“A Hot Steam’s somebody who can’t get to heaven, just wallows around on lonesome roads an’ if you walk through him, when you die you’ll be one too, an’ you’ll go around at night suckin’ people’s breath—” “How can you keep from passing through one?” “You can’t,” said Jem. “Sometimes they stretch all the way across the road, but if you hafta go through one you say, ‘Angel-bright, life-in-death; get off the road, don’t suck my breath.’ That keeps ’em from wrapping around you—” “Don’t you believe a word he says, Dill,” I said. “Calpurnia says that’s nigger-talk.” Jem scowled darkly at me, but
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