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July 10, 2025 • 14 mins
Dive into the gripping narrative of Thieves Like Us, also known as Your Red Wagon. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, it tells the story of Bowie Bowers, a young prison escapee who, along with two accomplices, sets his sights on a daring bank heist. As plans unravel, Bowie finds himself entangled in a passionate love affair with Keechie, a relative of one of his partners in crime. This classic noir tale of doomed lovers on the run has been immortalized in film not once, but twice. Originally by Nicholas Ray in 1940s They Live By Night and later by Robert Altman in 1973s rendition of Thieves Like Us. Join us as we delve into this captivating tale. - Synopsis by Ben Tucker
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Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fourteen of Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson. This
LibriVox recordings in the public domain read by Ben Tucker,
Chapter fourteen and the early mornings, when shadows crawled in
a gray gloom and Bowie lay alone in the bunk,
he thought of first Officer, his hog knuckled chin, the

(00:21):
smothering bucket and shattering glass, the chair, spirits cats, the
branches of the pecan tree scratched the roof a hundred times,
and Kie Chee was never coming. He thought, for God's sake,
man snap. But at last she did come, and then
all that screwy spirit stuff got out of his damned head.

(00:42):
In this evening's twilight, the polished peanut butter glasses glowed
with the delicacy of a blue flame. Bowie watched Kee Chee.
The flipping cloth in her hands was like a blowing skirt,
and he seized her bare, strong fingers with his gaze.
She had paint on her mouth tonight, but looking at
her lips was like spying on her unclad through a keyhole.

(01:03):
She straightened the drying cloth on the back of the
chair and then picked up the kerosene can. I'd better
fill up your heater for tonight. She said, you ought
to put a coat on, he said. While she was gone,
he planned what he would do in the morning when
he woke up. He would not read the Sunday newspapers
she had gotten him until in the morning, and then

(01:24):
he would only look at the funny pages and the comics.
Keechie returned and filling the stove. She came to the bed.
I hope you get a good night's rest, he played
with the point of his shirt collar. I hate to
see you go, do you. I guess I kind of
got the blues tonight. I've done about everything I could

(01:45):
around here, but I'm in no hurry if you want
me to stay just a little while. If you ain't
in no hurry, she lowered herself to the edge of
the bed and crossed her legs. The sound of the
tree now was like a gentle rain. I don't like
to look behind, he said. I try to just think
of maybe the good things that will happen ahead. But

(02:08):
I guess I know what is going to happen. No,
you don't bowie. The things that you're afraid of most
never happened. I'm a lot older than you are, in
a lot of ways. I never have seen nothing like
you before, kee Chee. I know now what makes a
fellow get him my little missus and swing a dinner pail.
You mean that? Yes, she moved, and he reached out

(02:31):
and said, don't go. I'm not. My ears ringing, he said.
She bent toward him and touched his face. He seized her,
then brought her toward him. Don't you go, don't you go,
I'm not Bowie. Strength swelled within him. I can snap
her little body in my hands. I can break her

(02:53):
little body in my grip. Her tight lips yielded until
there was only softness, and then her breath became as
naked as her body. Frying bacon spluttered and skillet on
top of the oil heater, and then it popped, and
Kitchee jerked back and turned and smiled at Bowie. You
better be careful, little girl, he said. She sure did

(03:13):
look different. Where did he ever get that idea that
she wasn't pretty? Those lines in her face, where were they?
And that little mouth was as soft and pretty. Wonder
if you could take time out and come over here
and give your daddy a kiss, he said. She came
over the fork in her hand and bent down. There's
nothing sick about you, she said. He kissed her. I

(03:37):
feel like a million bucks. I've been thinking about getting
up and runnin a half mile before I eat. You.
Just stay there. How do you want your eggs any
old way? How do you want them any old way? Honey,
over easy, I guess, And hand me that newspaper over
there while you don't have anything else to do. She
handed him the newspaper, and he pointed at the three

(03:58):
pale prongs of sunlight light that lay on the splintered
floor near the window. Look, I believe the sun is
going to shine today. I noticed the stars last night,
and I thought then that it might be clear today.
He began turning the pages, and then he saw the
thing that seized his eyes like a fishhook. Texaco City, Texas,
October sixth. Fingerprints found on the steering wheel of the

(04:21):
wrecked new automobile which the fugitive slayers of plainclothesmen Vick
Redford and Jake Hadman abandoned here last week may lead
to the identity of the killers. Chief of Detective's Muscer
revealed here today. The chief said his department was basing
its hopes on this and also a revolver found nearby.
Redford and Hadman, veteran peace officers were ruthlessly slain in

(04:42):
a gun battle on Ector Boulevard while investigating an automobile crash.
A woman received minor injuries in the collision. Are you
very hungry this morning? Kee che said? The white of
the paper glimmered light heat on the highway, and Bowie
jerked his eyes away. I didn't under stand what she said.
What's the matter, Bowie? Nothing? Not a thing. I was

(05:06):
just reading here. What are you reading? Just something here?
Six suspects arrested here in connection with the case have
been released. Two are still being questioned. The abandoned automobile
of the killers was purchased in El Paso, Texas. It
was reported. Witnesses of the battle say that three and
possibly four men were in the car that sped away

(05:26):
after the shooting. One witness declared he saw a woman
in the outlaw machine. A police benefit here last night
for the widows of the two slain officers netted three
hundred and twenty dollars. Bowie took the warm plate with
its eggs and bacon from Keechi's hand and put it
on his lap. After a little while, he stuck the
fork into the eggs yellow. What's the matter, Bowie? She

(05:48):
sat on the bed's edge with the plate on her knees.
I want to hold nothing back from Yukichi. I'm pretty
deep in this business. I'm a lot deeper in it
than I was when I was here before. I want
you to know that what is it. I had some
trouble back up the road. Two laws killed KITCHI placed
her plate on the floor. You can see that I'm

(06:10):
in it pretty deep. Now. Did you do it them laws? Yes,
Bowie's head went up and down. You did not. You
can't tell me that I know who did it, chick
them all. You can't conceal anything from me. She clutched
his trouser cuff. He did it. That don't make any

(06:30):
difference who did it? And you got chickam all down,
all wrong. I wouldn't be sitting here now if it
wasn't for him. You did not do it, Bowie. I
wouldn't tell you nothing but the straight. I got it
on my back and there's no getting around it. Ketchi
got up and the plate on the floor rattled and broke.
She looked down at it and for a moment her
mouth twisted as if she were going to cry. Bowie

(06:53):
held up his plate. Don't mind that, we can split this.
Ketchi picked up the plate, fragments and the spill food
on the table was Bowie's untouched food. I'll just tell
you the straight of it, Kichi. I'm not sorry. I'm
not sorry for anything I ever did in this world.
That when I was just a punk kid and they
put the chair on me don't count. But I'm not

(07:15):
sorry for one of these banks. The only regret I
got said, I didn't get one hundred thousand instead of ten.
I'm just a black sheep and there's no getting around it.
The only black about you is your hair. Keechi said,
you're a little soldier. Kiche. You're a little soldier from
them toenails of ears up to your hair. But you
can't get mixed up with me. Keechi's face twisted like

(07:37):
he had driven his fist into it. He grasped her arm. Kichie,
what's the matter. She shook her head. He pulled her
to him. What's the matter, Honey, didn't you mean that
last night? Mean what Bowie? You know what you said? Honey?
I can't think of everything right now? What was it? Honey?

(07:59):
You come on and tell me you said you wished
you had me? Sure? I do, got a mighty honey?
What do you mean? Then? Gettin too mixed up with you?
Don't you see how it is when a man has
them laws after him and it's all in the papers,
they'll shoot you and ask questions afterwards. They'll just as
soon shoot a woman down with him as not. Is

(08:21):
that what you mean? You see now, don't you? Honey?
Does anybody else have any strings on you? Bowie? Anybody else?
She pulled away from his grasp. What do you mean?
Is there anybody else? A woman? Oh no, honey, lord no,
I just wanted to know. How come you to ask

(08:41):
a thing like that? I'm in this pretty deep an.
I just wanted to know. Bowie lay back against the pillow,
kee Chee, come and lie down beside me a little while.
She got on the bed beside him. You like me,
kit Chee? Yes, a whole lot, yes, one hundred bushels full, yes,

(09:04):
thousand bushelsful, yes, one hundred thousand, million, trillion gillion bushes full. Yes,
ke Chee, I love you. Her fingernails dug into the
flesh of his throat. There were sounds in the filling station,
and Keichi got out of bed and went across the
darkened room to the door, Bowie following in his underwear

(09:27):
of forty five in his right hand. Ketch You peered
through the cautiously opened crack at the door. After a
long time, she closed the door easily, and Bowie stepped back.
It's my aunt stealing some groceries. Neither was sleepy now.
They lay in bed, both their heads on the one pillow.
You know, I've been thinking, Kichie, this business and me

(09:48):
is staying here can't go on. I've been here eight
days now, and Dee is going to be coming back
pretty soon, and this just can't go on. Now, do
you have anything in mind? How would you like to
go somewhere with me? You want me to go? You know,
dog going, Well, I want you to go. What do
you have in mind? I'd like to get in the

(10:10):
big city, Kichi. I mean like New Orleans or Louisville.
Oh t Doub was always talking about them towns and
them big cities. People don't big eye you so much.
And if you keep your nose clean, you can last
as long as you want to, I guess so. I
just don't know what's happened to that chickamaw. That Indian
can take care of himself, though he's probably getting everything

(10:31):
fixed up at his folks. We don't have to go
around any of them, do we, mister Maysfield and them. No, sir, honey,
not you, I should say not. I've been thinking some too, Bowie.
And what I have had on my mind is what
some people that used to live next door to my
aunt told me. Mister Carpenter and his wife, and they

(10:52):
had a girl my age named Agnes. Mister Carpenter had tuberculosis,
and they moved away down in Texas, almost to the
border in the Guadalupe Hill. Agnes wrote and told me
about it. They lived away out in the hills and
wouldn't go to town for two months at a time.
And Agnes said that the only people that ever saw
were some Mexican cheap herders, and then a few sick
people like mister Carpenter, people chasing the cure. Agnes said

(11:15):
they were close to Mexico. Huh, Bowie, I don't see
why we wouldn't go to a place like that, And
just live to ourselves, and pretty soon people would forget
all about Bowie Bowers, and then finally there would just
be the real Bowie Bowers. You know, I hadn't thought
of that. Them little towns, though Kichi, are bad. Everybody
wants to know your business. We won't be in a town.

(11:38):
We'll be away out and don't have to see anybody.
You know, I sure hadn't thought of that. That's where
I would like to go. Man, We got the money
to do it right here under this bed, and then
my breeches and coat yonder. I think that would be
the best. And just stay away from everybody you ever knew?
How you and me going to get out of this place? Kichi?

(11:59):
No car, nothing. We can manage any train stop here
at night, two o'clock to Tulsi. We could get that train.
By golly. You can walk a half block ahead of
me and get a couple of tickets, and I'll be
hanging around, and every once in a while we'll give
each other a wink, and then we'll sit in separate
seats on the train, and we'll sit together on the train.

(12:20):
Sure we can sit together on the train, and then
we'll get in Tulsi, and I'll buy us the new
V eight and then we'll scat down to this Guadaloupe
Hills country. Where is that place, Kichi? I've looked at
it on the map a hundred times with Agnes was
righting me. I wanted to go down there. There's deer
and while turkey and squirrels and everything else. Agnes said, Man,

(12:41):
I could knock me off a deer. I'll get me
a thirty thirty or a four to fifteen Winchester, and
you and me will eat venison. Kiddo. You just let
me down there, Kichi, and I won't even need no gun.
Just give me a rock. If we go down there,
either you or me will supposed to be longer. You
know the TV. Maybe both of us had better be
now renting a cabin or something. We'll have to let on.

(13:02):
I look like the best TV in the world. That's
the thing for us to do. And you just forget
everybody you ever knew. You'll have to get you some
clothes and Taulsy, honey, how about a fur coat to
set that watch off I gave you. We'll think about
that later. I'll buy you a whole window full of clothes.
You can get anything you want. All you gotta do
is name it. We can't look like no millionaires. We're

(13:25):
going to be sick people. You can get a few things.
I like them riding boots and pants, Kichie. I don't
know though, whether I'd like to see you in pants
or not. You just get dresses, and then plenty of
them silk doodads. We'll get a couple of thermost jougs
and keep them filled with soda pop, and get some
blankets and sunglasses and an extra can or to a gasoline,

(13:45):
and we'll split the breeze. When do you think we
should go? Well? What time is it? Now? It must
be twelve. We can make it two hours. Let's get
in the saddle, honey, tonight, bowie, you dog on with
and honey, we got the money to do it on too.
Twenty thousand good old bucks, I mean fourteen. That's a

(14:06):
lot of money, Kiche. You can say what you want
about money, Kiche, but by god, it talks. I guess so,
KITCHI said, Well, let's start dressing. End of chapter fourteen.
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