Alpo Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Johnny's song Don't Take Your Guns to Town reminded me of this. Read it in 10th grade English. Seems like it was Hemingway, or maybe Steinbeck. Mexican kid. Late teens. Daddy was dead, so he was the Man of the Family. His mama and sister Maria worked - laundry, probably - and he, mostly, sat in the yard and played with his knife. It had been his father's knife. He would sit there with the knife in his open hand, and then flip his wrist, and just as he let go the knife his thumb would flick the button, and the blade would open in the air and THUNK! into the corral post. And one day he announced that he was going into town to the cantina and his mama told him not to, and he said that he was the Man of the Family, and could go to the cantina. Unspoken was DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, WOMAN!!! And he comes back, all upset. Someone spoke slightingly of Maria, "and Mama, the knife, it just was flying through the air". And he killed a gringo down to town, and they would be after him. So Mama tells him to take the horse, and gives him a bag of jerky, telling him not to fill his belly with jerky, for it would make him sick. To eat a little jerky and then to fill his belly with grass. And he rides off. Don't recall the ending, but I betcha the posse caught him and shot him. Anyone got a thought on the title? I know it sounds familiar - throwing the switchblade is James Coburn from Magnificent Seven, and "Mama I killed Long Higgens", "Well, son, take the horse and go" is Tyrell from The Sacketts. But I read this story in 1970. Anyone else remember it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bullweed Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Sounds like a part of Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck. It has the same style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 I believe you are correct. He gets shot and puts spider web or moss in the wound and I believe he dies of blood poisoning. It has been a long time about '63 for me. kR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Hanger #3720LR Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Here is a link to information and some highlights from Tortilla Flats Maybe it will help you remember if it is the correct story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OD Cleaver & Miss Hope Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Name of the short story is FLIGHT, first published in the collection THE LONG VALLEY, by John Steinbeck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share Posted October 9, 2015 OD and Miss Hope - I missed seeing this until just now. You're right. That's the story. Thank you muchly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OD Cleaver & Miss Hope Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 You are welcome. I enjoyed reading it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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