9 9 now i knew clyde stephens’ brother was a drinker. so one night ... i took him to where the whiskey was hidden, and i gave him a keg in exchange for a smith & wes- son. we dug up the whiskey, and carried it to clyde stephens’ house. i knew that dad knew i had taken some of the whiskey. but i had the gun, and i meant to use it if he was going to make trouble for me. i didn’t want to work with him, i wanted to work with stephens. a couple of days later, i had to pass by daddy’s house with a load of cotton. seventeen years old, ready to kill a man. he let it slide. years later, i con- fessed the deed. we weren’t angry any- more. he had forgiven me, and i guess i had forgiven him. one day, i got a letter from thomas who was working on a dredge and he wanted me to come work on the dredge. it was in louisiana. i quit my job, bought a train ticket with the last $10 i had for fort worth. from there i walked to dallas, which is about 30 miles away, bummed a ride to seventeen years old, ready to kill a man.