THE COTTON ROOT-LOUSE 129 



weeks ago and seen you a-plantin'. I had all my 

 land ready to plant, but I didn't, because the signs 

 weren't right. You planted by the dark of the 

 moon and you shouldn't have done it. That is 

 what I say." 



Joe answered that he did not believe that to be 

 the cause of the cotton's dying. 



"Hold on here, Joe," Bill interrupted, very much 

 vexed that a youngster like Joe should reject the 

 decision of his old neighbors; "you are going al- 

 together too fast ; you are exceedin' the speed- 

 limit ; me and Sam here are old farmers and remem- 

 ber the day you was born. We have lived here all 

 our lives, and if we don't know this country then I 

 would like to know who does. Me and Sam have 

 grown as much as forty acres of cotton a year, and 

 we always had enough cotton to sell that we could 

 buy all the corn for meal and we made our own bacon. 

 You are but a young feller and have a heap to learn 



yet." 



Joe replied, "I want more than a little corn bread 

 and bacon if I stay on the farm. Then I don't care 

 how old you men are or how long you have lived here, 

 I do not believe that the moon has anything what- 

 ever to do with this cotton's dying. There is some 

 good reason for it, and I am going to find out if I 



can." 



When Bill and Sam drove on they did not look as 



