- In the middle of the night, Darl and Vardaman go over to Addie’s coffin, which they’ve placed under an apple tree.
- Darl has Vardaman put his ear to the coffin to see what their mother is saying.
- Vardaman says Addie is asking God to help her.
- They go back to check up on Cash, who has them pour more water on his leg.
- Anse, Jewel, and Darl all move the coffin into the barn for the night.
- Later that night, Vardaman gets up to go see where the buzzards are after dark.
- He then sees "something," namely Darl setting fire to the Gillespie barn. Dewey Dell later tells him not to reveal what he saw to anyone.