Twilight        April 7, 1928 Through the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting. Then they came on toward where the flag was and I went along the fence. I passed where T.P. was leaning against the flower tree. Then they stopped hitting where the flag was and the[y] went to the table and hit again and went in. I went along beside the fence and T.P. came away from the flower tree. "Here, Caddy," one of them said. The boy came to him and then he hit again and went along the fence. Then the fence stopped and I held to it and watched them go away. "Hush up that moaning," T.P. said. "They'll be some more coming by in a minute." They went on away, hitting again. "Hush it up, now," T.P. said. So I hushed, and went back along the fence to where the flag was. "Come on," T.P. said. "Les go down to the branch, where they playing." I held to the fence and watched the flag, and the pasture. "Shut up that moaning," T.P. said. "I cant make them come back just for you to watch them. Come on, les go down to the branch. Maybe we can find me they balls. Here. Here they is. Way over yonder. Look." He came to the fence and pointed through it. "See there? They aint coming back here. Come on, now." We went along the fence and came to the other fence. Where my shadows were. My shadow was higher up the fence than Luster's. We came to the broken place and went through it. "Wait a minute," Luster said. "You caught on that nail again. Cant you never crawl through this place without snagging on that nail?" Caddy uncaught me and we crawled through. "Uncle Maury said to not let anybody see us, so we better stoop over. Stoop over, Benjy. Like this, see?" We stooped over and crossed the garden, where the flowers rasped and rattled against us. The ground was hard. We climbed the fence, where the pigs were grunting and snuffing. The ground was hard, churned and knotted. "Keep your hands in your pockets," Caddy said. "Or they'll get froze. You dont want your hands froze on Xmas, do you?" Versh said, "He want to go outdoors." "Let him go," Uncle Maury said. "It's too cold," Mother said. "He'd better stay in. Benjamin." "It wont hurt him," Uncle Maury said. "You, Benjamin," Mother said. "If you dont be good, you'll have to go to the kitchen." "Mammy say to keep him out the kitchen today," Versh said. "She say she got all the cooking to do." "Let him go, Carolin," Uncle Maruy said. "You'll worry yourself sick over him." "I know it," Mother said. "It's a judgment on me. I sometimes wonder." "I know, I know," Uncle Maury said. "You must keep your strength up. I'll make you a toddy."
2	"It just upsets me that much more," Mother said. "You'd feel better," Uncle Maury said. "Wrap him up good, boy, and take him out for a while." Uncle Maury went away. Versh went away. "Please hush," Mother said. "We're trying to get you out as fast as we can." Versh put my overcoat and cap and overshoes on and we went out. Uncle Maury put the bottle back in the sideboard. "Keep him out about half an hour, boy," Uncle Maury said. "Keep him in the yard, now." "Yes, sir," Versh said. "We dont never let him out the yard." We went out doors. The sun was cold and bright. "Where you heading for?" Versh said. "You dont think you going to town, do you?" We went through the fattling leaves. The gate was cold. "You better keep them hands in your pocket," Versh said. "You get them froze onto that gate, then what you do? Whyn't you wait in the house for them?" He put my hands into my pockets and went away. I could hear him in the leaves. The gate was cold. "Here some hickeynuts. Whooey. Git up that tree. Look here at this squirl, Benjy." I couldn't feel the gate at all. "You better put them hands back in your pockets," Versh said. Caddy was walking. Then she was running, her booksatchel swinging and jouncing behind her. "Hello, Benjy," Caddy said. She opened the gate and came in and stooped down. Caddy smelled like leaves. "Did you come to meet me?" she said. "Did you come to meet Caddy? Versh, what did you let him get his hands so cold, for?" "I told him to keep them in his pockets," Versh said. " Holding onto that ahn gate."