BEAU

CHAPTER 3

AND SMELLIN' STILL

   We were clearin’ the boards, laughin’ ‘bout how funny we must have looked falling down on them sheep, when Beau noticed a tunnel runnin’ up under the side of the sheep shed.   After pokin’ a stick, a couple of times, Beau decided one of the dogs or cats musta made it to get cool and it needed investigatin’.  Beau just seemed to fear nothin’ and started climbin’ in that tunnel.  Got halfway in before he got stuck.  Said I should pull some of the boards off him so he could get out, but I just thought this was another plan of Beau's to make me do all the work.  So, I just pushed him up further making him look like my maw had planted her flower garden there in the shed ‘cause all that was left of Beau was his overalls.  Beau started shoutin’ at me that he could hear somethin’ in front of him and I better get him out, quick, but I couldn't.  No matter how hard I pulled, Beau stayed stuck.  Beau shouted that I should get my sisters to help me pull.  My sisters said he could rot up in those ole' boards for all they cared and besides, it served him right.  Anyway, they were fixin’ supper and tryin’ on some of maws toilet water while she was gone to help Beau's maw help set up the quiltin’ frame over at Beau's house.

          Near supper my sisters came out smellin’ like they fell in that ole' bottle of toilet water.  But it weren’t just them!  That stinkin’ was comin’ from Beau!  “I told you he would rot,” they shouted.  The girls just screamed and left sayin’ I could pull that ole' stinky boy out myself or just leave him there.  I tugged at Beau's feet and shouted that he should push from his end to help me, but he didn't hear me ‘cause he had passed out.  I finally got him out of that tunnel and thought he had died and gone to heaven again. When our paws came home, my Paw said he had forgotten to tell us he had seen an ole'mama skunk among them boards and that we should be careful not to rile her.  “Just put them boards back over the hole,” they laughed, standin’ their distance.

          Before I could, that ole' mama skunk and all her young-uns came prancin out flingin’ their tails even higher at all of us.  I never seen so much runnin’ and shoutin’ in all my born days.  Sisters were screamin’ about supper being ruined while they ran about in total confusion.  Paws, sisters, dogs, cats, sheep, skunks and me were runnin’ in every direction while Beau just lay there passed out deader’n a doorknob.  Every time I got near anyone they would shout and run faster screamin’ at me to stay away.  As I ran around the corner of the shed, I looked back to see if Beau was movin’ but he just kept lyin’ there.  The baby skunks decided they must have liked ole Beau ‘cause they marched right up to him and proceeded to climb on his back and play among the flowers while their ole' mama kept her guard.  Darin' us to mess with her young-uns or their new flower garden.  That's when I discovered that ole' mama and her young-uns weren't the only skunks stinkin’.  I was stinkin’ too.  Paw said it was my God given duty to run them skunks away from my best friend since I was smellin’ just as ripe as them skunks and Beau.  Before I could get me a stick to chase ‘em, Beau woke up a screamin’ and flingin’ skunks in every direction.  This didn't set too well with that ole' mama skunk and she proceeded to fling more of that perfume of hers at us again.

          We did some burnin’ that afternoon all right.  Not only did we burn them boards, but we had to burn every stitch of clothes we had on and had to spend the next few days and nights camped outside in our underwear and taking baths with lye soap ‘til we quit smellin' so ripe and our maws had time to make us some new overalls.  Beau's maw made his out of her ole' stripped black and white dress which made Beau happy 'cause he was gonna look like one of them convicts or that ole' skunk critter.  My sisters said his maw was just gettin' him used to what he would have to wear some day in the jail house over in Marksville.

          Poor Beau's mama didn't get the material for her dresses she wanted 'cause she had to spend the money on material for new overalls for Beau.  Said she was gonna make him a dozen different pair.  Said she wasn't gonna let him run around all day lookin' like that ole' mama skunk in his black and white stripped overalls.

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