Old Josh, in: The Wild Cat (Episode Four))2nd Series))

Old Josh, in:
The Wild Cat
(Episode Four)

(Jordan just arrived home from Ozark (he works part time in the towns grocery store and often sleep the night away as a security person in the back parlor on a cot, but today he doesn’t), and had stopped by the creek on his way to Hightower’s Plantation, where his father’s home is, and now he and Josh, and Silas, are standing by the corral fence by Josh’s hut in back of Mr. Charles T. Hightower’s House; he is puffing from running.)


Jordan: Pa, I heard dat ole fat nigger tell me some lie about a wild cat down by de cemetery.

Josh: “He come from Smiley’s plantation, de ole field by de creek, I sees him de other day, under a log, walkin’ likes he git to business.”

Jordan: “Ole man smiley, he ben dead going on twenty years pa, Mr. Thomas Gene growin’ cats liken his pa now?”

Josh: “Dat nigger say he done killed all dem cats long ago, before he did in ‘74!”

Silas: Pa, Jordan pulling yor leg, dat cat so weak looken’ he’d done lay down an’ roll over dead he see Jordan…acomin’”

Jordan: “Silas, you’ full of it, dat cat wild and start’ crossin’ the creek and over de bank an’ –an’ he cross de field, an’ chase me up this here road to pa’s!”

Josh (looking at Jordan with a stern eye): An’ dat dhere cat saw me, dat wey he quit chasing yah, huh?”

(They all start laughing, and walk to Old Josh’s porch)


Note: Thomas August Smiley [Neighbor to Hightower/has Jackson family as slaves; born 1807—1874; friend to Hank Ritt, banker] Son, Thomas Gene Smiley, son to August, born 1837)