"Howard Waldrop - The Sawing Boys" - читать интересную книгу автора (Waldrop Howard)

"Well, boys," said Luke, "it's do-or-die time." They gathered up their saws and
sacks and ladder, and started for the stage.


Miss Millie Dee Chantpie is in the car, looking cool as a cucumber. Little Willie is
at one side of the crowd, standing out like a sore thumb; he has his hand under his
jacket on The Old Crowd Pleaser.
Large Jake is back, shading three or four people from the hot afternoon sun. I am
at the corner of the general mercantile, one eye on Chris the Shoemaker and one on
the wire coming down the back of the store.
The prize moolah is in this big glass cracker jar on the table with the judges so
everybody can see it. It is in greenbacks.
I am seeing Large Jake move up behind the John Law figure, who is sucking at a
jug of corn liquor— you would not think the Prohib was the rule of the land here.
I am seeing these guys climb onto the stage, and I cannot believe my peepers,
because they are pulling saws and ladders out of their backs. Are these carpenters or
what? There is a guy in a straw hat, and one with a bristle mustache, and one with a
red-checked shirt and red hat, and one with a cap with big floppy earflaps. One is
climbing on a ladder. They are having tools everywhere. What the ding-dong is going
on?
And they begin to play, a corny song, but it is high and sweet, and then I am
thinking of birds and rivers and running water and so forth. So I shakes myself, and
keeps my glims on Chris the Shoemaker.
The guys with the saws are finishing their song, and people are going ga-ga over
them.
And then I see that Chris is in position.


"Thank yew, thank yew," said Luke. "We-all is the Sawing Boys and we are
pleased as butter to be here. I got a cousin over to Cornfield County what has one
uh them new cat-whisker crystal raddio devices, and you should hear the things that
comes right over the air from it. Well, I learned a few of them, and me and the boys
talked about them, and now we'll do a couple for yew. Here we're gonna do one by
the Molokoi Hotel Royal Hawaiian Serenaders called 'Ule Uhi Umekoi Hwa Hwa.'
Take it away, Sawing Boys!" He tapped his foot.
He bent his saw and bowed the first high, swelling notes, then Rooster Joe came
down on the harmony rhythm on the ripsaw. Felix bent down on the ladder on the
handle of the bucksaw, and Cave pulled the big willow bow and they were off into a
fast, swinging song that was about lagoons and fish and food..
People were jumping and yelling all over town, and Luke, whose voice was
nothing special, started singing:


"Ume hoi uli koi hwa hwa Wa haweaee omi oi lui lui…"


And the applause began before Rooster Joe finished alone with a dying struck
high note that held for ten or fifteen seconds. People were yelling and screaming and
the Cardui people didn't know what to do with themselves.
"Thank yew, thank yew!" said Luke Apuleus, wiping his brow with his arm while