Highway 66 was the main route for a people in flight from dust and empty land. All day the cars and trucks filled with families and everything they owned streamed along the road.

Al was at the wheel, a serious look on his face, his whole body listening to the truck for weaknesses. Grandma sat next to him half asleep. Ma sat next to Grandma with one elbow out the window. Suddenly Grandma said, "I have to get out."

"OK," Al said. The truck came to a stop at the side of the road. Ma and Grandma got out first. Then the others in the back came to life and jumped out. Grandpa stayed in the truck.

"Ain't you going to come out, Grandpa?" Tom asked.

"No, I ain't going, I'm telling you," Grandpa said angrily. "I'm going to stay here like old Muley Graves." The old man then folded his arms.

"Tom," Ma called out. "Get that food out. We need to eat something." Tom found a pan of pork bones and passed them around.

Then Winfield said, "I want a drink."

Then Ruthie said, "Yeah, me too."

Al felt his fear growing. "We'll get water at the first gas station we come to. We need gas as well." The family agreed and quickly got back in. Al started the motor and they moved on.

It was another twenty miles before they saw a gas station. Everyone was thirsty and tired. Al pulled the truck into the station and a heavy man got up from a chair behind the gas pumps. "Are you folks going to buy anything? Gas or stuff?" he asked.

"We need some gas, sir," Al said.

"Do you have any money?"

"Of course we do. We're not begging."

"Well, that's all right then. Help yourself to water." Then he explained, "This road is full of people. They come in, use water, dirty the restrooms, and then they steal stuff. They don't have any money to buy anything. Some come here begging for a gallon of gas."

Tom moved angrily toward the man. "We're paying our own way," he said in an angry voice. "We ain't asking for anything."

The man stepped back. "Just help yourself to water, and the restrooms are out back."

Winfield ran to the water and drank hurriedly and then poured some over his head and face. The man watched him with a smile. He then looked at Tom and Al. "Over fifty cars a day have been stopping here. All these folks are moving west. Where are they going? What are they going to do?"

"They're doing the same thing as we are. Looking for work. Trying to feed our families. That's all," Tom said.