Page:The Sound and the Fury (1929).pdf/410

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Luster hit Queenie again and swung her to the left at the monument.

For an instant Ben sat in an utter hiatus. Then he bellowed. Bellow on bellow, his voice mounted, with scarce interval for breath. There was more than as­tonishment in it, it was horror; shock; agony eye­less, tongueless; just sound, and Luster’s eyes backrolling for a white instant. “ Gret God, ” he said, “ Hush! Hush! Gret God! ” He whirled again and struck Queenie with the switch. It broke and he cast it away and with Ben’s voice mounting toward its unbelievable crescendo Luster caught up the end of the reins and leaned forward as Jason came jumping across the square and onto the step.

With a backhanded blow he hurled Luster aside and caught the reins and sawed Queenie about and doubled the reins back and slashed her across the hips. He cut her again and again, into a plunging gallop, while Ben’s hoarse agony roared about them, and swung her about to the right of the monu­ment. Then he struck Luster over the head with his fist.

“ Dont you know any better than to take him to the left? ” he said. He reached back and struck Ben, breaking the flower stalk again. “ Shut up! ” he said, “ Shut up! ” He jerked Queenie back and jumped down. “ Get to hell on home with him. If you ever cross that gate with him again. I’ll kill you! ”

“ Yes, suh! ” Luster said. He took the reins and

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