seemed to him,

must be time to

and walked calml

Louisa. Tom Bu

orehead bulged

d the dried blo

his lips. He ta

; Tom Burwell

he cane and out

swung down the

town. Bob coul

e to let him p

BURNIN

m stumble over

azed him. The

came from all

cackled. Rooste

dshot eyes of s

n the town wer

dows down. Pal

s, a chill hush

of Tom and L

shadow and sto

ed to hi

s y w

Bob S

I'm Tom Bur

nt

him. Tom side-

oulder, and f

Stradd

me

watch yo doi

gures, drawn

about them. B

et

man, Tom Bur

ck

63

A

d. Tom side-st

ground. Str

, you godam

arted somethin

m up and bega

sounded as if

eplaceable soft

staggered back

nd whipped o

my game

steel blade sl

. He had a swe

n to flow. Then

n. He let his

d against his n

of his head as if

turned, and s

e hill in the d

who had seen t

mes and blew

ysterical, refus

umbled, her bod

dwork of the we

it. He seemed

64

BURNIN

oad Street. Wh

collapsed in

urwell

e ants upon a

f their moving, All was silent.

Two high-powere

hts. They came

to a low roa

ut the flop of t

the road. The

eceded them over

y town. It flatt

all of the factory, Where it s

uldnt move. A

s of the two car

shock went th

started to run

Tom wheeled

poured down

rge man with

eeks came to

-barrel thro

ehind y,

65

A

re bound. The

. Burn him over

in, his body wo

eaths for a g

ven back. The

ts momentum was

tory. Wood and

d in the direct

o drag him. Th

many to get in

wed around the

an shoved him t

d in from the

s. A stake wa

floor boards p

on the rotting

e stake. His br

let little lines

to the hair. Hi

ny. Except for i

have thought hi

ung onto the pi

ck smoke shot

ob was silent

mes. Only his head, er

ackened stone.

he air. Tom's

ownward. The m

nst the skeleton

hundred yells

s yell thudded a

ell back. Ghost

es and out the g

ttered like a d

et of factory t

her home, did no

owly. They saw

great door. T

men, soft shower

Where were the

d perhaps they

aps Tom Burwel

full moon in th

ich she mu

er moon.

ning moon

that fact

67

NTH

s in silken shirts, Ballooned, zooming Cadillacs

ET is a basta

War. A crud

nigger life bre

and love, thru

reddish blood i

od of Washingt

ngton. Wedges

it it! In two

Wedges are brill

wood dry and

Pouring for c

ho set you flow

would spin in a

rank your bloo

p to it. Who se

ewash disappea

ng? Flowing d

nth Street, in