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beer； but the girls did not reciprocate。 Frustrated； they left the lake and were driving to no place in particular when they happened across the girl。 She was walking along a gravel road with a sack of groceries when Willard nailed her in the back of the head with a beer can。
〃You gonna do it？〃 asked Willard； his eyes red and glazed。
Cobb hesitated。 〃Naw； I'll let you do it。 It was your idea。〃
Willard took a drag on his joint； then spit and said； 〃Wasn't my idea。 You're the expert on killin' niggers。 Do it。〃
Cobb untied the rope from the bumper and pulled it tight。 It peeled bark from the limb and sprinkled fine bits of elm around the girl； who was watching them carefully now。 She coughed。
Suddenly； she heard something…like a car with loud pipes。 The two men turned quickly and looked down the dirt road to the highway in the distance。 They cursed and scrambled around； one slamming the tailgate and the other running toward her。 He tripped and landed near her。 They cursed each other while they grabbed her； removed the rope from her neck； dragged her to the pickup and threw her over the tailgate into the bed of the truck。 Cobb slapped her and threatened to kill her if she did not lie still and keep quiet。 He said he would take her home if she stayed down and did as told； otherwise； they would kill her。 They slammed the
doors and sped onto the dirt road。 She was going home。 She passed out。
Cobb and Willard waved at the Firebird with the loud pipes as it passed them on the narrow dirt road。 Willard checked the back to make sure the little nigger was lying down。 Cobb turned onto the highway and raced away。
〃What now？〃 Willard asked nervously。
〃Don't know；〃 Cobb answered nervously。 〃But we gotta do something fast before she gets blood all over my truck。 Look at her back there； she's bleedin' all over the place。〃
Willard thought for a minute while he finished a beer。 〃Let's throw her off a bridge；〃 he said proudly。
〃Good idea。 Damned good idea。〃 Cobb slammed on the brakes。 〃Gimme a beer；〃 he ordered Willard； who stumbled out of the truck and fetched two beers from the back。
〃She's even got blood on the cooler；〃 he reported as they raced off again。
Gwen Hailey sensed something horrible。 Normally she would have sent one of the three boys to the store； but they were being punished by their father and had been sentenced to weed…pulling in the garden。 Tonya had been to the store before by herself…it was only a mile away…and had proven reliable。 But after two hours Gwen sent the boys to look for their little sister。 They figured she was down at the Pounders' house playing with the many Pounders kids； or maybe she had ventured past the store to visit her best friend； Bessie Pierson。
Mr。 Bates at the store said she had e and gone an hour earlier。 Jarvis； the middle boy； found a sack of groceries beside the road。
Gwen called her husband at the paper mill； then loaded Carl Lee； Jr。； into the car and began driving the gravel roads around the store。 They drove to a settlement of ancient shotgun houses on Graham Plantation to check with an aunt。 They stopped at Broadway's store a mile from Bates Grocery and were told by a group of old black men that she had not been seen。 They crisscrossed the gravel roads and dusty field roads for three square miles around their house。
Cobb could not find a bridge unoccupied by niggers with fishing poles。 Every bridge they approached had four or five niggers hanging off the sides with large straw hats and cane poles； and under every bridge on the banks there would be another group sitting on buckets with the same straw hats and cane poles； motionless except for an occasional swat at a fly or a slap at a mosquito。
He was scared now。 Willard had passed out and was of no help； and he was left alone to dispose of the girl in such a way that she could never tell。 Willard snored as he frantically drove the gravel roads and county roads in search of a bridge or ramp on some river where he could stop and toss her without being seen by half a dozen niggers with straw hats。 He looked in the mirror and saw her trying to stand。 He slammed his brakes； and she crashed into the front of the bed； just under the window。 Willard ricocheted off the dash into the floorboard； where he continued to snore。 Cobb cursed them both equally。
Lake Chatulla was nothing more than a huge； shallow； man…made mudhole with a grass…covered dam running exactly one mile along one end。 It sat in the far southwest corner of Ford County； with a few acres in Van Buren County。 In the spring it would hold the distinction of being the largest body of water in Mississippi。 But by late summer the rains were long gone； and the sun would cook the shallow water until the lake would dehydrate。 Its once ambitious shorelines would retreat and move much closer together； creating a depthless basin of reddish brown water。 It was fed from all directions by innumerable streams； creeks； sloughs； and a couple of currents large enough to be named rivers。 The existence of all these tributaries necessarily gave rise to a good number of bridges near the lake。
It was over these bridges the yellow pickup flew in an all…out effort to find a suitable place to unload an unwanted passenger。 Cobb was desperate。 He knew of one other bridge； a narrow wooden one over Foggy Creek。 As he approached； he saw niggers with cane poles； so he turned off a side road and stopped the truck。 He lowered the tailgate；
dragged her out； and threw her in a small ravine lined with kudzu。
Carl Lee Hailey did not hurry home。 Gwen was easily excited； and she had called the mill numerous times when she thought the children had been kidnapped。 He punched out at quitting time； and made the thirty…minute drive home in thirty minutes。 Anxiety hit him when he turned onto his gravel drive and saw the patrol car parked next to the front porch。 Other cars belonging to Owen's family were scattered along the long drive and in the yard； and there was one car he didn't recognize。 It had cane poles sticking out the side windows； and there were at least seven straw hats sitting in it。
Where were Tonya and the boys？
As he opened the front door he heard Gwen crying。 To his right in the small living room he found a crowd huddled above a small figure lying on the couch。 The child was covered with wet towels and surrounded by crying relatives。 As he moved to the couch the crying stopped and the crowd backed away。 Only Gwen stayed by the girl。 She softly stroked her hair。 He knelt beside the couch and touched the girl's shoulder。 He spoke to his daughter； and she tried to smile。 Her face was bloody pulp covered with knots and lacerations。 Both eyes were swollen shut and bleeding。 His eyes watered as he looked at her tiny body； pletely wrapped in towels and bleeding from ankles to forehead。
Carl Lee asked Gwen what happened。 She began shaking and wailing； and was led to the kitchen by her brother。 Carl Lee stood and turned to the crowd and demanded to know what happened。
Silence。
He asked for the third time。 The deputy； Willie Hastings； one of Gwen's cousins； stepped forward and told Carl Lee that some people were fishing down by Foggy Creek when they saw T