The Crossing (The Border Trilogy, #2)

by Cormac McCarthy

The old man stopped and sat the idling truck and leaned across and rolled down the window. What in the hell, he said. What in the hell. You reckon you could turn that thing off? the boy said. That’s a damn wolf. Yessir it is. What in the hell. The truck’s scarin her. Scarin her? Yessir. Boy what’s wrong with you? That thing comes out of that riggin it’ll eat you alive. Yessir. What are you doin with him? It’s a she. It’s a what? A she. It’s a she. Hell fire, it dont make a damn he or she. What are you doin with it? Fixin to take it home. Home? Yessir. Whatever in the contumacious hell for? Can you not turn that thing off? It aint all that easy to start again. Well could I maybe get you to drive down there and catch my horse for me and bring him back. I’d tie her up but she gets all fuzzled up in the fencewire. What I’d like to do is to try and save you the trouble of bein eat, the old man said. What are you takin it home for? It’s kindly a long story. Well I’d sure like to hear it. The boy looked down the road where the horse stood grazing. He looked at the old man. Well, he said. My daddy wanted me to come and get him if I caught her but I didnt want to leave her cause they’s been some vaqueros takin their dinner over yonder and I figured they’d probably shoot her so I just decided to take her on home with me. Have you always been crazy? I dont know. I never was much put to the test before today. How old are you? Sixteen. Sixteen. Yessir. Well you aint got the sense God g...