Free The Well by Mildred D. Taylor

sayin’? Y’all makin’ some serious charges here.”
    â€œWe know what we know,” said Hammer.
    I nodded again. “It’s the truth.”
    â€œâ€™Sides that,” said Hammer, and looked straight at George Melbourne, “we ain’t the only ones heard them say it.”
    John Henry looked a bit uneasy, but Hammer didn’t even glance his way.
    â€œWho else then?” asked Mr. Melbourne.
    â€œAsk your son,” said Hammer.
    Mr. Melbourne, looking kind of puzzled now, turned to George. “You know somethin’ ’bout this?”
    George looked at Hammer and me, then back at his daddy. “No, suh. I was down by the creek one day they was there, and Charlie and Ed-Rose and Dewberry was there too, but I ain’t heard nothin’. I can’t say they done said it.” He glanced again at Hammer and me, lowered his eyes, and looked away.
    Mr. Peabody shook his head. “Well, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe nobody’d be that low-down.”
    Mr. Melbourne looked at Mama, at Hammer and me, then he said, “One way we can find out. We can ask them.”
    Mr. Peabody looked doubtful. Mr. Tom Bee was silent, letting the white men do the talking, but he looked doubtful too.
    â€œI’ll go myself,” said Mr. Melbourne. “I’ll talk to both them boys and Old Man McCalister.”
    â€œDon’t think that’s gonna be necessary,” said Mr. Peabody as another wagon came up the road. “Look yonder.”
    We all looked. Old Man McCalister Simms, Ed-Rose, and Charlie were in the wagon, headed for our drive, and our well. All of us knew it without a wordbeing spoken. Two water barrels set in the back of the wagon.
    There was only silence as the wagon turned up the drive. There was only silence as the wagon came to a halt behind Mr. Tom Bee’s wagon. There was only silence as Old Man McCalister Simms gave a nod in greeting, and he and Ed-Rose and Charlie got down. They came over to the well.
    â€œMy, Lord! What’s that I smell?” asked Mr. Simms.
    â€œAsk your boys,” said Hammer, much too quickly for a little Negro boy standing there dealing with white men. “They the ones done put the stink there.”
    â€œWhat you talkin’ ’bout, nigger?” cried Charlie.
    Old Man McCalister’s lined and weathered face looked to line and weather some more. “Gal!” he said, looking straight at Mama, “you best hush up that little nigger of your’n ’fore I hafta come over there and hush him up for ya!”
    Mama cast a look on Hammer warning him not to speak another word; then she stepped right side of him, took hold of him, and her tall frame suddenly seemed taller. “Somebody done put something rotten and dead down our well, Mr. Simms. My—my boys believe your boys the ones done it. They believes that and…and I gots t’ know. Them boys of your’n…them boys,Charlie and Ed-Rose, would they go and do somethin’ like that t’ this sweet water? Would they now?”
    Old Man McCalister’s eyes turned to slits. His breathing grew heavy. He took a step forward. “I’ll cut yo’ heart out for what you sayin’, gal!”
    â€œYou try,” said Hammer and pulled from Mama’s grip. “You try, and I’ll see ya dead.”
    His words were quietly spoken and they were chilling, even to me.
    Old Man McCalister Simms came no farther.
    â€œLook here, Mr. Simms,” said Mr. Melbourne, before Old Man McCalister took it upon himself to knock Hammer down for what he’d said, “we don’t want things gettin’ outa hand here. But the truth of the matter is that the only sweet water well around here been poisoned. Now you know well as I do what that mean t’ everybody ’round who been usin’ this well. Now I know for a fact, my brother and his boys was up here late evenin’ yesterday, and