Men Without Women - Ernest Hemingway - Classic Drama Audiobooks

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Men Without Women by Ernest Hemingway. The undefeated manoel Garcia
climbed the stairs to Don Miguel Ratana's office. He set
down his suitcase and knocked on the door. There was
no answer. Manuel, standing in the hallway, felt there was

(00:21):
someone in the room. He felt it through the door. Britana,
he said, listening. There was no answer. He's there, all right,
Manuel thought, Retana, he said, and banged the door. Who's there,
said someone in the office, me Manolo. Manuel said, what

(00:43):
do you want, asked the voice. I want to work,
Manuel said. Something in The door clicked several times, and
it swung open. Manuel went in carrying a suitcase. A
little man set behind it ask At the far end
of the room. Over his head was a bull's head

(01:04):
stuffed by a Madrid taxidermist. On the walls were framed
photographs and bullfight posters. The little man sat looking at Manuel.
I thought they'd killed you, he said. Manuel knocked with
his knuckles on the desk. The little man sat looking
at him across the desk. How many quaeritas you had

(01:26):
this year, Ritana asked one. He answered, just that one.
The little man asked, that's all I read? About it
in the papers, Brittana said. He leaned back in the
chair and looked at Manuel. Manoel looked up at the
stopped bowl. He had seen it often before. He felt

(01:49):
a certain family interest in it. It had killed his brother,
the promising one, about nine years ago. Manuel remembered the
day there was a brass plate on the oak shield
the bull sat was mounted on. Manoel could not read it,
but he imagined it was in memory of his brother. Well,

(02:12):
he had been a good kid. The plate said the
bull Maripolsa of the Duke of Ragua, which accepted nine
varas for seven cabayus and caused the death of Antonio
Garcia Noviero, April twenty seventh, nineteen o nine. Bretana saw

(02:35):
him looking at the stuffed bull's head. The lot the
Duke sent me for Sunday will make a scandal, he said.
They're all bad in the legs. What do they say
about them at the cafe? I don't know, Manoel said,
I just got in. Yes, said Bretana, you still have

(02:56):
your bag. He looked at Manoel, leaning back behind the
big desk, Sit down, he said, take off your cap.
Manuel sat down, his cap off. His face was changed.
He looked pale, and his koletta pinned forward on his

(03:16):
head so that it would not show under the cap.
Gave him a strange look. You don't look well, Ratana said,
I just got out of the hospital. Manuel said I
heard they'd cut your leg off. Ratana said no, said Manuel,
it got all right. Retana leaned forward across the desk

(03:39):
and pushed a wooden box of cigarettes toward Manuel. Have
a cigarette, he said, thanks. Manuel lit it. Smoke, he said,
offering the match to Retana. No. Retana waved his hand.
I never smoke. Retana watched him smoking. Why don't you

(03:59):
go and get a job and go to work, he said,
I don't want to work, said Manuel. I'm a bullfighter.
There are any bullfighters anymore. Retana said, I'm a bullfighter.
Manuel said yes, while you're in there, Ratana said. Manuel laughed.
B Retana sat saying nothing and looking at Manuel. I'll

(04:23):
put you in a nocturnal if you want, Ratana offered.
When Manuel asked tomorrow night, I don't like the substitute
for anybody. Manuel said, that was the way they all
got killed. That was the way Salvador got killed. He
tapped with his knuckles on the table. That's all I've

(04:43):
Gottana said, why don't you put me on next week?
Manuel suggested, you wouldn't draw Bretana said, all they want
is Lee Tre and Rubito and Lettore. Those kids are good.
They'd come to see me get it. Manuel said, hopefully, no,

(05:05):
they wouldn't. They don't know who you are anymore. I've
got a lot of stuff, Manuel said, I'm offering to
put you on tomorrow night. Ratana said, you can work
with young Hernandez and kill two novillos after the chariots.
Who's Novilla's Manuel asked, I don't know whatever stuff they've

(05:26):
gotten in the corrals, what the veterinarians won't pass in
the daytime. I don't like to substitute. Manuel said, you
can take it or leave it. Matanda said. He leaned
forward over the papers. He was no longer interested the
appeal that Manuel had made to him for a moment
when he thought of the old days was gone. He

(05:48):
would like to get him to substitute for Loreta, because
he could get him cheaply. He could get others cheaply too.
He would like to help him, though still he had
given him the chance, it was up to him. How
much do I get? Manuel asked, He was still playing
with the idea of refusing, but he knew he could

(06:10):
not refuse two hundred and fifty pasetas. Brettana said he
had thought of five hundred, but when he opened his mouth,
it said two hundred and fifty. You pay vi alta
seven thousand. Manuel said, you're not vi alta. Ratana said,
I know it. Manuel said, he draws it manolo. Retana said,

(06:33):
an explanation, Sure, said Manuel. He stood up, give me
the three hundred. Ritana all right. Matana agreed. He reached
in the drawer for a paper. Can I have fifty now?
Manuel asked, Sure, said Ritana. He took a fifty paseta

(06:54):
note out of his pocket book and laid it spread
out flat on the table. Manuel picked it up and
put it in his pocket. What about Aquadrilla, he asked,
There's the boys that always worked for me. Nice Bretana said,
they're all right. How about Picadors, Manuel asked, they're not much.

(07:15):
Brettana admitted, I've got to have one good peek. Manuel said,
we'll get him. Then Ratana said, go and get him.
Not out of this. Manuel said, I'm not paying for
any quadrio out of sixty drus Britana said nothing, but
looked at Manuel across the big desk. You know I've
got to have one good pick, Benuel said. Ritana said nothing,

(07:41):
but looked at Manuel from a long way off. It
isn't right, Manuel said. Ritana was still considering him, leaning
back in his chair, considering him from a long way away.
They are the regular picks, he offered. I know, manwell said,
I know your regular picks. Brittana did not smile. Manuel

(08:06):
knew it was over all. I want is an even break,
Manuel said, reasoningly. When I go out there, I want
to be able to call my shots on the bull.
It only takes one good peek at he was talking
to a man who is no longer listening. If you
want something extra, Ratana said, go and get it. There

(08:27):
will be a regular quadria out there. Bring as many
of your own picks as you want. The Charlottava is
over by ten thirty, all right, Manuel said, If that's
the way you feel about it, that's the way. Ritana said,
I'll see you tomorrow night. Manuel said, I'll be out there,
Ratana said. Manuel picked up his suitcase and went out

(08:51):
shut the door. Rattana called. Manuel looked back. Retana was
sitting forward, looking at some papers. Manuel pulled the door
tight until it clicked. He went down the stairs and
out of the door into the hot brightness of the street.
It was very hot in the street, and the light

(09:12):
on the white buildings was sudden and hard on his eyes.
He walked down the shady side of the steep street
toward pert de del Sole. The shade felt solid and
cool as running water. The heat came suddenly. As he
crossed the intersecting streets. Manuel saw no one he knew
in all the people he passed. Just before the Porte

(09:36):
de del Sol, he turned into a cafe. It was
quiet in the cafe. There were a few men sitting
at tables against the wall. At one table, four men
played cards. Most of the men sat against the wall,
smoking empty coffee cups and liqueur glasses before them on
the tables. Manuel went through the long room to a

(09:58):
small room and back. A man sat at a table
in the corner of sleep. Manuel sat down at one
of the tables. The waiter came in and stood beside
Manuel's table. Have you seen Zarito? Manuel asked, him he
was in before lunch. The waiter answered, he won't be
back before five o'clock. Bring me some coffee and milk

(10:22):
and a shot of the ordinary, Manuel said. The waiter
came back into the room carrying a tray with a
big coffee glass and a liqueur glass on it. In
his left hand he held a bottle of brandy. He
swung these down to the table, and a boy who
had followed him poured coffee and milk into the glass
from two shiny spouted pots with long handles. Manuel took

(10:47):
off his cap, and the waiter noticed his pigtail pinned
forward on his head. He winked at the coffee boys.
He poured out the brandy into the little glass beside
Manuel's coffee. The coffee boy looked at meno Well's pale
face curiously. You fighting here, asked the waiter, working up
the bottle. Yes, Manuel said, tomorrow. The waiter stood there,

(11:12):
holding the bottle on one hip. You in the charlie chaplins,
he asked. The coffee boy looked away, embarrassed. No, in
the ordinary. I thought they were going to have Chavez
and Hernandez. The waiter said, Now, me and another who

(11:33):
Chavez or Heernandez Hernandez. I think what's the matter with Chavez?
He got hurt? Where did you hear that? Retana? Hey, Louis,
the waiter called to the next room. Chavez got Gohiva.
Manuel had taken the wrapper off the lumps of sugar

(11:54):
and dropped them into his coffee. He stirred it and
drank it down, sweet and warming in his empty stomach.
He drank off the brandy. Give me another shot of that,
he said to the waiter. The waiter uncorked the bottle
and poured the glass full, slopping another drink into the saucer.

(12:15):
Another waiter had come up in front of the table.
The coffee boy was gone. Is shavas are bad? The
second waiter asked Manuel. I don't know. Manuel said, Bretana
didn't say a hell of a lot he cares. The
tall waiter said, Manuel had not seen him before. He
must have just come up. If you stand in with

(12:38):
Retana in this town, you're a made man. The tall
waiter said, If you go aren't in with him, he
might as well just go out and shoot yourself. You
said it. The other waiter had come in, said, you
said it, then you're right, I said it. I know
what I'm talking about when I talk about that bird.
Look what he's done for vi Aalta waiter said, And

(13:02):
that ain't all. The tall waiter said, Look what he's
done for marciol Lelanda. Look what he's done for Nacional.
You said it, kid, agreed. The short waiter, Menoel, looked
at them standing talking in front of his table. He
had drunk his second brandy. They had forgotten about him.

(13:22):
They were not interested in him. Look at that bunch
of camels. The tall waiter said, did you ever see
this Nacional too? I saw him last Sunday, didn't I.
He's a giraffe. The short waiter said, what did I
tell you? The tall waiter said, those are Ratana's voice.
Say give me another shot of that. Manuel said he

(13:45):
had poured the brandy the waiter had slopped over in
the saucer into his glass and drank it while they
were talking. The original waiter poured his glass full mechanically,
and the three of them went out of the room talking.
In the far owner of the man was still asleep,
snoring slightly on the intaking breath, his head back against

(14:05):
the wall. Manuel drank his brandy. He felt sleepy himself.
It was too hot to go out into the town. Besides,
there was nothing to do. He wanted to see Zarto.
He would go to sleep while he waited. He kicked
his suitcase under the table to be sure it was there.

(14:27):
Perhaps it would be better to put it back under
the seat against the wall. He leaned down and shoved
it under. Then he leaned forward on the table and
went to sleep. When he woke, there was someone sitting
across the table from him. He was a big man
with a heavy brown face, like an Indian. He'd been

(14:47):
sitting there sometime. He had waved the waiter away and
sat reading the paper and occasionally looking down at Manuel
asleep his head on the table. He read the paper laboriously,
forming the words with his lips as he read. When
it tired him, he looked at Manoel. He sat heavily

(15:08):
in the chair, his black Cordoba hat tipped forward. Manoel
sat up and looked at him. Hello, Zirito, he said, hello, kid.
The big man said, I've been asleep. Manoel rubbed his
forehead with the back of his fist. I thought maybe

(15:29):
you were how's everything good? How's everything with you? Not
so good? They were both silent. Cirito, the piccador, looked
at Manoel's white face. Manoel looked down at the picador's
enormous hands, folding the paper to put away in his pocket.

(15:52):
I got a favor to ask you, Manus, Manoel said.
Monasterro's was Zurito's nickname. He never heard it. Without thinking
of his huge hands. He put them forward on the
table self consciously. Let's have a drink, he said, sure,
said Munuell. The waiter came and went and came again.

(16:16):
He went out of the room, looking back at the
two men at the table. What's the matter, Manola. Sirito
set down his glass. Would you peek two bulls for
me tomorrow night? Manuel asked, looking up at Zirito across
the table. No, said Cerrito, I'm not peeking. Manuel looked

(16:36):
down at his glass. He had expected that answer. Now
he had it, well, he had it. I'm sorry, Manola,
but I'm not peeking. Cirrito looked at his hands. That's
all right, Manuel said, I'm too old. Zirito said, I
just asked you, Monuell said, the nocturnal tomorrow. That's it.

(17:02):
I figured if I had just one good pick, I
could get away with it. How much are you getting
three hundred pisetas? I get more than that for peeking,
I know, said Manuel. I didn't have any right to
ask you. What do you keep on doing it for?
Ci Rito asked, why don't you cut off your quoleta Manolo?

(17:24):
I don't know, Manuel said, you're pretty near as old
as I am. Ci Rito said, I don't know. Manuel said,
I got to do it. If I can fix it
so that I can get an even break, that's all
I want. I got to stick with it. Monos, No,
you don't, Yes, I do. I've tried keeping away from it.

(17:48):
I know how you feel, but it isn't right. You
ought to get out and stay out. I can't do it. Besides,
I've been going good lately. Ci Rito looked at his face.
You've been in the hospital, but I was going great
when I got hurt. Si Rita said nothing. He tipped
the cognac out of his saucer into his glass. The

(18:12):
paper said they never saw a better Fayiva, Manuel said.
Cirito looked at him. You know what I get going
I'm good. Manoel said, you're too old. The picador said no,
said Manuel, you're ten years older than I am. With me,
it's different. I'm not too old, Manoel said. They sat silent,

(18:39):
Manoel watching the picador's face. I was going great till
I got hurt. Manoel offered, you ought to have seen
me mon us. Manuel said, reproachfully. I don't want to
see you. Sirito said, it makes me nervous. You haven't
seen me lately. I've seen you plenty. Cirrito looked at Manoel,

(19:01):
avoiding his eyes. You ought to quit it, Manola, I can't,
Manuel said, I'm going good now, I tell you. Sirito
leaned forward, his hands on the table. Listen, I'll peek
for you, and if you don't go big tomorrow night,
you'll quit. See will you do that? Sure? Cirito leaned back, relieved.

(19:30):
You got to quit. He said, no, monkey business. You
gotta cut the corletta. I won't have to quit. Manoel said,
you watch me, I've got the stuff. Cirito stood up
and he felt tired from arguing you got to quit.
He said, I'll cut your corletta myself. No, you won't,
Manoel said, you won't have a chance. Cirito called the waiter.

(19:55):
Come on, said Cirito, Come on up to the house.
Manoel reached under the seat for his suit case. He
was happy. He knew Zirita would pick for him. He
was the best bigodor living. It was all simple. Now,
come on up to the house and we'll eat, Cirrito said.

(20:19):
Manoel stood in the Pavio de Cabayos waiting for the
charlie chaplains to be over. Cirrito stood beside him. Where
they stood, it was dark. The high door that led
into the bull ring was shut above them. They heard
a shout, then another shout of laughter, then there was silence.

(20:42):
Manoel liked the smell of the stables about the Pavio
de Cabayos. It smelt good in the dark. There was
another roar from the arena, and then applause prolonged, applause
going on and on. You ever see these fellows, Cirrito asked,
big and dooming beside Manuel in the dark. No. Manuel said,

(21:05):
they're pretty funny. Cerrito said, he smiled to himself. In
the dark. The high, double tight fitting door into the
bull ring swung open, and Manuel saw the ring and
the hard light of the arc lights the plaza dark
all the way around. Rising high around the edge of
the ring, were running and bowing. Two men dressed like tramps,

(21:28):
followed by a third in the uniform of a hotel bellboy,
who stooped and picked up the hats and canes thrown
down into the sand and tossed them back up into
the darkness. The electric light went on in the patio.
I'll climb onto one of those ponies while you collect
the kids, Cerrito said. Behind them, came the jingle of

(21:52):
the mules coming out to go into the arena and
be hitched onto the dead bull. The members of the quadrilla,
who had been watching the lusk from the warm way
between the barrera and the seats, came walking back and
stood in a group talking under the electric light in
the patio. A good looking lead in a silver and
orange suit came up to Manuel and smiled. I'm Hernandez,

(22:16):
he said, and put out his hand. Manuel shook it.
There are regular elephants we've got tonight, the big boy said, cheerfully.
They're big ones with horns. Manuel agreed. You drew the
worst lot. The boy said, that's all right. Manuel said,
the bigger they are, the more meat for the poor.

(22:37):
Where'd you get that one? Hernandez grinned, Oh, that's an
old one. Manuel said, you line up your quadrilla so
I can see what you've got. You've got some good kids.
Hernandez said. He was very cheerful. He had been on
twice before in Nocturnals and was beginning to get a
following in Madrid. He was happy the would start in

(23:00):
a few minutes. Where are the peaks, Manuel asked, they're
back in the corals, fighting about who gets the beautiful horses.
Hernandez grinned. The mules came through the gate in a rush,
the whips snapping, bells jangling, and the young bull plowing
a furrow of sand. They formed up for the paseo.

(23:23):
As soon as the bullet gone through. Manuel and Hernandez
stood in front. The use of the quadrillas were behind,
their heavy capes furled over their arms. In back, the
four picadors mounted, holding their steel tipped push poles erect
in the half dark of the coral. It's a wonder

(23:44):
Ritata wouldn't give us enough light? To see the horses buy.
One picador said, well, he knows, we'll be happier if
we don't get too good a look at these skins.
Another peak answered, this thing i'm barely on keeps me
off the ground. The picador said, well, their horses, sure,

(24:04):
their horses. They talked sitting there, gaunt horses in the dark.
Soirito said nothing. He had the only steady horse of
the lot. He had tried him wheeling him in the corrals,
and he responded to the bit in the spurs. He
had taken the bandage off his right eye and cut

(24:25):
the strings where they had tied his ears tight shut
at the base. He was a good, solid horse, solid
on his legs. That was all he needed. He intended
to ride him all through the corida. He had already
since he had mounted. Sitting in the half dark in
the big quilted saddle, waiting for the Passeo peeked through

(24:47):
the whole coorida in his mind. The other picadors went
on talking on both sides of him. He did not
hear them. The two mattadors stood together in front of
their left peons, their capes furled over their left arms
in the same fashion. Manuel was thinking about the three
lads in back of him. They were all three madrulinus

(25:11):
like Hernandez, boys about nineteen, one of them a gypsy, serious,
aloof and dark faced. He liked the look of He turned.
What's your name, kid, he asked the gypsy, Quentes. The
gypsy said that's a good name, Manuel said. The gypsy smiled,

(25:32):
showing his teeth. You take the bowl and give him
a little run when he comes out. Manuel said, all right.
The gypsy said, his face was serious. He began to
think about just what he would do there she goes.
Manuel said to Hernandez, all right, we'll go, heads up,

(25:55):
swinging with the music, their right arms swinging free, they
stepped out, crossing the sand and arena under the arc lights,
the quadrillas opening out behind the picadors riding after behind
came the bull ring servants and the jingling mules. The
crowd applauded Hernandez as they marched across the arena. Arrogant, swinging,

(26:18):
they looked straight ahead. As they marched, they bowed before
the president, and the procession broke up into its component parts.
The bull fighters went over to the barrera and changed
their heavy mantles for the light fighting capes. The mules
went out, the picadors galloped jerkily around the ring, and

(26:40):
two rode out the gate they had come in by.
The servants swept the sand smooth. Manouel drank a glass
of water poured for him by one of Vertana's deputies,
who was acting as his manager and sort hitler. Hernandez
came over from speaking with his own manager. He got

(27:00):
a good hand, kid, Manuel, complimented him. They like me,
Hernandez said, happily. How did the paseo go? Manoel asked
Retana his man like a wedding, said the handler. Fine.
You came out like Oaslito and Milonte Cirita rode by

(27:21):
a bulky equestrian statue. He wheeled his horse and faced
him toward the torrido on the far side of the ring,
where the bull would come out. It was strange under
the ArcLight. He peaked in the hot afternoon sun for
big money. He did not like this arc light business.
You wish they would get started. Manoel went up to

(27:43):
him pique him. Monos cut him down his size for me.
I'll pique him, Kid, Cirrito spat on the sand. I'll
make him jump out of the ring, lean on him.
Monos Madee said, I'll lean on him. Cirrito said, what's
holding it up? He's coming now, Manuel said. Sorita sat there,

(28:05):
his feet in the box, stirrups his great legs and
the buckskin covered armor, gripping the horse the reins in
his left hand, the long peak held in his right hand,
his broad hat well down over his eyes to shade
them from the lights. Watching the distant door of the torriel,
his horse's ears quivered, sto patt him with his left hand.

(28:29):
The red door of the torreel swung back, and for
a moment Sirito looked into the empty passageway far across
the arena. Then the bull came out in a rush,
skidding on his fore legs as he came out under
the light, then charging in a gallop, moving softly in
a fast gallop, silent except as he whooped through wide

(28:51):
nostrils as he charged, glad to be free after the dark.
Pin in the first row of seats slightly bored, leaning
forward to ride on the cement wall in front of
his knees. The substitute bullfight critic of El Geraldo scribbled
Campangniero Negro forty two came out at ninety miles an

(29:13):
hour with plenty of gas. Manuel, leaning against the barrera,
watching the bull, waved his hand and the gypsy ran out,
trailing his cape. The bull, in full gallop, pivoted and
charged the cape, his head down, his tail rising. The
gypsy moved in a zigzag, and as he passed the

(29:33):
bull caught sight of him and abandoned the cape to
charge the man. The gip sprinted and vaulted the red
fence of the barrera. As the bull struck it with
his horns, he tossed into it twice with his horns,
banging into the wood blindly. The critic of El Geraldo
lit a cigarette and tossed the match at the bull,

(29:55):
then wrote in his notebook large and with enough horns
to set satisfy the cash customers. Carpanio showed a tendency
to cut into the tehran of the bull fighters. Manuel
stepped out into the hard sand as the bull banged
into the fence. Out of the corner of his eye,
he saw Zorrito sitting the white horse close to the barrera.

(30:19):
But a quarter of the way round the ring to
the left. Manuel held the cape close in front of him,
a fold in each hand, and shouted at the bull,
huh huh. The bull turned seemed to brace against the
fence as he charged in a scramble, driving into the
cape as Manuel sidestepped, pivoted on his heels with the

(30:42):
charge of the bull, and swung the cape just ahead
of the horns. At the end of the swing, he
was facing the bull again and held the cape in
the same position close in front of his body, and
pivot again as the bull recharged. Each time. As he swung,
the crowd shouted. Four times he swung with the bull,

(31:02):
lifting the cape so that it billowed full and each
time bringing the bull around to charge again. Then at
the end of the fifth swing, he held the cape
against his hip and pivoted so the cape swung out
like a ballet dancer's skirt, and wound the bull around
himself like a belt to step clear, leaving the bull

(31:22):
facing Zerrito on the white horse come up and planted firm.
The horse facing the bull, its ears forward, its lips
nervous zareto his hat over his eyes, leaning forward the
long pole sticking out before and behind in a sharp
angle under his right arm, held half way down the

(31:43):
triangular iron point, facing the bull, el Heiraldo's second string. Critic,
drawing on his cigarette, his eyes on the bull, wrote,
the veteran Manolo designed a series of acceptable veronicus, ending
in a very Bellmontistic ricorte that earned applause from the regulars,

(32:05):
and we entered the tercio of the cavalry. Zirito sat
his horse, measuring the distance between the bull and the
end of the peak. As he looked the bull, gathered
himself together and charged, his eyes on the horse's chest
as he lowered his head to hook. Zirito sunk the

(32:26):
point of the peak in the swelling hump of muscle
above the bull's shoulder, leaned all his weight on the shaft,
and with his left hand pulled the horse into the
air front hofs pawing, and swung him to the right
as he pushed the bull under and through, so the
horns passed safely into the horse's belly, and the horse
came down quivering, the bull's tail brushing his chest as

(32:49):
he charged the cape, Hernandez offered him. Hernandez ran sideways
taking the bull out and away with the cape toward
the other picador. He fixed with the swing of the
cape squarely facing the horse and rider, and stepped back.
As the bull saw the horse, he charged. The Pikador's

(33:10):
lance slid along his back, and as the shock of
the charge lifted the horse, the Picicadoro was already half
way out of the saddle, lifting his right leg clear
as he missed with the lance and falling to the
left side to keep the horse between him and the bull.
The horse lifted and gourd crashed over, with the bull

(33:30):
driving into him. The picador gave a shove with his
boots against the horse and laid clear, waiting to be
lifted and hauled away and put on his feet. Manuel
let the bull drive into the fallen horse. He was
in no hurry. The pikador was safe. Besides, it did
a pigodoro like that. Good to worry. He'd stay on

(33:51):
longer next time, lousy peaks. He looked across the sand
at Crito, a little way up from the barrera, his
horse ride waiting. Huh. He called to the bull Tomar,
holding the cape in both hands so that it would
catch his eye. The bull detached himself from the horse

(34:11):
and charged the cape, and Manuel, running sideways and holding
the cape spread wide, stopped, swung on his heels, and
brought the bull sharply around facing Zorito. Campagnero accepted a
pair of varus for the death of one Rosinante, with
Hernandez and Manolo at the keats el. Harolto's critic wrote,

(34:34):
he pressed on the iron and clearly showed he was
no horse lover. The veteran. Zorita resurrected some of his
old stuff with the pike pole, notably the suerte oh
lay oor lay. The man sitting behind him shouted. The
shout was lost in the roar of the crowd, and
he slapped the critic on the back. The critic looked

(34:56):
up to see Zorita directly below him, leaning far out
of his horse, the length of the peak, rising at
a sharp angle under his armpit, holding the peak almost
by the point, bearing down with all his weight, holding
the bull off the bull, pushing and driving to get
at the horse, and Ziito far out on top of him,

(35:16):
holding him, holding him, and slowly pivoting the horse against
the pressure, so that at last he was clear Siita
felt the moment when the horse was clear and the
bull could come past, and relaxed the absolute steel lock
of his resistance. The triangular steel point of the peak

(35:37):
ripped in the bull's hump of shoulder muscle as he
tore loose to find Hernandez's cape before his muzzle. He
charged blindly into the cape, and the boy took him
out into the open arena. Ziita sat patting his horse
and looking at the bull charging on the cape that
Hernandez swung for him out under the bright light, while

(35:59):
the crowd shouted. You see that one, He said to
Manoel it was, oh wonder. Munwell said, I got him
that time, Cirito said, look at him. Now. At the
conclusion of a closely turned pass of the cape, the
bull slid to his knees. He was up at once,
but far out from across the sand, Manuel and Currito

(36:21):
saw the shine of the pumping flow of blood, smooth
against the black of the bull's shoulder. I got him
that time, Cirito said, he's a good bull. Munwell said,
if they gave me another shot at it might kill him.
Ci Rito said, they'll change the thirds on us. Manuel said,

(36:41):
look at him. Now, Cirrito said, I got to go
over there, Manuel said, and started on a run for
the other side of the ring, where the monos were
leading a horse out by the bridle toward the bull,
whacking him on the legs with rods and all in
a procession, trying to get in toward the bull, who
stood dropping his head, pawing, unable to make up his mind. Charge. Crito,

(37:09):
sitting his horse, walked toward the scene, not missing any detail,
and scowled. Finally, the bull charged the horse leaders ran
for the barrera. The picador hit too far back, and
the bull got under the horse, lifted him and threw
him onto his back. Ziito watched the monos in their

(37:32):
red shirts running out to drag the picicador clean. The
picador now on his feet, swearing and flopping his arms.
Manuel and Hernandez standing ready with their capes, and the bull,
the great black bull with a horse on his back,
hoofs dangling, the bridle caught in the horns. Black bull

(37:54):
with a horse on his back, staggering short legged, then
arching his neck and lifting, thrusting, charging to slide the
horse off, horse, sliding down, then the bull into a
lunging charge at the cape Manuel spread for him. The
bull was slower now Manoel felt he was bleeding badly.

(38:15):
There was a sheen of blood all down his flank.
Manoel offered him the cape again. There he came, eyes open, ugly,
watching the cape. Manoel stepped to the side and raised
his arms, tightening the cape ahead for the bull of
the veronica. Now he was facing the bull. Yes, his

(38:36):
head was going down a little. He was carrying it lower.
That was cirrito. Manuel flopped the cape. There he comes.
He sidestepped and swung in another veronica. He's shooting awfully accurately.
He thought he's had enough fight, so he's watching. Now
he's haunting now, got his eye on me. But I

(38:58):
always give him the cape. He shook the cape at
the bull. There he comes. He sidestepped awful close that time.
I don't want to work that close to him. The
edge of the cape was wet with blood. Wards swept
along the bull's back as he went by. All right,
here's the last one. Manoel, facing the bull, having turned

(39:21):
him with each charge, offered the cape with his two hands.
The bull looked at him, eyes watching horn straight forward.
The bull looked at him, watching huh. Manuel said, totalo,
and leaning back, swung the cape forward. Here he comes.
He side stepped, swung the cape in back of him,

(39:44):
and pivoted. So the bull followed a swirl of cape
and then was left with nothing fixed by the pass
dominated by the cape. Manuel swung the cape under his
muscle with one hand to show the bullets fixed, and
walked away. There was no applause. Manoel walked across the
sand toward the barrera while Za Rita rode out of

(40:07):
the ring. The trumpet had blown to change the act
to the planting of the bandereas. While Manuel had been
working with the bull, he had not consciously noticed it.
The monos were spreading canvas over the two dead horses
and sprinkling sawdust around them. Manoel came up to the
barrera for a drink of water. Retana's man handed him

(40:28):
the heavy porous jug Fuentes. The tall gipsy was standing
holding a pair of bandiera's, holding them together slim red sticks,
fishhooks points out. He looked at Manoel, go on out there,
Monoel said. The gipsy trotted out. Manoel sat down the

(40:49):
jug and watched. He wiped his face with the handkerchief.
The critic of Ehleraldo reached for the bottle of warm
champagne that stood between his feet, took a drink, and
finished his paragraph. The aged Manola rated no applause for
a vulgar series of lances with the cape, and we

(41:10):
entered the third of the palings. Alone in the center
of the ring, the bull stood still fixed. Puintes tall,
flat backed, walking toward him arrogantly. His arms spread out,
the two slim red sticks, one in each hand held
by the fingers, pointed straight forward. Puintes walked there forward

(41:34):
back of him, and to one side was a peon
with a cape. The bull looked at him and was
no longer fixed. His eyes watched Puintes, now standing still.
Now he leaned back, calling to him. Fuintes twitched the
two banderius in the light on the steel points caught
the bull's eye. His tail went up and he charged.

(41:59):
He came straight, his eyes on the man. Fuente stood still,
leaning back, the bandarios pointing forward. As the bull lowered
his head to hook, Fuentes leaned backward, his arms came
together and rose his two hands, touching the bandurios, descending
two red lines and leaning forward, drove the points into

(42:20):
the bull's shoulder, leaning far in over the bull's horns,
and pivoting on the two upright sticks, his legs tight together,
his body curving to one side to let the bull
pass o lay from the crowd. The bull was hooking wildly,
jumping like a trout, all four feet off the ground.

(42:42):
The red shaft of the bandurios tossed as he jumped. Manuel,
standing at the barrera, noticed that he hooked always to
the right. Tell him to drop the next pair on
the right, he said to the kid, who started to
run out to Fuente's with the new bandarias a heavy
hand fell on his shoulder. It was Zerto. How do

(43:04):
you feel, kid, he asked. Manuel was watching the bull.
Zerito leaned forward on the berrera, leaning the weight of
his body on his arms. Manuel turned to him. You're
looking good, Cerrito, said. Manuel shook his head. He had
nothing to do now until the next third. The gypsy

(43:24):
was very good with the bandarios. The bull would come
to him the next third in good shape. He was
a good bull. It had all been easy up to now.
The final stuff with the sword was all he worried over.
He did not really worry, he did not even think
about it. But standing there he had a heavy sense
of apprehension. He looked out at the bull, planning a faena,

(43:48):
his work with the red cloth that was to reduce
the bull, to make him manageable. The gypsy was walking
out toward the bull again, walking heel in tow insultingly
like a ball room dancer, the red shafts of the
Bandarios twitching with his walk. The bull watched him, not
fixed now hunting him, but waiting to get close enough

(44:11):
so that he could be sure of getting him, getting
the horns into him. As Fuentes walked forward, the bull charged.
Fuentes ran across the court of a circle as the
bull charged, and as he passed, running backward, stopped, swung forward,
rose on his toes, armed straight out, and sunk the

(44:31):
Bandarios straight down into the tight of the big shoulder muscles.
As the bulls missed him. The crowd were wild about it.
That kid won't stay in this night. Stuff long. Retada's
man said to us Rito, he's good, Sir Rito said,
watch him now. They watched. Fuentes was standing with his

(44:54):
back against the barrera. Two of the quadrilla were back
of him with their capes ready to flop over the
fence to distract the bull. The bull, with his tongue
cut out his barrel heaving, was watching the gypsy. He
thought he had him now back against the red planks,
only a short charge away. The bull watched him. The

(45:16):
gypsy bent back, drew back his arms, the band ears
pointing toward the bull. He called to the bull, stamped
one foot. The bull was suspicious. He wanted the man
no more barbs in the shoulder. Fuentes walked a little
closer to the bull, bent back, called again. Somebody in

(45:38):
the crowd shouted a warning. He's too damn close. Crito said,
watch him. Ratana's man said, leaning back, insiding the bull
with the Bandarrhias, Fuentes jumped both feet off the ground.
As he jumped, the bull's tail rose and he charged.

(46:01):
Fuentes came down on his toes, arms straight out, whole
body arching forward and drove the shafts straight down. As
he swung his body clear of the right horn. The
bull crashed into the barrera, where the flopping capes had
attracted his eye. As he lost the man, the gypsy
came running along the barrera toward Manuel, taking the applause

(46:25):
of the crowd. His vest was ripped where he had
not quite cleared the point of the horn. He was
happy about it, showing it to the spectators. He made
the tour of the ring. Sirita saw him go by, smiling,
pointing at his vest. He smiled. Somebody else was planting
the last pair of bunderias. Nobody was paying any attention.

(46:49):
Bretana's man tucked a baton inside the red cloth of
the muletta, folded the cloth over it and handed it
over the barrera to Manuel. He reached the leather sword case,
took out a sword, and, holding it by its leather scabbard,
reached it over the fence to Manuel. Manuel pulled the
blade out by the red hilt, and the scabbard fell lip.

(47:13):
He looked at Cirrito, the big man saw he was sweating.
Now you get him, kid, Cirito said, Manoel nodded. He's
in good shape. Cirito said, just like you want him.
Retona's man assured him. Manuel nodded. The trumpeter up under
the roof blew for the final act, and Manuel walked

(47:35):
across the arena toward where up in the dark boxes
the president must be in the front row of seats,
the substitute bullfight critic of Elhoraldo took a long drink
of the warm champagne. He had decided it was not
worth while to write a running story and would ride
up the Krita back in the office. What the hell
was it anyway, only a nocturnal If he missed anything,

(47:58):
he would get it out of the morning papers. He
took another drink of the champagne. He had a date
at Maxim's at twelve. Who were these bull fighters anyway? Kids?
And bombs, a bunch of bombs. He put his pad
of paper in his pocket and looked over toward Manuel,
standing very much alone in the ring, gesturing with his
hat in a salute toward a box he could not

(48:20):
see high up in the dark plaza. Out in the ring,
the bull stood quiet, looking at nothing. I dedicate this
bowl to you, missed a president, and to the public
of Madrid, the most intelligent and generous of the world.
Was what Manoel was saying. It was a formula. He

(48:41):
had said it all. It was a little long for
nocturnal use. He bowed at the dark, straightened, tossed his
hat over his shoulder, and, carrying the moletta in his
left hand and the sword in his right, walked out
toward the bull. Manuel walked toward the bull. The bull
looked at him. His eyes were quick. Manuel noticed the

(49:04):
bundehyers hung down on his left shoulder in the steady
sheen of blood from Zarita's peeking. He noticed the way
the bull's feet were as he walked forward, holding the
muletta in his left hand the sword in his right.
He watched the bull's feet. The bull could not charge
without gathering his feet together. Now he stood square on

(49:25):
them dully. Manuel walked toward him, watching his feet. This
was all right, He could do this. He must work
to get the bull's head down so that they could
go in past the horns and kill him. He did
not think about the sword, not about killing the bull.
He thought about one thing at a time. The coming
things oppressed him though. Walking forward, watching the bull's feet,

(49:50):
he saw successively his eyes, his wet muzzle, and the
wide forward pointing spread of his horns. The bull had
lights circles about his eyes. His eyes watched Manuel. He
felt he was going to get this little one with
the white face, standing still now and spreading the red
cloth of the meletta with the sword, pricking the point

(50:13):
into the cloth, so that the sword now held in
his left hand, spread the red flannel like the jib
of a boat. Manuel noticed the points of the bull's horns.
One of them was splintered from banging against the brera.
The other was as sharp as a porcupine quill. Manuel noticed,
while spreading the meletta that the white base of the

(50:35):
horn was stained red. While he noticed these things, he
did not lose sight of the bull's feet. The bull
watched Manuel steadily. He's on the defensive now, Manuel thought,
he's reserving himself. I've got to bring him out of that.
Get his head down, always, get his head down. Crito
had had his head down once, but he's come back.

(50:58):
He'll bleed when I start him going, and that will
bring it down. Holding the moletta with the sword in
his left hand, White nagged in front of him, he
called to the bull. The bull looked at him. He
leaned back insultingly and shook the widespread flannel. The bull
saw the meletta It was a bright scarlet under the

(51:20):
arc light. The bull's legs tightened. Here he comes. Whoosh.
Manuel turned as the bull came and raised the miletta.
Said that it passed over the bull's horns and swept
down his broad back from head to tail. The bull
had gone clean up in the air with the charge.
Menouel had not moved at the end of the past.

(51:42):
The bull turned like a cat coming around a corner
and faced Manuel. He was on the offensive again. His
heaviness was gone. Manuel lided the fresh blood, shining down
the black shoulder and dripping down the bull's leg. He
drew the sword out of the meletta and held it
in his right hand. The maletta held low down in
his left hand. Leaning toward the left, he called to

(52:03):
the bull. The bull's legs tightened, his eyes on the moletta.
Here he comes, Manuel thought. Yah. He swung with the charge,
sweeping the malta ahead of the bull's feet, firm the sword,
following the curve a point of light under the arcs.
The bull recharged as the passe nateral finished, and Manuel

(52:26):
raised the meletta for a passe de petro. Firmly planted
the burl came by his chest under the raised muletta.
Manuel lifted his head back to avoid the clattering bandario shafts.
The hot black bull body touched his chest as it
passed two. Damn close, Manuel thought. Cirito, leaning on the barrera,

(52:51):
spoke rapidly to the gypsy, who trotted out toward Manuel
with a cape. Cirito pulled down his hat and looked
out across the arena at Manuel. Manuel was facing the
bull again, the moletta held low and to the left.
The bull said was down as he watched the moletta.
If it was Belmonte doing that stuff, they go crazy,

(53:12):
Retana's man said. Zirito said nothing. He was watching Manuel
out in the center of the arena. Where did the
boss dig this fellow up, Retana's man asked, out of
the hospital. Cerrito said, that's where he's going, Damn quick.
Ritana's man said. Zirito turned on him. Knock on that,

(53:35):
he said, pointing to the barrera. I was just kidding, man,
Bretana's man said, knock on the wood. Retana's man leaned
forward and knocked three times on the barrera. Watch the faena,
Cirrito said. Out in the center of the ring under
the lights. Manuel was kneeling facing the bull, and as

(53:55):
he raised the moletta in both hands, the bull charged
tail up and well swung his body clear, and as
the bull recharged, brought around the muletta in a half
circle that pulled the bull to his knees. Why that's
one great bullfighter, Ratana's man said, no, he's not, said

(54:15):
Si Rita. Manuel stood up, and the moletta in his
left hand the sword in his right acknowledged the applause
from the dark plaza. The bullet humped himself up from
his knees and stood waiting, his head low. Serita spoke
to two of the other lads of the quadrilla and
they ran out to stand back of Manuel with their capes.

(54:37):
There were four men back of him now. Hernandez had
followed him since he first came out with the maletta.
Fuente stood watching, his cape held against his body, tall
in repose, watching lazy eyed. Now the two came up.
Hernandez motioned them to stand, one at each side. Manuel
stood alone, facing the bull. Manuel waved back the men

(55:02):
with the capes, stepping back cautiously. They saw his face
was white and sweating. Didn't they know enough to keep back?
Did they want to catch the bull's eye with the
capes after he was fixed and ready? He had had
enough to worry about without that kind of thing. The
bull was standing his four feet square, looking at the maleta.

(55:24):
Manuel furled the maleta in his left hand. The bull's
eyes watched it. His body was heavy on his feet.
He carried his head low, but not too low. Manuel
lifted the miletta at him. The bull did not move,
only his eyes watched. He's all lead Manibel thought, he's

(55:47):
all square, he's framed right. He'll take it, he thought
in bull flight terms. Sometimes he had a thought and
the particular piece of slang would not come into his mind,
and he could not realize the thought. Instincts and his
knowledge worked automatically, and his brain worked slowly. In words,
he knew all about bulls. He did not have to

(56:08):
think about them. He just did the right thing. His
eyes noted things, and his body performed the necessary measures
without thought. If he thought about it, he would be gone. Now.
Facing the bull, he was conscious of many things at
the same time. There were the horns, the one splintered,
the other one smoothly sharp. The need to profile himself

(56:30):
toward the left horn, lance himself short and straight, lower
the molettis of the bull would follow it, and going
in over the horns, put the sword all the way
into a little spot about as big as a five
pista piece, straight into the back of the neck, between
the sharp pitch of the bull's shoulders. He must do

(56:52):
all this, and must then come out from between the horns.
He was conscious he must do all this, but his
only thought was in words. Quarto e de raicho, Quarto
e de racho, he thought, furling the meletta short and straight,

(57:14):
Quarto e de racho. He drew the sword out of
the meletta, profiled on the splintered left horn, dropped the
meletta across his body so his right hand, with the
sword on the level with his eye, made the sign
of the cross, and rising on his toes, sighted along

(57:34):
the dipping blade of the shoulder at the spot high
up between the bull's shoulders. Quarto y de racho. He
lanced himself on the bull. There was a shock, and
he felt himself go up in the air. He pushed
on the sword as he went up and over, and

(57:55):
it flew out of his hand. He hit the ground
and the bull was on him. Manuel, lying on the ground,
kicked the bull's muzzle with his slippered feet, kicking, kicking
the bull after him, missing him as an excitement, bumping
in with his head, driving the horns into the sand,
Kicking like a man keeping a ball in the air,

(58:15):
Manuel kept the bull from getting a clean thrust at him.
Manuel felt the wind on his back from the capes,
flopping at the bull, and then the bull was gone,
gone over him in a rush, dark as his belly
went over, not even stepped on. Manuel stood up and
picked up the Meletta. Fuines handed him the sword. It

(58:39):
was bent where it had struck the shoulder blade. Manuel
straightened it on his knee and ran toward the bull,
standing now beside one of the dead horses. As he ran,
his jacket flopped where it had been ripped under his armpit.
Get him out of here, Manuel shouted to the gypsy.
The bull had smelled the blood of the dead horse

(59:01):
and ripped into the canvas cover with his horns. He
charged Wenches's cape with the canvas hanging from his splintered horn,
and the crowd laughed out in the ring. He tossed
his head to rid himself of the canvas. Herdandez, running
up from behind him, grabbed the end of the canvas
and neatly lifted it off the horn. The bull followed

(59:23):
in a half charge and stopped still. He was on
the defensive again. Manuel was walking toward him with the
sword and Meletta. Manuel swung the moletta before him. The
bull would not charge. Manuel profiled toward the bull, sighting
along the dipping blade of the sword. The bull was motionless,

(59:45):
seemingly dead on his feet, incapable of another charge. Manoel
rose to his toes, siding along the steel, and charged again.
There was the shock, and he felt himself being borne
back back in a rush to strike hard on the sand.
There was no chance of kicking. This time. The bull

(01:00:05):
was on top of him. Manuel lay as though dead,
his head on his arms, and the bull bumped him,
bumped his back, bumped his face in the sand. He
felt the horn go into the sand between his folded arms.
The bull hit him in the small of the back.
His face drove into the sand. The horn drove through

(01:00:26):
one of his sleeves, and the bull ripped it off.
Manuel was tossed clear, and the bull followed the capes.
Manuel got up, found the sword in moletta, tried the
point of the sword with his thumb, and then ran
toward the vera for a new sword. Bretana's man headed
in the sword over the edge of the varea. Wipe

(01:00:47):
your face, he said. Manuel, running again toward the bull,
wiped his bloody face with his handkerchief. He had not
seen Zirito. Where was Zorrito. The quadrille had stepped away
from the bull and waited with their capes. The bull
stood heavy and dull again. After the action, Manuel walked

(01:01:08):
toward him with the muletta. He stopped and shook it.
The bull did not respond. He passed it right and left,
left and right before the bull's muzzle. The bull's eyes
watched it and turned with the swing, but he would
not charge. He was waiting for Manuel. Manuel was worried.

(01:01:30):
There was nothing to do but go in coorto y derecho.
He profiled close to the bull, crossed the muletto in
front of his body, and charged. As he pushed in
the sword, he jerked his body to the left to
clear the horn. The bull passed him and the sword
shot up in the air, twinkling under the arc lights,

(01:01:50):
to fall red hilted on the sand. Manuel ran over
and picked it up. It was bent, and he straightened
it over his knee as he came running toward the bull.
Fixed again. Now he passed Hernandez, standing with his cape.
He's all bone, the boy said encouragingly. Manuel nodded, wiping
his face. He put the body handkerchief in his pocket.

(01:02:15):
There was the bull. He was close to the Barrera.
Now damn him. Maybe he was all bone. Maybe there
was not any place for the sword to go in
the hell, there wasn't. Each showed them. He tried to
pass with the miletta, and the bull did not move.
Manuel chopped the Maletta back and forth in front of

(01:02:36):
the bull, nothing doing. He furled the miletto, shrew his
sword out, profiled, and drove in on the bull. He
felt the sword buckle as he shoved it in, leaning
his weight on it, and then it shot high in
the air, end over, ending into the crowd. Manuel had

(01:02:56):
jerked clear as the sword jumped. The first cushions thrown
down from the dark mist him. Then one hit him
in the face, his bloody face looking toward the crowd.
They were coming down fast, spotting the sand. Somebody threw
an empty champagne bottle from close range. It hit Manuel

(01:03:17):
on the foot. He stood there, watching the dark where
the things were coming from. Then something wished through the
air and struck by him. Manuel leaned over and picked
it up. It was his sword. He straightened it over
his knee and gestured with it towards the crowd. Thank you,
he said, thank you. Oh the dirty bastards, dirty bastards, Oh,

(01:03:41):
the lousy, dirty bastards. He kicked into a cushion. As
he ran. There was the bull, the same as everyr.
All right, you dirty, lousy bastard. Manuel passed the muletto
in front of the bull's black muscle. Nothing doing, you won't.
He stepped close and jammed the sharp peak of the

(01:04:02):
maletto into the bull's damp muzzle. The bull was on
him as he jumped back, and as he tripped on
a cushion, he felt the horn go into him, into
his side. He grabbed the horn with his two hands
and rode backward, holding tight onto the place the bull
tossed him, and he was clear. He lay still. It

(01:04:24):
was all right. The bull was gone. He got up,
coughing and feeling broken and gone the dirty bastards. Give
me the sword, he shouted, give me the stuff. Puentes
came up with the milita and the sword. Hernandez put

(01:04:44):
his arm around him. Go onto the infirmary, man, he said,
don't be a damn fool, Get away from me. Manuel said,
get the hell away from me. He twisted free. Hernandez
shrugged his shoulders. Manuel ran toward the bull. There was
the bull, standing heavy, firmly planted. Ah right, you, bastard.

(01:05:07):
Manuel drew the sword out of the meletta sided with
the same movement and flung himself onto the bull. He
felt the sword go in all the way right up
to the guard, four fingers and his thumb into the bull.
The blood was hot on his knuckles, and he was
on top of the bull. The bull lurched with him
as he lay on and seemed to sink. Then he

(01:05:30):
was standing clear. He looked at the bull going down
slowly over his side, then suddenly four feet in the air.
Then he gestured at the crowd, his hand warm from
the bull blood. Ah ra right, you bastards. He wanted
to say something, but he started to cough. It was

(01:05:50):
hot and choking. He looked down for the Maletta. He
must go over and salute the president, President hel He
was sitting down looking at something. It was the bull,
his four feet up, thick tongue out. Things crawling around
under his belly and under his legs, crawling where the

(01:06:11):
hair was thin, dead bull. To hell with the bull,
to hell with them all. He started to get to
his feet and commenced to cough. He sat down again, coughing.
Somebody came and pushed him up. They carried him across
the ring to the infirmary, running with them across the sand,

(01:06:32):
standing blocked at the gates, and mules came in. Then
around the dark passageway, men grunting as they took him
up the stairway and then laid him down. The doctor
and two men in white were waiting for him. They
laid him out on the table. They were cutting away
his shirt. Manuel felt tired, His whole chest felt scalding inside.

(01:06:56):
He started to cough, and they held something to his mouth.
Everybody was very busy. There was an electric light in
his eyes. He shut his eyes. He heard someone coming
very heavily up the stairs. Then he did not hear it.
Then he heard a noise far off. That was the crowd. Well,
somebody would have to kill his other bull. They had

(01:07:19):
cut away all his shirt. The doctor smiled at him.
There was Bretana, Hello, Bretana. Manuel said he could not
hear his voice. Vertana smiled at him and said something.
Manoel could not hear it. Cirrito stood beside the table,
bending over where the doctor was working. He was in

(01:07:42):
his pecador clothes without his hat. Cirrita said something to him.
Manuel could not hear it. Sirita was speaking to Bretana.
One of the men in wait smiled and handed Bretana
a pair of scissors. Bretana gave them to Zirita. Zorito
said something to Manuel. He could not hear it. To

(01:08:05):
hell with his operating table. He'd been on plenty of
operating tables before. He was not going to die. They
would be a priest if he was going to die.
Zerto was saying something to him, holding up the scissors.
That was it. They were going to cut off his coleta.
They were going to cut off his pigtail. Manuel sat

(01:08:28):
up on the operating table. The doctor stepped back angry.
Someone grabbed him and held him. You couldn't do a
thing like that, manas he said, he heard suddenly clearly
Zorto's voice. That's all right, Certo said, I won't do it.
I was joking. I was going good. Manuel said, I

(01:08:48):
didn't have any luck. That was all. Manuel laid back.
They had put something over his face. It was all familiar.
He inhaled deeply. He felt very tired. He was very,
very tired. They took the thing away from his face.

(01:09:10):
I was going good, Manoel said weakly. I was going great.
Ratana looked at Sirto and started for the door. I'll
stay here with him, Zirito said. Ratana shrugged his shoulders.
Manouel opened his eyes and looked at Cirrito. Wasn't I

(01:09:31):
going good, manas he asked for confirmation, Sure, said Cirito,
you were going great. The doctor's assistants put the cone
over Manuel's face, and he inhaled deeply. Cirito stood awkwardly
watching end of section one Section two in another country.

(01:10:00):
In the fall, the war was always there, but we
did not go to it anymore. It was cold in
the fall in Milan, and the dark came very early.
Then the electric lights came on, and it was pleasant
along the streets looking in the windows. There was much
game hanging outside the shops, and the snow powdered in

(01:10:24):
the fur of the foxes, and the wind blew their tails.
The deer hung stiff and heavy and empty, and small
birds blew in the wind and the wind turned their feathers.
It was a cold fall, and the wind came down
from the mountains. We were all at the hospital every afternoon,

(01:10:46):
and there were different ways of walking across the town
through the dusk to the hospital. Two of the ways
were alongside canals, but they were long always though, you
crossed a bridge across a canal to enter the hospital.
There was a choice of three bridges. On one of

(01:11:07):
them a woman sold roasted chestnuts. It was warm standing
in front of her charcoal fire, and the chestnuts were
warm afterward in your pocket. The hospital was very old
and very beautiful, and you entered through a gate and
walked across a courtyard and out a gate. On the
other side. There were funerals, usually starting from the courtyard.

(01:11:33):
Beyond the old hospital were the new brick pavilions, and
there we met every afternoon and were all very polite
and interested in what was the matter, and sat in
the machines that were to make so much difference. The
doctor came up to the machine where I was sitting
and said, what do you like best to do? Before

(01:11:55):
the war did you practice a sport? I said, yes, football. Good.
He said, you will be able to play football again
better than ever. My knee did not bend, and the
leg dropped straight from the knee to the ankle without
a calf and the machine was to bend the knee

(01:12:19):
and make it move, as in riding a tricycle. But
it did not bend yet, and instead the machine lurched.
When it came to the bending part. The doctor said
that all will pass. You are a fortunate young man.
You will play football again like a champion. In the

(01:12:40):
next machine was a major who had a little hand
like a baby's. He waked at me when the doctor
examined his hand, which was between two leather straps that
bounced up and down and flapped the stiff fingers, and said,
and will I too play football? Captain? He had been

(01:13:02):
a very great fencer, and before the war the greatest
fencer in Italy. The doctor went to his office in
a back room and brought a photograph which showed a
hand that had been withered, almost as small as the
major's before it had taken a machine course, and after
was a little larger. The Major held the photograph with

(01:13:25):
his good hand and looked at it very carefully. A wound,
he asked, in industrial accident? The doctor said, very interesting,
Very interesting, the major said, and handed it back to
the doctor. You have confidence, no, said the major. There

(01:13:49):
were three boys who came each day who were about
the same age as I. They were all three from Milene,
and one of them was to be a lawyer, and
one was to be a painter, and one had intended
to be a soldier. And after we were finished with
the machines, sometimes we walked back together to the Cafe Kova,

(01:14:10):
which was next door to the scala. We walked the
short way through the communist quarter because we were four together.
The people hated us because we were officers, and from
a wine shop someone would call out abbaso gli uficiali
as we passed. Another boy who walked with us sometimes

(01:14:34):
and made us five, wore a silk handkerchief across his
face because he had no nose. Then and his face
was to be rebuilt. He had gone out to the
front from the military academy and had been wounded within
an hour after he had gone into the front line
for the first time. They rebuilt his face, but he

(01:14:55):
came from a very old family, and they could never
get the nose exactly right. He went to South America
and worked in a bank. But this was a long
time ago, and then we did not any of us
know how it was going to be afterward. We only
knew then that there was always the war, but that

(01:15:17):
we were not going to it anymore. We all had
the same medals, except the boy with the black silk
bandage across his face, and he had not been at
the front long enough to get any medals. The tall
boy with a very pale face, who was to be
a lawyer, had been a lieutenant of our dity and

(01:15:40):
had three medals of the sort we each had only
one of. He had lived a very long time with
death and was a little detached. We were all a
little detached, and there was nothing that held us together
except that we met every afternoon at the hospital. Although
as we walked to the Cova through the tough part

(01:16:01):
of town, walking in the dark, with light and singing
coming out of the wine shops, and sometimes having to
walk into the street when the men and women would
crowd together on the sidewalk so that we would have
had to jostle them to get by. We felt held
together by there being something that had happened the day.

(01:16:22):
The people who disliked us did not understand. We ourselves
all understood the cova, where it was rich and warm
and not too brightly lighted, and noisy and smoky at
certain hours, and there were always girls at the tables
and the illustrated papers on a rack on the wall.

(01:16:43):
The girls at the Cova were very patriotic, and I
found that the most patriotic people in Italy were the
cafe girls, and I believe they are still patriotic. The
boys at first were very polite about my medals and
asked me what I had done to get them. I
showed them the papers, which were written in very beautiful

(01:17:06):
language and full of frattelanza and ab negozione, but which
really said, with the adjuctives removed that I had been
given the medals because I was an American. After that
their men are changed a little toward me, although I
was their friend against Alzeider's. I was a friend, but

(01:17:29):
I was never really one of them after they had
read the citations, because it had been different with them,
and they had done very different things to get their medals.
I had been wounded, it was true, but we all
knew that being wounded, after all, was really an accident.
I was never ashamed of the ribbons, though, and sometimes

(01:17:51):
after the cocktail hour, I would imagine myself having done
all the things they had done to get their medals.
But walking home at night through the empty streets, with
the coold wind and all the shops closed, trying to
keep near the street lights, I knew that I would
never have done such things. I was very much afraid
to die, and often lay in bed at night by myself,

(01:18:15):
afraid to die and wondering how I would be when
I went back to the front again. The three with
the medals were like hunting hawks, and I was not
a hawk, although I might seem a hawk to those
who had never hunted. They the three knew better, and
so we drifted apart. But I stayed good friends with

(01:18:37):
the boy who had been wounded his first day at
the front, because he would never now know how he
would have turned out, so he could never be accepted either.
And I liked him because I thought perhaps he would
not have turned out to be a hawk either. The Major,
who had been the great fencer, did not believe in bravery,

(01:18:58):
and spent much time while we sat in the machines
correcting my grammar. He had complimented me on how I
spoke Italian, and we talked together very easily. One day,
I had said that Italian seemed such an easy language
to me that I could not take a great interest
in it. Everything was so easy to say, ah, yes.

(01:19:21):
The Major said, why then do you not take up
the use of grammar. So we took up the use
of grammar, and soon Italian was such a difficult language
as I was prayed to talk to him until I
had the grammar straight in my mind. The Major came
very regularly to the hospital. I do not think he
ever missed a day, although I'm sure he did not

(01:19:42):
believe in the machines. There was a time when none
of us believed in the machines, and one day the
Major said it was all nonsense. The machines were new then,
and it was we who were to prove them. It
was an idiotic idea, he said, a theory like any other.
I had not learned my grammar. And he said I

(01:20:02):
was a stupid, impossible disgrace, and he was a fool
to have bothered with me. He was a small man,
and he sat up straight in his chair, and his
right hand thrust into the machine, and looked straight ahead
at the wall, while the straps thumped up and down,
with his fingers in them. What will you do when
the war is over? If it is over, he asked me,

(01:20:24):
speak grammatically, I will go to the States. Are you married? No?
But I hope to be the more of a fool
you are, he said. He seemed very angry. A man
must not marry, why said norm MAGGIORI. Don't call me
signor MAGGIORI. Why must a man not marry? He cannot marry?

(01:20:47):
He cannot marry, he said angrily. If he is to
lose everything, he should not place himself in a position
to lose that, he should not place himself in a
position to lose. He should find things he cannot lose.
He spoke very angrily and bitterly, and looked straight ahead
while he talked. But why should he necessarily lose it.

(01:21:10):
He'll lose it, the major said. He was looking at
the wall. Then he looked down at the machine and
jerked his little hand out from between the straps and
slapped it hard against his thigh. He'll lose it, he
almost shouted, don't argue with me. Then he called to
the intendant who ran the machines, come and turn this
damn thing off. He went back into the other room

(01:21:33):
for the light treatment and the massage. Then I heard
him ask the doctor if he might use his telephone,
and he shut the door. When he came back into
the room, I was sitting in another machine. He was
wearing his cape and had his cap on, and he
came directly toward my machine and put his arm on
my shoulder. I'm so sorry, he said. Pat it be

(01:21:54):
on the shoulder with his good hand. I would not
be rude. My wife has just died. You must forget me, oh,
I said, feeling sick for him. I am so sorry.
He stood there, biting his lower lip. It is very difficult,
he said, I cannot resign myself. He looked straight past

(01:22:17):
me and out through the window. Then he began to cry.
I'm utterly able to resign myself, he said, and choked,
and then crying his head, looking up at nothing. Carrying
himself straight and soldierly, with tears on both his cheeks
and biting his lips, he walked past the machines and

(01:22:38):
out the door. The doctor told me that the major's wife,
who was very young, in whom he had not married
until he was definitely invalided out of the war, had
died of pneumonia. She had been sick only a few days.
No one expected her to die. The Major did not
come to the hospital three days. Then he came at

(01:23:02):
the usual hour, wearing a black band on the sleeve
of his uniform. When he came back, there were large
framed photographs around the wall of all sorts of wounds
before and after they had been cured by the machines.
In front of the machine the major used were three
photographs of hands like his that were completely restored. I

(01:23:25):
do not know where the doctor got them. I always
understood we were the first to use the machines. The
photographs did not make much difference to the major because
he only looked out the window. End of Section two,
Section three hills like white elephants. The hills across the

(01:23:51):
valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this
side there was no shade and no trees, and the
station was between two lines of rails in the sun.
Close against the side of the station. There was the
warm shadow of the building, and a curtain made of
strings of bamboo beads hung across the open door into

(01:24:13):
the bar to keep out flies. The American and the
girl with him set at a table in the shade
outside the building. It was very hot, and the express
from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at
this juncture for two minutes and went on to Madrid.
What should we drink, the girl asked. She had taken

(01:24:36):
off her hat and put it on the table. It's
pretty hot, the man said, Let's drink beer. Do Servesas
the man said, into the curtain, big ones, a woman
asked from the doorway. Yes, two big ones. The woman
brought two glasses of beer and two filt pads. She

(01:24:57):
put the felt pads and the beer glasses on the
table and looked at the man and the girl. The
girl was looking off at the line of hills. They
were white in the sun, and the country was brown
and dry. They looked like white elephants, She said, I've
never seen one. The man drank his beer. No, you

(01:25:17):
wouldn't have. I might have. The man said, just because
you say I wouldn't have doesn't prove anything. The girl
looked at the bead curtain. They've painted something on it.
She said, what does it say? Ana Stelthorro missed a drink?
Could we try it? The man called, listen through the curtain.

(01:25:40):
The woman came out from the bar for relice. We
want to Anna still Thoro with water? Do you want
it with water? I don't know, the girl said, is
it good with water? It's all right. You want them
with water, asked the woman. Yes, with water like licorice.

(01:26:01):
The girl said, and put the glass down. That's the
way with everything, yes, said the girl. Everything tastes of licorice,
especially all the things you've waited so long for, like absinthe. Oh,
cut it out, you started it, The girl said. I
was being amused. I was having a fine time. Well,

(01:26:24):
let's try and have a fine time, all right. I
was trying, I said. The mountains looked like white elephants.
Wasn't that bright? That was bright? I wanted to try
this new drink. That's all we do, isn't it look
at things and try new drinks. I guess so. The
girl looked at the hills. They're lovely hills. She said.

(01:26:46):
They don't really look like white elephants. I just meant
that the coloring of their skin through the trees. Should
we have another drink? All right? The warm wind blew
the bead curtain against the table. It's nice and cool,
the man said, it's lovely. The girl said, it's really
an awfully simple operation. Jig. The man said, it's not

(01:27:09):
really an operation at all. The girl looked at the
ground the table legs rested on. I knew you wouldn't
mind it, jig. It's really not anything. It's just to
let the air in. The girl did not say anything.
I'll go with you and I'll stay with you all
the time. They just let the air and then it's
all perfectly natural. Then what will we do afterward? We'll

(01:27:34):
be fine afterward, just like we were before. What makes
you think so that's the only thing that bothers us,
it's the only thing that's made us unhappy. The girl
looked at the bead curtain, put her head out and
took hold of two of the strings of beads. And
then you think we'll be all right and be happy.

(01:27:55):
I know we will. You don't have to be afraid.
I've known lots of people that have done it. So
if I said the girl, and afterward they were all
so happy, Well, the man said, if you don't want to,
you don't have to. I wouldn't have you do it
if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly simple,

(01:28:15):
and you really want to. I think it's the best
thing to do. But I don't want you to do
it if you don't really want to. And if I
do it, you'll be happy and things will be like
they were, and you'll love me. I love you now,
you know. I love you, I know. But if I
do it, then it will be nice again. And if

(01:28:36):
I say things are like white elephants, you'll like it.
I'll love it. I love it now, but I just
can't think about it. You know how I get when
I worry. If I do it, you won't ever worry.
I won't worry about it because it's perfectly simple. Then
I'll do it because I don't care about me. What

(01:28:58):
do you mean, I don't care about me. Well, I
care about you, Oh yes, but I don't care about me.
I'll do it and then everything will be fine. I
don't want you to do it if you feel that way.
The girl stood up and walked to the end of
the station. Across on the other side were fields of

(01:29:18):
grain and trees along the banks of the empre Far
away beyond the river were mountains. The shadow of a
cloud moved across the field of green, and she saw
the river through the trees. And we could have all this,
she said, And we could have everything, and every day
we make it more impossible. What did you say, I said,

(01:29:40):
we could have everything. We can have everything, No we can't.
We can have the whole world, No we can't. We
can go everywhere, No we can't. It isn't ours anymore.
It's ours. No it isn't. And once they take it away,
you never get it back. But they haven't taken it away.

(01:30:00):
We'll wait and see. Come on back in the shade.
He said, you mustn't feel that way. I don't feel anyway,
the girl said, I just know things. I don't want
you to do anything that you don't want to do,
nor that isn't good for me. She said, I know.
Could we have another beer? All right? But you've got

(01:30:23):
to realize, I realize, the girl said. Can't we maybe
stop talking. They sat down at the table, and the
girl looked across up the hills on the dry side
of the valley, and the man looked at her and
at the table. You've got to realize, he said that
I don't want you to do it. If you don't

(01:30:43):
want to, I'm perfectly willing to go through with it
if it means anything to you. Doesn't that mean anything
to you? We could get along, of course it does.
But I don't want anybody but you. I don't want
anyone else. And I know it's perfectly some. Yes, you know,
it's perfectly simple. It's all right for you to say that.

(01:31:05):
But I do know it. Would you do something for
me now, I'd do anything for you. Would you please?
Please please please please please stop talking. He did not
say anything, but looked at the bags against the wall
of the station. There were labels on them from all
the hotels where they had spent nights. But I don't

(01:31:28):
want you to, he said, I don't care anything about it.
I'll scream, the girl said. The woman came out through
the curtains with two glasses of beer and put them
down on the damp felt pads. The train comes in
five minutes, she said. What did she say? Asked the

(01:31:48):
girl that the train is coming in five minutes. The
girl smiled brightly at the woman to thank her. I'd
better take the bags over to the side of the station,
the man said. She smiled at him. All right, then
come back and we'll finish the beer. He picked up
the two heavy bags and carried them around the station

(01:32:10):
to the other tracks. He looked up the tracks but
could not see the train coming back. He walked through
the bar room where people waiting for the train were drinking.
He drank an a us at the bar and looked
at the people. They were all waiting reasonably for the train.
He went out through the bead curtain. She was sitting
at the table and smiled at him. Do you feel better,

(01:32:34):
he asked, I feel fine. She said, there's nothing wrong
with me. I feel fine. End of section three The Killers.
The door of Henry's lunch room opened and two men

(01:32:55):
came in. They sat down at the counter. What's yours?
Just them, I don't know. One of the men said,
what do you want to eat? Al, I don't know,
said al, I don't know what I want to eat?
Outside it was getting dark. The street light came on
outside the window. The two minute the counter read the menu.

(01:33:17):
From the other end of the counter, Nick Adams watched them.
He had been talking to George when they came in.
I'll have a roast pork tenderloin with apple sauce and
mashed potatoes. The first man said, it isn't ready yet.
What the hell do you put it on the card for.
That's the dinner, George explained, you can get that at

(01:33:38):
six o'clock. George looked at the clock on the wall
behind the counter. It's five o'clock. The clock says twenty
minutes past five. The second man said, it's twenty minutes fast. Oh,
now at the clock. First man said, what have you
got to eat? I can give you any kind of sandwiches.
George said, you can have ham and eggs, bacon and eggs,

(01:34:01):
liver and bacon, or steak. Give me chicken croquettes with
green peas and cream sauce and mashed potatoes. That's the dinner.
Everything we wants a dinner. Eh, that's the way you
work it. I can give you ham and eggs, bacon
and eggs, liver. I'll take ham and eggs. The man

(01:34:21):
called Al said. He wore a derby hat and a
black overcoat buttoned across the chest. His face was small
and white, and he had tight lips. He wore a
silk muffler and gloves. Give me bacon and eggs, said
the other man. He was about the same size as Al.

(01:34:42):
Their faces were different, but they were dressed like twins.
Both wore overcoats too tight for them. They sat leaning forward,
their elbows on the counter. Got anything to drink? Al asked,
Silver beer, beavo, ginger Ale, George, I mean you got
anything to drink? Just those? I said. This is a

(01:35:07):
hot town, said the other What do they call it summit?
Ever hear of it? Al asked his friend. No, said
the friend. What do you do here nights? Al asked?
They eat the dinner? His friend said, they all come
here and eat the big dinner. That's right, George said,
So you think that's all right? Al asked George. Sure

(01:35:30):
you're a pretty bright boy, aren't you. Sure? Said George,
Well you're not, said the other. Little man. Is he Al?
He's dumb, said Al. He turned to Nick. What's your name? Adams?
Another bright boy? Al said, ain't he a bright boy? Max?
The town's full of bright boys, Max said. George put

(01:35:54):
the two platters, one of ham and eggs, the other
of bacon and eggs on the counter. He said, down
two side dishes of fried potatoes, and closed the wicket
into the kitchen, which is yours, He asked Al. Don't
you remember ham and eggs? Just a bright boy? Max said.

(01:36:15):
He leaned forward and took the ham and eggs. Both
men ate with their gloves on. George watched the meat.
What are you looking at? Max looked at George. Nothing
the hell you were? You were looking at me? Maybe
the boy meant it for a joke, Max, al said.
George laughed. You don't have to laugh. Max said to him,

(01:36:38):
you don't have to laugh at all. See all right,
said George. So he thinks it's all right. Max turned al.
He thinks it's all right. That's a good one. Oh
he's a thinker, Al said. They went on eating. What's
the bright boy's name down the counter? Al asked Max?

(01:36:59):
Hey bright? Max said to Nick, you go around the
other side of the counter with your friend. What's the idea?
Nick asked, isn't any idea? You better go around, right, boy,
Al said, Nick went around behind the counter. What's the idea,
George asked, None of your damn business? Al said, who's

(01:37:23):
out in the kitchen? The nigger? What do you mean?
The nigger? The nigger? The cooks tell him to come in?
What's the idea? Tell him to come in? Where do
you think you are? We know damn well where we are.
The man called Max said, do we look silly? He
talks silly? Al said to him, what the hell you

(01:37:46):
argue with this kid? For? Listen? He said to George,
tell a nigger to come out here. What are you
going to do to him? Nothing? Use your head, bright boy?
What will you do to a nigger? George opened the
slit open back into the kitchen, Sam, he called, come
in here a minute. The door of the kitchen opened,

(01:38:08):
and the nigger came in. What was it? He asked?
The two men at the counter took a look at him.
All right, nigger, you stand right there, Al said Sam.
The nigger, standing in his apron, looked at the two
men sitting at the counter. Yes, sir, he said, Al
got down from his stool. I'm going back to the

(01:38:28):
kitchen with the nigger and the bright boy, he said,
go on back to the kitchen, nigger, you go with them,
bright boy. The little man walked after Nick and Sam
the cook back into the kitchen. The door shut after them.
The man called Max said at the counter opposite George.
He didn't look at George, but looked in the mirror
that ran along the back of the counter. Henry's had

(01:38:49):
been made over from a saloon into a lunch room. Well,
bright boy, Max said, looking into the mirror. Why don't
you say something? What's called? Well, bright boy? Max said,
looking into the mirror, why don't you say something? What's
it all about? Hey? Al, Max called bright boy, wants

(01:39:11):
to know what it's all about. Why don't you tell them?
Al's voice came from the kitchen. What do you think
it's all about? I don't know what do you think?
Max looked into the mirror all the time he was talking.
I wouldn't say, hey, Al, bright boy says, he wouldn't
say what he thinks it's all about. I can hear

(01:39:34):
you all right, Al said from the kitchen. He had
propped open the slit that dishes passed through into the
kitchen with a ketchup bottle. Listen, bright boy, he said
from the kitchen to George, stand a little further along
the bar. You move a little left. Max, he was
like a photographer arranging for a group picture. Talk to me,

(01:39:56):
bright boy, Max said, what do you think think's gonna happen?
George did not say anything. I'll tell you. Max said,
we're gonna kill a swede. Do you know a big
swede named Ollie Anderson? Yes, he comes to eat here
every night, don'ty Sometimes he comes here. He comes here

(01:40:19):
at six o'clock. Don't he if he comes We know
all that. Bright boy talk about something else. Never go
to the movies once in a while. You gotta go
to the movies. More movies are fine for a bright
boy like you. What are you gonna kill Laurie Anderson for?
What did he ever do to you? He never had

(01:40:40):
a chance to do anything to us. He's never even
seen us, and he's only got to see us once.
Al said from the kitchen, what are you going to
kill him for? Then to Urge asked, we're killing them
for a friend, just to oblige a Fred bright boy,
shut up, said Al from the kitchen, and you talk
to God damn much. Well, I got to keep bright

(01:41:03):
boy amused, don't I right? Boy? You talk to damn much?
Al said? The nigger and my bright boy are amused
by themselves. I got him tied up like a couple
of girlfriends in the convent. I suppose you were in
a convent. You never know you were in a kosher convent.
That's where you were. George looked up at the clock.

(01:41:26):
If anybody comes in, you tell them the cook is off.
If they keep after it, do you tell them you'll
go back and cook yourself. Do you get that right? Boy?
All right? George said, what are you gonna do with
us afterward? That'll depend Max said, that's one of those
things you never know. At the time, George looked up
at the clock. It was a quarter past six. The

(01:41:49):
door from the street opened. A streetcar motorment came in. Hello, George,
he said, can I get supper? Sam's going out to
said he'll be back in about half an hour. Well,
I better go up the street, the motorman said. George
looked at the clock. It was twenty minutes past six.

(01:42:11):
That was nice, Bright boy, you're a regular little gentleman.
He knew I'd blow his head off, Al said from
the kitchen, No, said Max, it ain't that bright boy
is nice. He's a nice boy. I like him. At
six fifty five, George said, he's not coming. Two other
people had been in the lunch room once. George had

(01:42:33):
gone out to the kitchen and made a hamlen egg
sandwich to go that a man wind take with him.
Inside the kitchen, he saw Al his derby hat ticked back,
sitting on a stool beside the wicket, with the muzzle
of a sawed off shotgun resting on the edge. Nick
and the cook were back to back in the corner,
a towel tied in each of their mouths. George had

(01:42:55):
cooked the sandwich, wrapped it up in oiled paper, put
it in a bag, brought it in, and the man
had paid for it and gone out. The bright boy
can do anything, Max said, He can cook and everything.
He'd make some girl a nice wife. Bright boy, Yes,
George said, your friend Ole Anderson isn't going to come.

(01:43:16):
We'll give him ten minutes, Max said. Max watched the
mirror of the clock. The hands of the clock marked
seven o'clock, and then five minutes past seven, Come on,
Al said Max, We better go. He's not coming. Better
give him five minutes, Al said, from the kitchen. In
five minutes, a man came in, and George explained that

(01:43:38):
the cook was sick. Why the hell don't you get
another cook? The man asked, aren't you running a lunch gatter?
He went out? Come on, Al, Max said, what about
the two bright boys and the nigger? They're all right?
You think so sure? We're through with it. I don't
like it, said Al. It's sloppy. You talked to him.

(01:44:01):
Oh what the hell? Said Max. We gotta keep mused,
don't we You talked too much? All the same, Al said.
He came out from the kitchen. The cut off barrels
of the shotgun made a slight bulge under the waist
of his two tight fitting overcoat. He straightened his coat
with gloved hands. So long, bright boy, he said to George,

(01:44:24):
you got a lot of luck. That's the truth. Max said,
you ought to play the races, right boy. The two
of them went out the door. George walked them through
the window, passed under the arc light, and crossed the
street in their tight overcoats and derby hats. They looked
like a vaudeville team. George went back through the swinging

(01:44:45):
door into the kitchen. An untied Nick and the cook.
I don't want any more of that, said Sam. The cook,
I don't want any more of that. Nick stood up.
He had never had a towel in his mouth before, say,
He said, what the hell? He was trying to swagger
it off? They were going to kill oly Anderson. George

(01:45:06):
said they were going to shoot him when he came
in to eat oly Anderson. Sure. The cook felt the
corners of his mouth with his thumbs. They all gone,
he asked, Yeah, said George, they're going now. I don't
like it, said the cook. I don't like any of
it at all. Listen. George said to Nick, you better

(01:45:29):
go see Olly Anderson. All right, you better not have
anything to do with it at all, Sam, the cook said,
you better stay way out of it. Don't go if
you don't want to. George said, mixing up, and this
ain't going to get you anywhere. The cook said, you
stay out of it. I'll go see him. Nick said

(01:45:51):
to George, where does he live? The cook turned away.
Little boys always know what they want to do. He said,
he lives up at Hersh's rooming house. George said to Nick,
I'll go there. Outside the arc light shone through the
bare branches of a tree. Nick walked up the street
beside the car tracks and turned at the next arc

(01:46:13):
light down a side street. Three houses up the street
was Hersh's rooming house. Nick walked up the steps and
pushed the bell. A woman came to the door. Is
Ollie Anderson here? Do you want to see him? Yes,
if he's in. Nick followed the woman up a flight
of steps and back to the end of a corridor.

(01:46:34):
She knocked on the door. Who is it. It's somebody
to see you, mister Anderson. The woman said, it's Nick Adams.
Come in. Nick opened the door and went into the room.
Ollie Anderson was lying on the bed with all his
clothes on. He had been a heavyweight prize fighter, and

(01:46:54):
he was too long for the bed. He lay with
his head on two pillows. He did not look at Nick.
What was it? He asked? I was up at Henry's.
Nick said, and two fellows came in and tied me
up in the cook and they said they were going
to kill you. It sounded silly when he said it.

(01:47:15):
Oly Anderson said nothing. They put us out in the kitchen.
Nick went on, they were going to shoot you when
you came in to supper. Oly Anderson looked at the
wall and did not say anything. George thought, I'd better
come and tell you about it. Well, there's anything I
can do about it, oly Anderson said, I'll tell you

(01:47:36):
what they were like. I don't want to know what
they were like. Oly Anderson said, He looked at the wall.
Thanks for coming to tell me about it, that's all right.
Nick looked at the big man lying on the bed.
Don't you want me to go and see the police. No,
oly Anderson said, that wouldn't do any good. Isn't there

(01:47:58):
something I could do? No, there ain't nothing to do.
Maybe it was just a bluff. No, it ain't just
a bluff. Holy Anderson rolled over toward the wall. The
only thing is, he said, talking toward the wall. I
just can't make up my mind to go out. I've

(01:48:21):
been in here all day. Couldn't you get out of town? No,
Oly Anderson said, I'm through with all that running around.
He looked at the wall. There ain't anything to do now,
couldn't you fix it up some way? No, I got

(01:48:41):
in wrong, he talked the same flat voice. There ain't
anything to do. After a while, I'll make up my
mind to go out. Well, I better go back and
see George. Nick said, so long, said Olely Anderson. He
did not look toward Nick. Thanks for coming around. Nick

(01:49:04):
went out. As he shut the door, he saw Ollie
Anderson with all his clothes on, lying on the bed,
looking at the wall. He's been in his room all day,
the landlady said downstairs, I guess he don't feel well.
I said to him, mister Anderson, you ought to go
out and take a walk on a nice fall day
like this, But he didn't feel like it. He doesn't

(01:49:28):
want to go out. I'm sorry you don't feel well.
The woman said. He's an awfully nice man. He was
in the ring. You know, I know it. You'd never
know it except from the way his faces, the woman said.
They stood talking just inside the street door. He's just
as gentle. Well, good night, missus Hirsh, Nick said, well,

(01:49:52):
I'm not missus Hirsh. The woman said, she owns the place.
I just look after it for her. I'm missus Bell. Well,
good night, missus Bell, Nick said, good night. The woman said.
Nick walked up the dark street to the corner under
the arc light, and then along the car tracks to
Henry's eating house. George was inside back of the counter.

(01:50:16):
Did you see Ollie, Yes, said Nick. He's in his
room and he won't go out. The cook opened the
door from the kitchen when he heard Dick's voice. I
don't even listen to it, he said, and shut the door.
Did you tell him about it? George asked, sure. I
told him, but he knows what it's all about. What's

(01:50:37):
he going to do? Nothing? They'll kill him. I guess
they will. He must have got mixed up in something
in Chicago. I guess so, said Nick. It's a hell
of a thing. It's an awful thing. Nick said. They
did not say anything. George reached down for a towel

(01:50:59):
and wiped the counter. Wonder what he did, Nick said,
double cross somebody. That's what they kill him for. I'm
going to get out of this town. Nick said, Yes,
said George, that's a good thing to do. I can't
stand to think about him waiting in the room and

(01:51:19):
knowing he's going to get it. It's too damn awful, well,
said George, you better not think about it. End of
Section four chay Tadicha la Patria. The road of the
pass was hard and smooth and not yet dusty in

(01:51:41):
the early morning. Below were the hills with oak and
chestnut trees, and far below was the sea. On the
other side were snowy mountains. We came down from the
pass through wooded country. There were bags of charcoal piled
beside the road, and through the trees we saw charcoal

(01:52:03):
burner's huts. It was Sunday, and the road, rising and falling,
but always dropping away from the altitude of the pass,
went through the scrub woods and through villages. Outside the
villages there were fields with vines. The fields were brown,
and the vines coarse and thick. Their houses were white,

(01:52:26):
and in the streets the men in their sunday clothes
were playing bulls against the walls of some of the houses.
There were pear trees, their branches candelabrid against the white walls.
The pear trees had been sprayed, and the walls of
the houses were stained in metallic blue gray by the
spray vapor. There were small clearings around the villages where

(01:52:50):
the vines grew, and then the woods. In a village
twenty kilometers above Specia, there was a crowd in the
square and a young man carrying a suit case came
up to the car and asked us to take him
into Spezzia. There are only two places and they are occupied.
I said, We had an old Ford coupe. I will

(01:53:11):
ride on the outside. You will be uncomfortable. That makes nothing.
I must go to Spezzia. Should we take him, I
asked guy? He seems to be going anyway, Guy said.
The young man handed in a parcel through the window.
Look After this, two men tied his suitcase on the

(01:53:33):
back of the car above our suitcases. He shook hands
with everyone. Explain that to a fascist and a man
as used to traveling as himself, there was no discomfort,
and climbed up on the running board on the left
hand side of the car, holding on inside his right
arm through the open window. You can start, he said.

(01:53:56):
The crowd waved. He waved with his free hand. What
did he say? Guy asked me that we could start?
Isn't he nice? Guy said? The road followed a river.
Across the river were mountains. The sun was taking the
frost out of the grass. It was bright and cold,

(01:54:17):
and the air came cold through the open windshield. How
do you think he likes it out there? Guy was
looking up the road. His view out of his side
of the car was blocked by our guest. The young
man projected from the side of the car like the
figurehead of a ship. He had his coat collar up
and pulled his hat down, and his nose looked cold

(01:54:37):
in the wind. Maybe he'll get enough of it, Guy said,
that's aside our bum tires on. Oh, he'd leave us
if we blew out. I said, he wouldn't get his
traveling clothes dirty. Well, I don't mind him, Guy said,
except the way he leans out on the turns. The

(01:54:58):
woods were gone, the road had left the river to climb.
The radiator was boiling. The young man looked annoyedly and
suspiciously at the steam and rusty water. The engine was
grinding with both guys feed on the first speed pedal
op and op, back and forth and up and finally

(01:55:19):
out level. The grinding had stopped, and in the new
quiet there was a great churning bubbling in the radiator.
We were at the top of the last range above
Spezia and the sea. The road descended with short, barely
rounded turns. Our guests hung out on the turns and

(01:55:40):
nearly pulled the top heavy car over. You can't tell
them not to, I said to guy. It's a sense
of self preservation, the great Italian sense, the greatest Italian sense.
We came down around curves through deep dust, the dust
powdering the olive trees, Spetsya spread below along the sea.

(01:56:04):
The road flattened outside the town. Our guest put his
head in the window. I want to stop, stop it,
I said to guy. We slowed up at the side
of the road. The young man got down, went to
the back of a car and untied the suit case.
I stop here so you won't get into trouble carrying passengers.

(01:56:26):
He said, my package. I handed him the package. He
reached in his pocket. How much do I owe you? Nothing?
Why not? I don't know. I said, then thanks. The
young man said not thank you, or thank you very much,
or thank you a thousand times, all of which you

(01:56:46):
formerly said in Italy to a man when he handed
you at time table or explained about a direction. The
young man uttered the lowest form of the word thanks,
and looked after us suspiciously. As Guy started at the car,
I waved my hand at him. He was too dignified
to reply. We won on into Spezzia. That's the young

(01:57:10):
man that'll go a long way in Italy, I said
to Guy. Well, said Guy, He went twenty kilometers with
us a meal in Spezzia. We came into Spezzia looking
for a place to eat. The street was wide and
the houses high and yellow. We followed the tram track

(01:57:33):
into the center of town, while the walls of the
houses were stenciled eye bugging portraits of Mussolini with hand
painted vivas the double V and black paint with drippings
of paint down the wall side streets. Went down to
the harbor. He was bright and the people were all
out for Sunday. The stone paving had been sprinkled and

(01:57:55):
there were damp stretches in the dust. We went close
to the curb to avoid a tramp. Let's eat somewhere,
simple guy said. We stopped opposite two restaurant signs. We
were standing across the street and I was buying the papers.
The two restaurants were side by side. A woman standing

(01:58:16):
in the doorway of one smiled at us, and we
crossed the street and went in. It was dark inside,
and at the back of the room three girls were
sitting at a table with an old woman across from us.
At another table sat a sailor. He sat there neither
eating nor drinking. Further back, a young man in a
blue suit was writing at a table. His hair was

(01:58:38):
pomotted and shining, and he was very smartly dressed and
clean cut looking. The light came through the doorway and
through the window where vegetables, fruit, steaks, and chops were
arranged in a showcase. A girl came and took our order,
and another girl stood in the doorway. We noticed that
she wore nothing under her house dress. The girl who

(01:59:01):
took our order put her arm round guy's neck while
we were looking at the menu. There were three girls
in all, and they all took turns going and standing
in the doorway. The old woman at the table in
the back of the room spoke to them and they
sat down again with her. There was no doorway leading
from the room except in the kitchen. Curtain hung over it.

(01:59:22):
The girl who had taken our order came in from
the kitchen with spaghetti. She put it on the table
and brought a bottle of red wine and sat down
at the table. Well, I said to Guy, you want
to eat someplace simple. This isn't simple, this is complicated.
What do you say? Asked the girl. Are you Germans?

(01:59:42):
South Germans? I said, the South Germans are a gentle
lovable people. Don't understand, she said, what's the mechanics of
this place? Guy asked, so I have to let her
put her arm around my neck? Certainly, I said, Mussolini
is abolished the rothels. This is a restaurant. The girl

(02:00:03):
wore a one piece dress. She leaned forward against the
table and put her hands on her breasts and smiled.
She smiled better on one side than on the other,
and turned the good side toward us. The charm of
the good side had been enhanced by some event which
had smoothed the other side of her nose in as
warm wax can be smoothed. Her nose, however, did not

(02:00:26):
look like warm wax. It was very cold and firmed,
only smoothed in. You like me, she asked. I he
adores you, I said, but he doesn't speak Italian. Ich frakkatoutscha,
she said, and stroked Guy's hair. Speak to the lady
in your native tongue. Guy, where do you come from?

(02:00:50):
Asked the lady, potstorm, and you will stay here now
for a little while in this so dear Spetsia. Tell
her we have to go, said Guy. Tell her we
are very ill and have no money. My friend is
a misogynist, I said, an old German misogynist. Tell him

(02:01:12):
I love him, I told him, will you shut your
mouth and get us out of here? Guy said. The
lady had placed another arm round his neck. Tell him
he is mine, she said, I told him, will you
get us out of here? You are quarreling. The lady said,
you do not love one another. We are Germans, I said, proudly,

(02:01:34):
old South Germans. Tell him he is a beautiful boy.
The lady said, Guy is thirty eight and takes some
pride in the fact that he's taken for a traveling
salesman in France. You are a beautiful boy, I said,
who says so, Guy asked you? Or her? She does?
I'm just your interpreter. Isn't that what you got me

(02:01:55):
in an all this trip for? I'm glad it's hers. Guy.
I didn't want to have to leave you here too,
and oh, no, Spetzia is a lovely place. Spetzia. The
lady said, you are talking about Spetzia lovely place. I said,
it is my country. She said, Spezzia is my home

(02:02:17):
and Italy is my country. She says that Italy is
her country. Tell her it looks like her country. What
have you for dessert, I asked fruit. She said, we
have bananas. Bananas are all right, they've got skins on.
Oh he takes bananas, the lady said. She embraced guy.

(02:02:38):
What does she say, he asked, keeping his space out
of the way. She is pleased because you take bananas.
Tell her, I don't take bananas. The signor does not
take bananas, ah, said the lady, crustfallen. He doesn't take bananas.
Tell her, I take a cold bath every morning, I said, see,

(02:03:00):
New York takes a cold bath every morning. No one understand,
the lady said. Across from us, the property sailor had
not moved. No one in the place played any attention
to him. We want the bill, I said, oh no,
you must stay. Listen. The clean cut young man said,
from the table where he was writing, let them go.

(02:03:21):
These two are worth nothing. The lady took my hand.
You won't stay, you won't ask him to stay. We
have to go, I said. We have to get to Pisa,
or if possible, for Lindsey tonight we can amuse ourselves
in those cities. At the end of the day. It
is now the day. In the day we must cover
distance to say a little while is nice to travel

(02:03:46):
is necessary during the light of day. Listen, the clean
cut young man said, don't bother to talk with these two.
I tell you they are worth nothing, and I know.
Bring us the bill, I said. She brought them bill
from the old woman went back and sat at the table.
Another girl came in from the kitchen. She walked the

(02:04:06):
length of the room and stood in the doorway. Don't
bother with these two, the clean cut young man said,
in a wearied voice, come and eat. They are worth nothing.
We paid the bill and stood up. All the girls,
the old woman and the clean cut young man sat
down at table together. The property sailor sat with his

(02:04:27):
head in his hands. No one had spoken to him
all the time we were at lunch. The girl brought
us our chains. The old woman counted out for her
and went back to her place at the table. We
left a tip on the table and went out. When
we were seated in the car ready to start, the
girl came out and stood in the door. We started
and I waved to her. She did not wave, but

(02:04:50):
stood there looking after us. After the rain, it was
raining hard when we pas through the suburbs of Genoa,
and even going very slowly behind the tram cars and
the motor trucks, liquid mud splashed onto the sidewalks, so
that people stepped into doorways as they saw us coming.

(02:05:14):
In San Pierre Darrina, the industrial suburb outside of Genoa,
there is a wide street with two car tracks, and
we drove down the center to avoid sending the mud
onto the men going home from work. On our left
was the Mediterranean. There was a big sea running and
waves broke and the wind blue spray against the car.

(02:05:35):
A riverbed that when we had passed going into Italy
had been wide, stony and dry, was running brown and
up to the banks. The brown water discolored the sea,
and as the waves thin and cleared and breaking, the
light came through the yellow water and the crests detached
by the wind blew across the road. A big car

(02:05:58):
passed us, going fast, dust and a sheet of muddy
water rose up and covered our windshield and radiator. The
automatic windshield cleaner moved back and forth, spreading the film
over the glass. We stopped and ate lunch at cestry.
There was no heat in the restaurant, and we kept
our hats and coats on. We could see the car

(02:06:19):
outside through the window. It was covered with mud and
was stopped beside some boats that had pulled up beyond
the waves. In the restaurant, you could see her breath.
The pasta ashuto was good. The wine tasted of allum,
and we poured water in it. Afterward, the waiter brought
beefsteak and fried potatoes. A man and a woman sat

(02:06:43):
at the far end of the restaurant. He was middle
aged and she was young and wore black. All during
the meal, she would blow out her breath and the
coold damp air. The man would look at it and
shake his head. They ate without talking, and the man
held her hand under the table. She was good looking,
and they seemed very sad. They had a traveling bag

(02:07:06):
with them. We had the papers, and I read the
account of the Shanghai fighting. Allowed to guy. After the meal,
he left with the waiter in search of a place
which did not exist in the restaurant, and I cleaned
off the windshield, the lights, and the license plates with
a rag. Guy came back and we backed the car
out and started. The waiter had taken him across the

(02:07:28):
road and into an old house. The people in the
house were suspicious, and the waiter had remained with Guy
to see that nothing was stolen. Although I don't know
how me not being a plumber, they expected me to
steal anything, Guy said. As we came up on a
headland beyond the town, the wind struck the car and

(02:07:51):
nearly tipped it over. It's good it blows us away
from the sea. Guy said, well, I said, they drowned
Shelley somewhere along here that was down by via Reggio.
I said, do you remember what we came to this
country for. Yes, I said, but we didn't get it.

(02:08:12):
We'll be out of it tonight. If we can get
pass it into big we'll see. I don't like to
drive this coast at night. It was early afternoon and
the sun was out below. The sea was blue with
white caps running towards Savannah. Back beyond the cape, the
brown and blue waters joined out ahead of us, a

(02:08:33):
tramp steamer was going up the coast. Can you still
see Genoa? I asked, Oh, yes, that next big cape.
Ought to put it out of sight. We'll see it
a long time. Yet I can still see Portofino cape
behind it. Finally we could not see Genoa. I looked

(02:08:54):
back as we came out, and there was only the sea,
and below in the bay a line of each with
fishing boats, and above on the side of the hill
a town, and then capes far down the coast. It's
gone now, I said the guy. Oh, it's been gone
a long time now, but we couldn't be sure till
we got a way out. There was a sign with

(02:09:17):
a picture of an s turn and svolta periculosa. The
road curved around the headland and the wind blew through
the crack in the windshield. Below the cape was a
flat stretch beside the sea. The wind had dried the
mud and the wheels were beginning to lift dust. On
the flat road, we passed a fascist riding a bicycle,

(02:09:39):
a heavy revolver and a holster on his back. He
held the middle of the road on his bicycle and
we turned out for him. He looked up at us.
As we passed ahead. There was a railway crossing, and
as we came toward it, the gates went down. As
we waited, the fascist came up on his bicycle. The
train went by, and guy started the engine. Wait. The

(02:10:02):
bicycle man shouted from on the car, your number's dirty.
I got out with a rag. The number had been
cleaned at lunch. You can read it, I said, you
think so, read it. I cannot read it. It is dirty.
I wiped it off with the brag halsat twenty five lira.

(02:10:23):
What I said, you could have read it. It's only
dirty from the state of the roads. You don't lack
Italian roads. They're dirty. Fifty lira. He spat in the road.
Your car is dirty and you're dirty too. Good and
give me a receipt with your name. He took out

(02:10:43):
a receipt book, made in duplicate and perforated so one
side could be given the customer and the other side
filled in and kept as a stub. There was no
carbon to record what the customer's ticket said. Give me
fifty lira. He wrote an indelible pencil, tore out the
slip and handed it to me. I read it. This

(02:11:05):
is for twenty five lira. A mistake, he said, and
changed the twenty five to fifty. And now the other
side make it fifty in the party keep. He smiled,
a beautiful Italian smile, and wrote something on the receipt stub,
holding it so I could not see. Go on, he said,

(02:11:26):
before your number gets dirty again. We drove for two
hours after it was dark, and slept in mintone that night.
It seemed very cheerful and clean and sane and lovely.
We had driven from Bintimidicali to Pisa and Florence, across
the Romana to Rimini, back through forli Imola, Bologna, Parrama,

(02:11:51):
Piacenza and Genoa to Vidimigli again. The whole trip had
only taken ten days. Naturally, in such a short trip
we had no opportunity to see how things were with
the country or the people. Endo section five fifty grand.

(02:12:16):
How are you going yourself? Jack, I asked him. You've
seen this, Walcott, He says, just in the gym. Well,
Jack says, I'm going to need a lot of luck
with that boy. He can't hit you. Jack Soldier said,
I wish to hell. He couldn't He couldn't hit you
with a handful of bird shot. Birdshot be all right?

(02:12:38):
Jack says, I wouldn't mind birdshot any He looks easy
to hit, I said, sure. Jack says he ain't gonna
last long. He ain't gonna last like you and me, Jerry.
But right now he's got everything you'll left hand him
to death. Maybe, Jack says, sure, I got a chance
to handle him. My can handle kid Lewis. Kid Lewis.

(02:13:03):
Jack said that cake. The three of us, Jack, Brennan,
Soldier Bartlett and I were in handleys. There were a
couple of broads sitting at the table next to us.
They had been drinking. What do you mean cake? One
of the broad says, what do you mean cake? You
big Irish bum? Sure, Jack says, that's it. Cake's this

(02:13:25):
fraud goes on. They're always talking about cakes, these big irishmen.
What do you mean Cake's? Come on, let's get out
of here. Cake's this fraud goes on. Who ever saw
you ever buy a drink? Your wife says, your pockets
up every morning? These irishmen in there, cakes, Ted Lewis
could lick you too, Sure, says Jack. And you give

(02:13:48):
away a lot of things free too, don't you We
went out. That was Jack. He could say what he
wanted to do when he wanted to say it. Jack
started training out at Danny Hogan's Hell Farm over in Jersey.
It was nice out there, but Jack didn't like it much.
He didn't like being away from his wife and kids,
and he was sore and grouchy most of the time.

(02:14:10):
He liked me, and we got along fine together, and
he liked Hogan. But after a while, Soldier Bartlett commenced
to get on his nerves. A kidder gets to be
an awful thing around a camp if his stuff goes
sort of sour. Soldier was always kidding Jack, just sort
of kidding him all the time. It wasn't very funny,
and it wasn't very good, and it began to get

(02:14:31):
to Jack. It was sort of stuff like this. Jack
would finish up with the weights and the bag and
pull on his gloves. You want to work, he'd say
a soldier, Sure, how do you want me to work?
Soldier would ask, want me to treat you rough like Walcott,
Want me to knock you down a few times? That's it,
Jack would say. He didn't like it. Any though. One

(02:14:52):
morning we were all out on the road. We'd been
out quite away, and now we were coming back. We'd
go along fast for three minutes, and then walk a minute,
and then go fast for three minutes again. Jack wasn't
of what you'd call sprinter. He'd move around fast enough
in the ring if he had to, but he wasn't
any too fast on the road. All the time we

(02:15:12):
were walking, Soldier was kidding him. We came up the
hill to the farmhouse. Well, says Jack, you better go
back to town. Soldier, What do you mean you better
go back to town and stay there. What's the matter.
I'm sick of hearing you talk, Yes, says Soldier. Yes,
says Jack. You'll be a damned sight sicker when Walcott

(02:15:35):
gets through with you. Sure, says Jack. Maybe I will,
but I know I'm sick of you. So Soldier went
off on the train to town. That same morning, I
went down with him to the train. He was good
and sore. I was just kidding him, he said, we
were waiting on the platform. He can't pull that stuff
with me, Jerry. He's nervous and crabby. I said. He's

(02:15:58):
a good fellow. Soldier. The hell he is the hell
he's ever been a good fellow. Well, I said, so long, Soldier.
The train had come in. He climbed up with his bag.
So long, Jerry, you be in town before the fight.
I don't think so, see you. Then he went in,

(02:16:19):
and the conductor swung up and the train went out.
I rode back to the farm in the cart. Jack
was on the porch writing a letter to his wife.
The mail had come, and I had got the papers
and went over on the other side of the porch
and sat down to read. Hogan came out the door
and walked over to me. Did he have a jam
with Soldier? Not a jam, I said, He just told

(02:16:40):
him to go back to town. I could see it coming.
Hogan said he never liked Soldier much. No, you don't
like many people. He's a pretty cold one, Hogan said.
All he's always been fine to me. Me too, Hogan said,
I got no kick on him. He's a cold one, though.
Hogan went in through the screen, and I sat there

(02:17:01):
on the porch and read the papers. He was just
starting to get full weather. And it's a nice country
there in Jersey, up in the hills. And after I
read the paper, I sat there and looked out at
the country in the road down below against the woods,
with coras going along it lifting the dust up. It
was fine weather and pretty nice looking country. Hogan came

(02:17:22):
to the door and I said, say, Hogan, haven't anything
to shoot out there? No, Hogan said, only sparrows. Seen
the paper. I said to Hogan, what's in it? Sandy
booted three of them men yesterday. I got that on
the telephone last night. You follow him pretty close, Hogan,
I asked, Oh, I keep in touch with them. Hogan said,

(02:17:46):
what about Jack? The sea stole play with them him?
Hogan said, can you see him doing it? Just then
Jack came round the corner with the letter in his hand.
He's wearing a sweater and an old pair of pants
and boxing shoes. Got a stamp. Hogan, He asks, give
me the letter. Hogan said, I'll mail it for you.
Say Jack, I said, didn't he used to play the ponies? Sure,

(02:18:10):
I knew you did. I knew I used to see
you out at Sheepshead. Would you lay off them for
Hogan asked, lost money. Jack sat down on the porch
by me. He leaned back against a post. He shut
his eyes in the sun won a chair. Hogan asked, No,
said Jack, this is fine. It's a nice day. I said,

(02:18:32):
it's pretty nice out in the country. A damn sight.
I'd rather be in town with the wife. Well, you
only got another week, yes, Jack says, that's so. We
sat there on the porch. Hogan was inside at the office.
What do you think about the shape I mean? Jack
asked me. Well, you can't tell. I said, you got

(02:18:55):
a week to get around into for him. Don't stall me. Well,
I said, you're not right. I'm not sleeping. Jack said
he'll be all right in a couple of days. No,
Jack says, I got the insomnia. What's on your mind?
I miss the wife? Ever come out? No, I'm too

(02:19:16):
old for that. We'll take a long walk before you
turn in. Get you good and tired. Tired, says Jack.
I'm tired all the time. He was that way all week.
You wouldn't sleep at night, and you'd get up in
the morning feeling that way. You know, when you can't
shut your hands. He stales, poor house cake. Hogan said
he's nothing I never seen Walcott. I said, he'll kill him,

(02:19:40):
said Hogan, He'll tear him into Well, I said, everybody's
got to get it sometime. Not like this, though, Hogan said,
they'll think he never trained. It gives the farm a
black eye. You hear what the reporter said about him,
didn't I? They said he was awful. They said they
ought to let him fight. Well, I said, they're always wrong,

(02:20:03):
ain't they? Yeah, said Hogan, But this time they're right.
What the hell do they know about whether a man's
right or not? Well, they're not such fools. All they
did was pick Willard at Toledo. This Lardner, he's so wise.
Now ask him about when he picked Willard at Toledo. Ah,
he wasn't out, Hogan said, he only writes the big fights.

(02:20:26):
I don't care who they are. I said, what the
hell do they know? They can write? Maybe, but what
the hell they know. You don't think Jackson in shape,
do you? Hogan asked, No, he's through. All he needs
is to have Corvette Pickham to win it for it
all to be over. Well, Corn will pick him. Hogan says, sure,

(02:20:46):
he'll pick them. That night, jack didn't sleep any either.
The next morning was the day before the fight. After breakfast,
we were out on the Portugan. What do you think
about Jack. Can't sleep, I said, Oh, I worry. Jack says,
I worry about property. I got up in the Bronx.

(02:21:09):
I worry about property I got in Florida. I worry
about the kids. I worry about the wife. Sometimes I
think about fights. I think about that kite ted Lewis,
and I get sore. I got some stocks and worry
about them. What the hell don't I think about well,
I said, tomorrow night, it'll all be over, sure, said Jack.

(02:21:32):
That always helps a lot on it. That just fixes
everything all up. I suppose. Sure. He was sore all day.
We didn't do any work. Jack just moved around a
little loose and up. He shadow boxed a few rounds,
and he didn't even look good doing that. He skipped
rope a little bit. He couldn't sweat. He better not
do any work at all, Hogan said. We were standing

(02:21:54):
watching him skip rope. Don't he ever sweat at all anymore?
He can't do. You suppose he's got the con. He
never had any trouble making weight, did he? No, he
doesn't got the con. He just hasn't got anything inside anymore.
He ought a sweat, said Hogan. Jack came over skipping

(02:22:15):
the rope. He was skipping up and down in front
of us, forward and back, crossing his arms every third time. Well,
he said, what are you buzzards talking about? And I
don't think you ought to work anymore. Hogan says, you'll
be stale. Wouldn't that be awful? Jack says and skips
away down the floor, slapping the rope hard. That afternoon,

(02:22:36):
John Collins showed up out at the farm. Jack was
up in his room. John came out in the car
from town. He had a couple of friends with him.
The car stopped and they all got out. Where's Jack?
John asked me? Up in his room, lying down, lying down? Yes?
I said, how is he? I looked at the two

(02:22:58):
fellows that were with John. They're friends of his. John
said he's pretty bad. I said, what's the matter with him?
He don't sleep? Hell, said John, That irishman never could sleep.
He isn't right, I said hell. John said he's never right.
I've had him for ten years and he's never been
right yet. The fellows who were with him laughed. I

(02:23:20):
want you to shake hands with mister Morgan and mister Steinfeldt.
John said, this is mister Doyle he's been training. Jack
glad to meet you. I said, let's go up and
see the boy. The fellow called Morgan said, let's have
a look at him. Steinfeldt said. We all went upstairs.
Where's spoken? John asked, he's out in the barn with

(02:23:43):
a couple of his customers. I said, he got many
people out of here now. John asked, just too pretty quiet,
ain't it. Morgan said yeah, I said, it's pretty quiet.
We were outside Jack's room. John knocked on the door.
There wasn't any answer. Maybe he's asleep, I said, but
they all he's sleeping floor in the daytime. John turned

(02:24:06):
the handle and we all went in. Jack was lying
asleep on the bed. He was face down and his
face was in the pillow. Both his arms were around
the pillow. Hey, Jack, John said to him. Jack said,
moved a little on the pillow, Jack, John says, leaning
over him, Jack just dug a little deeper in the pillow.

(02:24:28):
John touched him on the shoulder. Jack sat up and
looked at us. He hadn't shaved and he was wearing
an old sweater. Christ why can't you let me sleep?
He says to John. Don't be sore, John says, I
didn't mean to wake you up. Oh no, Jack says,
of course not. You know Morgan and steinfeld John said

(02:24:48):
glad to see you. Jack says, how do you feel? Jack?
Morgan asks him fine? Hall, Hell what I feel? You
look fine? Steinfeld says, yes, don't I says Jack say?
He says, John, you're my manager. You get a big
enough cut. Why the hell don't you come out here

(02:25:08):
when the reporters was out? You want Jerry and me
to talk to him? I had new fighting in Philadelphia?
John said, what the hell's that to me? Jack says,
you're my manager. You get a big enough cut, don't you.
You aren't making me any money in Philadelphia, are you?
Why the hell aren't you out here? Have you? Hogan

(02:25:29):
was here? Hogan? Jack says, Hogan's his dumb zion soldier.
Bathlett was out here walking with you for a while,
wasn't he? Steinfeldt said, to change the subject, Yeah, he
was out here. Jack says he was out here all right?
Say Jerry John said to me, would you go and
find Hogan and tell him we want to see him

(02:25:50):
about a half an hour? Sure, I said, why the
hell can't he stick around? Jack says, stick around. Jerry
Morgan Seinfeldt looked at each other, quiet down. Jack John
said to him, I better go find Hogan. I said,
all right, if you want to go, Jack says, none
of these guys are going to send you away, though.

(02:26:13):
I'll go find Hogan, I said. Hogan was out in
the gym in the barn. He had a couple of
his health farm patients with the gloves on they needed.
One of them wanted to hit the other for fear
of the other would come back and hit him. That'll do,
Hogan said. When he saw me come in, you could
stop the slaughter. You gentlemen, take a shower and Bruce

(02:26:34):
will rub you down. They climbed out through the ropes
and Hogan came over to me. John Collins is out
here with a couple of friends to see Jack, I said,
I saw them come up in the car. Who are
the two fellows with John. They're what you call wise boys.
Hogan said, don't you know them too? No, I said,

(02:26:57):
that's Happy steinfeld and Lou Morgan had a pool room.
I've been away a long time, I said, sure that
Happy Steinfeldt's a big operator. I've heard his name, I said,
he's a pretty smooth boy. Hogan said, they're a couple
of sharpshooters. Well, I said, they want to see us

(02:27:17):
in half an hour. You mean they don't want to
see us until half an hour. That's it. Come on
in the office, Hogan said, to hell with those sharpshooters.
After about thirty minutes or so, Hogan and I went upstairs.
We knocked on Jack's door. They were talking inside the room.

(02:27:38):
Wait a minute, somebody said, to hell with that stuff.
Hogan said, when you want to see me, on down
the office. We heard the door unlock. Steinfeldt opened it.
Come on in, Hogan, He says, we're all going to
have a drink. Well, says Hogan, not something. We went in.
Jack was sitting on the bed and Morgan were sitting

(02:28:01):
on a couple of chairs. Steinfeldt was standing up. You're
a pretty mysterious lot of boys. Hogan said, Hello. Danny.
Toron says hello, Danny. Morgan says, and shake's hands. Jack
doesn't say anything. He just sits there on the bed.
He ain't with the others, He's all by himself. He

(02:28:21):
was wearing an old blue jersey and pants and had
on boxing shoes. He needed a shave. Steinfeld and Morgan
were dressers. John was quite a dresser too. Jack sat there,
looking irish and tough. Steinfeldt brought out a bottle, and
Hogan brought in some glasses, and everybody had a drink.

(02:28:41):
Jack and I took one, and the rest of them
went on had two or three each. Better save some
for your ride back. Hogan said, don't you worry, we
got plenty. Morgan said. Jack hadn't drunk anything since the
one drink. He was standing up and looking at them.
Morgan was sitting on the bed where Jacket sat. Have

(02:29:02):
a drink, Jack, John said, and handed it in the
glass of the bottle. No, I never liked to go
to these wakes, Jack said. They all laughed. Jack didn't laugh.
They were all feeling pretty good when they left. Jack
stood on the porch. When he got into the car,
they waved him so long. Jack said, we had supper.

(02:29:25):
Jack didn't say anything all during the meal except will
you pass me this? Or will you pass me that.
The two health form patients ate at the same table
with us. They were pretty nice fellows. After we finished eating,
we went out on the porch. It was dark early,
I'd like to take a walk, Jerry Jack asked, sure,

(02:29:47):
I said. We put on our coats and started out.
It was quite a way down to the main road,
and then we walked along the main road about a
mile and a half. Cars kept going by and we
would pull out to the side until they were past.
Jack didn't say anything. After we had stepped out into
the bushes to let a big cargo by, Jack said,

(02:30:08):
to hell with this walking, come on back to Hogan's.
We went along a side road that cut up over
the hill and cut across the field back to Hogan's.
We could see the lights of the house up on
the hill. We came round to the front of the
house and they're standing in the doorway. Was Hogan have
a good walk? Hogan asked, oh fine, Jack said, listen, Hogan,

(02:30:32):
have you got any liquor? Sure, says Hogan, what's the idea?
Send it up to the room. Jack says, I'm going
to sleep tonight. You're the doctor, Hogan says, Come on
up to the room. Jerry Jack says, upstairs. Jack sat
on the bed with his head in his hands. Ain't
in a life, Jack says. Hogan brought in a quarter

(02:30:54):
liquor in two glasses. Want some ginger ill? What do
you think I want to do? Get sick? I just
asked you, Hogan said, I have a drink, said Jack.
Net Thanks, said Hogan. He went out, how about you, Jerry,
I'll have one with you, I said. Jack poured out
a couple of drinks. Now, he said, I want to

(02:31:16):
take it slow and easy. Don't put some water in it.
I said yes. Jack said, I guess that's better. We
had a couple of drinks. Without saying anything. Jack started
to pour me another. No, I said, that's all I want,
all right, Jack said. He poured himself out another big
shot and put some water in it. He was lighting

(02:31:38):
up a little. There was a fine bunch out there
this afternoon. He said. They don't take any chances. Those two.
Then a little later, well, he says, they're right. What
the hell's the good and taking chances? Don't you want
another one, Jerry? He said, come on drink along with me.
I don't need it. Jack, I said, I feel all right,

(02:31:58):
just add one more. Jack said. It was softening him up,
all right, I said. Jack poured one for me and
another big one for himself. You know, he said, I
like liquor pretty well. If I hadn't been boxing, I
would have drunk quite a lot. Sure, I said, you know,
he said, I missed a lot boxing. You made plenty

(02:32:20):
of money. Sure, that's what I'm after. You know, I
miss it a lot. Very How do you mean? Well,
he says, like about the wife and being away from
home so much. It don't do my girls any good.
Who's your old man? Some of those society kids will
say to him, my old man's Jack Brennan. That don't
do him any good. Hell, I said, all that makes

(02:32:44):
a difference is is if they got dough. Well, says Jack,
I got the dough for him, all right. He poured
out another drink. The bottle was about empty. Put some
water in it, I said. Jack poured in some water.
You know. He says, you ain't got any idea how
I miss the wife. Sure, you ain't got any idea.

(02:33:07):
You can't have any idea what it's like. It ought
to be better out in the country than in town
with me. Now, Jack said, it don't make any difference
where I am. You can't have an idea what it's like.
Have another drink? Am I getting salsked? Do I? Talk funny.
You're coming on all right. You can't have an idea

(02:33:29):
what it's like. The ain't anybody can have an idea
what it's like except the wife. I said, she knows.
Jack said she knows, all right, she knows. You bet
she knows. Put some water in that, I said, Jerry says, Jack,
you can't have an idea what it gets to be like.

(02:33:50):
He was good and drunk. He was looking at me steady.
His eyes were sort of too steady. You'll sleep all right,
I said, listen, Jerry. Jack says, you want to make
some money, get some money down on the walk up. Yes, listen, Jerry.
Jack put down the glass. I'm not drunk now. See.

(02:34:12):
You know what I'm betting on him, fifty grand. That's
a lot of dough. Fifty grand. Jack says, at two
to one, I'll get twenty five thousand bucks. Get some
money on him. Jerry sounds good. I said, how can
I beat him? Jack says, it ain't crooked? How can
I beat it? Why don't make some money on it?

(02:34:33):
Put some water in that. I said, I'm through after
this fight. Jack says, I'm through with it. I got
to take a beating. Why shouldn't I make money on it. Sure,
I ain't slept for a week. Jack says, all night
I lay awake and worry my can off. Can't sleep, Jerry,
you ain't got an idea what it's like when you
can't sleep. Sure, I can't sleep, that's all. I just

(02:34:56):
can't sleep. What's the use of taking care of yourself
all these years when you can I sleep? It's bad.
You ain't got an idea what it's like, Jerry, when
you can't sleep. Put some water in that, I said. Well,
about eleven o'clock, Jack passes out and I put him
to bed. Finally, he said he can't keep from sleeping.

(02:35:17):
I helped him get his clothes off and got him
into bed. You'll sleep all right, Jack, I said, sure.
Jack says, I'll sleep now. Good night, Jack, I said,
good night, Jerry. Jack says, you're the only friend I got. Oh, Hell,
I said, you're the only friend I got. Jack says,
the only friend I got. Go to sleep, I said,

(02:35:41):
I'll sleep, Jack says. Downstairs, Hogan was sitting at the
desk in the office reading the papers. He looked up,
Well you get your boyfriend to sleep? He asks, He's
off it's better for him than not sleeping. Hogan said, sure,
you'd have a hell of a time that to these
sports waters though. Well, I'm going to bed myself, I said,

(02:36:05):
good night, said Hogan. In the morning, I came downstairs
about eight o'clock and got some breakfast. Hogan has two
customers out in the barn doing exercises. I went out
and watched them one, two, three, four. Hogan was counting
for them. Hello, Jerry, he said, is Jack up yet? No,

(02:36:26):
he's still sleeping. I went back to my room and
packed up to go into town. About nine thirty I
heard Jack getting up in the next room. When I
heard him go downstairs, I went down after him. Jack
was sitting at the breakfast table. Hogan had come in
and was standing beside the table. How do you feel, Jack,

(02:36:46):
I asked him, not so bad? Sleep well, Hogan asked,
I slept all right. Jack said, I got a thick tongue,
but I ain't got a head. Good, said Hogan. That
was good, liquor. Put it on the bill. Jack says,
what time do you want to go into town? Hogan asked,
before lunch. Jack says, the eleven o'clock train. Sit down, Jerry,

(02:37:10):
Jack said, Hogan went out. I sat down at the table.
Jack was eating a grapefruit. When he'd find a seed,
he'd spit it out in the spoon, dumping on the plate.
I guess I was pretty stewed last night. He started. Yeah,
drank some liquor. I guess I said a lot of
fool things. You weren't bad. Where's Hogan, he asked. He

(02:37:33):
was through with the grapefruit. He's out in the front office. Well,
what did I say about betting on the fight? Jack asked.
He was holding the spoon and sort of poking at
the grapefruit with it. The girl came in with some
ham and eggs and took away the grapefruit. Bring me
another glass of milk, Jack said to her. She went out.

(02:37:55):
You said you had fifty grand on a walk out.
I said, that's right. Jack said, that's a lot of money.
I don't feel too good about it. Something might happen. No,
Jack said, he wants the title bad. They'll be shooting
with him all night. You can't ever tell. No. He
wants the title. That's worth a lot of money to him.

(02:38:17):
Fifty grand is a lot of money. I said, it's business,
said Jack, I can't win. You know, I can't win anyway.
As long as you're in there, you got a chance. No,
Jack says, I'm all through. It's just business. How do
you feel pretty good? Jack said, the sleep was what
I needed. He might go good now. I'll give him

(02:38:40):
a good show, Jack said. After breakfast, Jack called up
his wife on the long distance. He was inside the
booth telephoning. That's the first time he's called her up
since he's out here. Hogan said. He writes her every day. Sure,
Hogan says, well, itter only costs two cents. Hogan said

(02:39:00):
goodbye to us and Bruce, the nigger rubber drove us
down to the train in the cart. Goodbye, mister Brennan.
Bruce said at the train, I sure hope you can
knock his can off so long, said Jack. He gave
Bruce two dollars. Bruce had worked on him a lot.
He looked kind of disappointed. Jack saw me looking at

(02:39:21):
Bruce holding the two dollars. It's all on the bill,
he said. Hogan charged me for the rubbing. On the
train going into town, Jack didn't talk. He sat in
the corner of the seat with his ticket and his
hat hand and looked out the window. Once he turned
and spoke to me. I told the wife I'd take

(02:39:41):
a room at the shelby tonight. It's just around the
corner from the garden. I can go up to the
house tomorrow morning. That's a good idea, I said, your
wife ever see a fight, Jack, No, Jack says she'd
never seen me fight. I thought he must be figuring
on taking an awful beating if he doesn't want to
go home afterwards. In town, we took a taxi up

(02:40:04):
to the shelby. A boy came out and took our bags,
and we went into the desk. How much are these rooms?
Jack asked, We only have double rooms. Clerk says, I
can give you a nice double room for ten dollars.
That's too steep. I can give you a double room
for seven dollars with a bath. Certainly you might as

(02:40:26):
well bunk with me, Jerry Jack says, oh, I said,
I'll sleep down at my brother in laws. I don't
mean for you to pay it. Jack says, I just
want to get my money's worth. Will you register please?
The clerk says he looked at the names number two
thirty eight. Mister Brennan We went up in the elevator.

(02:40:47):
It was a nice big room with two beds and
a door opening into a bathroom. This is pretty good,
Jack says. The boy who brought us up pulled up
the curtains and brought in our bags. Jack didn't make
any move, so I gave the boy a quarter. We
washed up, and Jack said we better go out and
get something to eat. We ate a lunch at Jimmy

(02:41:07):
Handley's place. Quite a lot of the boys were there.
When we were about halfway through eating, John came in
and sat down with us. Jack didn't talk much. How
are you on the weight, Jack, John asked him. Jack
was putting away a pretty good lunch. I could make
it with my clothes on. Jack said he never had
to worry about taking off weight. He was in natural

(02:41:29):
welterweight and he'd never gotten fat. He'd lost weight out
at Hogan's. Well, that's the one thing you never had
to worry about, John said, that's one thing. Jack says.
We were around to the garden to weigh in after lunch.
The match was made at one hundred and forty seven pounds.
At three o'clock, Jack stepped on the scales with a
towel around him. The bar didn't move. Walcott had just

(02:41:52):
weighed and was standing with a lot of people around him.
Let's see what you weigh, Jack Friedman, Walcott's manager, said
all right, weigh him. Then Jack jerked his head toward
Walcott dropped the towel. Friedman said, what do you make it?
Jack asked the fellow a weighing one hundred and forty
three pounds. The fat man who was weighing, said, you're

(02:42:14):
down fine, Jack, Friedman says, weigh him. Jack says, Walcott
came over. He was a blonde with wide shoulders and
arms like a heavyweight. He didn't have much legs. Jack
stood about a half a head taller than he did. Hello, Jack,
He said. His face was plenty marked up. Hello, said Jack.

(02:42:36):
How'd you feel good? Walcott says. He dropped the towel
from round his waist and stood on the scales. He
had the whitest shoulders in back you ever saw. One
hundred and forty six pounds and twelve ounces. Walcott stepped
off and grinned. Jack Well. John says to him, Jack,
spotting you about four pounds more than that. When I

(02:42:58):
come in, kid, Walcott says, am I going eat now?
We went back and Jack got dressed. He's a pretty
tough looking boy. Jack says to me, he looks as
though he'd been hit plenty of times. Oh, yes, Jack said,
he ain't hard to hit. Where are you going? John asked?
When Jack was dressed back to the hotel. Jack says,

(02:43:21):
you looked after everything. Yes, John says, it's all looked after.
I'm gonna lie down a while. Jack says, I'll come
around for you about a quarter to seven. We'll go
and eat all right. Up at the hotel, Jack took
off his shoes and his coat and lay down for
a while. I wrote a letter. I looked over a
couple of times, and Jack wasn't sleeping. He was lying

(02:43:43):
perfectly still, but every once in a while his eyes
would open. Finally, he sits up. Want to play some cribbage, Jerry,
He says, sure, I said. He went over to a
suitcase and got out the cards on the cribbage board.
We played cribbage and he won three dollars off me.
John knocked the door and came in. Want to play

(02:44:04):
some cribbage, John, Jack asked him. John put his kelly
down on the table. It was all wet. His coat
was wet too. Is it raining? Jack asks, it's pouring.
John says, the taxi I had got tied up in
the traffic, and I got up and walked out. Come
on play some cribbage. Jack says, you ought to go

(02:44:26):
and eat. No, I don't want to eat yet. So
they played cribbage for about half an hour and Jack
won a dollar and a half off of him. Well,
I suppose we got to go eat, Jack says. He
went to the window and looked out. Is it still raining? Yes,
let's eat in the hotel. John says, all right. Jack says,

(02:44:46):
I'll play you once more. See who pays for the meal.
After a little while, Jack gets up and says, you
buy the meal, John, And we went downstairs and ate
in the big dining room. After we ate, we went
upstairs and Jack I played cribbage with John again and
one two dollars and a half off of him. Jack
was feeling pretty good. John had a bag with him

(02:45:07):
and had all his stuff in it. Jack took off
his shirt and collar and put on jersey and sweater
so he wouldn't catch cool when he came out and
put his ring clothes in his bathrobe in a bag.
You all ready, John asks him, I'll call up and
have him get us a taxi. Pretty soon the telephone
rang and they said the taxi was waiting. We rode

(02:45:28):
down in the elevator and went out through the lobby,
got in a taxi and rode around to the garden.
It was raining hard, but there was a lot of
people outside on the streets. The garden sold out. As
we came in. On our way to the dressing room,
I saw how full it was. It looked like a
half a mile down to the ring. It was all dark,
just the lights out of the ring. It's a good

(02:45:50):
thing with this rain. They didn't try and pull this
fight in the ballpark. John said, they got a good crowd.
Jack said, this is a fight that would draw a
lot more than the garden could hold. You can't tell
about the weather, Jack says. John came to the door
of the dressing room, poked his head and Jack was
sitting there with his bathrobe on. He had his arms

(02:46:12):
folded and he was looking at the floor. John had
a couple of handlers with him. They looked over his shoulder.
Jack looked up. Is he in? He asked, he's just
gone down. John said, we started down. Walcott was just
getting into the ring. The crowd gave him a big hand.
He climbed through between the ropes and put his two

(02:46:32):
fists together and smiled and shook them at the crowd,
first at one side of the ring and then at
the other, and then sat down. Jack got a good
hand coming down through the crowd. Jack is Irish, and
the Iris shall always get a good hand. An irishman
don't draw in New York like a Jew or an Italian,
but they always get a good hand. Jack climbed up

(02:46:53):
and bent down to go through the ropes, and Walcott
came over from his corner and pushed the rope down
for Jack to go through. The crowd thought that was wonderful.
Walcott put his hand on Jack's shoulder and they stood
there for just a second. So you're going to be
one of these popular champions, Jack says to him, Take
your goddamn hand off my shoulder. Be yourself. Walcott says,

(02:47:16):
this is all great for the crowd. How gentlemanly the
boys are before the fight, how they wish each other luck.
Sally Friedman came over to our corner. While Jack is
bandaging his hands and John is over in Walcott's corner.
Jack puts his thumb through the slit in the bandage
and then wrapped his hands nice and smooth. I taped
it around the wrist and twice across the knuckles. Hey,

(02:47:40):
Friedman says, where do you get all that tape feel
of it? Jack says, it's offt ain't it? Don't be
a heck. Friedman stands there all the time while Jack
bandages the other hand. One of the boys that's going
to handle and brings the gloves, and I pull them
on and work them around, say Friedman. Jack asks what
nationale he is this? Walcott? I don't know. Sally says

(02:48:03):
he's some sort of a Dane. He's a bohemian. The
lad who brought the gloves says. The referee called them
out to the center of the ring and Jack walks out.
Walcott comes out smiling. They met, and the referee put
his arm on each of their shoulders. Had low popularity,
Jack says to Walker, be yourself. What do you call yourself?

(02:48:27):
Walcott for Jack says, didn't you know he was a nigger? Listen,
says the referee and he gives them the same old line.
Once Walcott interrupts him, he grabs Jack's arm and says,
can I hit when he's got me like this? Keep
your hands off me. Jack says, there ain't no moving

(02:48:47):
pictures of this. They went back to their corners. I
lifted the bathrobe off Jack, and he leaned on the
ropes and flexed his knees a couple of times and
scuffed his shoes in the raws. The gong rang and
Jack turned quick went out. Walcott came toward him and
they touch gloves, and as soon as Walcott dropped his hands,
Jack jumped his left into his face twice. There wasn't

(02:49:09):
anybody ever bought better than Jack. Walcott was after him,
going forward all the time with his chin on his chest.
He's a hooker and he carries his hands pretty low.
All he knows is to get in there and sock.
But every time he gets in there close, Jack has
the left hand in his face. It's just as though
it's automatic. Jack just raises the left hand up and

(02:49:32):
it's in Walcott's face. Three or four times. Jack brings
the right over, but Walcott gets it on the shoulder
or high up on the head. He's just like all
these hookers. The only thing he's afraid of is another
one of the same kind. He's covered everywhere he can
hurt him. You don't care about a left hand in
his face. After about four rounds, Jack hasnt bleeding bed

(02:49:52):
and his face all cut up. But every time Walcott's
got in close, he socked so hard. He's got two
big red patches on both sides, just low Jack's rips.
Every time he gets in close. Jack ties him up,
then gets one hand loose and upper cuts him. But
when Walcott gets his hands loose, he socks Jack in
the body so they can hear it outside the street.

(02:50:13):
He's a socker. It goes along like that for three
more rounds. They don't talk any they're working all the time.
We worked over Jack twenty two in between the rounds.
He doesn't look good at all, but he never does
much work in the ring. He doesn't move around much,
and that left hand is just automatic. It's like it

(02:50:34):
was connected with Walcott's face and Jack just had to
wish it in every time. Jack is always calm and close,
and he doesn't waste any juice. He knows everything about
working in close too, and he's getting away with a
lot of stuff. Well, they were in our corner. I
watched him tie Walcott up, get his right hand loose,
turn it and come up in the upper cut. That

(02:50:55):
got Walcott's nose with the heel of the glove. Walcott
was bleeding bad and leaned his nose on Jack's shoulder
so as to give Jack some of it too, And
Jack sort of lifted his shoulders sharp and caught him
against the nose and then brought down the right hand
did the same thing again. Walcott was sore as hell
by the time they had gone five rounds. He hated

(02:51:16):
Jack's guts. Jack wasn't sore, that is, he wasn't any
sore than he always was. He certainly did used to
make the fellows. He fought hate boxing. That was why
he hated Ked Lewis, so he never got the kid's goat.
Kid Lewis always had about three new dirty things Jack
couldn't do. Jack was as safe as a church all

(02:51:37):
the time he was in there. As long as he
was strong. He certainly was treating Walcott rough. The funny
thing was it looked as though Jack was an open
classic boxer. That was because he had all that stuff too.
After the seventh round, Jack says, my left's getting heavy.
From then on he started to take a beating. It

(02:51:57):
didn't show it first, but instead of him running the fight,
it was Walcott. He was running it instead of being
safe all the time. Now he was in trouble. He
couldn't keep him out with the left hand. Now it
looked as though the same as ever, only now instead
of Walcott's punches just missing him, they were hitting him.
He took an awful beating in the body. What's the round?

(02:52:20):
Jack asked the eleventh I can't stay. Jack says, my
legs are going bad. Walcott had just been hitting him
for a long time. He was like a baseball catcher
pulls the ball and takes some of the shock off.
From now on, Walcott commenced to land solid. He certainly
was a socking machine. Jack was just trying to block everything.

(02:52:43):
Now he didn't show what an awful beating he was taking.
In between the rounds, I worked on his legs. The
muscles would flutter under my hands all the time I
was rubbing them. He was sick as hell. How's it go?
He asked John, turning around his face all swollen. It's
his fight. I think I can last. Jack says, don't

(02:53:04):
want this bohawk to stop me. It was going just
the way he thought it would. He knew he couldn't
beat Walcott. He wasn't strong anymore. He was all right though,
His money was all right, and now he wanted to
finish it off right to please himself. He didn't want
to be knocked out. The gong rang and we pushed
him out. He went out slow. Walcott came right out

(02:53:26):
after him. Jack put the left in his face and
Walcott took it, came in under it, started working on
Jack's body. Jack tried to tie him up, and it
was just like trying to hold onto a buzzsaw. Jack
broke away from it and missed with the right. Walcott
clipped him with the left hook and Jack went down.
He went down on his hands and knees and looked

(02:53:47):
at us. The referee started counting. Jack was watching us
and shaking his head. At eight, John motioned to him,
you couldn't hear on account of the crowd. Jack got up.
Referee had been holding Walcott back with one arm while
he counted. When Jack was on his feet, Walcott started
toward him. Watch yourself, Jimmy, I heard Sally Friedman yeel

(02:54:10):
to him. Walcott came up to Jack, looking at him.
Jack stuck the left hand at him. Walcott just shook
his head. He backed Jack up against the ropes, measured him,
and then hooked the left very light to the side
of Jack's head and socked the right into his body
as hard as he could, socked just as low as
he could get it. He must have hit him five

(02:54:31):
inches below the belt. I thought the eyes would come
out of Jack's head. They stuck way out. His mouth
come open. The referee grabbed Walcott. Jack stepped forward. If
he went down, there went fifty thousand bucks. He walked
as though all his insides were going to fall out.
It wasn't low, he said, it was an accident. The

(02:54:53):
crowd were yelling, so you couldn't hear anything. I'm all right,
Jack says. They were right in front of the referee.
Looks at John and then he shakes his head. Come on,
your Pollock's son of a bitch, Jack says to Walcot.
John was hanging onto the ropes. He had a towel
ready to chuck in. Jack was standing just a little

(02:55:14):
way out from the ropes. He took a step forward.
I saw the sweat come out on the space like
somebody had squeezed it, and a big drop went down
his nose. Come on and fight, Jack says to Walcock.
The referee looked at John the wave walk out on.
Go in there, you slob, he says. Walcott went in.

(02:55:34):
He didn't know what to do either. He never thought
Jack could have stood it. Jack put the left in
his face. There was such a hell of a lot
of yelling going on. They were right in front of us.
Walcott hit him twice. Jack's face was the worst thing
I ever saw, the look on it. He was holding
himself and all his body together, and all showed on
his face all the time. He was thinking and holding

(02:55:56):
his body in where it was busted. Then he started
to suck. His face looked off all all the time.
He started to sock with his hands low down by
his side, swinging at Walcott. Walcott covered and Jack was
swinging wild at Walcott's head. Then he swung the left
and hit Walcott in the groin, and the right hit

(02:56:17):
Walcott right bang where he'd hit Jack, way below the belt.
Walcott went down and grabbed himself there and rolled and
twisted around. The referee grabbed Jack and pushed him back
towards corner. John jumps into the ring. There was all
this yelling going on. The referee was talking with the judges,
and then the announcer got into the ring with the

(02:56:38):
megaphone and says, Walcott on a fowl. The referee is
talking to John and he says, what could I do?
Jack wouldn't take the fowl. Then, when he's groggy, he
fouls him. He'd lost it anyway, John says, Jack sitting
on a chair. I've got his gloves off, and he's
holding himself in down there with both his hands. When

(02:56:59):
he's got something supporting it. His face doesn't look so bad.
Go over and say you're sorry. John says into his ear,
it'll look good. Jack stands up and the sweat comes
out all over his face. I put the bathroobe around him,
and he holds himself in with one hand under the
bathroom and goes across the rim. They've picked Walcott up

(02:57:20):
and they're working on him. There are a lot of
people in Walcott's corner. Nobody speaks to Jack. He leans
over Walcott. I'm sorry. Jack says, I didn't mean to
fall you. Walcott doesn't say anything. He looks too damn sick.
Well you're the champion now, Jack says to him, I
hope you get a hell of a lot of fun

(02:57:40):
out of it. Leave the kid alone. Sally Friedman says hello, Sally.
Jack says, I'm sorry if falger boy Friedman just looks
at him. Jack went to his corner walking that funny
jerky way, and we got him down through the ropes
and through the reporter's tables and k out down the aisle.
A lot of people want to slap Jack on the back.

(02:58:03):
He goes out through all that mob in his bathroom
to the dressing room. It's a popular win for Walkott.
That's the way the money was pent in the garden.
Once we got inside the dressing room, Jack laid down
and shut his eyes. We want to get to the
hotel and get a doctor. John says, I'm all busted inside.
Jack says, I'm sorry as hell. Jack. John says it's

(02:58:28):
all right. Jack says he lies there with his eyes shut.
They certainly tried a nice double cross. John said, your friends,
Morgan Steinfeldt, Jack said, you got nice friends. He lies there.
His eyes are open now, his faces still got that

(02:58:50):
awful drawn look. It's funny how fast you can think,
but it means that much money. Jack says, you're some boy. Jack.
John says no. Jack says it was nothing. End of
Section six. Section seven A simple inquiry outside. The snow

(02:59:14):
was higher than the window. The sunlight came in through
the window and shone on a map on the pine
board wall of the hut. The sun was high and
the light came in over the top of the snow.
A trench had been cut along the open side of
the hut, and each clear day, the sun shining on
the wall reflected heat against the snow and widened the trench.

(02:59:36):
It was late March. The major sat at a table
against the wall. His adjutant sat at another table. Around
the major's eyes were two white circles where his snow
glasses had protected his face from the sun on the snow.
The rest of his face had been burned and then tanned,
and then burned through the tan. His nose was swollen,

(02:59:58):
and there were edges of loose skin where blisters had
been While he worked at the papers. He put the
fingers on his left hand into a saucer of oil,
and then spread the oil over his face, touching it
very gently with the tips of his fingers. He was
very careful to drain his fingers on the edge of
the saucer, so there was only a film of oil

(03:00:19):
on them. And after he had stroked his forehead and
his cheeks, he stroked his nose very delicately between his fingers.
When he had finished, he stood up, took the saucer
of oil, and went into the small room of the
hut where he slept. I'm going to take a little sleep,
he said to the adjutant in that army. An adjutant

(03:00:40):
is not a commissioned officer. You will finish up, yes, senormaggiori,
the adjutant answered. He leaned back in his chair and yawned.
He took a paper covered book out of the pocket
of his coat and opened it, then laid it down
on the table and lit his pipe. He leaned forward
on the table to read and puffed it his pipe.

(03:01:01):
Then he closed the book and put it back in
his pocket. He had too much paperwork to get through.
He could not enjoy reading it until it was done. Outside,
the sun went behind a mountain, and there was no
more light on the wall of the hut. A soldier
came in and put some pine branches chopped into irregular
lengths into the stove. Be soft, Pinine, the adjutant said

(03:01:25):
to him, the major is sleeping. Panine was the major's orderly.
He was a dark faced boy, and he fixed the stove,
putting the pine wood in, carefully, shut the door and
went into the back of a hut. Again. The adjutant
went on with his papers. Tonani, the major called, Signor MAGGIORI,

(03:01:46):
send Panine in to me. Panine, the adjutant called, Panine,
came into the room. The Major wants you, the adjutant said.
Panine walked across the main room of the hut toward
the major's door. Knocked on the half open door. Signor MAGGIORI,
come in the ugin, heard the major say, and shut

(03:02:07):
the door. Inside the room, the major lay on his bunk.
Panine stood beside the bunk. The major lay with his
head on the rucksack that he had stuffed with spare
clothing to make a pillow. His long, burned, oiled face
looked at Panine. His hands lay on the blankets. You
are nineteen. He asked, Yes, Signor Maggiori, you have ever

(03:02:32):
been in love? How do you mean, Signor Maaggiori, in
love with a girl? I have been with girls. I
did not ask that. I asked if you had been
in love with a girl. Yes, Signor Mansiori, you are
in love with this girl. Now you don't write her.

(03:02:53):
I read all your letters. I am in love with her,
Panine said, but I do not write her. You are
sure of this, I am sure, Tonani, the major said,
in the same tone of voice. Can you hear me talking?
There was no answer from the next room. He cannot hear.

(03:03:13):
The major said, and you are quite sure that you
love a girl? I am sure. And the major looked
at him quickly, that you are not corrupt. I don't
know what you mean corrupt, all right, the major said,
you needn't be superior. Panine looked at the floor. The

(03:03:36):
major looked at his brown face down and up him
and in his hands. Then he went on, not smiling.
And you don't really want the major paused. Panine looked
at the floor. That your great desire isn't really Panine
looked at the floor. The major leaned his head back

(03:03:57):
on the rucksack and smiled. He was really relieved. Life
in the army was too complicated. You're a good boy,
he said. You're a good boy, penin, but don't be
superior and be careful some one else doesn't come along
and take you. Panine stood still beside the bunk. Don't
be afraid, the major said. His hands were folded on

(03:04:19):
the blankets. I won't touch you. You can go back
to your platoon if you like, but you had better
stay on as my servant. You've less chance of being killed.
Do you want anything of me, saintort monsiuori, No, the
major said, go on and get on with whatever you
are doing. Leave the door open when you go out.

(03:04:41):
Panine went out, leaving the door open. The adjutant looked
at him as he walked awkwardly across the room and
out the door. Panine was flushed and moved differently than
he had moved when he brought in the wood for
the fire. The adjutant looked after him and smiled. Panine
came in with more wood for the stove. The major,

(03:05:02):
lying on his bunk, looked at his cloth covered helmet
and his snow glasses that hung from a nail on
the wall, heard him walk across the floor, the little devil.
He thought, I wonder if he lied to me. End
of Section seven. Ten Indians. After one fourth of July, Nick,

(03:05:29):
driving home late from town in the big wagon with
Joe Garner and his family, passed nine drunken Indians along
the road. He remembered there were nine because Joe Garner,
driving along in the dusk, pulled up the horses, jumped
down on the road and dragged an Indian out of
the wheel rud. The Indian had been asleep, face down

(03:05:50):
in the sand. Joe dragged him into the bushes and
got back up on the wagon box. That makes nine
of them, Joe said, just between here and the edge
of town, them Indians, said Missus Gardner. Nick was on
the back seat with the two Garner boys. He was
looking out from the back seat to see the Indian

(03:06:12):
where Joe had dragged him alongside of the road. Was
it Billy Tabershaw? Carl asked, No, his pants looked mighty
like Billy. All Indians wear the same kind of pants.
I didn't see him at all, Frank said. Paul was
down into the road and back up again before I
seen a thing. I thought he was killing a snake.

(03:06:34):
Plenty of Indians will kill snakes tonight, I guess, Joe
Gardner said, them indians, said Missus Gardner. They drove along
the road, turned off from the main highway and went
up into the hills. He was hard pulling for the horses,
and the boys got down and walked. The road was sandy.
Nick looked back from the top of the hill by

(03:06:56):
the schoolhouse. He saw the lights of Petoski, and off
across the little Traverse Bay the lights of Harbor Springs.
They climbed back in the wagon again. They ought to
put some gravel on that stretch, Joe Garner said. The
wagon went along the road through the woods. Joe and
Missus Garner sat close together on the front seat. Nick

(03:07:18):
sat between the two boys. The road came out into
a clearing. Right here was where Paul ran over the skunk.
It was further on. It don't make no difference where
it was, Joe said, without turning his head. One place
is just as good as another to run over a skunk.
I saw two skunks last night, Nick said. Where down

(03:07:41):
by the lake they were looking for dead fish along
the beach. They were coons probably, Carl said they were skunks.
I guess I know skunks. He walked to Carl, said
you got an Indian girl. Stop talking that way. Carl said,
missus Gardner, well they smell about the same. Joe Garner laughed,

(03:08:02):
you stop laughing, Joe. Missus Garner said, I won't have
Carl talk that way. Have you got an Indian girl, nicky?
Joe asked, no, he has two paw. Frank said, Prudence
Mitchell says, girl, she's not. He goes to see her
every day. I don't. Nick, sitting between the two boys

(03:08:24):
in the dark, felt hollow and happy inside himself to
be teased about Prudence Mitchell. She ain't my girl, he said.
Listen to him, said Carl, I see him together every day.
Carl can't get a girl, his mother said, not even
a squaw. Carl was quiet. Carl ain't no good with girls.

(03:08:46):
Frank said, you shut up. You are right, Carl. Joe
Garner said, girls never got a man anywhere. Look at
your paw. Yes, that's what she would say. Missus Garner
moved clothes to Joe as the wagon jolted, Well, you
had plenty of girls in your time. I'll bet Paul
wouldn't have ever had a squaw for a girl, don't

(03:09:10):
you think it? Joe said, you better watch out to
keep prudy. Nick, his wife whispered to him, and Joe laughed.
What are you laughing at? Asked Frank. Don't you say it? Garner?
His wife warned. Joe laughed again. Nicky can have prudence.
Joe Garner said, I got a good girl. That's the

(03:09:31):
way to talk. Missus Garner said. The horses were pulling
heavily in the sand. Joe reached out in the dark
with the whip. Come on, pull into it. You'll have
to pull harder than this tomorrow. They trotted down the
long hill, the wagon jolting. At the farmhouse, everybody got down.

(03:09:52):
Missus Garner unlocked the door, went inside, and came out
with a lamp in her hand. Carl and Nick on
the things from the back of the wagon. Frank sat
on the front seat to drive to the barn and
put up the horses. Nick went up the steps and
opened the kitchen door. Missus Garner was building a fire
in the stove. She turned from pouring kerosene on the wood. Goodbye,

(03:10:17):
Missus Garner. Nick said, thanks for taking me. Oh shocks, Nicky,
I had a wonderful time. We'd like to have you.
Won't you stay and eat some supper? I better go.
I think Dad probably waited up for me. Well get along,
then send Carl up to the house. Will you all right?
Good night, Niky, Good night missus Garner. Nick went out

(03:10:41):
in the farmyard and down to the barn. Joe and
Frank were milking. Good night. Nick said, I had a
swell time. Good night, Nick. Joe Garner called, aren't you
going to stay and eat? No? I can't. Will you
tell Carl's mother wants them all right? Good night, Nicky.
Nick walked barefoot along the path through the meadow below

(03:11:03):
the barn. The path was smooth and the dew was
cool on his bare feet. He climbed a fence at
the end of the meadow, went down through a ravine,
his feet wet in the swamp mud, and then climbed
up through the dry beech woods until he saw the
lights of the cottage. He climbed over the fence and
walked around to the front porch. Through the window, he

(03:11:26):
saw his father sitting by the table, reading in the
light from a big lamp. Nick opened the door and
went in. Well, Nicky, his father said, was it a
good day? I had a swell time, dad, It was
swell fourth of July. Are you hungry? You bet? What
did you do with your shoes? I left him in

(03:11:49):
the wagon at corners. Come on out to the kitchen.
Nick's father went ahead with the lamp. He stopped and
lifted the lid of the ice box. Nick went on
into the kitchen. His father brought in a piece of
cold chicken on a plate and a pitcher of milk,
and put them on the table before Nick. He put
down the lamp. There's some pie too, He said, well

(03:12:12):
that oldra it's grand His father sat down in a
chair beside the oilcloth covered table. He made a big
shadow on the kitchen wall. Who won the ballgame? Potoski
five to three? His father sat watching him eat and
filled his glass from milk pitcher. Nick drank and wiped

(03:12:34):
his mouth on his napkin. His father reached over to
the shelf for the pie. He cut Nick a big piece.
It was huckleberry pie. What'd you do, Dad? I went
out fishing in the morning. What did you get? Only perch?
His father sat watching Nick eat the pie. What'd you
do this afternoon? Nick asked, I went for a walk

(03:12:57):
up by the Indian camp. Did you see anybody? The
Indians were all in town getting drunk. Didn't you see
anybody at all? I saw your friend Prudy? Where was she?
She was in the woods with Frank Washburn. I ran
on to them. They were having quite a time. His

(03:13:18):
father was not looking at him. What were they doing?
I didn't stay to find out. Tell me what they
were doing? I don't know, his father said, I just
heard them threshing around. How'd you know it was them?
I saw them. I thought you said you didn't see them. Oh, yes,

(03:13:40):
I saw them. Who was it with her? Nick asked
Frank Washburn? Were they were they? Where they? What? Were they? Happy?
I guess so. His father got up from the table
and went out the kitchen screen door. When he came back,

(03:14:03):
Nick was looking at his plate. He had been crying
have some more. His father picked up the knife to
cut the pie. No, said Nick, you better have another piece. No,
I don't want any. His father cleared off the table.

(03:14:24):
Where were they in the woods, Nick asked? Up back
of the camp. Nick looked at his plate, His father said,
you better go to bed, Nick. All right. Nick went
into his room undressed and got into bed. He heard
his father moving around in the living room. Nick lay

(03:14:46):
in the bed with his face in the pillow. My
heart's broken, he thought, If I feel this way, my
heart must be broken. After a while, he heard his
father blow out the lamp and go into his own room.
He heard a wind come up in the trees outside
and felt it come in cool through the screen. He

(03:15:06):
lay for a long time with his face in the pillow,
and after a while he forgot to think about prudence,
and finally he went to sleep. When he awoke in
the night, he heard the wind in the hemlock trees
outside the cottage, and the waves of the lake coming
in on the shore, and he went back to sleep.
In the morning, there was a big wind blowing and

(03:15:29):
the waves were running high up on the beach, and
he was awake a long time before he remembered that
his heart was broken. End of section eight. A canary
for one. The train passed very quickly a long red
stone house with a garden and four thick palm trees

(03:15:52):
with tables under them in the shade. On the other
side was the sea. Then there was a cutting through
red stone and clay, and the sea was only occasionally
and far below the rocks. I bought him in Palermo.
The American lady said, we only had an hour ashore,
and it was Sunday morning. The man wanted to be

(03:16:15):
paid in dollars, and I gave him a dollar and
a half. He really sings very beautifully. It was very
hot in the train, and it was very hot in
the lese alone compartment. There was no breeze that came
through the open window. The American lady pulled the window
blind down, and there was no more sea, even occasionally.

(03:16:36):
On the other side. There was glass than the corridor,
than an open window, and outside the window were dusty
trees and an oil road and flat fields of grapes
with graystone hills behind them. There was smoke from many
tall chimneys coming into Marseilles, and the train slowed down
and followed one track through many others into the station.

(03:17:00):
The train stayed twenty five minutes in the station at Marseilles,
and the American lady bought a copy of the Daily
Mail and a half bottle of heavy and water. She
walked a little way along the station platform, but she
stayed near the steps of the car because at Cannes,
where it stopped for twelve minutes, the train had left

(03:17:20):
with no signal of departure, and she had only gotten
on just in time. The American lady was a little deaf,
and she was afraid that perhaps signals of departure were
given and she did not hear them. The train left
the station in Marseilles, and there was not only the
switch yards and the factory smoke, but looking back the

(03:17:42):
town of Marseilles and the harbor with stone hills behind it,
and the last of the sun on the water. As
it was getting dark, the train passed a farmhouse burning
in a field. Motor cars were stopped along the road,
and bedding and things from inside the farmhouse were spread
in the field. Many people were watching the house burn

(03:18:04):
After it was dark. The train was an Adamuel. People
got on and off. At the newsstand, Fritchman, returning to Paris,
bought that day's French papers. On the station platform were
Negro soldiers. They wore brown uniforms and were tall, and
their faces shone close under the electric light. Their faces

(03:18:26):
were very black and they were too tall to stare.
The train left Avignon station with the Negro standing there.
A short white sergeant was with them. Inside the Lisa
Long compartment, the porter had pulled down the three beds
from inside the wall and prepared them for sleeping. In
the night, the American lady lay without sleeping because the

(03:18:47):
train was a rapide and went very fast, and she
was afraid of the speed. In the night, the American
lady's bed was the one next to the window. The
canary from Palermo off spread over. Its cage was out
of the draft in the corridor that went into the
compartment washroom. There was a blue light outside the compartment.

(03:19:10):
And all night the train went very fast, and the
American lady lay awake and waited for a wreck. In
the morning, the train was near Paris, and after the
American lady had come out from the washroom looking very
wholesome and middle aged. An American in spite of not
having slept, and had taken the cloth off the bird
cage and hung the cage in the sun. She went

(03:19:31):
back to the restaurant car for breakfast. When she came
back to the lese A Long compartment again, the beds
had been pushed back into the wall and made into sits.
The canary was shaking his feathers in the sunlight that
came through the open window, and the train was much
nearer Paris. He loves the sun, the American lady said,

(03:19:54):
he'll sing now in a little while. The canary shook
its feathers and pecked into them. I've always loved birds,
the American lady said, I'm taking him home to my
little girl. There he's singing now. The canary chirped, and
the feathers on his throat stood out. Then he dropped

(03:20:14):
his bill and pecked into his feathers again. The train
crossed a river and passed through a very carefully tended forest.
The train passed through many outside of Paris towns. There
were tram cars in the towns and big advertisements for
the Belle Jardin Nay and Dubooney and Pernault on the

(03:20:34):
walls toward the train. All that the train passed through
looked as though it were before breakfast. For several minutes,
I had not listened to the American lady. He was
talking to my wife. Is your husband, American, too, asked
the lady, Yes, said my wife, we're both Americans. I

(03:20:55):
thought you were English. Oh no, perhaps that was because
I wore braces, I said. I'd started to say suspenders
and changed it to braces in the mouth to keep
my English character. The American lady did not hear. She
was really quite deaf. She read lips, and I had

(03:21:16):
not looked toward her. I had looked out of the window.
She went on talking to my wife. I'm so glad
you're Americans. American men make the best husbands. The American
lady was saying, that was why we left the continent.
You know, my daughter fell in love with a man
in Vivet. She stopped. They were simply madly in love.

(03:21:40):
She stopped again. I took her away. Of course, did
she get over it, asked my wife. I don't think so,
said the American lady. She wouldn't need anything, and she
wouldn't sleep at all. I've tried so very hard, but
she doesn't seem to take an interest in anything. She
doesn't care about things. I couldn't have her marrying a foreigner,

(03:22:04):
she paused. Someone a very good friend told me once,
no foreigner can make an American girl a good husband. No,
said my wife, I suppose not. The American lady admired
my wife's traveling coat. And it turned out that the
American lady had bought her own clothes for twenty years

(03:22:25):
now from the same maison to Coturier in the Rue Slmenreer.
They had her measurements, and of bondus who knew her
and her tastes, picked out the dresses for her, and
they were sent to America. They came to the post
office near where she lived uptown in New York, and
the duty was never exorbitant because they opened the dresses

(03:22:45):
there in the post office to appraise them, and they
were always very simple looking and with no gold lace
or ornaments that would make the dresses look expensive. Before
the present bondus named Terrese, there had been another bond
use named Emily. Altogether, there had been only these two
in the twenty years. It had always been the same.

(03:23:07):
Coturier prices, however, had gone up. The exchange, though equalized
that they had her daughter's measurements now too. She was
grown up and there was not much chance of their changing. Now.
The train was now coming into Paris. The fortifications were leveled,
but grass had not grown there were many cars standing

(03:23:31):
on tracks, brown wooden restaurant cars and brown wooden sleeping
cars that would go to Italy at five o'clock that night.
If that train still left at five, the cars were
marked Paris Rome, and cars with seats on the roofs
that went back and forth to the suburbs with at
certain hours people and all the seats and all the roofs,

(03:23:54):
if that were the wave were still done and passing
were the white walls and many windows of how nothing
had eaten any breakfast. Americans make the best husbands, the
American lady said to my wife, I was getting down
the bags. American men are the only men in the
world to marry. How long ago did you leave, vive

(03:24:17):
asked my wife. Two years ago this fall. It's her,
you know that I'm taking the Canary too. Was the
man your daughter was in love with thus Swiss? Yes,
said the American lady. He was from a very good
family in Vivey. He was going to be an engineer.
They met there in Vivey. They used to go on

(03:24:37):
long walks together. I know, Vivet, said my wife. We
were there on our hontingmoon. Were you really that must
have been lovely. I had no idea, of course, that
she'd fall in love with him. It was a very
lovely place, said my wife. Yes, isn't it lovely? Where
did you stop there? We stopped at the twalk Home,

(03:25:00):
said my wife. It's such a fine ottld hotel, said
the American lady. Yes, said my wife. We had a
very fine room. And in the fall the country was lovely.
Were you there in the fall? Yes, said my wife.
We were passing three cars that had been in a wreck.
They were splintered open and the roofs sagged in. Look.

(03:25:22):
I said, there's been a wreck. The American lady looked
and saw the last car. I was afraid of just
that all night, she said, I have terrific presentiments about things.
Sometimes I'll never travel, and repeat again at night. There
must be other comfortable trains that don't go so fast.
Then the train was in the dark of the Guerre

(03:25:43):
de Leon, and then stopped, and porters came up to
the windows. I handed bags through the windows, and we
were out on the dim longness of the platform, and
the American lady put herself in charge of one of
three men from Cooks, who said, just a moment and
I'll look for your name. The porter brought a truck
and piled on the baggage, and my wife said goodbye,

(03:26:05):
and I said goodbye to the American lady whose name
had been found by the man from Cooks on a
typewritten page in a sheaf of typewritten pages, which he
replaced in his pocket. We followed the porter with the
truck down the long cement platform. Beside the train at
the end was a gate, and a man took the tickets.

(03:26:26):
We were returning to Paris to set up separate residences.
End of section nine. In Alpine Idol. It was hot
coming down into the valley, even in the early morning.
The sun melted the snow from the skis we were
carrying and dried the wood. It was spring in the valley,

(03:26:48):
but the sun was very hot. We came along the
road into Gaultour, carrying our skis and rucksacks. As we
passed over the churchyard, a burial was just over. Gruscote
to the priest as he walked past us. Coming out
of the churchyard. The priest bowed, it's funny a priest
never speaks to you. John said, you'd think they'd like

(03:27:10):
to say gruscot. They never answered, John said. We stopped
in the wood and watched the sexton shoveling in the
new earth. A peasant with a black beard and high
leather boots stood beside the grave. The sexton stopped shoveling
and straightened his back. The peasant in the high boots
took the spade from the sexton and went on filling

(03:27:33):
in the grave, spreading the earth evenly as a man
spreading manure in a garden in the bright May morning.
The grave filling looked unreal. I could not imagine any
one being dead. Imagine being buried on a day like this.
I said to John, I wouldn't like it. Well, I said,

(03:27:54):
we don't have to do it. We went on up
the road, past the houses of the town to the inn.
We had been skiing in the Silverretta for a month,
and it was good to be down in the valley
in the Silverretta. The skiing had been all right, but
it was spring skiing. The snow was good only in
the early morning and again in the evening. The rest

(03:28:14):
of the time it was spoiled by the sun. We
were both tired of the sun. You could not get
away from the sun. The only shadows were made by rocks,
or by the hut that was built under the protection
of a rock beside a glacier, and in the shade,
the sweat froze in your underclothing. You could not sit
outside the hut without dark glasses. It was pleasant to

(03:28:37):
be burned black, but the sun had been very tiring.
You could not rest in it. I was glad to
be down away from snow. It was too late in
the spring to be up in the Silverretta. I was
a little tired of skiing. We had stayed too long.
I could taste the snow water we had been drinking
melted off the tin roof of the hut. The taste
was a part of the way I felt about skiing.

(03:28:59):
I was glad there were other things beside skiing, and
I was glad to be down away from this unnatural
high mountain spring Into this May morning in the valley,
the innkeeper sat on the porch at the inn, his
chair tipped back against the wall. Beside him sat the
cook Skihile, said the innkeeper, pile, we said, and leaned

(03:29:22):
the skis against the wall and took off our packs.
How was it up above asked the innkeeper. Shun a
little too much sun. Yes, there's too much sun this
time of year. The cook sat on his chair. The
innkeeper went in with us and unlocked his office and
brought out our mail. There was a bundle of letters

(03:29:42):
and some papers. Let's get some beer, John said, good,
we'll drink it inside. The proprietor bought two bottles, and
we drank them while we read the letters. We better
have some more beer, Tron said. A girl brought it
this time. She smiled as she opened the bottles. Many letters,
she said, yes, many thruss it, she said, and went out,

(03:30:07):
taking empty bottles. I'd forgotten what beer tasted like. I hadn't,
John said. Up in the hut, I used to think
about it a lot. Well, I said, we've got it now.
You oughtn't to ever do anything too long. No, we
were up there too long, too damn long. John said,

(03:30:27):
it's no good doing a thing too long. The sun
came through the open window and shone through the beer
bottles on the table. The bottles were half full. There
was a little froth on the beer in the bottles,
not much because it was very cold. It collared up
when you poured it into the tall glasses. I looked
out of the open window at the white road. The

(03:30:47):
trees beside the road were dusty. Beyond was a green
field and a stream. There were trees along the stream
and a mill with a water wheel. Through the open
side of the mill, I saw a long log and
a saw in it, rising and falling. No one seemed
to be tending it. There were four crows walking in
the green field. One crow sat in a tree watching

(03:31:11):
outside on the porch. The cook got off his chair
and passed into the hall that led back into the kitchen. Inside,
the sunlight shone through the empty glasses. On the table,
John was leaning forward with his head on his arms.
Through the window I saw two men come up the
front steps. They came into the drinking room. One was

(03:31:32):
the bearded peasant in the high boots, The other was
the sextone. They sat down at the table under the window.
The girl came in and stood by their table. The
peasant did not seem to see her. He sat with
his hands on the table. He wore his old army clothes.
There were patches on the elbows. What will it be,

(03:31:52):
asked the sexton. The peasant did not pay any attention.
What will you drink? Snaps? The peasant said, and a
quarter leater of red wine. The sexton told the girl.
The girl brought the drinks, and the peasant drank the snaps.
He looked out of the window. The sexton watched him.

(03:32:12):
John had his head forward on the table. He was asleep.
The innkeeper came in and went over to the table.
He spoke in dialect, and the sexton answered him. The
peasant looked out of the window. The innkeeper went out
of the room. The peasant stood up. He took a
folded ten thousand kronin note out of a leather pocketbook

(03:32:33):
and unfolded it. The girl came up, Alice. She said, alice.
He said, let me buy the wine. The sexton said, alice.
The peasant repeated to the girl. She put her hand
in the pocket of her apron, brought it out full
of coins and counted out the change. The peasant went

(03:32:54):
out the door. As soon as he was gone, the
innkeeper came into the room again and spoke to the sexton.
He sat down at the table. They talked in dialect.
The sexton was amused, the innkeeper was disgusting. The sexton
stood up from the table. He was a little man
with the mustache. He leaned out of the window and
looked up the road. There he goes in, he said,

(03:33:18):
in the looin Yah. They talked again, and then the
innkeeper came over to our table. The innkeeper was a
tall man and old. He looked at John asleep. He's
pretty tired. Yes, we were upperly. Will you want to
eat soon any time? I said? What is there to eat?

(03:33:41):
Anything you want? The girl will bring the eating card.
The girl brought the menu. John woke up. The menu
was written in ink on a card, and the card
slipped into a wooden paddle. There's a spicy cart, I
said to John. He looked at it. He was still sleepy.
Won't you have a drink with us? I asked the innkeeper.

(03:34:03):
He sat down. Those peasants are beasts, said the innkeeper.
We saw that one at a funeral coming into town.
That was his wife. Oh he's a beast. All these
peasants are beasts. How do you mean you wouldn't believe it?
You wouldn't believe what just happened about that one? Tell
me you wouldn't believe it. The innkeeper spoke to the saxon.

(03:34:26):
Franz come over here. The section came, bringing his little
bottle of wine in his glass. The gentlemen are just
come down from the vice patter Juta, the innkeeper said.
We shook hands. What will you drink? I asked nothing.
Franz shook his finger. Another quarter leader, all right, do

(03:34:48):
you understand dialect? The innkeeper asked, no, what's it all about?
John asked, he's going to tell us about the peasant
we saw filling the grave coming into town. I can't
understand it anyway, John said, it goes too fast for me.
That peasant. The innkeeper said. To day he brought his

(03:35:09):
wife in to be buried. She died last November December,
said the sexton. That makes nothing. She died last December then,
and he notified the commune December eighteenth, said the sexton. Anyway,
he couldn't bring her over to be buried until snow's gone.
He lives on the other side of the postmon, said

(03:35:31):
the sexton. But he belongs to this parish. He couldn't
bring her out at all. I asked no, he can
only come from where he lives on skis until snow melts.
So to day he brought her in to be buried,
and the priest, when he looked at her face, didn't
want to buryer. You go on and tell it, he
said to the sexton. Speak German, not dialect. He was

(03:35:54):
very funny with the priest, said the sexton. In the
report of the commune. She died of heart trouble. We
knew she had our trouble here. She used to faint
in church. Sometimes she did not come for a long time.
She wasn't strong enough to climb. When the priest uncovered
her face, he asked, Olds, did your wife suffer much? No,
said Oles. When I came to the house, she was

(03:36:17):
dead across the bed. The priest looked at her again.
He didn't like it. How did her face get that way?
I don't know, Woles said, you'd better find out. The
priest said, and put the blanket back. Wolves didn't say anything.
The priest looked at him. Oles looked back at the priest.

(03:36:39):
You want to know, I must know, the priest said.
This is where it gets good. The innkeeper said, listen
to this go on fronts well, said Oles. When she died,
I made the report to the commune and I put
her in the shed across the top of the big wood.
When I started to use the big wood, she was stiff,
and I put her up again the wall. Her mouth

(03:37:01):
was open. And when I came into the shed at
night to cut up the big wood, I hung the
lantern from it. Why did you do that, asked the priest.
I don't know, said oles did you do that? Many times?
Every time I went to work in the shed at night.
It was very wrong, said the priest. Did you love
your wife? Yaw? I loved her full? Said, I loved

(03:37:24):
her fine. Did you understand it at all? Asked the innkeeper.
You understand it all about his wife? I heard it?
How about eating? John asked your order? I said, do
you think it's true? I asked the innkeeper. Sure it's true,
he said. These peasants are beasts. Where'd he go? Now?

(03:37:48):
He's gone to drink at my colleagues doing. He didn't
want to drink with me, said the sexton. He didn't
want to drink with me after he knew about his wife,
said the innkeeper, Say, said John, how at eating all right?
I said? End of Section ten. A Pursuit Race. William

(03:38:12):
Campbell had been in a pursuit race with a burlesque
show ever since Pittsburgh. In a pursuit race. In bicycle racing,
racers started equal intervals to ride after one another. They
ride very fast because the race is usually limited to
a short distance, and if they slow their riding, another

(03:38:32):
rider who maintains his pace will make up the space
that separated them equally at the start. As soon as
a rider is caught and passed, he is out of
the race and must get down from his bicycle and
leave the track. If none of the riders are caught,
the winner of the race is the one who has
gained the most distance. In most pursuit races, if there

(03:38:56):
are only two riders, one of the riders is caught
inside of six smiles. The Bullusque show caught William Campbell
at Kansas City. William Campbell had hoped to hold a
slight lead over the bileusque show until they reached the
Pacific coast as long as he preceded the burlesque show
as advance man, he was being paid. When the burlesque

(03:39:18):
show caught up with him, he was in bed. He
was in bed when the manager of the burlesque troop
came into his room, and after the manager had gone out,
he decided that he might as well stay in bed.
He was very cold in Kansas City, and he was
in no hurry to go up. He did not like
Kansas City. He reached under his bed for a bottle

(03:39:40):
and drank. It made his stomach feel better. Mister Turner,
the manager of the Buruleusque show, had refused to drink.
William Campbell's interview with mister Turner had been a little strange.
Mister Turner had knocked on the door. Campbell had said,
come in. When mister Turner came into the room, he
saw clothing on a chair, an open suitcase, the bottle

(03:40:03):
on a chair beside the bed, and someone lying in
the bed completely covered by the bedclothes, mister Campbell. Mister
Turner said, you can't fire me. William Campbell said, from
underneath the covers, it was warm and white and close
under the covers. You can't fire me because I've got

(03:40:24):
down off my bicycle. You're drunk. Mister Turner said, oh yes,
William Campbell said, speaking directly against the sheet and feeling
the texture with his lips. You're a fool, mister Turner said.
He turned off the electric light. The electric light had
been burning all night. It was now ten o'clock in

(03:40:45):
the morning. You're a drunken fool. When did you get
into this town? I got into this town last night,
William Campbell said, speaking against the sheet, he found that
he liked to talk through a sheet. Did you ever
talk through a sheet? Don't try to be funny. You
aren't funny. I'm not being funny. I'm just talking through

(03:41:08):
a sheet. You're talking through a sheet, all right? You
can go now, mister Turner, Campbell said, I don't work
for you any more. You know that anyway, I know
a lot, William Campbell said. He pulled down the sheet
and looked at mister Turner. I know enough, so I
don't mind looking at you at all. Do you want

(03:41:31):
to hear what I know? No good, said William Campbell,
because really I don't know anything at all. I was
just talking. He pulled the sheet up over his face again.
I love it under a sheet, he said. Mister Turner
stood beside the bed. He was a middle aged man
with a large stomach and a bald head, and he

(03:41:53):
had many things to do. You ought to stop off here,
billy and take a cure. He said, I'll fix it
up if you want to do it. I don't want
to take a cure. William Campbell said, I don't want
to take a cure at all. I'm perfectly happy all
my life. I have been perfectly happy. How long have

(03:42:14):
you been this way? What a question? William Campbell breathed
in and out through the sheet. How long have you
been stewed, Billy? Haven't I done any work? Sure? I
just ask you how long you've been stewed? Billy? I
don't know. But I've got my wolf back. He touched
the sheet with his tongue. I've had him for a week.

(03:42:37):
The hell you have? Oh yes, my dear wolf. Every
time I take a drink he goes outside the room.
He can't stand alcohol, The poor little fellow. He moved
his tongue around and around on the sheet. He's a
lovely wolf. He's just like he always was. William Campbell
shut his eyes and took a deep breath. You've got

(03:43:00):
to take a cure of Billy, Mister Turner said, you
won't mind the Kili. It is bad the keiley. William
Campbell said, it isn't far from London. He shut his
eyes and opened them, moving the eyelashes against the sheet.
I just love sheets, he said. He looked at mister Turner. Listen,

(03:43:24):
you think I'm drunk. You are drunk. No, I'm not.
You're drunk and you've had the d ties. No. William
Campbell held the sheet against his head. Dear sheet, he said.
He breathed against it gently. Pretty sheet. You love me,
don't you. Sheet. It's all in the price of the room,
just like in Japan. No, he said, Listen, Billy, dear

(03:43:48):
sliding Billy, I have a surprise for you. I'm not drunk.
I'm hopped to the eyes. No, said mister Turner. Take
a look. William Campbell pulled up the right sleeve of
his pajama jacket under the sheet, then shoved the right
forearm out. Look at that. On the forearm, from just

(03:44:09):
above the wrist to the elbow were small blue circles
around tiny blue punctures. The circles almost touched one another.
That's the new development. William Campbell said. I drank a
little now once in a while, just to drive the
wolf out of the room. They got a cure for that,
sliding Billy Turner said, no, William Campbell said, they haven't

(03:44:34):
got a cure for anything. You can't just quit like that.
Billy Turner said. He sat on the bed. Be careful
of my sheet. William Campbell said, you can't just quit
at your age and take to pumping yourself full of
that stuff just because you're got yourself in a jam.
There's a law against it. If that's what you mean. No,

(03:44:56):
I mean you got to fight it out. Billy Campbell
caressed the sheet with his lips in his tongue. Dear sheet,
He said, I can kiss the sheet and see right
through it. At the same time, cut it out about
the sheet. You just can't take to that stuff, Billy.
William Campbell shut his eyes. He was beginning to feel

(03:45:20):
a slight nausea. He knew that this nausea would increase
steadily without there ever being the relief of sickness until
something were done against it. It was at this point
that he suggested that mister Turner have a drink. Mister
Turner declined. William Campbell took a drink from the bottle.
It was a temporary measure. Mister Turner watched him. Mister

(03:45:43):
Turner had been in this room much longer than he
should have been. He had many things to do, although
living in daily association with people who used drugs, he
had a horror of drugs, and he was very fond
of William Campbell. He did not wish to leave him.
He was very sorry for him, and he felt a
cure might help. He knew there were good cures in

(03:46:05):
Kansas City, but he had to go. He stood up. Listen, Billy,
William Campbell said, I want to tell you something. You're
called sliding Billy. That's because you can slide. I'm called
just Billy. That's because I could never slide at all.
I can't slide, Billy. I can't slide. It just catches.

(03:46:26):
Every time I try it. It catches. He shut his eyes.
I can't slide, Billy. It's awful when you can't slide, Yes,
said sliding Billy Turner. Yes what, William Campbell looked at him.
You were saying, no, said William Campbell. I wasn't saying anything.

(03:46:46):
It must have been a mistake. You were saying about sliding. No,
it couldn't have been about sliding. But listen, Billy, and
I'll tell you a secret. Stick to the sheets, Billy,
keep away from whom and horses, and he stopped eagles. Billy,
if you love horses, you'll get horses, and if you

(03:47:09):
love eagles, you'll get eagles. He stopped and put his
head into the sheet. I've got to go, said sliding
Billy Turner. If you love women, you'll get a dose.
William Campbell said, if you love horses, yes, said what
about horses and eagles? Oh? Yes? And if you love sheets.

(03:47:34):
He breathed on the sheet and stroked his nose against it.
I don't know about sheets, he said. I just started
to love this sheet. I have to go. Mister Turner said,
I got a lot to do. That's all right. William
Campbell said, everybody's got to go. I better go, all right,
you go. Are you all right, Billy? I was never

(03:47:57):
so happy in my life, And you're all right. I'm fine.
You go along. I'll just lie here for a little while.
Around noon, I'll get up. But when mister Turner came
up to William Campbell's room at noon, William Campbell was sleeping,
and as mister Turner was a man who knew what

(03:48:18):
things in life were very valuable, he did not waken.
End of Section eleven. Section Twelve of Men Without Women
by Ernest Hemingway. Today is Friday. Three Roman soldiers are
in a drinking place at eleven o'clock at night. There

(03:48:39):
are barrels around the wall. Behind the wooden counter is
a Hebrew wine cellar. The three Roman soldiers our little
cock eyed. First Roman soldier, he tried the red. Second soldier, No,
I ain't tried it. First soldier, you better try it.
Second soldier, All right, George, we'll have a round of

(03:49:01):
the red Hebrew wine cellar here. You are a gentleman,
you'll like thup. He sets down an earthen wear a
pitcher that he is filled from one of the casks.
That's an ice, little one. First soldier, have a drink
of it yourself. He turns to the third Roman soldier,
who is leaning on a barrel. What's the matter with you?

(03:49:25):
Third Roman soldier, I got a gut ache. Second soldier,
you've been drinking water. First soldier, Try some of the red.
Third soldier, I can't drink the damn stuff. It makes
my gut sour. First soldier, you've been out here too long.
Third soldier, Hell, don't I know it? First soldier say, George,

(03:49:50):
can't you give this gentleman something to fix up his stomach.
He Brew wine cellar. I got it right here. The
third Roman soldier tastes the that the wine cellars mixed
for him. Third soldier, Hey, what do you put in
that camel chips? Wine cellar? You drink that right down, lieutenant.

(03:50:10):
That'll fix you up right. Third soldier, Well, I couldn't
feel any worse for soldier. Take a chance on it, George,
fix me up fine. The other day, wine cellar, you
were in bad shape, Lieutenant. I know what fixes up
a bad stomach. The third Roman soldier drinks the cup down.

(03:50:34):
Third Roman soldier Jesus Christ. He makes a face. Second
soldier that false alarm. First soldier, Oh, I don't know.
He was pretty good in there today. Second soldier, why
didn't he come down off the cross? First soldier He
didn't want to come down off the cross. That's not

(03:50:55):
his play. Second soldier. Show me a guy that doesn't
want to come down off the cross. First soldier, Ah, hell,
you don't know anything about it, asked George. There did
he want to come down off the cross? George, wine cellar.
I'll tell you, gentlemen, I wasn't out there. It's a thing.
I haven't taken any interest in. Second soldier. Listen, I've

(03:51:20):
seen a lot of them here in other places. Anytime
you show me one that doesn't want to get down
off the cross when the time comes, When the time comes,
I mean, I'll climb right up there with him. First Soldier.
I thought he was pretty good in there today. Third Soldier,
he was all right. Second Soldier. You guys don't know

(03:51:41):
what I'm talking about. I'm not saying whether he was
good or not. What I mean is when the time comes,
when they first started nailing him, there isn't none of
them wouldn't stop it if they could. First Soldier, didn't
you follow it, George wine Cellar, No, I don't take
any interest in its tenant. First Soldier. I was surprised

(03:52:03):
how he acted. Third Soldier. The part I don't like
is nailing them on. You know that must get to
you pretty bad. Second Soldier. It isn't that it's so
bad as when they first lift him up he makes
a lifting gesture with his two palms together. When the
weight starts to pull on him, that's when it gets

(03:52:26):
the third Roman soldier. It takes some of them pretty
bad first soldier, he and I seen him. I've seen
plenty of them. I tell you he was pretty good
in there today. The second Roman soldier smiles at the
hebrew wine cellar. Second soldier, you're a regular christer, big boy.

(03:52:49):
First soldier, Sure, go on and kid him, but listen,
I'll tell you something. He was pretty good in there today.
Second soldier, what about some more wine? The wine cellar
looks up expectantly. The third Roman soldier is sitting with
his head down. He does not look so well. Third Soldier,

(03:53:10):
I don't want anymore. Second soldier, just for two George.
The wine cellar puts out a picture of wine, a
size smaller than the last one. He leans forward on
the wooden counter. First Ruman soldier, you see his girl?
Second soldier, wasn't I standing right by her? First soldier.

(03:53:31):
She's a nice looker. Second soldier. I knew her before
he did. He winks at the wine cellar. First soldier,
I used to see her around town. Second soldier, she
used to have a lot of stuff. He never brought
her no good luck. First soldier, Oh, he ain't lucky,
but he looked pretty good to me in there today.

(03:53:54):
Second soldier what became of his gang? First soldier, oh
faded out. Just the women stuck by him. Second Roman soldier,
they were a pretty yellow crowd when they seen him
go up there. They didn't want any of it. First soldier,
The women stuck all right? Second soldier, sure are they stuck?

(03:54:17):
All right? First Roman soldier, you see me slip the
old spear into Second Roman soldier. You will get into
trouble doing that someday. First soldier, it was the least
I could do for him. I'll tell you, he looked
pretty good to me in there today. Hebrewed one cellar. Gentlemen,

(03:54:38):
you know I got a close First Roman soldier, we'll
have one more round. Second Roman soldier, what's the use?
The stuff doesn't get you anywhere. Come on, let's go.
First soldier, just another round. Third Roman soldier getting up
from the barrel. No, come on, let's go. I feel

(03:54:59):
like Helton night. First soldier. Just one more, Second soldier, Now,
come on, we're gonna go. Good night, George. Put it
on the bill wine cellar. Good night, gentlemen. He looks
a little worried. You couldn't let me have a little
something on account, Lieutenant. Second Roman soldier. What the hell, George,

(03:55:21):
Wednesday's payday, wine cellar. It's all right, lieutenant. Good night, gentlemen.
The three Roman soldiers go out the door into the
street outside, in the street. Second Roman soldier, George is
a kite, just like all of them. First Roman soldier, Oh,

(03:55:42):
George is a nice fellow. Second soldier, everybody's a nice
fellow to you tonight. Third Roman soldier, come on, let's
go up to our barracks. I feel like hell tonite.
Second soldier, you've been out here too long. Third Roman soldier,
Nah like that. I just feel like how second soldier,

(03:56:05):
you've been out here too long? That's all. Curtain. End
of section twelve, Section thirteen of Men Without Women by
Ernest Hemingway, Banal story. So he ate an orange, slowly

(03:56:25):
spitting out the seats outside. The snow was turning to rain.
Inside the electric stove seemed to give no heat, and
rising from his writing table, he sat down upon the stove.
How good it felt. Here, at last was life. He
reached for another orange. Far away in Paris, Mascart had

(03:56:48):
knocked Danny Frosch cuckoo in the second round. Far off
in Mesopotamia twenty one feet of snow had fallen across
the world. In distant Australia, the English cricketers were sharpening
up their wickets. There was romance. Patrons of the Arts
and Letters have discovered the forum, he read, It is

(03:57:12):
the guide philosopher and friend of the Thinking Minority Prize
short stories. Will their authors write our best sellers up tomorrow?
You will enjoy these warm home spawn American tales, bits
of real life on the open ranch, in crowded tenement
or comfortable home, and all with the healthy undercurrent of humor.

(03:57:36):
I must read them, he thought. He read, on our
children's children? What of them? Who of them? New means
must be discovered to find room for us all under
the sun. Shall this be done by war? Or can
it be done by peaceful methods? For will we all
have to move to Canada? Our deepest convictions? Will science

(03:57:59):
upset them? Our civilization is an inferior to older orders
of things. And meanwhile, in the far off, dripping jungles
of Yucatan sounded the chopping of the axes of the
gum chumpers. Do we want big men or do we
want them cultured? Take choice? Take President Coolidge, what star

(03:58:23):
must our college students aim at. There is Jack Britton,
there is doctor Henry van Dyke. Can we reconcile the two?
Take the case of young Stripling, And what of our daughters,
who must make their own soundings? Nancy Hawthorne is obliged
to make her own soundings in the sea of life.

(03:58:45):
Bravely and sensibly she faces the problems which come to
every girl of eighteen. It was a splendid booklet. Are
you a girl of eighteen? Take the case of Joan
of Arc, Take the case of Bernard Shaw, the case
of Betsy Ross. Think of these things? In nineteen twenty five?
Was there a risque page in Puritan history? Were there

(03:59:09):
two sides the Pocahontas? Did he have a fourth dimension?
Are modern paintings and poetry art? Yes and no? Take Picasso,
have tramps, codes of conduct? Send your mind adventuring. There
is romance everywhere. Forum writers talk to the point, are

(03:59:33):
possessed of humor and wit, but they do not try
to be smart, and are never long winded. Live the
full life of the mind. Exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated
by the romance of the unusual, he laid down the booklet,
and meanwhile, stretched flat on a bed in a darkened
room in his house at Triana Manuel Garcia, Mayerra lay

(03:59:57):
with a tube in each lung, drowning with the pneumonia.
All the papers in Andalusia devoted special supplements to his death,
which had been expected for some days. Men and boys
bought full length colored pictures of him to remember him by,
and lost the picture they had of him in their
memories by looking at the lithographs. Bullfighters were very relieved

(04:00:22):
he was dead, because he did always in the bull
ring the things they could only do. Sometimes. They all
marched in the rain behind his coffin, and there were
one hundred and forty seven bullfighters followed him out to
the cemetery, where they buried him in the tomb next
to Hoslito. After the funeral, everyone sat in the cafes

(04:00:45):
out of the rain, and many colored pictures of Mayeira
were sold to men who rolled them up and put
them away in their pockets. End of section thirteen. Section
fourteen of Men without Women by Ernest Hemingway. Now I
lay me that night. We lay on the floor in

(04:01:06):
the room, and I listened to the silkworms eating the
silkworms fed in racks of mulberry leaves, and all night
you could hear them eating and a dropping sound in
the leaves. I myself did not want to sleep, because
I had been living for a long time with the
knowledge that if I ever shut my eyes in the
dark and let myself go, my soul would go out

(04:01:29):
of my body. I had been that way a long time,
ever since I had been blown up at night and
felt it go out of me and go off and
then come back. I tried never to think about it,
but it had started to go since in the nights,
just at the moment of going off to sleep, and

(04:01:49):
I could only stop it by a very great effort.
So while now I am fairly certain that it would
not really have gone out yet, then that some I
was unwilling to make the experiment. I had different ways
of occupying myself while I lay awake. I would think
of a trout stream I had fished along when I

(04:02:10):
was a boy, and fish its whole length very carefully,
in my mind, fishing very carefully under all the logs,
all the turns of the bank, the deep holes, and
the clear shallow stretches, sometimes catching trout and sometimes losing them.
I would stop fishing at noon to eat my lunch,
sometimes on a log over the stream, sometimes on a

(04:02:33):
high bank under a tree, and I always ate my
lunch very slowly and watched the stream below me while
I ate. Often I ran out of bait because I
would only take ten worms with me in a tobacco
tin when I started. When I had used them all,
I had to find more worms, and sometimes it was
very difficult digging in the bank of the stream where

(04:02:55):
the cedar trees kept out the sun, and there was
no grass but only the moist earth, and often I
could find no worms. Always though I found some kind
of bait. But one time in the swamp I could
find no bait at all and had to cut up
one of the trout I had caught and use him
for bait. Sometimes I found insects and the swamp meadows

(04:03:19):
in the grass or under ferns used them. There were
beetles and insects with legs like grass stems and grubs
and old rotten logs, white grubs with brown pinching heads
that would not stay on the hook and emptied into
nothing but cold water, and woodticks under logs where Sometimes

(04:03:39):
I found angle worms that slipped into the ground as
soon as the log was raised. Once I used a
salamander from under an old log. The salamander was very
small and neat and agile, and a lovely collar. He
had tiny feet that tried to hold onto the hook.
And after that one time, I never used a stander,

(04:04:01):
although I found them very often, nor did I use
crickets because of the way they acted about the hook.
Sometimes the stream ran through an open meadow, and in
the dry grass, I would catch grasshoppers and use them
for bait. And sometimes I would catch grasshoppers and toss
them into the stream and watch them float along, swimming

(04:04:21):
on the stream and circling on the surface as the
current took them, and then disappear as a trout rose.
Sometimes I would fish four or five different streams in
the night, starting as near as I could get to
their source, and fishing them downstream. When I had finished
too quickly and the time did not go I would
fish the stream over again, starting where it emptied into

(04:04:44):
the lake, and fishing back upstream, trying for all the
trout I had missed coming down. Some nights too, I
made up streams, and some of them were very exciting,
and it was like being awake and dreaming one of
those screens. I still remember and think that I have
fished in them, and they are confused with streams. I

(04:05:06):
really know. I gave them all names and went to
them on the train, and sometimes walked for miles to
get to them. But some nights I could not fish,
and on those nights I was cold awake and said
my prayers over and over and tried to pray for
all the people I had ever known. That took up
a great amount of time. For if you try to

(04:05:27):
remember all the people you have ever known, going back
to the earliest thing you remember, which was with me
the attic of the house where I was born, and
my mother and father's wedding cake in a tin box
hanging from one of the rafters, and in the attic
jars of snakes and other specimens that my father had
collected as a boy and preserved an alcohol. The alcohol

(04:05:51):
sunken in the jars, so the backs of some of
the snakes and specimens were exposed and turned white. If
you thought back that far, you remembered a great many people.
If you prayed for all of them, saying a hail
Maryan and our father for each one. It took a
long time, and finally it would be light, and then

(04:06:12):
you could go to sleep, if you were in a
place where you could sleep in the daylight. On those nights,
I tried to remember everything that had ever happened to me,
starting with just before I went to the war, and
remembering back from one thing to another. I found I
could only remember back to that attic in my grandfather's house.

(04:06:32):
Then I would start there and remember this way again
until I reached the war. I remembered after my grandfather died,
we moved away from that house and to a new
house designed and built by my mother. Many things that
were not to be moved were burned in the back yard,
and I remember those jars from the attic being thrown
in the fire, and ali popped in the heat, and

(04:06:54):
the fire flamed up from the alcohol. I remember the
snakes burning in the fire in the backyard, But there
were no people in that only things. I could not
remember who burned the things even And I would go
on until I came to people, and then stop and
pray for them. About the new house. I remembered how

(04:07:15):
my mother was always cleaning things out and making a
good clearance. One time, when my father was away on
a hunting trip, she made a good thorough cleaning out
in the basement and burned everything that should not have
been there. When my father came home and got down
from his buggy and hitched the horse, the fire was
still burning in the road beside the house. I went

(04:07:35):
out to meet him. He handed me a shotgun and
looked at the fire. What's this, he asked, I've been
cleaning out the basement, dear, my mother said from the porch.
She was standing there smiling to meet him. My father
looked at the fire and kicked at something. Then he
leaned over and picked something out of the ashes. Get

(04:07:58):
a rake, nick, he said to me. I went to
the basement and brought a rake, and my father raked
very carefully in the ashes. He raked out stone axes,
and stone skinning knives, and tools for making arrowheads, and
pieces of pottery, and many arrowheads. They had all been
blackened and chipped by the fire. My father raked them

(04:08:20):
all out very carefully and spread them on the grass
by the road. His shotgun in its leather case and
his game bags were on the grass where he had
left them when he stepped down from the buggy. Take
the gun and the bags in the house, neck and
bring me a paper, he said. My mother had gone
inside the house. I took the shotgun, which was too

(04:08:41):
heavy to carry and banged against my legs, and the
two game bags and started toward the house. Take them
one at a time, my father said, don't try and
carry too much at once. I put down the game
bags and took in the shotgun and brought out a
newspaper from the pile on my father's life office. My

(04:09:01):
father spread all the black and chipped stone implements on
the paper and then wrap them up. The best arrowheads
went all to pieces, he said. He walked into the
house with a paper package, and I stayed outside on
the grass with the two game bags. After a while,
I took them in in, remembering that there were only
two people, so I would pray for them both some nights.

(04:09:24):
Though I could not remember my prayers even I could
only get as far as on earth as it is
in heaven, and then have to start all over and
be absolutely unable to get past that. Then I would
have to recognize that I could not remember and give
up saying my prayers that night and try something else.
So on some nights I would try to remember all

(04:09:44):
the animals in the world by name, and then the birds,
and then fishes, and then countries and cities, and then
kinds of food, and the names of all the streets
I could remember in Chicago. And when I could not
remember anything at all anymore, I would just listen. And
I do not remember a night on which you could
not hear things. If I could have a light, I

(04:10:07):
was not afraid to sleep, because I knew my soul
would only go out of me if it were dark.
So of course many nights I was where I could
have a light, and then I slept because I was
nearly always tired and often very sleepy. And I'm sure
many times too that I slept without knowing it, but
I never slept knowing it. And on this night, I

(04:10:30):
listened to the silkworms. You could hear silkworms eating very
clearly in the night, and I lay with my eyes
open and listened to them. There was only one other
person in the room, and he was awake too. I
listened to him. Being awake for a long time, he
could not lie as quietly as I could, because perhaps
he had not had as much practice being awake. We

(04:10:53):
were lying on blankets over straw, and when he moved,
the straw was noisy, but the silkworms were not from
and buy any noise we made and ate on steadily.
There were the noises of nights seven kilometers behind the
lines outside, but they were different from the small noises
inside the room. In the dark. The other man in

(04:11:14):
the room tried lying quietly. Then he moved again. I
moved too, so he would know I was awake. He
had lived ten years in Chicago. They had taken him
for a soldier in nineteen fourteen when he had come
back to visit his family, and they had given him
to me for an orderly because he spoke English. I
heard him listening, so I moved again in the blankets.

(04:11:37):
Can't you sleep, Senor Tenente? He asked, No, I can't
sleep either. What's the matter. I don't know. I can't sleep.
You feel all right? Sure? I feel good. I just
I can't sleep. You want to talk a while? I asked, sure?

(04:11:57):
What can you talk about in the stameplace? This place
is pretty good, I said, sure. He said, it's all right.
Tell me about out in Chicago. I said, oh, he said,
I told you all that once. Tell me about how
you got married. I told you that was the letter

(04:12:18):
you got Monday from her. Sure she writes me all
the time. She's making good money with the place. You'll
have a nice place when you go back. Sure she
runs it fine, she's making lots of money. Don't you
think we'll wake them up talking? I asked, No, they
can't hear anyway. They sleep like pigs. I'm different, he said,

(04:12:41):
I'm nervous, talk quiet. I said, I want to smoke.
We smoked skillfully in the dark. You don't smoke much,
signor Tinante. No, I'm just about to cut it out. Well,
he said, it won't do you any good. And I
suppose you get so you don't miss it. Did you
ever hear a blind man won't smoke because you can't

(04:13:02):
see the smoke come out. I don't believe it. I
think it's all bull myself. He said, I just heard
it somewhere. You know how you hear things. We were
both quiet, and I listened to the silkworms. You hear
those damn silkworms, he asked, You can hear them too.
It's funny, I said, say, signor to Nante, is there

(04:13:25):
something really the matter that you can't sleep? I never
see you sleep. You haven't slept nights ever since I've
been with you. I don't know, John, I said, I
got in pretty bad shape along early last spring, and
that night it bothers me just like I am. He said,
I shouldn't have ever got in this war. I'm too nervous.

(04:13:45):
Maybe it will get better, say Senor Cnente, What did
you get in this war for? Anyway? I don't know, John,
I wanted to, then wanted to. He said, that's how
Aliva he is. We oughtn't to talk out loud. I said,
they sleep just like pigs. He said, they can't understand

(04:14:07):
the English language anyway. They don't know a damn thing.
What are you going to do when it's over and
we go back to the States. I'll get a job
on a paper in Chicago. Maybe do you ever read
what this fellow Brisbane writes? My wife cuts it out
for me and sends it to me. Sure, did you
ever meet him? No, but I've seen him. I'd like

(04:14:30):
to meet that fellow. He's a fine writer. My wife
don't read English, but she takes a paper, just like
when I was home, and she cuts out the editorials
and the sports page and send them to me. How
are your kids? They're fine. One of the girls is
in the fourth grade, now you know, Senor to ninty.
If I didn't have the kids, I wouldn't be here
orderly now. They'd have made me stay in the line

(04:14:53):
all the time. I'm glad you've got them, so am I.
They're fine kids, But I want a boy. Three girls
and no boy. That's a hell of a note. Why
don't you try and go to sleep? No, I can't
sleep now. I'm wide awake now, Sor say, I'm worried
about you not sleeping. Though it'll be all right, Tron.

(04:15:17):
Imagine a young fellow like you not able to sleep.
I'll get all right. It just takes a little while.
You've got to get all right. Man can't get along
but doesn't sleep. Do you worry about anything? You got
anything on your mind? No, John, I don't think so.
You ought to get married, Senor Toe, then you wouldn't worry.

(04:15:39):
I don't know you ought to get married. Why don't
you pick out some nice Italian girl with plenty of money.
You could get anyone you want. You're young, you've got
good decorations, you look nice. You've been wounded a couple
of times. I can't talk the language well enough. You
talk it fine. They'll talking language. You don't have to
talk to them. I'll think about it. You know some girls,

(04:16:03):
don't you sure? Well? You marry the one with the
most money over here, the way they're brought up, they'll
make you a good wife. I'll think about it. Don't
think about it, Signor, do it all right? A man
ought to be married. You'll never regret it. Every man
ought to be married, all right. I said, let's try

(04:16:26):
and sleep a while, all right, Signor. I'll try it again.
But do you remember what I said. I'll remember it.
I said, now let's sleep a while, John, all right,
he said, I hope you sleep, Signor. I heard him
roll in his blankets on the straw, and then he
was very quiet, and I listened to him breathing regularly.

(04:16:50):
Then he started to snore. I listened to him snore
for a long time, and then I stopped listening to
him snore and listened to the silkworms eating. They ate steadily,
making a dropping in the leaves. I had a new
thing to think about, and I lay in the dark
with my eyes open and thought of all the girls
I had ever known and what kind of wives they

(04:17:10):
would make. It was a very interesting thing to think about,
and for a while it killed off trout fishing and
interfered with my prayers. Finally, though, I went back to
trout fishing, because I found that I could remember all
the streams and there was always something new about them,
while the girls, after I had thought about them a

(04:17:30):
few times, blurred and I could not call them into
my mind. And finally they all blurred and all became
rather the same, and I gave up thinking about them
almost altogether. But I kept on with my prayers, and
I prayed often for John in the nights. And his
class was removed from active service before the October offensive.

(04:17:51):
I was glad he was not there, because he would
have been a great worry to me. He came to
the hospital in the land to see me several months
after and was very disappointed that I had not yet married,
and I know he would feel very badly if he
knew that so far I had never married. He was
going back to America, and he was very certain about

(04:18:13):
marriage and knew who to fix up everything. End of
Section fourteen, end of men without women

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Men Without Women - Ernest Hemingway

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