The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck [204]
Ma and Rose of Sharon sat on a bench and watched. And as each boy asked Rose of Sharon as partner, Ma said, “No, she ain’t well.’’ And Rose of Sharon blushed and her eyes were bright.
The caller stepped to the middle of the floor and held up his hands. “All ready? Then let her go!’’
The music snarled out “Chicken Reel,’’ shrill and clear, fiddle skirling, harmonicas nasal and sharp, and the guitars booming on the bass strings. The caller named the turns, the squares moved. And they danced forward and back, hands ’round, swing your lady. The caller, in a frenzy, tapped his feet, strutted back and forth, went through the figures as he called them.
“Swing your ladies an’ a dol ce do. Join han’s roun’ an’ away we go.’’ The music rose and fell, and the moving shoes beating in time on the platform sounded like drums. “Swing to the right an’ a swing to lef’; break, now—break—back to—back,’’ the caller sang the high vibrant monotone. Now the girls’ hair lost the careful combing. Now perspiration stood out on the foreheads of the boys. Now the experts showed the tricky inter-steps. And the old people on the edge of the floor took up the rhythm, patted their hands softly, and tapped their feet; and they smiled gently and then caught one another’s eyes and nodded.
Ma leaned her head close to Rose of Sharon’s ear. “Maybe you wouldn’ think it, but your Pa was as nice a dancer as I ever seen, when he was young.’’ And Ma smiled. “Makes me think of ol’ times,’’ she said. And on the faces of the watchers the smiles were of old times.
“Up near Muskogee twenty years ago, they was a blin’ man with a fiddle——’’
“I seen a fella oncet could slap his heels four times in one jump.’’
“Swedes up in Dakota—know what they do sometimes? Put pepper on the floor. Gits up the ladies’ skirts an’ makes ’em purty lively—lively as a filly in season. Swedes do that sometimes.’’
In the distance, the Jesus-lovers watched their restive children. “Look on sin,’’ they said. “Them folks is ridin’ to hell on a poker. It’s a shame the godly got to see it.’’ And their children were silent and nervous.
“One more roun’ an’ then a little res’,’’ the caller chanted. “Hit her hard, ’cause we’re gonna stop soon.’’ And the girls were damp and flushed, and they danced with open mouths and serious reverent faces, and the boys flung back their long hair and pranced, pointed their toes, and clicked their heels. In and out the squares moved, crossing, backing, whirling, and the music shrilled.
Then suddenly it stopped. The dancers stood still, panting with fatigue. And the children broke from restraint, dashed on the floor, chased one another madly, ran, slid, stole caps, and pulled hair. The dancers sat down, fanning themselves with their hands. The members of the band got up and stretched themselves and sat down again. And the guitar players worked softly over their strings.
Now Willie called, “Choose again for another square, if you can.’’ The dancers scrambled to their feet and new dancers plunged forward for partners. Tom stood near the three young men. He saw them force their way through, out on the floor, toward one of the forming squares. He waved his hand at Willie, and Willie spoke to the fiddler. The fiddler squawked his bow across the strings. Twenty young men lounged slowly across the floor. The three reached the square. And one of them said, “I’ll dance with this here.’’
A blond boy looked up in astonishment. “She’s my partner.’’
“Listen, you little son-of-a-bitch——’’
Off in the darkness a shrill whistle sounded. The three were walled in now. And each one felt the grip of hands. And then the wall of men moved slowly off the platform.
Willie yelped, “Le’s go!’’ The music shrilled out, the caller intoned the figures, the feet thudded on the platform.
A touring car drove to the entrance. The driver called, “Open up. We hear you got a riot.’’
The guard kept his position. “We got no riot. Listen to that music. Who are you?’’
“Deputy sheriffs.’’
“Got a warrant?’’
“We don’t need a warrant if there’s a riot.’’
“Well, we got no riots here,’’ said the gate guard.