10
"Hurry up and eat your breakfast, Abe," said Tom the next morning. "We'regoing to cut corn for that skinflint, John Carter."
Sarah passed her husband a plate of hot cornbread. "Why, Tom, it ain'tfitting to talk that way about a neighbor. Before the children, too."
Tom poured a generous helping of sorghum molasses over his bread. "I'man honest man. It's fitting that I call Carter what he is, and he's askinflint. He is only paying Abe and me ten cents a day."
"Other folks pay you two-bits."
"I ain't got any other work right now. Carter knows I need all the moneyI can lay my hands on. The way he beat me down on the price for my southfield."
"I wish you didn't have to sell."
"Wishing won't do any good. I need cash money mighty bad. Remember, thisfarm ain't paid for yet."
He got up and walked over to the chest. He picked up the sharp knife heused for cutting corn. "Get your knife, Abe, and come along."
Abe walked behind his father along the path through the woods. "That Mr.Swaney was right nice," he said.
Tom grunted.
"He is waiting to start his school until after harvest," Abe went on."Nat Grigsby is going. Allen Gentry is going, and he is two years olderthan me."
"Allen's pa is a rich man," said Tom gruffly. "Maybe he's got money toburn, but poor folks like us have to earn our keep."
"But, Pa--"
"I declare, your tongue is loose at both ends today. Can't you stopplaguing me? First your ma, then you. You ought to see I'm worried."
Abe said nothing more. He pulled a book out of the front of his shirtand began to read as he strode along the path. Tom looked back over hisshoulder.
"Don't let John Carter catch you with that book."
"I brought it along so I can read while I eat my dinner. I'll put itaway before we get to the Carter place."
"Eddication!" said Tom in disgust "I never had any, and I get alongbetter'n if I had. Take figuring. If a fellow owes me money, I take aburnt stick and make a mark on the wall. When he pays me, I take adishrag and wipe the mark off. That's better than getting all hot andbothered trying to figure.
"And writing? I can write my name and that's all the writing I need. Butthe most tomfoolery of all is reading. You don't see _me_ waste _my_time reading any books."
The path ended at the edge of the woods, and Tom opened the gate intothe Carter cornfield. Row after row of tall corn stretched away in even,straight lines. Mr. Carter was waiting.
"Ready to sign over that south field, Tom?" he asked. "A lawyer fromRockport is drawing up the papers. He is riding up with them thismorning. I'll see you at dinner time."
After John Carter had gone back to his cabin, Tom and Abe set to work.Using their sharp knives, they began cutting the corn close to theground. They stood the tall golden stalks on end, tying them together inneat shocks or bundles. By the time the sun stood directly overhead,several long rows had been cut and stacked, and John Carter was comingtoward them across the field. It was noon.
Abe laid aside his knife, sat down on the rail fence, and pulled out hisbook. He took a piece of cornbread wrapped in a corn husk from hispocket. As he ate, he read, paying no attention to the conversationtaking place a few feet away.
"Come and sit down, Tom," said Carter.
Tom sat on a tree stump. Carter was being more friendly than usual. Hewas carrying a gourd full of ink, which he placed on another stump. Heset down a deerskin bag, which jingled pleasantly with coins. In onepocket he found a turkey-buzzard pen. From another he brought out anofficial-looking paper.
"Here is the deed for the south field," he explained. "Here's a pen.I'll hold the ink for you. You make your mark right here."
"I don't need to make my mark," said Tom proudly. "I know how to sign myname."
"Then hurry up and do it. Mrs. Carter has dinner ready, and I got to getback to the house."
Tom took the paper and looked at it uncertainly. "I don't sign any papertill I know what I'm signing. I want time to--to go over this carefullike."
He could make out a few of the words, and that was all. But not foranything would he admit that he could not read it.
"You told me you wanted to sell," said Carter. "I said I would buy. I amkeeping my part of the bargain. I even brought the money with me."
Tom's face grew red. He looked down at the paper in his hand. He glancedat Abe seated on the fence. A struggle was taking place between prideand common sense. Common sense won.
"Abe, come here," he called.
Abe went on reading.
Tom raised his voice. "Abe! When I tell you to come, I mean for you tocome."
The boy looked up from his book with a start. "Yes, Pa. Did you wantme?"
"Hustle over here and look at this paper. Carter is in a mighty bighurry for me to sign something I ain't had a chance to read."
"You have had plenty of time to read it," said Carter. "But if you don'twant to sell, I can call the whole deal off."
Abe reached out a long arm and took the paper. He read it slowly. "Pa,"he asked, "don't you aim to sell Mr. Carter just the south field?"
"You know I'm selling him just the south field," said Tom.
"Then don't sign this."
Carter picked up the money bag clanking with coins. He tossed it intothe air and caught it neatly. Tom looked at it. He wanted that money! Helooked at Abe.
"Why shouldn't I sign?" he asked.
"If you do, you'll be selling Mr. Carter most of your farm."
John Carter was furious. "Don't try to tell me a country jake like youcan read! That paper says the south field, as plain as the nose on yourface."
"It says that and a sight more, Mr. Carter," Abe drawled. "It says thenorth field, too. It says the east and the west fields. There wouldn'tbe much farm left for Pa, except the part our cabin is setting on."
A dispute between men in Pigeon Creek usually ended in a fight. TomLincoln doubled up his fists. "Put them up, Carter."
The two men rolled over and over in a confused tangle of arms and legs.Now Tom Lincoln was on top. Now it was John Carter. "Go it, Pa," Abeshouted from the fence. "Don't let that old skinflint get you down."After a few minutes. Carter lay on his back gasping for breath.
"Nuf!" he cried, and Tom let him scramble to his feet.
Carter began brushing himself off. "It ain't fitting to fight aneighbor," he whined, "just because of a mistake."
"Mistake nothing!" Tom snorted. "Somebody lied, and it wasn't Abe."
"I'll have a new paper made out, if you like," said Carter.
Tom looked at him with scorn. "You ain't got enough money to buy mysouth field. But I'll thank you for the ten cents you owe us. Abe and Ieach did a half day's work."
Tom's right eye was swelling, and by the time he reached home it wasclosed. The bump on the side of his head was the size of a hen's egg.There was a long scratch down his cheek.
Sarah was kneeling before the fireplace, raking ashes over the potatoesthat she had put in to bake. She jumped up in alarm.
"What's the matter? What happened?" she asked.
"It was like Pa said," Abe told her. "Mr. Carter is a skinflint."
Sarah took Tom by the arm and made him sit down on a stool. She touchedthe swollen eye with gentle fingers.
"It don't hurt much," he said.
"I reckon Mr. Carter hurts more," Abe spoke up again. "He has two blackeyes."
Tom slapped his thigh and roared with laughter. "He sure does. But if ithadn't been for Abe--"
He stopped, embarrassed. Sarah was soaking a cloth in a basin of coldwater. She laid it on his eye.
"What started it all?"
"You tell them, Abe," said Tom.
"That Mr. Carter ain't as smart as he thinks he is," Abe explained. "Hehad a paper for Pa to sign and tried to make out it was for just thesouth field. And do you know what, Mamma? When Pa asked me to read it,why, it was for almost our whole farm."
"You don't mean to tell me!" said Sarah.
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"Carter said he'd have a new paper made out. But I told him," Tom addedwith a touch of pride, "I could do without his money."
"Good for you!" Sarah said, beaming. "Don't you fret. We'll squeakthrough somehow. But what if you had signed that paper? The farm wouldhave been sold right out from under us. I reckon we can feel mightyproud of Abe."
"Well," Tom admitted, "it didn't hurt that he knew how to read. When didyou say Mr. Swaney aims to start his school?"
"Right after harvest," said Abe before his stepmother had a chance toanswer.
Tom ignored him and went on talking to his wife. "Now, mind you, Sairy,I ain't saying Abe needs any more eddication. I ain't saying it isfitting a son should know more'n his pa. But if you think the young onesshould go to this new school for a spell, I won't say no."
He rose and stalked out of the cabin. Then he came back and stuck hishead in at the door.
"Mind you, Abe, you forget to do your chores just one time, and thatschoolmaster won't be seeing you again."
"Come back in and sit down, Tom," said Sarah. "Supper is nearly ready.Besides, Abe has something that needs saying."
Abe looked at his stepmother in surprise. Then he looked at his father."I'm much obliged, Pa," he said.