It was written in 1954 and published in 1955 in her short story collection A Good Man is Hard to Find.
A devout Roman Catholic, O'Connor often used religious themes in her work.
The boys hitchhiked from Atlanta and were hoping to spend some time on the farm and ride her horses during their vacation.
She threatens to send him to D.A and tells them she owns the farm and adjacent woods and that they must leave.
The story ends with the boys laughing prophetically while setting fire to the woods, and the scene is reminiscent of a story in the Biblical Book of Daniel where the evil King Nebuchadnezzar unsuccessfully attempts to burn three men in a fiery furnace when they refuse to worship the King's idol.