The leader of the peopleby John Steinbeeh (symbolism and parallelism) - Essay Example

“Leader of the People Symbolism. John Steinbeck’s short story, “Leader of the People,” is taken from his book The Red Pony. It is a very interesting exploration of family relationships. It is mostly a coming-of-age story and the little boy, Jody, is the main character. It is based on the interactions of Jody with his parents, Carl and Ruth Tiflin, and with his grandfather. The visit of the grandfather is the setting of the story. Jody grows up on an isolated ranch in the Salinas valley with his parents and the ranch hand, Billy Buck. These are the only people he is in contact with. His grandfather’s visit to the ranch is a source of great excitement for the little boy. However, Jody’s father is not eager to entertain his father-in-law. Tiflin is impatient with the old man’s repeated accounts of his pioneering journey westwards across the plains of America and his encounters with the wild Indians. When his father-in-law continues to tell the same stories, Tiflin openly criticizes him for his interest in an age which is finished. The old man is hurt by this harsh reaction. In a touching conclusion, Jody tries to comfort his grandfather. Jody’s relationship with his father is in contrast to his relationship with his grandfather and shows that his grandfather’s voyage is symbolic of Jody dreams of the future. Jody’s relationship with his father is stern. Tiflin does not share in his son’s everyday life. Jody is aware that his father does not really care what he does. He tells Billy, “I don't think he'd care” (Steinbeck, 13). Tiflin is a strict man who “insisted upon giving permission for anything that was done on the ranch, whether it was important or not” (Steinbeck, 15). Jody is not given any independence and is expected to follow his father’s rules on the ranch. Billy warns Jody to get permission from his father for something as unimportant as hunting mice with the dogs. Billy tells Jody “You know how he is” (Steinbeck, 14) and Jody admits that he knows about his father’s strict control over everybody. Jody is verbally abused by his father for his simple excitement at the arrival of a letter. To Jody, a letter is an extraordinary occurrence in the routine life of the ranch. However, Tiflin does not understand that his son’s life is so empty that he is in search of excitement. Tiflin rebukes Jody, saying, “He is getting to be a Big-Britches --- Got his big nose into everything” (Steinbeck, 28). Again, he does not bother to find out why his son is not busy and has nothing to do. Instead, he is harsh and threatening when he says, “I'll keep him busy if he isn't careful” (Steinbeck, 30). He reacts angrily to Jody’s excitement over his grandfather’s stories and sends him out with a fierce “Your out, Mr. Big- Britches! Go on, now! Get out!” Jody is miserable at his father’s treatment. Tiflin is ready to shame and knock down his son at every change. His attitude towards the boy is filled with contempt, sarcasm, frowns and harsh words. It is clear that Jody’s relationship with his father is marked by harsh treatment on one side and fear on the other. There is no love or understanding on the part of the father or the son. This is very different from Jody’s relationship with his grandfather. Jody is very fond of his grandfather. He looks forward to his company and hurries through his chores so that he is allowed to walk up the road to meet him. Once his grandfather’s cart is within sight, Jody “gave a glad cry and ran down the road” (Steinbeck, 57). The biggest difference between the treatment given to Jody by his father and by his grandfather lies in the respect with which the old man deals with the little boy. Jody responds by returning this respect. As Jody goes towards s his grandfather, “the boy dropped from his unseemly running and approached at a dignified walk” (Steinbeck, 58). In contrast to the joyless attitude of the father, the grandfather has “merry” eyes. Unlike the father’s harsh tones, the grandfather has a “rich, throaty voice” (Steinbeck, 71). Jody sees in the old man “a granite dignity” (Steinbeck, 59) and a sense of purpose. The old man welcomes his grandson’s meeting him on the road. The sense of companionship Jody feels for his grandfather is seen in the fact that the boy “matched his step to the old man's step” (Steinbeck, 61). Jody can talk with his grandfather and be confident of the old man’s sympathy. Unlike his critical father, Jody’s grandfather does not make it a habit to hurt the little boy’s feelings. Jody, who is used to being criticized and abused by his father, is quick to see that “there was no will to injure, no punishing nor putting-in-your-place light in the keen blue eyes” (Steinbeck, 72) of his grandfather. Jody and his grandfather both share Tiflin’s cruel words and critical attitude. When his father rudely checks his grandfather’s attempt to retell the story of the Indians, Jody is able to identify with the old man: “Jody knew how he felt, how his insides were collapsed and empty” (Steinbeck, 101). He is willing to risk abuse from his father in order to show his support for his grandfather. The masculine companionship which the father fails to give is found by the son in his relationship with his grandfather. When Tiflin gives his permission to hunt mice, “Jody exchanged a secret and satisfying look with Grandfather” (Steinbeck, 114). Jody’s close relationship with his grandfather makes the boy give great importance to the westward voyage across the plains. His grandfather’s accounts of his journey describing “Indians and crossing the plains!” (Steinbeck, 38) is filled with meaning for Jody. Jody is a lonely boy who has no companions of his own age. He is bored with his life on the isolated ranch. He spends his time loitering about near Billy, leaning against the fences, throwing stones at the cat and the pigeons in the trees and playing with the dogs. His chores are feeding the chickens, gathering the eggs and collecting firewood. As his mother says, “he hasn't enough to keep him busy” (Steinbeck, 29). Jody is stifled by his father’s harshness. However, his spirit remains unbowed. This is seen in his little act of defiance: “Jody tramped down scuffing his shoes in the way he had been told was destructive to a good shoe-leather” (Steinbeck, 2). He asserts his independence in little ways, as in saying “those damn mice” (Steinbeck, 17). Jody is bored with the routine of the ranch. At the same time, he admires his grandfather. In Jody’s eyes, his grandfather’s voyage is symbolic of a life of adventure and heroism. He thinks that his grandfather belongs to “a race of giants” and wishes that “he could have been living in the heroic time,” (Steinbeck, 115). When his grandfather is broken by Tiflin’s harsh words and begins to “feel as though the crossing wasn't worth doing” (Steinbeck, 157), Jody refuses to believe that it is finished. He declares his intention of following in his grandfather’s footsteps and says, “Maybe I could lead the people some day” (Steinbeck, 162). With this declaration, Jody symbolically takes on the torch which his grandfather carried before him. As the grandfather says, “it wasn't getting here that mattered, it was movement and westering” (Steinbeck, 159). Jody is ready to search for adventure and purpose in his life. The grandfather is wrong in accepting Tiflin’s belief that “Westering has died out of the people” (Steinbeck, 165). Westering has not died out - It lives on in his grandson, Jody. “Leader of the People” explores the relationship between Jody and the two important men in his life: his father and his grandfather. While his father is harsh and critical and repeatedly makes him feel little, the grandfather sympathizes with the boy and gives him uncritical acceptance. The grandfather’s voyage westwards across the plains is symbolic of Jody’s dreams of the future. Jody sees in his grandfather’s voyage a life of adventure and grand purpose. The west may no longer be wild land to be tamed, but there are always new frontiers to be conquered. ‘Westering’ is not necessarily a journey westwards. It is symbolic of any heroic voyage. Jody sees himself as a future ‘Leader of the People’ in the search for new ways of life. Works Cited. Steinbeck, John. “Leader of the People.”  Title of Collection. Ed. Editor's Name(s). City of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page range of story. Print. 1. On Saturday afternoon Billy Buck, the ranch-hand, raked together the last of the old year's haystack and pitched small forkfuls over the wire fence to a few mildly interested cattle. High in the air small clouds like puffs of cannon smoke were driven eastward by the March wind. The wind could be heard whishing in the brush on the ridge crests, but no breath of it penetrated down into the ranch cup. 2. The little boy, Jody, emerged from the house eating a thick piece of buttered bread. He saw Billy working on the last of the haystack. Jody tramped down scuffing his shoes in the way he had been told was destructive to a good shoe-leather. A flock of white pigeons flew out of the black cypress tree as Jody passed, and circled the tree and landed again. A half-grown tortoise- shell cat leaped from the bunkhouse porch, galloped on stiff legs across the road, whirled and galloped back again. Jody picked up a stone to help the game along, but he was too late, for the cat was under the porch before the stone could be discharged. He threw the stone into the cypress tree and started the white pigeons on another whirling flight. 3. Arriving at the used-up haystack, the boy leaned against the barbed wire fence. "Will that be all of it, do you think?" he asked. 4. The middle-aged ranch-hand stopped his careful raking and stuck his fork into the ground. He took off his black hat and smoothed down his hair. "Nothing left of it that isn't soggy from ground moisture," he said. He replaced his hat and rubbed his dry leathery hands together. 5. "Ought to be plenty mice," Jody suggested. 6. "Lousy with them," said Billy. "Just crawling with mice." 7. "Well, maybe, when you get all through, I could call the dogs and hunt the mice." 8. "Sure, I guess you could," said Billy Buck. He lifted a forkful of the damp ground-hay and threw it into the air. Instantly three mice leaped out and burrowed frantically under the hay again. 9. Jody sighed with satisfaction. Those plump, sleek, arrogant mice were doomed. For eight months the had lived and multiplied in the haystack. they had been immune from cats, from traps, from poison and from Jody. they had grown smug in their security, over bearing and fat. Now the time of disaster had come; they would not survive another day. 10. Billy looked up at the top of the hills that surrounded the ranch. "Maybe you better ask you father before you do it," he suggested. 11. "Well, where is he? I'll ask him now." 12. "He rode up to the ridge ranch after dinner. He'll be back pretty soon." 13. Jody slumped against the fence post. "I don't think he'd care." 14. As Billy went back to his work he said ominously, "You'd better ask him anyway. You know how he is." 15. Jody did know. His father, Carl Tiflin, insisted upon giving permission for anything that was done on the ranch, whether it was important or not. Jody sagged father against the post until he was sitting on the ground. He looked up at the little puffs of wind-driven cloud. "Is it like to rain, Billy?" 16. "It might. the wind's good for it , but not strong enough." 17. "Well, I hope it don't rain until after I kill those damn mice." He looked over his shoulder to see whether Billy had noticed the mature profanity. Billy worked on without comment. 18. Jody turned back and looked at the side-hill where the road from the outside world came down. the hill was washed with lean March sunshine. Silver thistles, blue lupins and a few poppies bloomed among the sage bushed. Halfway up the hill Jody could see Double-tree Mutt, the black dow, digging in a squirrel hole. he paddled for a while and then paused to kick bursts of dirt out between his hind legs, and he dug with an earnestness which belied the knowledge he must have had that no dog had ever caught a squirrel by digging in a hole. 19. Suddenly, while Jody watched, the black dog stiffened, and backed out of the hole and looked up the hill toward the cleft in the ridge where the road came through. Jody looked up too. for a moment Cart Tiflin on horseback stood out against the pale sky and then he moved down the road toward the house. he carried something white in his hand. 20. The boy started to his feet. "He's got a letter," Jody cried. He trotted away toward the ranch house, for the letter would probably be read aloud and he wanted to be there. he reached the house before his father did, and ran in. He heard Carl dismount from his creaking saddle and slap the horse on the side to send it to the barn where Billy would unsaddle it and turn it out. 21. Jody ran into the kitchen. "We got a letter!" he cried. 22. His mother looked up from a pan of beans. "Who has?" 23. "Father has. I saw it in his hand." 24. Carl strode into the kitchen then, and Jody's mother asked, "Who's the letter from, Carl?" 25. He frowned quickly. "How did you know there was a letter?" 26. She nodded her head in the boy's direction. "Big-Britches Jody told me." 27. Jody was embarrassed. 28. His father looked down at him contemptuously. "He is getting to be a Big-Britches," Carl said. "He's minding everybody's business but his own. Got his big nose into everything." 29. Mrs. Tiflin relented a little. "Well, he hasn't enough to keep him busy. Who's the letter from?" 30. Carl still frowned on Jody. "I'll keep him busy if he isn't careful." He held out a sealed letter. 31. "I guess it's from your father." 32. Mrs. Tiflin took a hairpin from her head and slit open the flap. Her lips pursed judiciously. Jody saw her eyes snap back and forth over the lines. "He says," she translated, "he says he's going to drive out Saturday to stay for a little while. Why, this is Saturday. The letter must have been delayed." She looked at the postmark. "This was mailed day before yesterday. It should have been her yesterday." She looked up questioningly at her husband and then her face darkened angrily. "Now what have you got that look on you for? He doesn't come often." 33. Carl turned his eyes away from her anger. He could be stern with her most of the time, but when occasionally her temper arose, he could not combat it. 34. "What's the matter with you?" she demanded again. 35. In his explanation there was a tone of apology Jody himself might have used. "It's just that he talks," Carl said lamely. "Just talks." 36. "Well, what of it? You talk yourself." 37. "Sure I do . But your father only talks about one thing." 38. "Indians!" Jody broke in excitedly. "Indians and crossing the plains!" 39. Carl turned fiercely on him. "Your out, Mr. Big- Britches! Go on, now! Get out!" 40. Jody went miserably out the back door and closed the screen with elaborate quietness. Under the kitchen window his shamed, down cast eyes fell upon a curiously shaped stone, a stone of such fascination that he squatted down and picked it up and turned it over in his hands. 41. The voices came clearly to him through the open kitchen window. "Jody's damn well right," he heard his father say. "Just Indians and crossing the plains. I've heard that story about how the horses got driven off about a thousand times. he just goes on and on, and he never changes a word in the things he tells." 42. When Mrs. Tiflin answered her tone was so changed that Jody, outside the window, looked up from hiss study of the stone. Her voice had become soft and explanatory. Jody knew how her face would have changed to match the tone. She said quietly, "Look at it this way, Carl. That was the big thing in my father's life. He led a wagon train clear across the plains to the coast, and when it was finished, his life was done. It was a big thing to do, but it didn't las t long enough. Look!" she continued, "It's as though he was born to do that, and after he finished it, there wasn't anything more for him to do but think about it and talk about it. If there'd been any farther west to go, he'd have gone. He's told me so himself. but at last there was the ocean. He lives right by the ocean where he had to stop." 43. She had caught Carl, caught him and entangled him in her soft tone. 44. "I've seen him," he agreed quietly. "He goes down and stares off west over the ocean." His voice sharpened a little. "And then he goes up to the Horseshoe Club in Pacific Grove, and he tells people how the Indians drove off the horses." 45. She tried to catch him again. "Well, it's everything to him. You might be patient with him an pretend to listen." 46. Carl turned impatiently away. "Well, if it gets too bad, I can always go down to the bunkhouse and set with Billy," he said irritably. he walked through the house and slammed the front door after him. 47. Jody ran to his chores. he dumped the grain to the chickens with out chasing any of them. He gathered the eggs from the nests. he trotted into the house with the wood and interlaced it so carefully in the wood-box that two armloads seemed to fill it to overflowing. 48. His mother had finished the beans by now. she stirred up the fire and brushed off the stove-top with a turkey wing. Jody peered cautiously at her to see whether any rancor toward him remained. "Is he coming today?" Jody asked. 49. "That's what his letter said." 50. "Maybe I better walk up the road to meet him." 51. Mrs. Tiflin clanged the stove-lid shut. "That would be nice," she said. "He'd probably like to be met." 52. "I guess I'll just do it then." 53. Outside, Jody whistled shrilly to the dogs. "Come on up the hill," he commanded . the two dogs waved their tails and ran ahead. 54. Along the roadside the sage had tender new tips. Jody tore off some pieces and rubbed them on his hands until the air was filled with the sharp wild smell. With a rush the dogs leaped from the road and yapped into the brush after a rabbit. That was the last Jody saw of them, for when they failed to catch the rabbit, then went back home. 55. Jody plodded on up the hill toward the ridge top. When he reached the little cleft where the road came through, the afternoon wind struck him and blew up his hair and ruffled his shirt. He looked down on the little hills and ridges below and then out at the huge green Salinas Valley. He could see the white town of Salinas far out in the flat and the flash of its windows under the waning sun. directly below him, in an oak tree, a crow congress had convened. The tree was black with crows all cawing at once. 56. Then jody's eyes followed the wagon road down from the ridge where he stood, and lost it behind a hill, and picked it up again on the other side. On that distant stretch he say a cart slowly pulled by a bay of horse. It disappeared behind the hill. Jody sat down on the ground and watched the place where the cart would reappear again. the wind sang on the hilltops and the puff-ball clouds hurried eastward. 57. Then the cart came into sight and stopped. A man dressed in black dismounted from the seat and walked to the horse's head. Although it was so far away, Jody knew he had unhooked the checkrein, for the horse's head dropped forward. the horse moved on, and the man walked slowly up the hill beside it. Jody gave a glad cry and ran down the road toward them. the squirrels bumped along off the road, and a road-runner flirted its tail and raced over the edge of the hill and sailed out like a glider. 58. Jody tried to leap into the middle of his shadow at every step. A stone rolled under his foot and he went down. Around a little bend he raced, and there, a short distance ahead, were his grandfather and the cart. the boy dropped from his unseemly running and approached at a dignified walk. 59. The horse plodded stumble-footedly up the hill and the old man walked beside it. In the lowering sun their giant shadows flickered darkly behind them. the grandfather was dressed in a black broad cloth suit and he wore kid congress gaiters and a black tie on a short, hard collar. He carried his black slouch hat in his hand. His white beard was cropped close and his white eyebrows overhung his eyes like moustaches. the blue eyes were sternly merry. About the whole face and figure there was a granite dignity, so that every motion seemed an impossible thing. Once at rest, it seemed the old man would be stone, would never move again. His steps wee slow and certain. Once made, not step could ever be traced; once headed in a direction, the path would never ben nor the pace increase nor slow. 60. When Jody appeared around the bend, Grandfather waved his hat slowly in welcome, and he called, "Why, Jody! Come down to meet me, have you?" 61. Jody sidled near and turned and matched his step to the old man's step and stiffened his body and dragged his heels a little. "Yes, sir," he said. "We got your letter only today." 62. "Should have been here yesterday," said Grandfather. "It certainly should. How are all the folks?" 63. "They're fine, sir." He hesitated and then suggested shyly, "Would you like to come on a mouse hunt tomorrow, sir?" 64. "Mouse hunt, Jody?" Grandfather chuckled. "Have the people of this generation come down to hunting mice? They aren't very strong, the new people, but i hardly thought mice would be game for them." 65. "No, sir. It's just play. The haystack's gone. I', going to drive out the mice to the dogs. And you can watch , or even beat the hay a little." 66. The stern, merry eyes turned down on him. "I see. You don't eat them, then . You haven't come to that yet. 67. Jody explained, "The dogs eat them, sir. It wouldn't be much like hunting Indians I guess." 68. "No, not much-but then later, when the troops were hunting Indians and shooting children and burning tepees, it wasn't much different from you mouse hunt." 69. They topped the rise and started down into the ranch cup, and they lost the sun from their shoulders. "you've grown," grandfather said. "Nearly an inch, I should say." 70. "More," Jody boasted. "Where they mark me on the door, I'm up more than an inch since Thanksgiving even." 71. Grandfather's rich throaty voice said, "Maybe you're getting too much water and turning to pith and stalk. Wait until you head out, and then we'll see." 72. Jody looked quickly into the old man's face to see whether his feelings should be hurt, but there was no will to injure, no punishing nor putting-in-your-place light in the keen blue eyes. "We might kill a pig," Jody suggested. 73. "Oh, no! I couldn't let you do that. You're just humoring me. It isn't the time and you know it." 74. "You know Riley, the big boar, sir?" 75. "Yes. I remember Riley well." 76. "Well, Riley ate a hole into that same haystack, and it fell down on him and smother him." 77. "Pigs do that when they can," said Grandfather. 78. "Riley was a nice pig, for a boar, sir. I rode him sometimes, and he didn't mind." 79. A door slammed at the house below them, and they saw Jody's mother standing on the porch waving her apron in welcome. And they saw Carl Tiflin walking up from the barn to be at the house for the arrival. 80. The sun had disappeared from the hills by now. The blue smoke from the chimney hung in flat layers in the purpling ranch cup. the puff-ball clouds, dropped by the falling wind, hung listlessly in the sky. 81. Billy Buck came out of the bunkhouse and flung a wash basin of soapy water on the ground. He had been shaving in mid-week, for billy held Grandfather in reverence, and Grandfather said that Billy was one of the few men of the new generation who had not gone soft. Although Billy was in middle age, Grandfather considered him a boy. Now billy was hurrying toward the house too. 82. When Jody and grandfather arrived the three were waiting for them in front of the yard gate. 83. Carl said, "Hello, sir. We've been looking for you." 84. Mrs. Tiflin kissed Grandfather on the side of his beard, and stood still while his big hand patted her shoulder. Billy shook hands solemnly, grinning under his straw moustache. "I'll put up your horse," said Billy, and he led the rig away. 85. Grandfather watched him go, and then, turning back to the group, he said as he had said a hundred times before, "there's a good boy. I knew his father old Muletail Buck. I never knew why they called him Mule-tail except he packed mules.' 86. Mrs. Tiflin turned and led the way into the house. "How long are you going to stay, Father? Your letter didn't say." 87. "Well, I don't know. I though I'd stay about two weeks. but I never stat as long as I think I'm going to." 88. In a short while they were sitting at the white oilcloth table eating their supper. The lamp with the tin reflector hung over the table. Outside the dining-room windows the big moths battered softly against the glass. 89. Grandfather cut his steak into tiny pieces and chewed slowly. "I'm hungry," he said. "driving out her got my appetite up. It's like when we were crossing. we all got so hungry every night we could hardly wait to let the meat get done. I could eat about five pounds of buffalo meat every night." 90. "It's moving around does it," said Billy. "My father was a government packer. I helped him when I was a kid. Just the two of us could about clean up a deer's ham." 91. "I knew your father, Billy," said Grandfather. "A fine man he was. they called him Mule-tail Buck. I don't know why except he packed mules." 92. "That was it," Billy agreed. "He packed mules." 93. Grandfather put down his knife and fork and looked around the table. "I remember one time we ran out of meat-" His voice dropped to a curious low sing-song, dropped into a tonal groove that story had worn for itself. "There was no buffalo, no antelope, not even rabbits. The hunters couldn't even shoot a coyote. That was the time for the leader to be on the watch. I was the leader, and I kept my eyes open. Know why? Well, just the minute the people began to get hungry they'd start slaughtering the team oxen. do you believe that? I've heard of parties that just ate up their draft cattle. Started from the middle and worked towards the ends. Finally they'd eat the lead pair, and then the wheelers. The leader of a party had to keep them from doing that." 94. In some manner a big moth got into the room and circled the hanging kerosene lamp. Billy got up and tried to clap it between his hands. Carl struck with a cupped palm and caught the moth and broke it. He walked to the window and dropped it out. 95. "As I was saying," Grandfather began again, but Carl interrupted him. "You'd better eat some more meat. All the rest of us are ready for our pudding." 96. Jody saw a flash of anger in his mother's eyes. Grandfather picked up his knife and fork. "I'm pretty hungry, all right," he said. "I'll tell you about that later." 97. When supper was over, when the family and Billy Buck sat in front of the fireplace in the other room, Jody anxiously watched Grandfather. He say the signs he knew. The bearded head leaned forward; the eyes lost their sternness and looked wonderingly into the fire; the big fingers laced themselves on the black knees. "I wonder," he began, "I just wonder whether I ever told you how those thieving Piutes drove off thirty five of our horses." 98. "I think you did," Carl interrupted. "Wasn't it just before you went up into the Tahoe country?" 99. Grandfather turned quickly toward his son-in-law. "That's right. I guess I must have told you that story." 100. "Lots of times," Carl said cruelly, and he avoided his wife's eyes. But he felt the angry eyes on him, and he said, "Course I'd like to hear it again." 101. Grandfather looked back at the fire. His fingers unlaced and laced again. Jody knew how he felt, how his insides were collapsed and empty. Hadn't Jody been called a big-Britches that very afternoon? He arose to heroism and opened himself to the term Big-Britches again. "Tell about Indians," he said softly. 102. Grandfather's eyes grew stern again. "Boys always want to hear about Indians. It was a job for men, but boy want to hear about it. Well, let's see. Did I ever tell you how I wanted each wagon to carry a long iron plate?" 103. Everyone but Jody remained silent. Jody said, "No. You didn't." 104. "Well, when the Indians attacked, we always put the wagons in a circle and fought from between the wheels. I though that if every wagon carried a long plate with rifle hole, the men could stand the plates on the outside of the wheels when the wagons were in the circle and they would be protected. It would save lives and that would make up for the extra weight of the iron. But of course the party wouldn't do it. No party had done it before and they couldn't see why they should go to the expense. They live to regret it, too." 105. Jody looked at his mother, and knew from her expression that she was not listening at all. Carl picked at a callus on his thumb and Billy Buck watched a spider crawling up the wall. 106. Grandfathers tone dropped into its narrative groove again. Jody knew in advance exactly what words would fall. the story droned on, speeded up for the attack, grew sad over the wounds, struck a dirge at the burials and the great plains. Jody sat quietly watching Grandfather. the stern blue eyes were detached. He looked as though he were not very interested in the story himself. 107. When it was finished, when the pause had been politely respected as the frontier of the story, Billy Buck stood up and stretched nd hitches his trousers. "I guess I'll turn in," he said. Then he faced Grandfather. " I've got an old powder horn and a cap and ball pistol down to the bunkhouse. Did I ever how then to you?" 108. Grandfather nodded slowly. "Yes, I think you did, Billy. Reminds me of a pistol I had when I was leading the people across." Billy stood politely until the little story was done, and then he said, "Good night," and went out of the house. 109. Carl Tiflin tried to turn the conversation then. "how's the country between here and Monterey? I've heard it's pretty dry." 110. "It is dry," said Grandfather. "There's not a drop of water in the Laguna Seca. But it's a long pull from '87. The whole country was powder then, and in '61 I believe all the coyotes starved to death. We had fifteen inches of rain this year." 111. "Yes, but it all came too early. We could to with some now." Carl's eye fell on Jody. "Hadn't you better be getting to bed?" 112. Jody stood up obediently. "Can't I kill the mice in the old haystack, sir?" 113. "Mice? Oh! Sure, kill them all off. Billy said there isn't any good hay left." 114. Jody exchanged a secret and satisfying look with Grandfather. "I'll kill every one tomorrow," he promised. 115. Jody lay in his bed and thought of the impossible world of Indians and buffaloes, a world that had ceased to be forever. He wished he could have been living in the heroic time, but he knew he was not of heroic timber. No one living now, save possibly Billy Buck, was worthy to do the things that had been done. A race of giants had lived then, fearless men, men of a staunchness unknown in this day. Jody thought of the wide plains and of the wagons moving across like centipedes. He thought of Grandfather on a huge white horse, marshaling the people. Across his mind marched the great phantoms, and they marched off the earth and they were gone. 116. He came back to the ranch for a moment, then. He heard the dull rushing sound that space and silence make. He heard one of the dogs, out in the doghouse, scratching a flea and bumping his elbow against the floor with every stroke. Then the wind arose again and the black cypress groaned and Jody went to sleep. 117. He was up half an hour before the triangle sounded for breakfast. His mother was rattling the stove to make the flames roar when Jody went through the kitchen. "You're up early," she said. "Where are you going?" 118. "Out to get a good stick. We're going to kill the mice today." 119. "Who is 'we?" 120. "Why, Grandfather and I." 121. "So you've got him in it. You always like to have someone in with you in case there's blame to share." 122. "I'll be right back," said Jody. "I just want to have a good stick ready for after breakfast." 123. He closed the screen door after him and went out into the cool blue morning. the birds were noisy in the dawn and the ranch cats come down from the hill like blunt snakes. they had been hunting gophers in the dark, and although the four cats were full of gopher meat, they sat in a semi-circle at the back door and mewed piteously for milk. Doubletree Mutt and Smasher moved sniffing along the edge of the brush, performing the duty with rigid ceremony, but when Jody whistled, their heads jerked up and their tails waved. They plunged down to him, wriggling their skins and yawning. Jody patted their heads seriously, and moved on to the weathered scrap pile. He selected an old broom handle and a short piece of inch-square scrap wood. From his pocket he took a shoelace and tied his new weapon through the air and struck the ground experimentally, while the dogs leaped aside and whined with apprehension. 124. Jody turned and started down past the house toward the old haystack ground to look over the field of slaughter, but Billy Buck, sitting patiently on the back steps, called to him, "You better come back. It's only a couple of minutes till breakfast." 125. Jody changed his course and moved toward the house. He leaned his fail against the steps. "That's to drive the mice out," he said. "I'll bet they're fat. I'll bet they don't know what's going to happen to them today." 126. "No, nor you either," Billy remarked philosophically, "nor me, nor anyone." 127. Jody was staggered by this thought. He knew it was true. His imagination twitched away from the mouse hunt. Then his mother came out on the back porch and struck the triangle and all thoughts fell in a heap. 128. Grandfather hadn't appeared at the table when they sat down. Billy nodded at his empty chair. "He's all right? He isn't sick?" 129. "He takes a long time to dress," said Mrs. Tiflin. "He combs his whiskers and rubs up his shoes and brushes his clothes." 130. Carl scattered sugar on his mush. "A man that's led a wagon train across the plains has got to be pretty careful how he dresses." 131. Mrs. Tiflin turned on him. "Don't do that, Carl! Please don't!" There was more of threat than of request in her tone. And the threat irritated Carl. 132. "Well, how many times do I have to listen to the story of the iron plates, and the thirty-five horses?" That time's done. Why can't her forget it, now it's done?" He grew angrier while he talked, and his voice rose. "Why does he have to tell them over and over? He came across the plains. All right! Now it's finished. Nobody want to hear about it over and over." 133. The door into the kitchen closed softly. The four at the table sat frozen. Carl laid his mush spoon on the table and touched his chin with his fingers. 134. Then the kitchen door opened and Grandfather walked in. His mouth smiled tightly and his eyes were squinted. "Good morning," he said, and he sat down and looked at his mush dish. 135. Carl could not leave it there. "Did-did you hear what I said?" 136. Grandfather jerked a little nod. 137. "I don't know what got into me, dir. I didn't mean it. I was just being funny." 138. Jody glanced in shame at his mother, and he saw that she was looking at Carl, and that she wasn't breathing. It was an awful thing that he was doing. He was tearing himself to pieces to talk like that. It was a terrible thing to him to retract a word, but to retract it in shame was infinitely worse. 139. Grandfather looked sideways. "I'm trying to get right side up," he said gently. "I'm not being mad. I don't mind what you said, but it might be true, and I would mind that." 140. "It isn't true," said Carl. "I'm not felling well this morning. I'm sorry I said it." 141. "Don't be sorry, Carl. An old man doesn't see things sometimes. Maybe you're right. the crossing is finished. Maybe it should be forgotten, now it's done." 142. Carl got up from the table. "I've had enough to eat. I',m going to work. take you time, Billy!" He walked quickly out of the dining-room. Billy gulped the rest of his food and followed soon after. But Jody could not leave his chair. 143. "Won't you tell any more stories?" Jody asked. 144. "Why, sure I'll tell them, but only when-I'm sure people want to hear them." 145. "I like to hear them, sir." 146. "Oh! Of course you do, but you're a little boy. It was a job for men, but only little boys like to hear about it." 147. Jody got up from his place. "I'll wait outside for you, sir. I've got a good stick for those mice." 148. He waited by the gate until the old man came out on the porch. "Let's go down and kill the mice now," Jody called. 149. "I think I'll just sit in the sun, Jody. You go kill the mice." 150. "You can use my stick if you like." 151. "No, I'll just sit her a while." 152. Jody turned disconsolately away, and walked down toward the old haystack. He tried to whip up his enthusiasm with thoughts of the fat juicy mice. He beat the ground with his flail. the dogs coaxed and whined about him, but he could not go. Back at the house he could see Grandfather sitting on the porch, looking small and thin and black. 153. Jody gave up and went to sit on the steps at the old man's feet. 154. "Back already? Did you kill the mice?" 155. "No, sir. I'll kill them some other day." 156. The morning flies buzzed close to the ground and the ants dashed about in front of the steps. the heavy smell of sage slipped down the hill. the porch boards grew warm in the sunshine. 157. Jody hardly knew when grandfather started to talk. "I shouldn't stay here, feeling the way I do." He examined his strong old hands. "I feel as though the crossing wasn't worth doing." His eyes moved up the side-hill and stopped on a motionless hawk perched on a dead limb. "I tell those old stories, but they're not what I want to tell. I only know how I want people to feel when I tell them. 158. "It wasn't Indians that were important, nor adventures, nor even getting out here. It was a whole bunch of people make into one big crawling beast. And I was the head. It was westering and westering. Every man wanted something for himself, but the big beast that was all of them wanted only westering. I was the leader, but if I hadn't been there, someone else would have been the head. the thing had to have a head. 159. "Under the little bushes the shadows were black at white noonday. When we say the mountains at last, we cried-all of us. But it wasn't getting here that mattered, it was movement and westering. 160. "We carried life out here and set it down the way those ants carry eggs. And I was the leader. the westering was as big as God, and the slow steps that made the movement piled up and piled up until the continent was crossed. 161. "Then we came down to the sea, and it was done." He stopped and wiped his eyes until the rims were red. "That's what I should be telling instead of stories." 162. When Jody spoke, Grandfather started and looked down at him. "Maybe I could lead the people some day," Jody said. 163. The old man smiled. "there's no place to go. There's the ocean to stop you. there's a line of old men along the shore hating the ocean because it stopped them." 164. "In boats I might, sir." 165. "No place to go, Jody. Every place is taken. But that's not the worst-no, not the worst. Westering has died out of the people. Westering isn't a hunger any more. It's all done. Your father is right. It is finished." he laced his finger on his knee and looked at them. 166. Jody felt very sad. "If you'd like a glass of lemonade I could make it for you." 167. Jody ran into the kitchen where his mother was wiping the last of the breakfast dishes. "Can I have a lemon to make a lemonade for Grandfather?" 168. His mother mimicked-"And another lemon to make a lemonade for you." 169. "No, ma'am. I don't want one." 170. "Jody! You're sick!" Then she stopped suddenly. "take a lemon out of the cooler," she said softly. "Here, I'll reach the squeezer down to you." Read More