A door opened and I could smell it more than ever, and a head came out. It wasn’t Father. Father was sick there.
“Can you take him out of the house.”
“That’s where we going.” T. P. said. Dilsey came up the stairs.
“Hush.” she said, “Hush. Take him down home, T. P. Frony fixing him a bed. You all look after him, now. Hush, Benjy. Go on with T. P. ”
She went where we could hear Mother.
“Better keep him there.” It wasn’t Father. He shut the door, but I could still smell it.
We went downstairs. The stairs went down into the dark and T. P. took my hand, and we went out the door, out of the dark. Dan was sitting in the back yard, howling.
“He smell it.” T. P. said. “Is that the way you found it out.”
We went down the steps, where our shadows were.
“I forgot your coat.” T. P. said. “You ought to had it. But I aint going back.”
Dan howled.
“Hush now.” T. P. said. Our shadows moved, but Dan’s shadow didn’t move except to howl when he did.
“I cant take you down home, bellering like you is.” T. P. said. “You was bad enough before you got that bullfrog voice. Come on.”
We went along the brick walk, with our shadows. The pig pen smelled like pigs. The cow stood in the lot, chewing at us. Dan howled.