 |
Cultural Background |
|
Storyteller's Cabin |
Written by Jim McAmis
Another source of goods was the "rolling store." It was usually a good sized truck loaded down with about everything you could imagine. They'd come rolling into town and set up where folks could come, look and buy. It wasn't unusual for them to pull right up in somebody's driveway and open up.
In Kentucky, there were lots of coal mining company towns. If a rolling store passed through there, the company got their cut. You couldn't compete with the company store and not ante up something.
- click to enlarge -
Earl had a rolling store that he drove through the deep, rural hills of eastern Kentucky. He didn't make great money, and he missed his family now and again. But on the open road, he was generally happy and free.
One day, as it was getting on towards dark, Earl was out looking for a place to pull over and spend the night. You see, some rolling stores had a little compartment in the back of the truck that the driver would sleep in. Sort of a 1920's version of an RV.
It was then that he saw something standing still in the road up ahead of him. He wasn't sure what it was at first. Then it turned and looked at him, its eyes glowing in the headlights. It was a black dog - looked more wolf than dog - blacker than any dog Earl had ever seen. Earl eased to a stop, but the dog showed no sign of moving.
"Hey!" Earl hollered out the window. "Wanna get run over?"
The dog just looked at him. Earl blew his horn, but the dog never budged.
"Well I'll be..."
When Earl stepped out of the truck, the dog suddenly got up and ambled down the road. "Now where're you going?" Earl called after him.
Earl got back in the truck and started it up. He couldn't pass the dog, because the dog was walking down the middle of the road. Calling it a road was being benevolent, for it was more like a trail, with ruts and a big ditch on either side. And Earl sure didn't want to run over this strange dog.
Up ahead, he saw a nice flat place by the crossroads. There was plenty of room for the truck, and a good stream was running right by the road. The dog went over and lay in the grass. Earl pulled over, got out, stretched a bit and gathered some wood for a fire. He cooked a little supper and even offered to share it with the dog. But the dog kept his distance.
Just as the moon came up, the dog stirred. He acted like he wanted Earl to come with him. For some reason, Earl felt compelled to go. He followed the dog down the moonlit road. Not too far away was a sharp right hand curve. Just as they got there the dog suddenly turned, looked at Earl and leaped into the hillside.
Just like that, the dog disappeared.
Dumbfounded, Earl just stood there and stared at the hillside for the longest time. Finally, he went on back to the camp, but he did not sleep well that night.
