Stephen James Price<\/p>\n
Autumn temperatures in southern Arkansas are unpredictable at best. Last Halloween, it dropped to near freezing levels, but this year, it was almost eighty degrees, and it wasn\u2019t even noon yet.<\/p>\n
The two young boys had already stripped down to their undershirts, and the wet stains under their arms were growing as they worked.<\/p>\n
Billy Evans slung the noose around the hay bale and pulled it tight. As it lifted off the ground and disappeared into the loft above him, he turned and stared at the mountains.<\/p>\n
\u201cHurry up with the next bale, Billy.\u201d Charlie yelled as he looked down from the open doors. \u201cWe ain\u2019t never gonna get done with our chores if you keep day dreaming like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not dreaming. I was just thinking about tonight. I can\u2019t believe they got the Magician for this year\u2019s Halloween show. Do you think we\u2019ll get close enough to see anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMa still hasn\u2019t said you can go,\u201d Charlie reminded him. \u201cYou know she thinks you\u2019re still too little.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not too little,\u201d Billy whined, kicking his feet in the dirt. \u201cI don\u2019t want to stay at home and carve those durned pumpkins again. I wanna go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know but, I had to wait until I was eight before they let me go to my first one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not fair. I\u2019ll be eight in two months. I\u2019m bigger then Jonas Manchester and he\u2019s almost nine,\u201d Billy said proudly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not how big you are, Billy. The Halloween shows can be pretty scary. They give some kids nightmares.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYea, but you said you weren\u2019t even scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t,\u201d Charlie said quickly. He paused for a few seconds and then added, \u201cNot really. They had some gypsies on stage, but they weren\u2019t scary. Not too much, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I know I won\u2019t be scared. I sure hope Ma lets me go this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot if you don\u2019t hurry it up she won\u2019t. We still got all these bales to get up here, the chickens gotta be fed, and we promised Pa we\u2019d get them sacks of seeds stacked in the barn. And you know Ma\u2019s gonna make us take a bath before we go into town.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA bath?\u201d Billy frowned as he looped the noose around the next bale. He thought about it for a second and said, \u201cSeeing the Magician will be worth it. Worth a whole month of baths, and then some.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019d ever think he would be coming to our little town?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not our town? What\u2019s wrong with Trinity?\u201d Billy asked defensively.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing\u2019s wrong with it. I just mean that the Magician is probably the most famous person I ever heard of. You\u2019d think he would be doing a show in Little Rock or some other big city.\u201d Charlie lost his grip on the last bale, and it swung out ominously over his little brother\u2019s head before he caught the rope again.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow who\u2019s day dreaming, Charlie?\u201d Billy asked as he laughed.<\/p>\n
It took just over two more hours for the boys to get the loft full of hay. They pulled one bale around back and spread it out for the horses to eat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll get the eggs while you feed the chickens,\u201d Charlie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan\u2019t I get the eggs, Charlie? I always gotta feed the chickens, and they try to peck my legs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou break too many,\u201d Charlie told him. \u201cLast time, there was more on the ground than you had in the basket.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be real careful,\u201d Billy pleaded. \u201cI promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, but don\u2019t break any this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
They finished their chores in record time and went into the house just before three o\u2019clock.<\/p>\n
\u201cWipe your feet and mind the clean floor,\u201d their mother told them as she fed their baby sister, Mary, from one of the store-bought bottles Pa had brought home last month. He got it from Mr. Drummond, the owner of Drummond\u2019s Mercantile & Dry Goods, in trade for three-dozen eggs. \u201cYou two are covered in dirt and hay. Get your baths before your pa gets home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMa, I got the eggs today,\u201d Billy said as he set the basket on the table. \u201cThere\u2019s thirty-two of them and I didn\u2019t break any this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good, Honey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Billy kept standing next to the table, looking at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong,\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing,\u201d he said, shuffling his feet. \u201cYou look real pretty today, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I see,\u201d she said, smiling. \u201cDoes this have anything to do with the Halloween show tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I go, Ma? Please, please, please?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHoney, I still think you\u2019re too young for such a scary show, but me and your pa talked about it last night and he thinks it\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hear, Charlie?\u201d Billy shouted. \u201cI\u2019m going to see the Magician!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow go get your baths and we\u2019ll see about getting y\u2019all a little spending money for tonight,\u201d Ma said. \u201cAnd wash your hair, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The boys rushed into their bedroom and began preparing for their bath.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou go first, and I\u2019ll get the water,\u201d Charlie said. He went into the kitchen and picked up the old wooden bucket from beside the sink. He went outside to the well and drew the first bucket of water. It took both hands to carry the water back into their room where Billy was already naked and sitting in the large metal basin that they used for a bathtub. Charlie poured the water over him without warning and Billy screamed and jumped up.<\/p>\n
\u201cGosh durn it, Charlie. The water is freezing!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShhhh. Don\u2019t let Ma hear you cussin\u2019 like that,\u201d Charlie said, trying to hide his smile. \u201cShe might wash your mouth out with this here bar of soap \u2026 or worse, make you stay home whilst we go see the show tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Charlie. It\u2019s just that the water is so cold. Can\u2019t we heat it up some?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll take a lot longer if Ma has to heat it up on the stove. Besides, I\u2019m going to be using this same cold water when you\u2019re done with it. Now just start washing so you can get it over with. Unless you want to be late getting into town tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fifteen minutes later, both boys were dressed in their Sunday Best and had their hair properly greased down and parted on the right side.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, ain\u2019t you two looking all dapper,\u201d their father said as they entered the front room. He sniffed the air, laughed and said, \u201cAnd someone\u2019s been using my hair tonic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Pa,\u201d Billy yelled, as he ran up and hugged him. \u201cWe got all our chores done and I even got the eggs. How was your day, today?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and Moses, we got the back forty acres nearly plowed. That only leaves sixty more before it gets too cold and the ground freezes. You sure y\u2019all two don\u2019t want to help your ole Pa turn the fields before winter sets in?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, Jed. You know I need them boys to do the chores around here and to help out around the house,\u201d Ma chimed in. \u201cI can\u2019t do it all myself and still tote baby Mary around to boot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know the deal. I was just asking my little men here if they wanted to help out their Pa.\u201d He lifted Billy into the air. Billy squealed as he put him on top of the table. Pa turned around and said, \u201cYour turn, Charlie.\u201d He grabbed him and hefted him onto the table next to Billy. \u201cLand Sake\u2019s, Charlie. You weigh a ton. How old are you now, boy? Fifteen? Sixteen, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPa! You know I\u2019m only nine and a half,\u201d Charlie said proudly.<\/p>\n
Both boys laughed. Ma gestured for them to get down off from the table so she could place the biscuits and gravy in the center of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cPa, when are we going into town?\u201d Billy asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cTown? Tonight? Why would we be going to town?\u201d He kept a straight face as he winked at their mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see the Magician,\u201d both boys cried at once.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Magician? Is that tonight?\u201d Pa asked. \u201cI\u2019m kinda tired today. I was thinking we\u2019d just stay home and carve out a couple of those scary pumpkins.\u201d He tried desperately to look serious but ended up laughing at their shocked expressions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll go as soon as we\u2019re done with our supper,\u201d Ma said. \u201cIt\u2019s just biscuits and gravy tonight, unless you want me to cook up a chicken or something. I could do that in about an hour or so,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d the boys shouted in unison. \u201cLet\u2019s just eat so we can go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone sat down around the table as Pa bowed his head to pray. \u201cDear Heavenly Father. We thank you for the food you have provided for us and thank you for keeping the snow off me and Moses so far. We ask that you keep the weather warm \u2018til we\u2019re done plowing. Thank you for keeping this family safe and blessing us daily.\u201d He paused for a second, and then loudly said, \u201cAnd we thank you for the Magician.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAmen!\u201d Billy yelled, and everyone laughed.<\/p>\n
The boys ate quickly and put the dirty dishes in the sink basin.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can go now, iffin\u2019 you boys promise to help your Ma with the dishes when we get back home tonight,\u201d Pa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI promise,\u201d said Billy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYea, promise,\u201d added Charlie.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen hitch the wagon, boys,\u201d Ma told them. \u201cWe\u2019ll leave as soon as we\u2019re dressed and the wagon is ready. And be careful of your Sunday clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMake sure you hitch up the fast horses, boys. We don\u2019t wanna be late for the Magician,\u201d Pa teased them.<\/p>\n
\u201cPa, we only got two horses,\u201d Billy said as he laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Moses the mule,\u201d Charlie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter let Moses be,\u201d Pa told them. \u201cHe\u2019s pretty tuckered out from plowing all day in this heat.\u201d<\/p>\n
The boys got the wagon ready while their parents finished getting dressed. Billy didn\u2019t stop chattering about the Magician and the show the whole time they worked. The boys had just finished hitching the horses when everyone came outside. Ma wore her best bonnet, and Pa had actually tucked his shirt into his trousers and greased down his hair. Ma had baby Mary in her blue dress and tied matching ribbons in her hair. Everybody seemed to be excited about seeing the Magician.<\/p>\n
As the boys climbed into the back of the wagon, Pa turned to them and said, \u201cNow, I\u2019ll do my magic act for you.\u201d He clenched both hands tightly into fists and held them out in front of him. \u201cLookey here. Nothin\u2019 up my sleeves. Pick a hand, boys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both boys chose one of his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbracadabra!\u201d he yelled as he turned his hands over and opened them, displaying a shiny new dime in each one.<\/p>\n
\u201cA dime? A real dime? For each of us?\u201d Charlie asked, as Billy just stared at the treasures Pa was holding.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou both deserve it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cJed, you\u2019re spoiling them,\u201d Ma said. \u201cI told them we might be able to spare two or three cents each if they did the extra chores.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy little men worked very hard this week,\u201d Pa told her. \u201cAnd besides, the looks on their faces would be worth a whole dollar each to me. Iffin I had it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ma just smiled as the boys talked about how they would spend their riches at the Halloween show.<\/p>\n
They were still a half-mile from town when they encountered the other wagons. They lined the dusty road and were moving very slowly. Kids were running alongside several of them. They were chanting \u201cThe Magician, the Magician,\u201d as they ran and played.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to be one hell of a show,\u201d Pa said to no one in particular. \u201cI\u2019ll bet it\u2019ll be better than the show four summers back, when they had those three fellows from New York City up on stage. Most of these people, I never seen before. I just heard one fellow say St. Louis. Must have took them two days to get here. Some prob\u2019ly come from even further.\u201d<\/p>\n
They saw the tarps as the got closer to town. There were enough of the tents and make-shift lean-to\u2019s to practically start a new town.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s with all of the tents?\u201d Ma asked aloud.<\/p>\n
\u201cFolks from other towns been camping out here,\u201d a teenage boy, who was walking with a group of other young people, volunteered. \u201cMy Pa said some been here nearly a week. They want to make sure they get to see the show.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to be one hell of a show,\u201d Pa said again.<\/p>\n
Several men with lanterns directed the wagons into a field at the edge of town. As Pa settled their wagon into place and put on the hand brake, the boys jumped down from the back and began talking with several other boys.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas anyone seen the Magician, yet?\u201d Charlie asked the small crowd.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet. They\u2019re saying he won\u2019t come out until they are ready to start,\u201d one of them answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cCharlie, keep an eye on Billy, and meet us back here after the show,\u201d Ma called out. Charlie agreed as the boys ran off into the crowd. The chants \u201cThe Magician, The Magician,\u201d were getting louder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like this in my life,\u201d Billy said as he looked around.<\/p>\n
There were lanterns everywhere. The whole town looked like it was the middle of the day. Several men were walking on stilts and women were fanning themselves with giant silk covered fans. Someone must have been selling balloons — the kind that floated in the air and were tied with a string — because the boys noticed several of the younger children carrying them. The roofs and second floor balconies were filled with chattering people. Everyone seemed to be dressed in their best clothes. The boys saw Reverend Morgan talking to the bearded man who ran the saloon. The Reverend\u2019s wife, Mary, was talking to a group of cowboys. They were all laughing about something. She was even wearing make-up. Charlie was sure of it.<\/p>\n
Mr. Johnson, the banker, who was rumored to be the richest man in four counties, was talking to the heavily muscled Mr. Jorgensen who owned the Livery and Blacksmith shop. Two women Charlie thought must be dancers, because their dresses were short enough to show their bloomers, were laughing and talking with Mrs. Delonic, their Sunday School teacher, in front of the barbershop.<\/p>\n
Several people had sacks of homemade candies and they gave fistfuls of it to any child willing to say \u201cTrick or Treat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing like a show to bring everyone together,\u201d Charlie told Billy. Billy just nodded. He was too much in awe to speak.<\/p>\n
Vendors walked through the crowd hawking their wares.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarsaparilla! Get your Sarsaparilla, here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPretzels. We got your pretzels, here. We got your Candied Apples.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got cider. Get your apple cider. Cider.\u201d<\/p>\n
The boys had enough money for two sarsaparilla drinks, two pretzels and a candied apple each, but they chose to share one drink and get a pretzel of their own for now. They didn\u2019t know how long the show would last and didn\u2019t want to spend all of their money too early.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Magician! The Magician!\u201d The chanting continued through the crowd. The enthusiasm was electric.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere he is!\u201d someone shouted. Everyone began to crowd around the stage to try to catch a glimpse of the most famous man they had ever heard of.<\/p>\n
\u201cCharlie, I don\u2019t see him,\u201d Billy cried out in a panic. Charlie grabbed Billy\u2019s hand and pulled him closer to the stage. They had the advantage of being small. They could slip though the cracks left in the crowd that adults would find too difficult, if not impossible, to maneuver.<\/p>\n
The shouts and noises from the crowd were deafening. Judge Reynolds was standing in the center of the stage reading something that was written on the back of one of the posters that were hanging everywhere. It was impossible to hear what he was saying.<\/p>\n
Charlie pulled Billy right up to the front of the stage just as the roar of the crowd suddenly stopped. They stared at the Magician in total silence. He was wearing all black, just like in the posters. He smiled as he surveyed the crowd. He caught the eye of an elderly woman sitting in a rocking chair on one of the balconies closest to the stage. He nodded his head and said, \u201cEvening ma\u2019am. Glad you could make it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was so excited that she passed out. No one came to her aide as she slumped over in the chair. Everyone was too busy watching the Magician.<\/p>\n
He turned back and smiled as he surveyed the crowd. He looked down and saw Charlie and Billy, peeking over the edge of the stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope you enjoy the show, boys,\u201d he said and then winked at them.<\/p>\n
Both boys jumped at the thunderous sound of the trapdoor dropping open and the Magician\u2019s neck snapping at the end of the noose.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy God!\u201d shouted Billy. He pissed his pants at the same time the Magician did.<\/p>\n
\u201cYea, that was awesome!\u201d answered Charlie. \u201cEven better than when they hung those gypsies last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The crowd began to cheer as the Magician twitched a few times before slumping forward. Most of the crowd went back to the festivities before the Magician\u2019s body stopped swinging, but Charlie and Billy just stood at the edge of the stage, staring up at the man in black.<\/p>\n
Charlie bent down and picked up one of the \u201cWANTED\u201d posters lying on the ground. \u201cI\u2019m gonna hang this on the wall of our room,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Billy did not answer.<\/p>\n
As Charlie started to roll the poster up, he noticed the writing on the back of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was what the judge was reading,\u201d he said excitedly as he unrolled it. Turning toward Billy, he began to read aloud.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohnny Williams, also known as \u2018The Magician\u2019 is wanted for more than a dozen murders throughout Arkansas. He was caught just outside of Trinity after he murdered Sheriff Jergens and two of his deputies. The horse he stole threw a shoe and came up lame less than two miles outside of town. Thanks to all of the brave men of Trinity who rode with the posse, we had him in our town jail before the sun went down. There were more than a dozen witnesses to his dastardly crimes and his trial lasted less than fifteen minutes. He was found guilty of three murders and horse thievery, and sentenced to hang by the neck until dead. Justice has been served. God have mercy on his soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was better than any show I\u2019ve ever heard of,\u201d Billy finally said, still unable to take his eyes off from the swinging body. \u201cI\u2019m gonna be that famous myself someday. I swear it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Magician\u201d appears in the short story collection Pages of Promises<\/em>.<\/p>\n STEPHEN JAMES PRICE was born and raised in New York, but has lived in the deep south (or within a two hour drive of it) for more than half of his life. Although he claims to be northern by birth and southern by choice, he has never said \u201cya\u2019ll<\/em>\u201d and even finds it difficult to write. His published works include a short story collection Pages of Promises<\/em> and his debut novel 2:27 A.M.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Stephen James Price Autumn temperatures in southern Arkansas are unpredictable at best. Last Halloween, it dropped to near freezing levels, but this year, it was almost eighty degrees, and it wasn\u2019t even noon yet. The two young boys had already … Continue reading