“Wait a minute.” Luster said. “You snagged on that nail again. Cant you never crawl through here 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, Caddy said. 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. I expect they’re sorry because one of them got killed today, Caddy said. The ground was hard, churned and knotted._ _Keep your hands in your pockets, Caddy said. Or they’ll get froze. You don’t want your hands froze on Christmas, do you._ “It’s too cold out there.” Versh said. “You dont want to go out doors.” “What is it now.” Mother said. “He want to go out doors.” Versh said. “Let him go.” Uncle Maury said. “It’s too cold.” Mother said. “He’d better stay in. Benjamin. Stop that, now.” “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 keep him out the kitchen today.” Versh said. “She say she got all that cooking to get done.” “Let him go, Caroline.” Uncle Maury 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.” “It just upsets me that much more.” Mother said. “Dont you know it does.” “You’ll 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. I dont want you to get sick.” Versh put my overshoes and overcoat on and we took my cap and went out. Uncle Maury was putting the bottle away in the sideboard in the dining-room. “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 get off the place.” We went out doors. The sun was cold and bright. “Where you heading for.” Versh said. “You dont think you going to town, does you.” We went through the rattling leaves. The gate was cold. “You better keep them hands in your pockets.” Versh said, “You get them froze onto that gate, then what you do. Whyn’t you wait for them in the house.” He put my hands into my pockets. I could hear him rattling in the leaves. I could smell the cold. 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, but I could smell the bright cold. “You better put them hands back in your pockets.” Caddy was walking. Then she was running, her book-satchel swinging and jouncing behind her.