Free The True Story of Spit MacPhee by James Aldridge Page B

will fix up some place for you to live for the time being.’
    Grace Tree knew she had to stop them, and she put a plate of bacon and eggs and a cup of tea in front of Spit and said, ‘We’ll see about that when you’ve had your breakfast.’
    ‘We are not going to see about anything,’ Jack told her. ‘I’ll take Spit around to Sergeant Collins, and Collins will fix him up with a place to sleep.’
    ‘But Jack …’
    ‘No, Grace. Have you got any other clothes?’ he asked Spit.
    ‘No. But I’m not going to Sergeant Collins.’
    ‘Somebody’ll have to look after you.’
    ‘I can look after myself,’ Spit shouted angrily.
    Jack Tree stood up. ‘I’m not going to argue with you,’ he told Spit. ‘I’m taking you to Sergeant Collins.’
    ‘Not me,’ Spit said and he was off the chair and out the back door before Jack Tree could catch him.
    ‘Oh Jack,’ Mrs Tree said. ‘Look what you’ve done.’
    Jack Tree was so surprised to hear protest in his wife’s voice that he lost his temper. ‘Of all the crazy ideas you get sometimes. I’m only trying to do what’s best for the kid and now, by God, I’m going up to get Joe Collins.’
    Mrs Tree said nothing and Sadie finished her breakfast in silence. But when her father had driven off in the Dodge she slipped out quietly and went down to the river to see if she could find Spit. She thought he would be hiding somewhere, but he was emptying the boiler again, and when she warned him that her father had gone to get Sergeant Collins, Spit said, ‘Don’t worry. He’s not going to catch me.’
    ‘But what are you going to do, Spit? Even if you can fix the boiler how are you going to cook your food? And where will you get your money from?’
    ‘I’ve got some money. I’ll be all right, as long as your father doesn’t try to catch me.’
    ‘But I think he’s really trying to help you, Spit.’
    ‘Well if he comes down here with Sergeant Collins, I’m off.’
    ‘I suppose you’re right,’ Sadie said. ‘Give me a pail and I’ll help you.’
    ‘I’ve cleaned up the glass, but if you come in here you’ll only get dirty.’
    ‘I don’t care,’ Sadie said, and taking off her sandals and tying her plaits across the top of her head she followed Spit’s method of scooping up the water with an old enamel jug and throwing it through the smashed window. She was hurling a half-full jug of water out of the boiler, almost the last of it, when she saw her father and Sergeant Collins coming down the path under the big trees.
    ‘It’s them,’ she called to Spit. ‘They’ve come.’
    Spit was at the other end of the boiler, his shirt was off and he was now barefoot like Sadie. He dropped the jug he was using and, saying ‘I’m off, Sade,’ he ran out through the ashes and down to the river where he dived in. By the time Jack Tree and Sergeant Collins reached the bank he was halfway across the river, and because there was a current he was carried downstream.
    ‘Come back, you little dingo,’ Sergeant Collins shouted.
    But Spit was well on his way to Pental Island, and when he scrambled up the bank on the other side he stood there for a moment to get his breath.
    ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Sergeant Collins called out to him.
    ‘You’re not going to get me,’ Spit shouted back.
    ‘Listen, Spit. If you want to see your grandfather you’d better swim back here. You’re not going to see him if you don’t come back right now.’
    ‘That’s not fair,’ Spit said.
    ‘That’s the way it is, so get back here.’
    ‘Are you going to lock me up afterwards?’
    ‘What would I do that for? I’m not going to hurt you, so come back here and I’ll take you up to the hospital to see your grandfather.’
    ‘Don’t do it, Spit. They’re tricking you,’ Sadie called out.
    ‘Sadie!’ Mr Tree said, and for the first time in his life he smacked his only daughter across the legs. ‘Put your shoes on and get back home,’ he told her.