The half dozen children huddled in the center are young, 3 years of age
to a girl of 7 years or so. They are thin, very pale, very dirty, and
wearing tattered clothes. Because the children have fallen silent,
Finegan’s presence has been noted. The main door of the shack opens and
a hag emerges.
Hey! You looking to buy?
The hag is thin, wrinkled, toothless, and has long greasy hair hanging
straight down, some strands in front of her face. Her clothes hang on
her, as though she has lost weight. She wears bedroom slippers and
socks that are falling down around her ankles. Wanting to assess the
situation, Finegan plays along. Finegan points to the 7 year old girl,
who is standing to the rear of the clutch of children.
What’ll you take for the girl in back?
Like the others, the girl has a solemn face. The girl blinks, stares at
the ground, and is making fists with her hands as they are held at her
sides, tense and frightened.
Finegan pulls out a gold watch on a gold chain, dangling it in the air
in front of the hag, but she objects.
Food! I want food. Else some’it useful, like a
gun. Ammo. What cha got?
Finegan stuffs the gold watch back into his pocket and while pulling
his hand out of his pocket flips it back to grab his pistol, which he
has tucked into the waistband of his pants at the back. Pointing the
gun at the hag’s head, Finegan says,
I do just happen to have a gun.
The hag bolts for the door of her shack, but Finegan grabs her by the
scuff of the neck. With the pistol at the back of her neck, she has no
choice and throws her scrawny hands up in the air. Finegan says,
We’re going to let those kids out.
Finegan gives her a shove in the direction of the shack door, all the
while holding firmly to the scuff of her neck.
______________________________
The hag is on her stomach on the ground, her hands and feet tied
together behind her. The girl is looping and tying and jerking on the
piece of rope. Finegan has been holding the pistol on the woman. He
puts his gun away and tests the knots briefly, giving them a tug.
Suddenly, the girl is talkative.
She put a rag over my mouth. It smelled.
29
The girl points with a finger in the direction of the hills up above
the river, swinging her arm back and forth indicating she is not sure
where her capture took place.
I got tired and sat down for a spell.
The girl looks sad, glancing to the side at the cluster of younger
children, now out of the cage but still huddling together.
She likes the little ones. They’re easier, I
guess.
Finegan goes into the shack and comes out with a bottle marked
Chloroform and a dirty rag. The hag is furious.
Hey! You steal my kids but don’t steal my
stuff! I gotta live.
Finegan wets the rag with the Chloroform and slaps it over the hag’s
face, holding it there. Still trying to assess the situation, Finegan
asks,
Has anyone come by?
The girl says,
Not since I’ve been here. She said if someone
didn’t come by soon, she’d have to eat one of
us.
Finegan has been looking around, and has noted a rowboat pulled up onto
shore. The boat looks sound. Finegan has formulated his plan.
Common kids, lunch time. Ever had a ripe peach?
______________________________
The rowboat is being pulling up alongside the houseboat, filled with
the rescued kids. Finegan is rowing the heavily loaded boat carefully.
Joey is reaching out to catch the rope attached to the front of the
boat, securing it to the houseboat. Then he moves along the rowboat,
pulling it close along the side of the houseboat, and holds the rear so
the rowboat is now flush alongside the houseboat. Finegan lifts the
kids out one by one, setting them on the deck.
Dole out some of them ripe peaches and set to
frying the fish from this morning. It looks
like they haven’t had a decent meal in a week.
Putting his hands back on the oars, Finegan says,
I’ve got something to tend to.
Joey nods, and goes to untie the front of the rowboat, tossing the rope
into the boat. Finegan pushes the rowboat away from the houseboat with
one of the oars and turns the boat to head back to the shack.
When Finegan returns the rowboat is filled with loot he has taken from
the hag’s shack. There is a crossbow, a hunting knife, a rifle with
30
ammo, several pots and pans, and wool blankets. He pulls up to the same
spot along the side of the houseboat. The kids are all seated in
various places around the front of the houseboat, where Joey has been
frying fish and baking potatoes. They all have a plate of sorts in
their hands, and are eating ravenously. The girl is helping dish food
out and is passing a cup of water along from one to the other. Joey
secures the boat as before, tying it at the front and then holding the
back. Finegan heaves the loot onto the deck.
One last thing.
Joey nods and again unties him. Finegan again moves back again toward
the shack.
______________________________
The houseboat is now in open water in the center of the river. They are
returning downstream, back to the group of survivors at the bonfire.
The kids are clustered together on the deck at the front, some nodding
off, some sleeping, some looking forward at the river as though in a
hypnotic state. Trailing behind Finegan is the rowboat with the hag on
her knees in the bottom. She is complaining loudly.
You let me loose! That’s my stuff, damit.
Finegan has a smile on his face, ignoring her.
______________________________
Toward evening the houseboat is approaching the shore where the bonfire
party was held just the night before. Those on shore can see the front
of the houseboat, which leads during the pedaling process, and can see
a pile of youngsters now almost all asleep. One of the young kids jumps
up, recognizing his mother on shore.
Mama! Mama!
The group on shore is gathering, more and more campers coming from the
woods or from temporary shelters thrown together and rushing to the
shoreline. As the houseboat slows and Finegan leaves the pedals to moor
with the grappling hooks, some in the crowd wade into the water, not
waiting. The kids are coming forward to stand on the edge of the
houseboat front, some reaching their arms out. Finegan throws his hands
up, smiling, and arranges to work with a couple men coming to help,
handing them each a grappling hook, which is walked, rather than
thrown, onto shore.