"R. A. Lafferty - Narrow Valley" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lafferty R A)

would be expected to pay taxes on their land, the same as the White-Eyes
did.

тАЬKitkehahke!тАЭ Clarence Big-Saddle cussed. тАЬYou canтАЩt kick a dog
around proper on a hundred and sixty acres. And I sure am not hear before
about this pay taxes on land.тАЭ

Clarence Big-Saddle selected a nice green valley for his allotment. It
was one of the half-dozen plots he had always regarded as his own. He
sodded around the summer lodge that he had there and made it an
all-season home. But he sure didnтАЩt intend to pay taxes on it.

So he burned leaves and bark and made a speech:

тАЬThat my valley be always wide and flourish and green and such stuff
as that!тАЭ he orated in Pawnee chant style. тАЬBut that it be narrow if an intruder
come.тАЭ

He didnтАЩt have any balsam bark to burn. He threw on a little cedar bark
instead. He didnтАЩt have any elder leaves. He used a handful of jack-oak
leaves. And he forgot the word. How you going to work it if you forget the
word?

тАЬPetahauerat!тАЭ he howled out with the confidence he hoped would
fool the fates.

тАЬThatтАЩs the same long of a word,тАЭ he said in a low aside to himself.
But he was doubtful. тАЬWhat am I, a White Man, a burr-tailed jack, a new kind
of nut to think it will work?тАЭ he asked. тАЬI have to laugh at me. Oh well, we
see.тАЭ

He threw the rest of the bark and the leaves on the fire, and he
hollered the wrong word out again.
 And he was answered by a dazzling sheet of summer lightning.

тАЬSkidi!тАЭ Clarence Big-Saddle swore. тАЬIt worked. I didnтАЩt think it would.тАЭ

Clarence Big-Saddle lived on his land for many years, and he paid no
taxes. Intruders were unable to come down to his place. The land was sold
for taxes three times, but nobody ever came down to claim it. Finally, it was
carried as open land on the books. Homesteaders filed on it several times,
but none of them fulfilled the qualification of living on the land.

Half a century went by. Clarence Big-Saddle called his son.

тАЬIтАЩve had it, boy,тАЭ he said. тАЬI think IтАЩll just go in the house and die.тАЭ

тАЬOkay, Dad,тАЭ the son Clarence Little-Saddle said. тАЬIтАЩm going in to
town to shoot a few games of pool with the boys. IтАЩll bury you when I get
back this evening.тАЭ