Wish You Well(104)

"I think that makes you an expert."

Eugene smiled at this designation. "I reckon so."

"How exactly do you go about using the dynamite?"

"Well, I put the stick'a dynamite in a hole in the wall, cap it, roll out my fuse, and light

the fuse with the flame from my lantern."

"Then what do you do?"

"That shaft curves in a couple places, so's I sometimes wait round the curve if I ain't

using much dynamite.

Sometime I go outside. Noise's starting to hurt my ears now. And blast kick the coal dust

up bad."

"I bet it can. In fact, on the day in question, you did go outside. Right?"

"Yes, suh."

"And then you went back inside to get Jimmy, but were unsuccessful."

"Yes, suh," Eugene answered, looking down.

"Was that the first time you'd been in the mine in a while?"

"Yes, suh. Since the first of the year. Past winter ain't that bad."

"Okay. Now, when the explosion went off, where were you?"

"Eighty feet in. Not to the first curve. Got me the bad leg, ain't moving fast no more."

"What happened to you when the explosion occurred?"

"Throwed me ten feet. Hit the wall. Thought I be dead. Held on to my lantern, though.

Ain't know how."

"Good Lord. Ten feet? A big man like you? Now, do you remember where you put the

dynamite charge?"

"Don't never forget that, Mr. Cotton. Past the second curve. Three hunnerd feet in. Good

vein of coal there."

Cotton feigned confusion. "I'm not getting something here, Eugene. Now, you testified

that on occasion you would actually stay in the mine when the dynamite went off. And

you weren't injured then. And yet here, how is it that you were over two hundred feet

from the dynamite charge, around not just one but two shaft curves, and the explosion

still knocked you ten feet in the air? If you were any closer, you probably would've been

killed. How do you explain that?"

Eugene too was thoroughly bewildered now. "I can't, Mr. Cotton. But it done happened. I

swear."

"I believe you. Now, you've heard Lou testify as to being knocked down while she was

outside the mine. Whenever you were waiting outside the mine, that ever happen to you

when the dynamite went off?"

Eugene was shaking his head before Cotton finished his question. "Little bit of dynamite

I used ain't have nowhere near that kind'a kick. Just getting me some for the bucket Use

more dynamite come winter when I take the sled and mules down, but even that wouldn't

come out the mine like that. Lord, you talking three hunnerd feet in and round two

curves."

"You found Jimmy's body. Was there rock and stone on it? Had the mine collapsed?"

"No, sun. But I know he dead. He ain't got no lantern, see. You in that mine with no light,

you ain't know which way in or out. Mind play tricks on you. He ain't prob'ly even see

Jeb pass him heading out."

"Can you tell us exactly where you found Jimmy?"

" 'Nuther hunnerd twenty feet in. Past the first curve, but not the second."

Farmer and merchant sat and stood side by side as they watched Cotton work. Miller

fiddled with his hat and then leaned forward and whispered into Goode's ear. Goode

nodded, looked at Eugene, and then smiled and nodded again.

"Well, let's assume," said Cotton, "that Jimmy was close to the dynamite charge when it

went off. It could have thrown his body a good ways, couldn't it?"

"If'n he close, sure could."

"But his body wasn't past the second curve?"

Goode stood up. "That's easily explained. The dynamite explosion could have thrown the

boy past the second curve."

Cotton looked at the jury. "I fail to see how a body in flight can negotiate a ninety-degree

curve and then proceed on before coming to rest. Unless Mr. Goode is maintaining that

Jimmy Skinner could fly of his own accord."

Ripples of laughter floated across the courtroom. Atkins creaked back in his chair, yet did

not smack his gavel to stop the sounds. "Go on, Cotton. This is getting kind'a interesting."

"Eugene, you remember feeling bad when you were in the mine that day?"

Eugene thought about this. "Hard to recollect. Maybe a little pain in the head."

"Okay, now, in your expert opinion, could the dynamite explosion alone have caused

Jimmy Skinner's body to end up where it did?"

Eugene looked over at the jury and took his time in eyeing them one by one. "No, suh!"

"Thank you, Eugene. No further questions."

Goode approached and put the palms of his hands on the witness box and leaned close to

Eugene.

"Boy, you live with Miss Cardinal in her house, don't you?"