The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck [199]
In the tent of Ezra Huston, chairman, the Central Committee of five men went into meeting. Huston, a tall spare man, wind-blackened, with eyes like little blades, spoke to his committee, one man from each sanitary unit.
“It’s goddamn lucky we got the word they was gonna try to bust up the dance!’’ he said.
The tubby little representative from Unit Three spoke up. “I think we oughta squash the hell out of ’em, an’ show ’em.’’
“No,’’ said Huston. “That’s what they want. No, sir. If they can git a fight goin’, then they can run in the cops an’ say we ain’t orderly. They tried it before—other places.’’ He turned to the sad dark boy from Unit Two. “Got the fellas together to go roun’ the fences an’ see nobody sneaks in?’’
The sad boy nodded. “Yeah! Twelve. Tol’ ’em not to hit nobody. Jes’ push ’em out ag’in.’’
Huston said, “Will you go out an’ find Willie Eaton? He’s chairman a the entertainment, ain’t he?’’
“Yeah.’’
“Well, tell ’im we wanta see ’im.’’
The boy went out, and he returned in a moment with a stringy Texas man. Willie Eaton had a long fragile jaw and dust-colored hair. His arms and legs were long and loose, and he had the gray sunburned eyes of the Panhandle. He stood in the tent, grinning, and his hands pivoted restlessly on his wrists.
Huston said, “You heard about tonight?’’
Willie grinned. “Yeah!’’
“Did anything ’bout it?’’
“Yeah!’’
“Tell what you done.’’
Willie Eaton grinned happily. “Well, sir, ordinary ent’tainment committee is five. I got twenty more—all good strong boys. They’re a-gonna be a-dancin’ an’ a-keepin’ their eyes open an’ their ears open. First sign—any talk or argament, they close in tight. Worked her out purty nice. Can’t even see nothing. Kinda move out, an’ the fella will go out with ’em.’’
“Tell ’em they ain’t to hurt the fellas.’’
Willie laughed gleefully. “I tol’ ’em,’’ he said.
“Well, tell ’em so they know.’’
“They know. Got five men out to the gate lookin’ over the folks that comes in. Try to spot ’em ’fore they git started.’’
Huston stood up. His steel-colored eyes were stern. “Now you look here, Willie. We don’t want them fellas hurt. They’s gonna be deputies out by the front gate. If you blood ’em up, why—them deputies’ll git you.’’
“Got that there figgered out,’’ said Willie. “Take ’em out the back way, into the fiel’. Some a the boys’ll see they git on their way.’’
“Well, it soun’s awright,’’ Huston said worriedly. “But don’t you let nothing happen, Willie. You’re responsible. Don’ you hurt them fellas. Don’ you use no stick nor no knife or arn, or nothing like that.’’
“No, sir,’’ said Willie. “We won’t mark ’em.’’
Huston was suspicious. “I wisht I knowed I could trus’ you, Willie. If you got to sock ’em, sock ’em where they won’t bleed.’’
“Yes, sir!’’ said Willie.
“You sure of the fellas you picked?’’
“Yes, sir.’’
“Awright. An’ if she gits outa han’, I’ll be in the right-han’ corner, this way on the dance floor.’’
Willie saluted in mockery and went out.
Huston said, “I dunno. I jes’ hope Willie’s boys don’t kill nobody. What the hell the deputies want to hurt the camp for? Why can’t they let us be?’’
The sad boy from Unit Two said, “I lived out at Sunlan’ Lan’ an’ Cattle Company’s place. Honest to God, they got a cop for ever’ ten people. Got one water faucet for ’bout two hundred people.’’
The tubby man said, “Jesus, God, Jeremy. You ain’t got to tell me. I was there. They got a block of shacks—thirty-five of ’em in a row, an’ fifteen deep. An’ they got ten crappers for the whole shebang. An’, Christ, you could smell ’em a mile. One of them deputies give me the lowdown. We was settin’ aroun’, an’ he says, ‘Them goddamn gov’ment camps,’ he says. ‘Give people hot water, an’ they gonna want hot water. Give ’em flush toilets, an’ they gonna want ’em.’ He says, ‘You give them goddamn Okies stuff like that an’ they’ll want ’em.’ An’ he says, ‘They hol’ red meetin’s in them gov’ment camps. All figgerin’ how to git on relief,’ he says.’’
Huston asked, “Didn’ nobody sock him?’’
“No. They was a little fella, an’ he says, ‘What you mean, relief?’
“ ‘I mean relief