He thought of the tall white boy as “Mr. Pea”—he would call him “Mr. Pea.” When he came back with the wood the young ranger was still holding his hands to the little fire. “I guess I just call you ‘Mr. Pea,’ if it suits you,” Deets said. “Why, yes—that’ll do fine,” Pea Eye said. “I guess I’m a mister—I guess everybody’s a mister.” No, I ain’t, black people ain’t, Deets thought—but he didn’t say it.
