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Three whitethe heads of two black boys under the surface of the horse trough in front of Jenkins’ Mercantile

They were drowning those boys It scared ed after I came around the corner and saw them Then, as if on cue, they were yanked up fro breath, and then their heads were plunged into the water again

Those boys were just kids—twelve or thirteen at the most

When their heads caed the o

“Whatsa onna save you?”

Their heads went back under

I re words of Mr Clemens’s address: “Where shall these brave men be found? There are not three hundred of them on the earth”

I took three long strides forward “What’s going on here? Let ’em up Do it now”

The white men whirled around In their surprise, they jerked the heads of their victims clear of the water The boy on the left used the rip on the other boy’s arm

He was aers was sassing us,” he said

“Turn him loose,” I said

“Shit, no”

“He’s about twelve years old,” I said “You ainst two little boys?”

“Why don’t you reasy head of black hair and a face that even his er boys was out of line We don’t allow that in this town”

“I’e here Let hio”