He paused, and gathered up the blind member. "Isn't this a hell of a case fo' yo', sah?" A curve of flesh began to peel from it. Pree-pree-pree. As if it were frying. Frying flesh. The nail jerked out of place, hot, bright blood began to stream from it. Around the spot white marl dust clung in grainy cakes. Now, red, new blood squirted—spread over the whole toe—and the dust became crimson.
Gently easing the toe back to the ground, Coggins avoided the grass sticking up in the road and slowly picked his way to the cabin.
"I stump me toe," he announced, "I stump me toe ... woy ... woy."
"Go bring yo' pappy a tot o' water ... Ada ... quick."
Dusky brown Sissie took the gored member in her lap and began to wipe the blood from it.
"Pappy stump he toe."
"Dem rocks in de gap...."
"Mine ain't got better yet, needer...."
"Hurry up, boy, and bring de lotion."
"Bring me de scissors, an' tek yo' fingers out o' yo' mout' like yo' is starved out! Hey, yo', sah!"