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WARNING - This is a long piece and is something I decided to write while reading the original book the prepare for my English exam. It will be long and if you get bored you don't have to read all of it, I just thought of it because of a reference Lewis made to this book a while ago. I didn't originally write the book, obviously, so anything that sounds insulting or is disrespectful, I didn't write it, i'm just writing and changing from the original book. If you do want to read it, then hope you enjoy

Three
Although there was evening brightness showing through the windows of the bunk house, inside it was dusk. Through the open door came the thuds and occasional clangs of a horseshoe game, and now and then the sound of voices raised in approval or derision.
   Strippin' and Xeph came into the darkening bunk house together. Strippin' reached up over the card table and turned on the tin-shaded electric light. Instantly the table was brilliant with light, and the cone of the shade threw its brightness downwards, leaving the corners of the bunk house still in dusk. Strippin' sat down on a box and Xeph took his place opposite.
   "It wasn't nothing," said Strippin'. "I would of had to drowned most of 'em, anyways. No need to thank me about that."
   Xeph said, "It wasn't much to you, maybe, but it was a hell of a lot to him. Jesus Christ, I don't know how we're gonna get him to sleep in here. He'll want to sleep right out in the barn with 'em. We'll have trouble keepin' him from getting right in the box with them pups."
   "It wasn't nothing," Strippin' repeated. "Say, you sure was right about him. Maybe he ain't bright, but I never seen such a worker. He damn near killed his partners buckin' barley. There ain't nobody can keep up with him. God awmighty I never seen such a strong guy."
   Xeph spoke proudly. "Jus' tell Honeydew what to do an' he'll do it if it don't take no fighting. He can't think of nothing to do himself, but he sure can take orders."
   There was a clang of horseshoe on iron stake outside and a little cheer of voices.
   Strippin' moved back slightly so the light was not on his face. "Funny how you an' him string along together." It was Strippin's calm invasion to confidence.
   "What's so funny about it?" Xeph demanded defensively.
"Oh, I dunno. Hardly none of the guys ever travel together. I hardly never seen two guys travel together. You know how the hands are, they just come in and get their bunk and work a month, and then they quit and go out alone. Never seem to give a damn about nobody. It jus' seems kinda funny a cuckoo like him and a smart little guy like you travellin' together."
   "He ain't no cuckoo," said Xeph. "He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy. An' I ain't so bright neither, or I wouldn't be buckin' barley for my fifty and found. If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, I'd have my own little place, an' I'd be bringin' in my own crops, 'stead of doin' all the work and not getting what comes up outta the ground." Xeph fell silent. He wanted to talk. Strippin' neither encouraged nor discouraged him. He just sat back quiet and receptive.
   "It ain't so funny, him an' me goin' aroun' together," Xeph said at last. "Him and me was both born in Auburn. I knowed his Aunt 'Maida. She took him when he was a baby and raised him up. When his Aunt 'Madia died, Honeydew just came along with me out workin'. Got kinda used to each other after a little while."
   "Um," said Strippin'.
   Xeph looked over to Strippin' and saw the calm, Godlike eyes fastened on him. "Funny," said Xeph. "I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with 'im. Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself. But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on him. I had fun. Made me seem God damn smart alongside him. Why, he'd do a damn thing I tol' him. If I tol' him to walk over a cliff, over he'd go. That wasn't so damn much fun after a while. He never got mad about it, neither. I've beat the hell outta him, and he couda burst every bone in my body jus' with his han's, but he never lifted a finger against me." Xeph's voice was taking on the tone of confession. "Tell you what made me stop that. One day a bunch of guys was standin' around up on the Sacramento River. I was feelin' pretty smart. I turns to Honeydew and says, 'Jump in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get him. An' he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in. Well, I ain't done nothing like that no more."
   "He's a nice fella," said Strippin'. "Guy don't need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus' works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fella."
   Xeph stacked the scattered cards and began to lay out his solitaire hand. The shoes thudded on the ground outside. At the windows the light of the evening still made the window squares bright.
   "I ain't got no people," Xeph said. "I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean They get wantin' to fight all the time."
   "Yeah, they get mean," Strippin' agreed. "They get so they don't want to talk to nobody."
   "Course Honeydew's a God damn nuisance most of the time," said Xeph. "But you get used to goin' around with a guy an' you can't get rid of him."
   "He ain't mean," said Strippin'. "I can see Honeydew ain't a bit mean."
   "Course he's not mean. But he gets in trouble alla time because he's so God damn dumb. Lie what happened in Weed ..." He stopped, stopped in the middle of turning over a card. He looked alarmed and peered over at Strippin'. "You won't tell nobody."
   "What'd he do in Weed?" Strippin' asked calmly.
   "You wouldn't tell? - no, 'course you wouldn'."
   "What'd he do in Weed?" Strippin' asked again.
   "Well, he seen this girl in a red dress. Dumb bastard like he is, he wants to touch ever'thing he likes. Just wants to feel it. So he reaches out to feel this red dress an' the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Honeydew all mixed up, and he holds on 'cause that's the only thing he can think to do. Well, this girl squawks and squawks. I was jus' a little bit off, an I hear all the yellin', so I comes running, an' by that time Honeydew's so scared all he can think to do is jus' hold on. I socked him over the head with a fence picket to make him let go. He was so scairt he couldn't let go of that dress. And he's so God damn strong, you know."
   Strippin's eyes were level and unwinking. He nodded very slowly. "So what happens?"
   Xeph built his line of solitaire cards. "Well, that girl rabbits in an' tells the law she been raped. The guys in Weed start a party out to lynch Honeydew. So we sit in a irrigation ditch under the water all the rest of that day. Got on'y our heads sticking outa water, an' up and under the grass that sticks out from the side of the ditch. An' that night we scrammed outa there."
   Strippin' sat in silence for a moment. "Didn't hurt the girl none, huh?" he asked finally.
   "Hell, no. He just scared her. I'd be scared too if he grabbed me. But he never hurt her. He jus' wanted to touch that red dress, like he wants to pet them pups all the time."
   "He ain't mean," said Strippin'. "I can tell a mean guy a mile off."
   "'Course he ain't, and he'll do any damn thing I ..."
   Honeydew came in through the door. He wore his blue denim coat over his shoulders like a cape, and he walked hunched way over.
   "Hi, Honeydew," said Xeph. "How do you like the pup now?"
   Honeydew said breathlessly, "He's brown an' white jus' like I wanted." He went directly to his bunk and lay down and turned his face to the wall and drew up his knees.
   Xeph put down his cards very deliberately. "Honeydew," he said sharply.
   "Huh? What you want, Xeph?"
   "I tol' you you couldn't bring that pup in here."
   "What pup, Xeph? I ain't got no pup."
   Xeph went quickly to him, grabbed him by the shoulder and rolled him over. He reached down and picked the tiny puppy from where Honeydew had been concealing it against his stomach.
   Honeydew sat up quickly. "Give 'um to me, Xeph."
   Xeph said, "You get right up an' take this pup back to the nest. He's gotta sleep with his mother. You want to kill him? Just born last night an' you take him out of the nest. You take him back or I'll tell Strippin' not to let you have him."
   Honeydew held out his hands pleadingly. "Give 'um to me, Xeph. I'll take 'um back. I didn't mean no harm, Xeph. Honest I didn't. I jus' wanted to pet 'um a little."
   Xeph handed the pup to him. "Awright. You get him back there quick, and don't you take him out no more. You'll kill him, the first thing you know." Honeydew fairly scuttled out of the room.
   Strippin' had not moved. His calm eyes followed Honeydew out the door. "Jesus," he said. "He's jes' like a kid, ain't he?"
   "Sure he's jus' like a kid. There ain't no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he's strong. I bet he won't come in here to sleep tonight. He'd sleep right alongside that box in the barn. Well - let 'im. He ain't doin' no harm out there."
   It was almost dark outside now. Old Lana, the scienter, came in and went to his bunk, behind him struggled his old dog. "Hello, Strippin'. Hello, Xeph. Didn't neither of you play horseshoes?"
   "I don't like to play ever' night," said Strippin'.
   Lalna went on, "Either you guys got a slug of whisky? I gotta gut ache."
   "I ain't," said Strippin'. "I'd drink it myself if I had, an' I ain't got a gut ache neither."
   "Gotta bad gut ache," said Lalna. "Them God damn turnips give it to me. I knowed they was going to before I even eat 'em."
   The blonde haired Martyn came in out of the darkening yard. He walked to the other end of the bunkhouse and turned on the second shaded light. "Darker'n'hell in here," he said. "Jesus, how that nigger can pitch shoes."
   "He's plenty good," said Strippin'.
   "Damn right he is," said Martyn. "He don't give nobody else a chance to win ..." He stopped and sniffed the air, and still sniffing, looked down at the old dog. "God awmighty that dog stinks. Get him outta here, Lalna! I don't know nothing that stinks so bad as an old dog. You gotta get him out."
   Lalna rolled to the edge of his bunk. He reached over and patted the ancient dog, and he apologised, "I been around him so much I never notice how he stinks."
   "Well, I can't stand him in here," said Martyn. "That stink hangs around even after he's gone." He walked over with his blonde fringe flopping around and looked down at the dog. "Got no teeth," he said. "He's all stiff with rheumatism. He ain't no good to you, Lalna. An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Lalna?"
   The old scientist squirmed uncomfortably. "Well - hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him." He said proudly, "You wouldn't think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen."
   Xeph said, "I seen a guy in Weed that had an Airedale could herd sheep. learned it from the other dogs."
   Martyn was not to be put off. "Look, Lalna. This ol' dog jus' suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head" - he leaned over and pointed - "right there, why he'd never know what hit him."
   Lalna looked about unhappily. "No," he said softly. "No, I couldn't do that. I had 'im too long."
   "He don't have no fun," Martyn insisted. "And he stinks to beat hell. Tell you what. I'll shoot him for you. Then it won't be you that does it."
   Lalna threw his legs off his bunk. He scratched the goatee on his chin nervously. "I'm so used to him," he said softly. "I had him form a pup."
   "Well, you ain't bein' kind to him keepin' him alive," said Martyn. "Look, Strippin's bitch got a little right now. I bet Strippin' would give you one of them pups to raise up, wouldn't you, Strippin'?"
   The skinner had been studying the old dog with his calm eyes. "Yeah," he said. "You can have a pup if you want to." He seemed to shake himself free for speech. "Mart's right, Lalna. That dog ain't no good to himself. I wish't somebody'd shoot me if I get old an' a cripple."
   Lalna looked helplessly at him, for Strippin's opinions were law. "Maybe it'd hurt him," he suggested. "I don't mind takin' care of him."
   Martyn said, "The way I'd shoot him, he wouldn't feel nothing. I'd put the gun right there." He pointed with his toe. "Right back of the head. He wouldn't even quiver."
   Lalna looked for help from face to face. It was quite dark outside now. A young labouring man came in. His sloping shoulders were bent forward and he walked heavily on his heals, as though he carried the invisible grain bag. He went to his bunk and put his hat on his shelf. Then he picked a pulp magazine from his shelf and brought it to the light over the table. "Did I show you this, Strippin'?" he asked.
   "Show me what?"
   The young man turned to the back of the magazine, put it down on the table and pointed with his finger. "Right there, read that." Strippin' bent over it. "Go on," said the young man. "Read it out loud."
   "'Dear Editor.'" Strippin' read slowly. "'I read your mag for six years and I think it is the best on the market. I like stories by Ridge Dog. I think he is whing-ding. Give us more than Dark Rider. I don't write many letters. Just thought I would tell you I think your mag is the best dime's worth I ever spent'"
   Strippin' looked up questioningly. "What you want me to read that for?"
   Benjii said: "Go on. Read the name at the bottom."
   Strippin' read, "'Yours for success, Nilesy Tenner.'" He glanced up at Benjii again. "What you want me to read that for?"
   Benjii closed the magazine impressively. "Don't you remember Nilesy Tenner? Worked here about three months ago."
   Strippin' thought ... Little guy?" he asked. "Drove a cultivator?"
   "That's him," Benjii cried. "That's the guy!"
   "You think he's the guy wrote this letter?"
   "I know it. Niles and me was in here one day. Niles had one of them books that just come. He was lookin' in it and he says: 'I wrote a letter. Wonder if they put it in the book!' But it wasn't there. Niles says, 'Maybe they're savin' it for later.' An' that's just what they done. There it is."
   "Guess you're right," said Strippin'. "Got it right in the book."
   Xeph held out his hand for the magazine. "Let's look at it?"
   Benjii found the place again, but he did not surrender his hold on it. He pointed out the letter with his forefinger. And then he went to his bookshelf and laid the magazine carefully in. "I wonder if Niles seen it," he said. "Niles and me worked in that patch of field peas. Run cultivators, both of us. Niles was a hell of a nice fella."
   During the conversation Martyn had refused to be drawn in. He continued to look down at the old dog. Lalna watched him uneasily. At last Martyn said, "If you want em to, i'll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with. Ain't nothing left for him. Can't eat, can't see, cant even walk without hurtin'."
   Lalna said hopefully, "You ain't got no gun."
   "The hell I ain't. Got a Luger. It won't hurt him none at all."
   Lalna said, "Maybe Tomorra. Le's wait till Tomorra."
   "I don't see no reason for it," said Martyn. He went to his bunk, pulled his bag from underneath it, and took out a Luger pistol. "Le's get it over with," he said. "We can't sleep with him stinkin' around in here." He put the pistol in his hip pocket.
   Lalna looked a long time at Strippin' to try to find some reversal. And Strippin' gave him none. At last Lalna said softly and hopelessly, "Awright - take 'im." He did not look down at the dog at all. He lay back on his bunk and crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling.
   From his pocket Martyn took a little leather thong. He stooped over and tied it around the dog's neck. All the men except Lalna watched him. "Come, boy. Come on, boy," he said gently. And he said apologetically to Laln, "He won't even feel it." Lalna did not move nor answer him. He twitched the thong. "Come on, boy." The old dog got slowly and stiffly to his feet and followed the gently pulling leash.
   Strippin' said, "Martyn."
   "Yeah?"
   "You know what to do?"
   "What ya mean, strippin'?"
   "Take a shovel," said Strippin' shortly.
   "Oh, sure! I got you." He led the dog out into the darkness.
   Xeph followed tot he door and shut the door and set the latch down gently in its place. Lalna lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceiling.
   Strippin' said loudly, "One of my lead mules got a bad hoof. Got to get some tar on it." His voice trailed off. It was silent outside. Martyn's footsteps died away. The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted.
   Xeph chuckled, "I bet Honeydew's right out there in the barn with his pup. He won't want to come in here no more now he's got a pup."
   Strippin' said, "Lalna, you can have any one o them pups you want."
   Lalna didn't answer. The silence fell on the room again. It came out of the night and invaded the room. Xeph aid, "Anybody like to play a little euchre?"
   "I'll play out a few with you," said Benjii.
   They took places opposite each other at the table under the light, but Xeph did not shuffle the cards. He rippled the edge of the deck nervously, and the little snapping noise drew the eyes of all men in the room, so that he stopped doing it. The silence fell on the room again. A minute passed, and another minute. Lalna lay still, staring at the ceiling. Strippin' gazed at him for a moment and then looked down at his hands; he subdued one hand with the other, and held it down. There came a little gnawing sound form under the floor and all the men looked down toward it gratefully. Only Lalna continued staring at the ceiling.
    "Sounds like there was a rat under there," said Xeph. "We ought to geta trap down there."
   Benjii broke out, "What the hell' takin' him so long? Lay out some cards. why don't you? We ain't going to get no euchre played this way."
   Xeph brought the cards together tightly and studied the backs of them. The silence was in the room again.
   A shot sounded in the distance. The men looked quickly to the old man. Every head turned toward him.
   For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent.
   Xeph shuffled the card noisily and dealt them. Benjii drew a scoring board to him and set the pegs to start. Benjii said, "I guess you guys really came here to work."
   "How do ya mean?" Xeph asked.
   Benjii laughed. "Well, ya come on a Friday. You got two days to work till Sunday."
   "I don't see how you figure," said Xeph.
   Benjii laughed again. "u do if you been around these big ranches much. Guy that wants to look over a ranch comes in Sat'day afternoon. He gets Sat'day night supper an' three meals on Sunday, and he can quit Monday mornin' after breakfast without turning his hand. But you come to work Friday noon. You got to put in a day an' a half no matter how you figure."
   Xeph looked at him levelly. "We're gonna stick aroun' a while," he said. "Me an' Honeydew's gonna roll up a stake."
   The door opened quietly and the stable buck put in his head, a lean negro head, lined with pain, the eyes patient and one covered with an eyepatch. "Mr Strippin'."
   Strippin' took his eyes from old Lalna. "Huh? Oh! Hello, Panda. What's a matter?"
   "You told me to warm up tar for that mule's foot. I got it warm."
   "Oh! Sure, panda. I'll come right out an' put it on."
   "I can do it if you want, Mr Strippin'."
   "No,. I'll come do it myself." He stood up.
   Panda said, "Mr Strippin'."
   "Yeah."
   "That big new guy's messin' around your pups out in the barn."
   "Well, he ain't doin' no harm. I give him one of them pups."
   "Just thought I'd tell ya," said Panda. "He's takin' 'em outta the nest and handlin' them. That won't do them no good."
   "He won't hurt 'em," said Strippin'. "I'll come along with you now."
   Xeph looked up. "If that crazy bastard's foolin' around too much, jus' kick him out, Strippin'."
   Strippin' followed the stable buck out of the room.
   Xeph dealt and Benjii picked up his cards and examined them. "Seen the new kid yet?" he asked.
   "What kid?" Xeph asked.
   "Why, Rythian's new wife."
   "Yeah, I see her."
   "Well, ain't she a looloo?"
   "I ain't seen that much of her," said Xeph.
   Benjii laid down his cards impressively. "Well, stick around an' keep your eyes open. You'll see plenty. She ain't concealin' nothing. I never seen nobody like her. She got the eye goin' all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck eye. I don't know what the hell she wants."
   Xeph asked casually, "Benn any trouble since she got here?"
   It was obvious that Benjii was not interested in his cards. He laid his hand down and Xeph scooped it in. Xeph laid out his deliberate hand - seven cards, and six on top, and five on top of those.
   Benjii said, "I see what you mean. No, they ain't been nothing yet. Rythian's got yella-jackets in his drawers, but that's all so far. Ever' time the guys is around she shows up. She's lookin' for Rythian, or she thought she lef' somethin' layin' around and she's lookin' for it. Seems like she can't keep away from guys. An' Rythian's pants is just crawlin' with ants, but they ain't nothing come of it yet."
   Xeph said, "She's gonna make a mess. They're gonna be a bad mess about her. She's a jail bait all set on the trigger. That Rythian got his work cut out for him. Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain't no place for a girl, specially like her."
   Benjii said, "If you got idears, you ought to come in town with us guys Tomorra night."
   "Why? What's doin'?"
   "Jus' the usual thing. We go in to old Kim's place. Hell of a nice place. Old Kim's a laugh - always crackin' jokes. Like she says when we come up on the front porch las' Sat'day night. Kim opens the door and then she yells over her shoulder, 'Get your coats on, girls, here comes the sheriff.' She never talks dirty, neither. Got five girls there."
   "What's it set you back?" Xeph asked.
   "Two an' a half. You can get a shot for two bits. Kim got nice chairs to set in, too. If a guy don't want a flop, why he can just set in the chairs and have a couple or three shots and pass the time of day and Kim don't give a damn. She ain't rushin' guys through and kickin' 'em out if they don't want a flop."
   "Might go in and look the joint over," said Xeph.
   "Sure. Come along. Its a hell of a lot of fun - her crackin' jokes all the time. Like she says one time, she says, 'I've knew people that if they got a rag rug on the floor an' a kewpie doll lamp on the phonograph, they think they're running a parlor house.' That's Clara's house she's talkin' about. An' Kim says, 'I know what my boys want,' she says. 'My girls is clean,' she says, 'An' there ain't no water in my whiskey,' she says. 'If any you guys wanta look at a kewpie doll lamp an' take your own chance gettin' burned, why you know where to go." An' she says: 'There's guys around here walkin' bow-legged 'cause they like to look at a kewpie doll lamp.'"
   Xeph asked, "Clara runs the other house, huh?"
   "Yeah," said Benjii. "We don't never go there. Clara gets three bucks a crack and thirty-five cents a shot, and she don't crack no jokes. But Kim's place is clean and she got nice chairs. Don't let no goo-goos in, neither."
   "Me an' Honeydew rollin' up a stake," said Xeph. "I might go in an' set and have a shot, but I ain't puttin' out no two and a half."
   "Well, a guy got to have some fun sometimes," said Benjii.
   The door slammed open and Honeydew and Martyn came in together. Honeydew crept to his bunk and sat down, trying not to attract attention. Martyn reached under his bunk and brought out his bag. He didn't look at old Lalna, who still faced the wall. Martyn found a little cleaning rod in the bag and a can of oil. He laid them on his bed and then brought out the pistol, took out the magazine and snapped the loaded shell from the chamber. Then he fell to cleaning the barrel with the little rod. When the ejector snapped, Lalna turned over and looked for a moment at the gun before he turned back to the wall again.
   Martyn said casually, "Rythian been in yet?"
   "No," said Benjii. "What's eatin' on Rythian?"
   Martyn squinted down the barrel of his gun. "Lookin' for his old lady. I seen him going round and round outside."
   Benjii said sarcastically, "He spends half his time lookin' for her, and the rest of the time she's lookin' for him."
   Rythian burst into the room excitedly. "Any you guys seen my wife?" he demanded.
   "She ain't been here," said Benjii.
   Rythian looked threateningly about the room. "Where's the hell's Strippin'?"
   "Went out in the barn," said Xeph. "He was gonna put some tar on a split hoof."
   Rythian's shoulders dropped and squared. "How long ago'd he go?"
   "Five - ten minutes."
   Rythian jumped out the door and banged it after him.
   Benjii stood up. "I guess maybe I'd like to see this," he said. "Rythian's just spoilin' or he wouldn't start for Strippin'. An' Rythian's handy, God damn handy. Got in the finals for the Golden Gloves. He got newspaper clippings about it." He considered. "But jus' the same, he better leave Strippin' alone. Nobody knows what Strippin' can do."
   "Thinks Strippin's with his wife, don't he?" said Xeph.
   "Looks like it," Benjii said. "'Course Strippin' ain't. Least I don't think Strippin' is. But I like to see the fuss if it comes off. Come on, let's go."
   Xeph said, "I'm stayin' right here. I don't want to get mixed up in nothing. Honeydew and me got to make a stake."
   Martyn finished the cleaning of the gun and put it in the bag and pushed the bag under his bunk. "I guess i'll go out and look her over," he said. Old Lalna lay still, and Honeydew, form his bunk, watched Xeph cautiously.
   When Benjii and Martyn were gone and the door closed after them, Xeph turned to Honeydew. "What you got on your mind?"
   "I ain't done nothing, Xeph. Strippin' says I better not pet them pups so much for a while. Strippin' says it ain't good for them; so I come right in. I been good, Xeph."
   "I coulda told you that," said Xeph.
   "Well, I wasn't hurtin' 'em none. I jus' had mine in my lap pettin' it."
   Xeph asked, "Did you see Strippin' out in the barn?"
   "Sure I did. He tol' me I better not pet that pup no more."
   "Did you see that girl?"
   "You mean Rythian's girl?"
   "Yeah. Did she come in the barn?"
   "No. Anyways I never seen her."
   "You never seen Strippin' talkin' to her?"
   "Uh-uh. She ain't been in the barn."
   "Ok," said Xeph. "I guess them guys ain't gonna see no fight. If there's any fightin', Honeydew, you keep out of it."
   "I don't want no fights," said Honeydew. He got up from his bunk and sat down at the table, across from Xeph. Almost automatically Xeph shuffled the cards and laid out his solitaire hand. He used a deliberate, thoughtful slowness.
   Honeydew reached for a face card and studied it, then turned it upside down and studied it. "Both ends the same," he said. "Xeph, why is it both end's the same?"
   "I don't know," said Xeph. "That's jus' the way they make 'em. What was Strippin' doin' in the barn when you seen him?"
   "Strippin'?"
   "Sure. You seen him in the barn, an' he tol' you not to et the pups so much."
   "Oh, yeah. He had a can a' tar an' a paint brush. I don't know what for."
   "You sure that girl didn't come in like she came in here today?"
   "No. She never come."
   Xeph sighed. "You give me a good whore house every time," he said. "A guy can go in an' get drunk and get ever'thing outa his system all at once, an' no messes. And he knows how much it's gonna set him back. These here jail baits is just set on the trigger of the hoosegow."
   Honeydew followed his words admiringly, and moved his lips a little to keep up. Xeph continued, "You remember Dan Bull, Honeydew? Went to grammar school?"
   "The one that his old lady used to make hot cakes for the kids?" Honeydew asked.
   "Yeah. That's the one. You can remember anything if there's anything to eat in it." Xeph looked carefully at the solitaire hand. He placed an ace up on his scoring rack and piled a two, three and four of diamonds on it. "Dan's in San Quentin right now on an account of a tart," said Xeph.
   Honeydew drummed on the table with his fingers. "Xeph?"
   "Huh?"
   "Xeph, how long's it gonna be till we get that little place an' live on the fatta the lan' - an' rabbits?"
   "I don't know," said Xeph. "We gotta get a big stake together. I know a little place we can get cheap, but they ain't givin' it away."
   Old Lalna turned slowly over. His eyes wide open. He watched Xeph carefully.
   Honeydew said, "Tell about that place, Xeph."
   "I jus' tol' you, jus' las' night."
   "Go on - tell again, Xeph."
   "Well, it's ten acres," said Xeph. "Got a little win'mill. Got a little shack on it, an' a chicken run. Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, apples, peaches, 'cots, nuts, got a few berries. They's a place for alfalfa and plenty of water to flood it. They's a pig-pen ..."
   "An' rabbits, Xeph."
   "No place for rabbits now, but I could easy build a few hutches and you could feed alfalfa to the rabbits."
   "Damn right, I could," said Honeydew. "You God damn right I could."
   Xeph's hands stopped working with the cards. His voice was growing warmer. "An' we could have a few pigs. I could build a smoke house like the one gran'pa had, an' when we kill a pig we can smoke the bacon and the hams, and make sausage an' all like that. An' when the salmon run up river we could catch a hundred of 'em an' salt 'em down or smoke 'em. We could have them for breakfast. They ain't nothing so nice as smoked salmon. When the fruit come in we could can it - and tomatoes, they're easy to can. Ever' Sunday we'd kill a chicken or a rabbit. Maybe, we'd have a cow or a goat, and the cream is so God damn thick you got to cut it with a knife and take it out with a spoon."
   Honeydew watched him with wide eyes, and old Lalna watched him too. Honeydew said softly, "We could live offa the fatta the lan'."
   "Sure," said Xeph. "All kin's of vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. We'd jus' live there. We'd belong there. There wouldn't be no more runnin' round the country and gettin' fed by a Jap cook. No, sire, we'd have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house."
   "Tell about the house, Xeph," Honeydew begged.
   "Sure, we'd have a little house an' a room to ourself. Little fat iron stove, an' in the winter we'd keep a fire goin' in it. It ain't enough land so we'd have to work too hard. Maybe six, seven hours a day. An' when we put in a crop, why, we'd be there to take the crop up. We'd know what come of our planting."
   "An' rabbits," Honeydew said eagerly. "An' I'd take care of 'em. Tell how I'd do that, Xeph."
   "Sure, you'd go out in the alfalfa patch an' you'd have a sack. You'd fill up the sack and bring it in an' put in the rabbit cages."
   "They'd nibble an' they'd nibble," said Honeydew, "The way they do. I seen 'em."
   "Ever' six weeks or so," Xeph continued, "them does would throw a little, so we'd have plenty rabbits to eat an' to sell. An' we'd keep a few pigeons to go flyin' around the win'mill like they done when I was a kid." He looked raptly at the wall over Honeydew's head. "An' it'd be our own, an' nobody could can us. If we don't like a guy we can say, 'Get the hell out,' and by God he's got to do it. An' if a fren' came along, why we'd have an extra bunk, an' we'd say, 'Why don't you spen' the night?' an' by God he would. We'd have a setter dog and a couple stripe cats, but you gotta watch out them cats don't get the little rabbits."
   Honeydew breathed hard. "You jus' let 'em try to get the rabbits. I'll break their God damn necks. I'll smash 'em with a stick." He subsided, grumbling to himself, threatening the future cats which might dare to disturb the future rabbits.
   Xeph sat entranced with his own picture.
   When Lalna spoke they both jumped as though they had been caught doing something reprehensible. Lalna said, "You know where's a place like that?"
   Xeph was on guard immediately. "S'pose I do," he said. "What's that to you?"
   "You don't need to tell me where it's at. Might be any place."
   "Sure," said Xeph. "That's right. You couldn't find it in a hundred years."
   Lalna went on excitedly, "How much they want for a place like that?"
   Xeph watched him suspiciously. "Well - I could get it for six hundred bucks. The ol' people that owns it is flat bust an' the ol' lady needs an operation. Say - what's it to you? You got nothing to do with us."
   Lalna said, "I ain't much good with o'ny one hand. I lost my hand right here on this ranch. That's why they give em a job scientin'. An' they give me two hundred an' fifty dollars 'cause I los' my hand. An' I got fifty more saved up right in the bank, right now. That's three hundred, and I got fifty more comin' the end a the month. Tell you what ...," He leaned forward eagerly. "S'pose I went in with you guys. Tha's three hundred an' fifty bucks I'd put in. I ain't much good, but I can cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How'd that be?"
   Xeph half-closed his eyes. "I gotta think about that. We was always gonna do it by ourselves."
   Lalna interrupted him, "I'd make a will an' leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, 'cause I ain't got no relatives nor nothing. You guys got any money? Maybe we could de her right now?"
   Xeph spat on the floor disgustedly. "We got ten bucks between us." Then he said thoughtfully, "Look, if me an' Honeydew work a month an' don't spen' nothing, we'll have a hundred bucks. That'd be four fifty. I bet we could swing her for that. Then you an' Honeydew could go get her started an' I'd get a job an' make up the res', an' you could sell eggs an' stuff like that."
   They fell into silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true. Xeph said reverently, "Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her." His eyes were full of wonder. "I bet we could swing her," he repeated softly.
   Lalna sat on the edge of his bunk. He scratched the stump of his wrist nervously. "I got hurt four years ago," he said. "They'll can me purty soon. Ju's as soon as I can't swamp out no bunk houses they'll put me on the country. Maybe if I give you guys my money, you'll let me hoe in the garden even after I ain't no good at it. An' i'll wash dishes an' little chicken stuff like that. But i'll be on our own place, an' i'll be let to work on our own place." He said miserably, "You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wish't somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no more jobs. I'll have thirty dollars more comin', time you guys is ready to quit."
   Xeph stood up. "We'll do her," he said. "We'll fix up that little old place an we'll go live there." He sat down again. They all sat still, all bemused by the beauty of the thing, each mind was popped into the future when this lovely thing should come about.
   Xeph said wonderingly, "S'pose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing." Old Lalna nodded in appreciation of the idea. "We'd just go to her," Xeph said. "We wouldn't ask nobody if we could. Jus' say, 'We'll go to her,' an' we would. Jus' mile the cow and sling some grain to the chickens an' go to her."
   "An' put some grass to the rabbits," Honeydew broke in. "I wouldn't never forget to feed them. When we gon'ta do it, Xeph?"
   "In one month. Right squack in one month. Know what i'm gon'ta do? I'm gon'ta write to them old people that owns the place that we'll take it. An' Lalna'll send a hundred dollars to bind her."
   "Sure will," said Lalna. "They got a good stove there?"
   "Sure, got a nice stove, burns coal or wood."
   "I'm gonna take my pup," said Honeydew. "I bet by Christ he likes it there, by Jesus."
   Voices were approaching from outside. Xeph said quickly, "Don't tell nobody about it. Jus' us three an' nobody else. They li'ble to can us we can't make no stake. Ju's go on like we was gonna buck barley the rest of our lived, then all of a sudden some day we'll get out pay an' scram outta here."
   Honeydew and Lalna nodded, and they were grinning with delight. "Don't tell nobody," Honeydew said to himself.
   Lalna said, "Xeph."
   "Huh?"
   "I ought to of shot that dog myself, Xeph. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog."
   The door opened. Strippin' came in, followed by Rythian and Martyn and Benjii. Strippin's' hands were black with tar and he was scowling. Rythian hung close to his elbow.
   Rythian said, "Well, I didn't mean nothing, Strippin'. I just ast you."
   Strippin' said, "Well, you been askin' me too often. I'm gettin' God damn sick of it. If you can't look after your own God damn wife, what you expect me to do about it? You lay offa me."
   "I'm jus' tryin' to tell you I didn't mean nothing," said Rythian. "I jus' thought you might of saw her."
    "Why'n't you tell her to stay the hell home where she belongs?" said Martyn. "You let her hang around bunk houses and pretty soon you're gonna have som'pin on your hands and you wont be able to do nothing about it."
   Rythian whirled on Martyn. "You keep outta this les' you wanta step outside."
   Martyn laughed. "You God dam punk," he said. "You tried to throw a scare into Strippin', an' you couldn't make it stick. Strippin' throwed a scare inta you. You're as yella as a frog belly. I don't care if you're the best welter in the country. You come for me, an' i'll kick your God damn head off."
   Lalna joined the attack with joy. "Glove fulla Vaseline," he said disgustedly. Rythian glared at him. His purple eyes slipped on past and lighted on Honeydew; an Honeydew was still smiling with delight at the memory of the ranch.
   Rythian stepped over to Honeydew like a terrier. "What the hell you laughin' at?"
   Honeydew looked blankly at him. "Huh?"
   Then Rythian's rage exploded. "Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I'll show ya who's yella."
   Honeydew looked helplessly at Xeph, and then he got up and tried to retreat. Rythian was balanced and poised. He slashed at Honeydew with his left, and then smashed down his nose with a right. Honeydew gave a cry of terror. Blood welled from his nose. "Xeph," he cried. "Make 'um let me alone, Xeph." He back until he was against the wall, and Rythian followed, slugging him in the face. Honeydew's hands remained at his sides; he was too frightened to defend himself.
   Xeph was on his feet yelling, "Get him, Honeydew. Don't let him do it."
   Honeydew covered his face with his huge paws and bleated with terror. He cried, "Make 'um stop, Xeph." Then Rythian attacked his stomach and cut off his wind.
   Strippin' jumped up. "The dirty little rat," he cried. "I'll get 'um myself."
   Xeph put out his hand and grabbed Strippin'. "Wait a minute," he shouted. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Get 'im, Honeydew!"
   Honeydew took his hands away form his face and looked about for Xeph, and Rythian slashed his eyes. The big face was covered with blood. Xeph yelled again, "I said get him."
   Rythian's fist was swinging when Honeydew reached for it. The next minute Rythian was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Honeydew's big hand. Xeph ran down the room. "Leggo of him, Honeydew. Let go."
   But Honeydew watched in terror the flopping little man whom he held. Blood ran down Honeydew's face, one of his eyes was cut and closed. Xeph slapped him in the face again and again, and still Honeydew held on to the closed fist. Rythian was white and shrunken by now, and his struggling had become weak. He stood crying, his fist lost in Honeydew's paw.
   Xeph shouted over and over, "Leggo his hand, Honeydew. Leggo. Strippin', come help me while the guy got any hand left."
   Suddenly Honeydew let go his hold. He crouched cowering against the wall. "You tol' me to, Xeph," he said miserably.
   Rythian sat down on the floor, looking in wonder at his crushed hand. Strippin' and Martyn bent over him. Then Strippin' straightened up and regarded Honeydew with horror. "We got to get him in to a doctor," he said. "Looks to me like ever' bone in his han' is bust."
   "I didn't wanta," Honeydew cried. "I didn't wanta hurt him."
   Strippin' said, "Martyn, you get the Lalna wagon hitched up. We'll take 'um into Soledad an' get 'um fixed up." Martyn hurried out. Strippin' turned to the whimpering Honeydew. "It ain't your fault," he said. "This punk sure had it comin' to him. But - Jesus! He ain't hardly got no han' left." Strippin' hurried out, and in a moment returned with a tin cup of water. He held it to Rythian's lips.
   Xeph said, "Strippin', will we get canned now? We need the stake. Will Rythian's old man can us now?"
   Strippin' smiled wryly. He knelt down beside Rythian. "You got your senses in hand enough to listen?" he asked. Rythian nodded. "Well, then, listen," Strippin' went on. "I think you got your han' caught in a machine. If you don't tell nobody what happened, we ain't going to. But you jus' tell an' try to get this guy canned and we'll tell ever'body, an' then will you get the laugh."
   "I won't tell," said Rythian. He avoided looking at Honeydew.
Buggy wheels sounded outside. Strippin' helped Rythian up. "Come on now. Martyn's gonna take you to the doctor." He helped Rythian out the door. The sound of wheels drew away. In a moment Strippin' came back into the bunk house. He looked at Honeydew, still crouching fearfully against the wall. "Let's see your hands," he asked.
   Honeydew stuck out his hands.
   "Christ awmighty, I hate to have you mad at me," Strippin' said.
   Xeph broke in, "Honeydew was jus' scairt," he explained. "He didn't know what to do. I told you nobody ought never to fight him. No, I guess it was Lalna I told."
   Lalna nodded solemnly. "That's jus' what you done," he said. "Right this morning when Rythian first lit intil your fren', you says, 'He better not fool with Honeydew is he knows what good for 'um.' That's jus' what you says to me."
   Xeph turned to Honeydew. "It ain't your fault," he said. "You don't need to be scairt no more. You done jus' what I tol' you to. Maybe you better go in the wash room an' clean up your face. You look like hell."
   Honeydew smiled with his bruised mouth. "I didn't want no trouble," he said. He walked toward the door, but just before he came to it, he turned back. "Xeph?"
   "What you want?"
   "I can still tend the rabbits, Xeph?"
   "Sure. You ain't done nothing wrong."
   "I di'n't mean no harm, Xeph."
   "Well, get the hell out and wash your face."

Description
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WARNING - This is a long piece and is something I decided to write while reading the original book the prepare for my English exam. It will be long and if you get bored you don't have to read all of it, I just thought of it because of a reference Lewis made to this book a while ago. I didn't originally write the book, obviously, so anything that sounds insulting or is disrespectful, I didn't write it, i'm just writing and changing from the original book. If you do want to read it, then hope you enjoy

Three
Although there was evening brightness showing through the windows of the bunk house, inside it was dusk. Through the open door came the thuds and occasional clangs of a horseshoe game, and now and then the sound of voices raised in approval or derision.
   Strippin' and Xeph came into the darkening bunk house together. Strippin' reached up over the card table and turned on the tin-shaded electric light. Instantly the table was brilliant with light, and the cone of the shade threw its brightness downwards, leaving the corners of the bunk house still in dusk. Strippin' sat down on a box and Xeph took his place opposite.
   "It wasn't nothing," said Strippin'. "I would of had to drowned most of 'em, anyways. No need to thank me about that."
   Xeph said, "It wasn't much to you, maybe, but it was a hell of a lot to him. Jesus Christ, I don't know how we're gonna get him to sleep in here. He'll want to sleep right out in the barn with 'em. We'll have trouble keepin' him from getting right in the box with them pups."
   "It wasn't nothing," Strippin' repeated. "Say, you sure was right about him. Maybe he ain't bright, but I never seen such a worker. He damn near killed his partners buckin' barley. There ain't nobody can keep up with him. God awmighty I never seen such a strong guy."
   Xeph spoke proudly. "Jus' tell Honeydew what to do an' he'll do it if it don't take no fighting. He can't think of nothing to do himself, but he sure can take orders."
   There was a clang of horseshoe on iron stake outside and a little cheer of voices.
   Strippin' moved back slightly so the light was not on his face. "Funny how you an' him string along together." It was Strippin's calm invasion to confidence.
   "What's so funny about it?" Xeph demanded defensively.
"Oh, I dunno. Hardly none of the guys ever travel together. I hardly never seen two guys travel together. You know how the hands are, they just come in and get their bunk and work a month, and then they quit and go out alone. Never seem to give a damn about nobody. It jus' seems kinda funny a cuckoo like him and a smart little guy like you travellin' together."
   "He ain't no cuckoo," said Xeph. "He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy. An' I ain't so bright neither, or I wouldn't be buckin' barley for my fifty and found. If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, I'd have my own little place, an' I'd be bringin' in my own crops, 'stead of doin' all the work and not getting what comes up outta the ground." Xeph fell silent. He wanted to talk. Strippin' neither encouraged nor discouraged him. He just sat back quiet and receptive.
   "It ain't so funny, him an' me goin' aroun' together," Xeph said at last. "Him and me was both born in Auburn. I knowed his Aunt 'Maida. She took him when he was a baby and raised him up. When his Aunt 'Madia died, Honeydew just came along with me out workin'. Got kinda used to each other after a little while."
   "Um," said Strippin'.
   Xeph looked over to Strippin' and saw the calm, Godlike eyes fastened on him. "Funny," said Xeph. "I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with 'im. Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself. But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on him. I had fun. Made me seem God damn smart alongside him. Why, he'd do a damn thing I tol' him. If I tol' him to walk over a cliff, over he'd go. That wasn't so damn much fun after a while. He never got mad about it, neither. I've beat the hell outta him, and he couda burst every bone in my body jus' with his han's, but he never lifted a finger against me." Xeph's voice was taking on the tone of confession. "Tell you what made me stop that. One day a bunch of guys was standin' around up on the Sacramento River. I was feelin' pretty smart. I turns to Honeydew and says, 'Jump in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get him. An' he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in. Well, I ain't done nothing like that no more."
   "He's a nice fella," said Strippin'. "Guy don't need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus' works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fella."
   Xeph stacked the scattered cards and began to lay out his solitaire hand. The shoes thudded on the ground outside. At the windows the light of the evening still made the window squares bright.
   "I ain't got no people," Xeph said. "I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean They get wantin' to fight all the time."
   "Yeah, they get mean," Strippin' agreed. "They get so they don't want to talk to nobody."
   "Course Honeydew's a God damn nuisance most of the time," said Xeph. "But you get used to goin' around with a guy an' you can't get rid of him."
   "He ain't mean," said Strippin'. "I can see Honeydew ain't a bit mean."
   "Course he's not mean. But he gets in trouble alla time because he's so God damn dumb. Lie what happened in Weed ..." He stopped, stopped in the middle of turning over a card. He looked alarmed and peered over at Strippin'. "You won't tell nobody."
   "What'd he do in Weed?" Strippin' asked calmly.
   "You wouldn't tell? - no, 'course you wouldn'."
   "What'd he do in Weed?" Strippin' asked again.
   "Well, he seen this girl in a red dress. Dumb bastard like he is, he wants to touch ever'thing he likes. Just wants to feel it. So he reaches out to feel this red dress an' the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Honeydew all mixed up, and he holds on 'cause that's the only thing he can think to do. Well, this girl squawks and squawks. I was jus' a little bit off, an I hear all the yellin', so I comes running, an' by that time Honeydew's so scared all he can think to do is jus' hold on. I socked him over the head with a fence picket to make him let go. He was so scairt he couldn't let go of that dress. And he's so God damn strong, you know."
   Strippin's eyes were level and unwinking. He nodded very slowly. "So what happens?"
   Xeph built his line of solitaire cards. "Well, that girl rabbits in an' tells the law she been raped. The guys in Weed start a party out to lynch Honeydew. So we sit in a irrigation ditch under the water all the rest of that day. Got on'y our heads sticking outa water, an' up and under the grass that sticks out from the side of the ditch. An' that night we scrammed outa there."
   Strippin' sat in silence for a moment. "Didn't hurt the girl none, huh?" he asked finally.
   "Hell, no. He just scared her. I'd be scared too if he grabbed me. But he never hurt her. He jus' wanted to touch that red dress, like he wants to pet them pups all the time."
   "He ain't mean," said Strippin'. "I can tell a mean guy a mile off."
   "'Course he ain't, and he'll do any damn thing I ..."
   Honeydew came in through the door. He wore his blue denim coat over his shoulders like a cape, and he walked hunched way over.
   "Hi, Honeydew," said Xeph. "How do you like the pup now?"
   Honeydew said breathlessly, "He's brown an' white jus' like I wanted." He went directly to his bunk and lay down and turned his face to the wall and drew up his knees.
   Xeph put down his cards very deliberately. "Honeydew," he said sharply.
   "Huh? What you want, Xeph?"
   "I tol' you you couldn't bring that pup in here."
   "What pup, Xeph? I ain't got no pup."
   Xeph went quickly to him, grabbed him by the shoulder and rolled him over. He reached down and picked the tiny puppy from where Honeydew had been concealing it against his stomach.
   Honeydew sat up quickly. "Give 'um to me, Xeph."
   Xeph said, "You get right up an' take this pup back to the nest. He's gotta sleep with his mother. You want to kill him? Just born last night an' you take him out of the nest. You take him back or I'll tell Strippin' not to let you have him."
   Honeydew held out his hands pleadingly. "Give 'um to me, Xeph. I'll take 'um back. I didn't mean no harm, Xeph. Honest I didn't. I jus' wanted to pet 'um a little."
   Xeph handed the pup to him. "Awright. You get him back there quick, and don't you take him out no more. You'll kill him, the first thing you know." Honeydew fairly scuttled out of the room.
   Strippin' had not moved. His calm eyes followed Honeydew out the door. "Jesus," he said. "He's jes' like a kid, ain't he?"
   "Sure he's jus' like a kid. There ain't no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he's strong. I bet he won't come in here to sleep tonight. He'd sleep right alongside that box in the barn. Well - let 'im. He ain't doin' no harm out there."
   It was almost dark outside now. Old Lana, the scienter, came in and went to his bunk, behind him struggled his old dog. "Hello, Strippin'. Hello, Xeph. Didn't neither of you play horseshoes?"
   "I don't like to play ever' night," said Strippin'.
   Lalna went on, "Either you guys got a slug of whisky? I gotta gut ache."
   "I ain't," said Strippin'. "I'd drink it myself if I had, an' I ain't got a gut ache neither."
   "Gotta bad gut ache," said Lalna. "Them God damn turnips give it to me. I knowed they was going to before I even eat 'em."
   The blonde haired Martyn came in out of the darkening yard. He walked to the other end of the bunkhouse and turned on the second shaded light. "Darker'n'hell in here," he said. "Jesus, how that nigger can pitch shoes."
   "He's plenty good," said Strippin'.
   "Damn right he is," said Martyn. "He don't give nobody else a chance to win ..." He stopped and sniffed the air, and still sniffing, looked down at the old dog. "God awmighty that dog stinks. Get him outta here, Lalna! I don't know nothing that stinks so bad as an old dog. You gotta get him out."
   Lalna rolled to the edge of his bunk. He reached over and patted the ancient dog, and he apologised, "I been around him so much I never notice how he stinks."
   "Well, I can't stand him in here," said Martyn. "That stink hangs around even after he's gone." He walked over with his blonde fringe flopping around and looked down at the dog. "Got no teeth," he said. "He's all stiff with rheumatism. He ain't no good to you, Lalna. An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Lalna?"
   The old scientist squirmed uncomfortably. "Well - hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him." He said proudly, "You wouldn't think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen."
   Xeph said, "I seen a guy in Weed that had an Airedale could herd sheep. learned it from the other dogs."
   Martyn was not to be put off. "Look, Lalna. This ol' dog jus' suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head" - he leaned over and pointed - "right there, why he'd never know what hit him."
   Lalna looked about unhappily. "No," he said softly. "No, I couldn't do that. I had 'im too long."
   "He don't have no fun," Martyn insisted. "And he stinks to beat hell. Tell you what. I'll shoot him for you. Then it won't be you that does it."
   Lalna threw his legs off his bunk. He scratched the goatee on his chin nervously. "I'm so used to him," he said softly. "I had him form a pup."
   "Well, you ain't bein' kind to him keepin' him alive," said Martyn. "Look, Strippin's bitch got a little right now. I bet Strippin' would give you one of them pups to raise up, wouldn't you, Strippin'?"
   The skinner had been studying the old dog with his calm eyes. "Yeah," he said. "You can have a pup if you want to." He seemed to shake himself free for speech. "Mart's right, Lalna. That dog ain't no good to himself. I wish't somebody'd shoot me if I get old an' a cripple."
   Lalna looked helplessly at him, for Strippin's opinions were law. "Maybe it'd hurt him," he suggested. "I don't mind takin' care of him."
   Martyn said, "The way I'd shoot him, he wouldn't feel nothing. I'd put the gun right there." He pointed with his toe. "Right back of the head. He wouldn't even quiver."
   Lalna looked for help from face to face. It was quite dark outside now. A young labouring man came in. His sloping shoulders were bent forward and he walked heavily on his heals, as though he carried the invisible grain bag. He went to his bunk and put his hat on his shelf. Then he picked a pulp magazine from his shelf and brought it to the light over the table. "Did I show you this, Strippin'?" he asked.
   "Show me what?"
   The young man turned to the back of the magazine, put it down on the table and pointed with his finger. "Right there, read that." Strippin' bent over it. "Go on," said the young man. "Read it out loud."
   "'Dear Editor.'" Strippin' read slowly. "'I read your mag for six years and I think it is the best on the market. I like stories by Ridge Dog. I think he is whing-ding. Give us more than Dark Rider. I don't write many letters. Just thought I would tell you I think your mag is the best dime's worth I ever spent'"
   Strippin' looked up questioningly. "What you want me to read that for?"
   Benjii said: "Go on. Read the name at the bottom."
   Strippin' read, "'Yours for success, Nilesy Tenner.'" He glanced up at Benjii again. "What you want me to read that for?"
   Benjii closed the magazine impressively. "Don't you remember Nilesy Tenner? Worked here about three months ago."
   Strippin' thought ... Little guy?" he asked. "Drove a cultivator?"
   "That's him," Benjii cried. "That's the guy!"
   "You think he's the guy wrote this letter?"
   "I know it. Niles and me was in here one day. Niles had one of them books that just come. He was lookin' in it and he says: 'I wrote a letter. Wonder if they put it in the book!' But it wasn't there. Niles says, 'Maybe they're savin' it for later.' An' that's just what they done. There it is."
   "Guess you're right," said Strippin'. "Got it right in the book."
   Xeph held out his hand for the magazine. "Let's look at it?"
   Benjii found the place again, but he did not surrender his hold on it. He pointed out the letter with his forefinger. And then he went to his bookshelf and laid the magazine carefully in. "I wonder if Niles seen it," he said. "Niles and me worked in that patch of field peas. Run cultivators, both of us. Niles was a hell of a nice fella."
   During the conversation Martyn had refused to be drawn in. He continued to look down at the old dog. Lalna watched him uneasily. At last Martyn said, "If you want em to, i'll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with. Ain't nothing left for him. Can't eat, can't see, cant even walk without hurtin'."
   Lalna said hopefully, "You ain't got no gun."
   "The hell I ain't. Got a Luger. It won't hurt him none at all."
   Lalna said, "Maybe Tomorra. Le's wait till Tomorra."
   "I don't see no reason for it," said Martyn. He went to his bunk, pulled his bag from underneath it, and took out a Luger pistol. "Le's get it over with," he said. "We can't sleep with him stinkin' around in here." He put the pistol in his hip pocket.
   Lalna looked a long time at Strippin' to try to find some reversal. And Strippin' gave him none. At last Lalna said softly and hopelessly, "Awright - take 'im." He did not look down at the dog at all. He lay back on his bunk and crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling.
   From his pocket Martyn took a little leather thong. He stooped over and tied it around the dog's neck. All the men except Lalna watched him. "Come, boy. Come on, boy," he said gently. And he said apologetically to Laln, "He won't even feel it." Lalna did not move nor answer him. He twitched the thong. "Come on, boy." The old dog got slowly and stiffly to his feet and followed the gently pulling leash.
   Strippin' said, "Martyn."
   "Yeah?"
   "You know what to do?"
   "What ya mean, strippin'?"
   "Take a shovel," said Strippin' shortly.
   "Oh, sure! I got you." He led the dog out into the darkness.
   Xeph followed tot he door and shut the door and set the latch down gently in its place. Lalna lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceiling.
   Strippin' said loudly, "One of my lead mules got a bad hoof. Got to get some tar on it." His voice trailed off. It was silent outside. Martyn's footsteps died away. The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted.
   Xeph chuckled, "I bet Honeydew's right out there in the barn with his pup. He won't want to come in here no more now he's got a pup."
   Strippin' said, "Lalna, you can have any one o them pups you want."
   Lalna didn't answer. The silence fell on the room again. It came out of the night and invaded the room. Xeph aid, "Anybody like to play a little euchre?"
   "I'll play out a few with you," said Benjii.
   They took places opposite each other at the table under the light, but Xeph did not shuffle the cards. He rippled the edge of the deck nervously, and the little snapping noise drew the eyes of all men in the room, so that he stopped doing it. The silence fell on the room again. A minute passed, and another minute. Lalna lay still, staring at the ceiling. Strippin' gazed at him for a moment and then looked down at his hands; he subdued one hand with the other, and held it down. There came a little gnawing sound form under the floor and all the men looked down toward it gratefully. Only Lalna continued staring at the ceiling.
    "Sounds like there was a rat under there," said Xeph. "We ought to geta trap down there."
   Benjii broke out, "What the hell' takin' him so long? Lay out some cards. why don't you? We ain't going to get no euchre played this way."
   Xeph brought the cards together tightly and studied the backs of them. The silence was in the room again.
   A shot sounded in the distance. The men looked quickly to the old man. Every head turned toward him.
   For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent.
   Xeph shuffled the card noisily and dealt them. Benjii drew a scoring board to him and set the pegs to start. Benjii said, "I guess you guys really came here to work."
   "How do ya mean?" Xeph asked.
   Benjii laughed. "Well, ya come on a Friday. You got two days to work till Sunday."
   "I don't see how you figure," said Xeph.
   Benjii laughed again. "u do if you been around these big ranches much. Guy that wants to look over a ranch comes in Sat'day afternoon. He gets Sat'day night supper an' three meals on Sunday, and he can quit Monday mornin' after breakfast without turning his hand. But you come to work Friday noon. You got to put in a day an' a half no matter how you figure."
   Xeph looked at him levelly. "We're gonna stick aroun' a while," he said. "Me an' Honeydew's gonna roll up a stake."
   The door opened quietly and the stable buck put in his head, a lean negro head, lined with pain, the eyes patient and one covered with an eyepatch. "Mr Strippin'."
   Strippin' took his eyes from old Lalna. "Huh? Oh! Hello, Panda. What's a matter?"
   "You told me to warm up tar for that mule's foot. I got it warm."
   "Oh! Sure, panda. I'll come right out an' put it on."
   "I can do it if you want, Mr Strippin'."
   "No,. I'll come do it myself." He stood up.
   Panda said, "Mr Strippin'."
   "Yeah."
   "That big new guy's messin' around your pups out in the barn."
   "Well, he ain't doin' no harm. I give him one of them pups."
   "Just thought I'd tell ya," said Panda. "He's takin' 'em outta the nest and handlin' them. That won't do them no good."
   "He won't hurt 'em," said Strippin'. "I'll come along with you now."
   Xeph looked up. "If that crazy bastard's foolin' around too much, jus' kick him out, Strippin'."
   Strippin' followed the stable buck out of the room.
   Xeph dealt and Benjii picked up his cards and examined them. "Seen the new kid yet?" he asked.
   "What kid?" Xeph asked.
   "Why, Rythian's new wife."
   "Yeah, I see her."
   "Well, ain't she a looloo?"
   "I ain't seen that much of her," said Xeph.
   Benjii laid down his cards impressively. "Well, stick around an' keep your eyes open. You'll see plenty. She ain't concealin' nothing. I never seen nobody like her. She got the eye goin' all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck eye. I don't know what the hell she wants."
   Xeph asked casually, "Benn any trouble since she got here?"
   It was obvious that Benjii was not interested in his cards. He laid his hand down and Xeph scooped it in. Xeph laid out his deliberate hand - seven cards, and six on top, and five on top of those.
   Benjii said, "I see what you mean. No, they ain't been nothing yet. Rythian's got yella-jackets in his drawers, but that's all so far. Ever' time the guys is around she shows up. She's lookin' for Rythian, or she thought she lef' somethin' layin' around and she's lookin' for it. Seems like she can't keep away from guys. An' Rythian's pants is just crawlin' with ants, but they ain't nothing come of it yet."
   Xeph said, "She's gonna make a mess. They're gonna be a bad mess about her. She's a jail bait all set on the trigger. That Rythian got his work cut out for him. Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain't no place for a girl, specially like her."
   Benjii said, "If you got idears, you ought to come in town with us guys Tomorra night."
   "Why? What's doin'?"
   "Jus' the usual thing. We go in to old Kim's place. Hell of a nice place. Old Kim's a laugh - always crackin' jokes. Like she says when we come up on the front porch las' Sat'day night. Kim opens the door and then she yells over her shoulder, 'Get your coats on, girls, here comes the sheriff.' She never talks dirty, neither. Got five girls there."
   "What's it set you back?" Xeph asked.
   "Two an' a half. You can get a shot for two bits. Kim got nice chairs to set in, too. If a guy don't want a flop, why he can just set in the chairs and have a couple or three shots and pass the time of day and Kim don't give a damn. She ain't rushin' guys through and kickin' 'em out if they don't want a flop."
   "Might go in and look the joint over," said Xeph.
   "Sure. Come along. Its a hell of a lot of fun - her crackin' jokes all the time. Like she says one time, she says, 'I've knew people that if they got a rag rug on the floor an' a kewpie doll lamp on the phonograph, they think they're running a parlor house.' That's Clara's house she's talkin' about. An' Kim says, 'I know what my boys want,' she says. 'My girls is clean,' she says, 'An' there ain't no water in my whiskey,' she says. 'If any you guys wanta look at a kewpie doll lamp an' take your own chance gettin' burned, why you know where to go." An' she says: 'There's guys around here walkin' bow-legged 'cause they like to look at a kewpie doll lamp.'"
   Xeph asked, "Clara runs the other house, huh?"
   "Yeah," said Benjii. "We don't never go there. Clara gets three bucks a crack and thirty-five cents a shot, and she don't crack no jokes. But Kim's place is clean and she got nice chairs. Don't let no goo-goos in, neither."
   "Me an' Honeydew rollin' up a stake," said Xeph. "I might go in an' set and have a shot, but I ain't puttin' out no two and a half."
   "Well, a guy got to have some fun sometimes," said Benjii.
   The door slammed open and Honeydew and Martyn came in together. Honeydew crept to his bunk and sat down, trying not to attract attention. Martyn reached under his bunk and brought out his bag. He didn't look at old Lalna, who still faced the wall. Martyn found a little cleaning rod in the bag and a can of oil. He laid them on his bed and then brought out the pistol, took out the magazine and snapped the loaded shell from the chamber. Then he fell to cleaning the barrel with the little rod. When the ejector snapped, Lalna turned over and looked for a moment at the gun before he turned back to the wall again.
   Martyn said casually, "Rythian been in yet?"
   "No," said Benjii. "What's eatin' on Rythian?"
   Martyn squinted down the barrel of his gun. "Lookin' for his old lady. I seen him going round and round outside."
   Benjii said sarcastically, "He spends half his time lookin' for her, and the rest of the time she's lookin' for him."
   Rythian burst into the room excitedly. "Any you guys seen my wife?" he demanded.
   "She ain't been here," said Benjii.
   Rythian looked threateningly about the room. "Where's the hell's Strippin'?"
   "Went out in the barn," said Xeph. "He was gonna put some tar on a split hoof."
   Rythian's shoulders dropped and squared. "How long ago'd he go?"
   "Five - ten minutes."
   Rythian jumped out the door and banged it after him.
   Benjii stood up. "I guess maybe I'd like to see this," he said. "Rythian's just spoilin' or he wouldn't start for Strippin'. An' Rythian's handy, God damn handy. Got in the finals for the Golden Gloves. He got newspaper clippings about it." He considered. "But jus' the same, he better leave Strippin' alone. Nobody knows what Strippin' can do."
   "Thinks Strippin's with his wife, don't he?" said Xeph.
   "Looks like it," Benjii said. "'Course Strippin' ain't. Least I don't think Strippin' is. But I like to see the fuss if it comes off. Come on, let's go."
   Xeph said, "I'm stayin' right here. I don't want to get mixed up in nothing. Honeydew and me got to make a stake."
   Martyn finished the cleaning of the gun and put it in the bag and pushed the bag under his bunk. "I guess i'll go out and look her over," he said. Old Lalna lay still, and Honeydew, form his bunk, watched Xeph cautiously.
   When Benjii and Martyn were gone and the door closed after them, Xeph turned to Honeydew. "What you got on your mind?"
   "I ain't done nothing, Xeph. Strippin' says I better not pet them pups so much for a while. Strippin' says it ain't good for them; so I come right in. I been good, Xeph."
   "I coulda told you that," said Xeph.
   "Well, I wasn't hurtin' 'em none. I jus' had mine in my lap pettin' it."
   Xeph asked, "Did you see Strippin' out in the barn?"
   "Sure I did. He tol' me I better not pet that pup no more."
   "Did you see that girl?"
   "You mean Rythian's girl?"
   "Yeah. Did she come in the barn?"
   "No. Anyways I never seen her."
   "You never seen Strippin' talkin' to her?"
   "Uh-uh. She ain't been in the barn."
   "Ok," said Xeph. "I guess them guys ain't gonna see no fight. If there's any fightin', Honeydew, you keep out of it."
   "I don't want no fights," said Honeydew. He got up from his bunk and sat down at the table, across from Xeph. Almost automatically Xeph shuffled the cards and laid out his solitaire hand. He used a deliberate, thoughtful slowness.
   Honeydew reached for a face card and studied it, then turned it upside down and studied it. "Both ends the same," he said. "Xeph, why is it both end's the same?"
   "I don't know," said Xeph. "That's jus' the way they make 'em. What was Strippin' doin' in the barn when you seen him?"
   "Strippin'?"
   "Sure. You seen him in the barn, an' he tol' you not to et the pups so much."
   "Oh, yeah. He had a can a' tar an' a paint brush. I don't know what for."
   "You sure that girl didn't come in like she came in here today?"
   "No. She never come."
   Xeph sighed. "You give me a good whore house every time," he said. "A guy can go in an' get drunk and get ever'thing outa his system all at once, an' no messes. And he knows how much it's gonna set him back. These here jail baits is just set on the trigger of the hoosegow."
   Honeydew followed his words admiringly, and moved his lips a little to keep up. Xeph continued, "You remember Dan Bull, Honeydew? Went to grammar school?"
   "The one that his old lady used to make hot cakes for the kids?" Honeydew asked.
   "Yeah. That's the one. You can remember anything if there's anything to eat in it." Xeph looked carefully at the solitaire hand. He placed an ace up on his scoring rack and piled a two, three and four of diamonds on it. "Dan's in San Quentin right now on an account of a tart," said Xeph.
   Honeydew drummed on the table with his fingers. "Xeph?"
   "Huh?"
   "Xeph, how long's it gonna be till we get that little place an' live on the fatta the lan' - an' rabbits?"
   "I don't know," said Xeph. "We gotta get a big stake together. I know a little place we can get cheap, but they ain't givin' it away."
   Old Lalna turned slowly over. His eyes wide open. He watched Xeph carefully.
   Honeydew said, "Tell about that place, Xeph."
   "I jus' tol' you, jus' las' night."
   "Go on - tell again, Xeph."
   "Well, it's ten acres," said Xeph. "Got a little win'mill. Got a little shack on it, an' a chicken run. Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, apples, peaches, 'cots, nuts, got a few berries. They's a place for alfalfa and plenty of water to flood it. They's a pig-pen ..."
   "An' rabbits, Xeph."
   "No place for rabbits now, but I could easy build a few hutches and you could feed alfalfa to the rabbits."
   "Damn right, I could," said Honeydew. "You God damn right I could."
   Xeph's hands stopped working with the cards. His voice was growing warmer. "An' we could have a few pigs. I could build a smoke house like the one gran'pa had, an' when we kill a pig we can smoke the bacon and the hams, and make sausage an' all like that. An' when the salmon run up river we could catch a hundred of 'em an' salt 'em down or smoke 'em. We could have them for breakfast. They ain't nothing so nice as smoked salmon. When the fruit come in we could can it - and tomatoes, they're easy to can. Ever' Sunday we'd kill a chicken or a rabbit. Maybe, we'd have a cow or a goat, and the cream is so God damn thick you got to cut it with a knife and take it out with a spoon."
   Honeydew watched him with wide eyes, and old Lalna watched him too. Honeydew said softly, "We could live offa the fatta the lan'."
   "Sure," said Xeph. "All kin's of vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. We'd jus' live there. We'd belong there. There wouldn't be no more runnin' round the country and gettin' fed by a Jap cook. No, sire, we'd have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house."
   "Tell about the house, Xeph," Honeydew begged.
   "Sure, we'd have a little house an' a room to ourself. Little fat iron stove, an' in the winter we'd keep a fire goin' in it. It ain't enough land so we'd have to work too hard. Maybe six, seven hours a day. An' when we put in a crop, why, we'd be there to take the crop up. We'd know what come of our planting."
   "An' rabbits," Honeydew said eagerly. "An' I'd take care of 'em. Tell how I'd do that, Xeph."
   "Sure, you'd go out in the alfalfa patch an' you'd have a sack. You'd fill up the sack and bring it in an' put in the rabbit cages."
   "They'd nibble an' they'd nibble," said Honeydew, "The way they do. I seen 'em."
   "Ever' six weeks or so," Xeph continued, "them does would throw a little, so we'd have plenty rabbits to eat an' to sell. An' we'd keep a few pigeons to go flyin' around the win'mill like they done when I was a kid." He looked raptly at the wall over Honeydew's head. "An' it'd be our own, an' nobody could can us. If we don't like a guy we can say, 'Get the hell out,' and by God he's got to do it. An' if a fren' came along, why we'd have an extra bunk, an' we'd say, 'Why don't you spen' the night?' an' by God he would. We'd have a setter dog and a couple stripe cats, but you gotta watch out them cats don't get the little rabbits."
   Honeydew breathed hard. "You jus' let 'em try to get the rabbits. I'll break their God damn necks. I'll smash 'em with a stick." He subsided, grumbling to himself, threatening the future cats which might dare to disturb the future rabbits.
   Xeph sat entranced with his own picture.
   When Lalna spoke they both jumped as though they had been caught doing something reprehensible. Lalna said, "You know where's a place like that?"
   Xeph was on guard immediately. "S'pose I do," he said. "What's that to you?"
   "You don't need to tell me where it's at. Might be any place."
   "Sure," said Xeph. "That's right. You couldn't find it in a hundred years."
   Lalna went on excitedly, "How much they want for a place like that?"
   Xeph watched him suspiciously. "Well - I could get it for six hundred bucks. The ol' people that owns it is flat bust an' the ol' lady needs an operation. Say - what's it to you? You got nothing to do with us."
   Lalna said, "I ain't much good with o'ny one hand. I lost my hand right here on this ranch. That's why they give em a job scientin'. An' they give me two hundred an' fifty dollars 'cause I los' my hand. An' I got fifty more saved up right in the bank, right now. That's three hundred, and I got fifty more comin' the end a the month. Tell you what ...," He leaned forward eagerly. "S'pose I went in with you guys. Tha's three hundred an' fifty bucks I'd put in. I ain't much good, but I can cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How'd that be?"
   Xeph half-closed his eyes. "I gotta think about that. We was always gonna do it by ourselves."
   Lalna interrupted him, "I'd make a will an' leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, 'cause I ain't got no relatives nor nothing. You guys got any money? Maybe we could de her right now?"
   Xeph spat on the floor disgustedly. "We got ten bucks between us." Then he said thoughtfully, "Look, if me an' Honeydew work a month an' don't spen' nothing, we'll have a hundred bucks. That'd be four fifty. I bet we could swing her for that. Then you an' Honeydew could go get her started an' I'd get a job an' make up the res', an' you could sell eggs an' stuff like that."
   They fell into silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true. Xeph said reverently, "Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her." His eyes were full of wonder. "I bet we could swing her," he repeated softly.
   Lalna sat on the edge of his bunk. He scratched the stump of his wrist nervously. "I got hurt four years ago," he said. "They'll can me purty soon. Ju's as soon as I can't swamp out no bunk houses they'll put me on the country. Maybe if I give you guys my money, you'll let me hoe in the garden even after I ain't no good at it. An' i'll wash dishes an' little chicken stuff like that. But i'll be on our own place, an' i'll be let to work on our own place." He said miserably, "You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wish't somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no more jobs. I'll have thirty dollars more comin', time you guys is ready to quit."
   Xeph stood up. "We'll do her," he said. "We'll fix up that little old place an we'll go live there." He sat down again. They all sat still, all bemused by the beauty of the thing, each mind was popped into the future when this lovely thing should come about.
   Xeph said wonderingly, "S'pose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing." Old Lalna nodded in appreciation of the idea. "We'd just go to her," Xeph said. "We wouldn't ask nobody if we could. Jus' say, 'We'll go to her,' an' we would. Jus' mile the cow and sling some grain to the chickens an' go to her."
   "An' put some grass to the rabbits," Honeydew broke in. "I wouldn't never forget to feed them. When we gon'ta do it, Xeph?"
   "In one month. Right squack in one month. Know what i'm gon'ta do? I'm gon'ta write to them old people that owns the place that we'll take it. An' Lalna'll send a hundred dollars to bind her."
   "Sure will," said Lalna. "They got a good stove there?"
   "Sure, got a nice stove, burns coal or wood."
   "I'm gonna take my pup," said Honeydew. "I bet by Christ he likes it there, by Jesus."
   Voices were approaching from outside. Xeph said quickly, "Don't tell nobody about it. Jus' us three an' nobody else. They li'ble to can us we can't make no stake. Ju's go on like we was gonna buck barley the rest of our lived, then all of a sudden some day we'll get out pay an' scram outta here."
   Honeydew and Lalna nodded, and they were grinning with delight. "Don't tell nobody," Honeydew said to himself.
   Lalna said, "Xeph."
   "Huh?"
   "I ought to of shot that dog myself, Xeph. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog."
   The door opened. Strippin' came in, followed by Rythian and Martyn and Benjii. Strippin's' hands were black with tar and he was scowling. Rythian hung close to his elbow.
   Rythian said, "Well, I didn't mean nothing, Strippin'. I just ast you."
   Strippin' said, "Well, you been askin' me too often. I'm gettin' God damn sick of it. If you can't look after your own God damn wife, what you expect me to do about it? You lay offa me."
   "I'm jus' tryin' to tell you I didn't mean nothing," said Rythian. "I jus' thought you might of saw her."
    "Why'n't you tell her to stay the hell home where she belongs?" said Martyn. "You let her hang around bunk houses and pretty soon you're gonna have som'pin on your hands and you wont be able to do nothing about it."
   Rythian whirled on Martyn. "You keep outta this les' you wanta step outside."
   Martyn laughed. "You God dam punk," he said. "You tried to throw a scare into Strippin', an' you couldn't make it stick. Strippin' throwed a scare inta you. You're as yella as a frog belly. I don't care if you're the best welter in the country. You come for me, an' i'll kick your God damn head off."
   Lalna joined the attack with joy. "Glove fulla Vaseline," he said disgustedly. Rythian glared at him. His purple eyes slipped on past and lighted on Honeydew; an Honeydew was still smiling with delight at the memory of the ranch.
   Rythian stepped over to Honeydew like a terrier. "What the hell you laughin' at?"
   Honeydew looked blankly at him. "Huh?"
   Then Rythian's rage exploded. "Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I'll show ya who's yella."
   Honeydew looked helplessly at Xeph, and then he got up and tried to retreat. Rythian was balanced and poised. He slashed at Honeydew with his left, and then smashed down his nose with a right. Honeydew gave a cry of terror. Blood welled from his nose. "Xeph," he cried. "Make 'um let me alone, Xeph." He back until he was against the wall, and Rythian followed, slugging him in the face. Honeydew's hands remained at his sides; he was too frightened to defend himself.
   Xeph was on his feet yelling, "Get him, Honeydew. Don't let him do it."
   Honeydew covered his face with his huge paws and bleated with terror. He cried, "Make 'um stop, Xeph." Then Rythian attacked his stomach and cut off his wind.
   Strippin' jumped up. "The dirty little rat," he cried. "I'll get 'um myself."
   Xeph put out his hand and grabbed Strippin'. "Wait a minute," he shouted. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Get 'im, Honeydew!"
   Honeydew took his hands away form his face and looked about for Xeph, and Rythian slashed his eyes. The big face was covered with blood. Xeph yelled again, "I said get him."
   Rythian's fist was swinging when Honeydew reached for it. The next minute Rythian was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Honeydew's big hand. Xeph ran down the room. "Leggo of him, Honeydew. Let go."
   But Honeydew watched in terror the flopping little man whom he held. Blood ran down Honeydew's face, one of his eyes was cut and closed. Xeph slapped him in the face again and again, and still Honeydew held on to the closed fist. Rythian was white and shrunken by now, and his struggling had become weak. He stood crying, his fist lost in Honeydew's paw.
   Xeph shouted over and over, "Leggo his hand, Honeydew. Leggo. Strippin', come help me while the guy got any hand left."
   Suddenly Honeydew let go his hold. He crouched cowering against the wall. "You tol' me to, Xeph," he said miserably.
   Rythian sat down on the floor, looking in wonder at his crushed hand. Strippin' and Martyn bent over him. Then Strippin' straightened up and regarded Honeydew with horror. "We got to get him in to a doctor," he said. "Looks to me like ever' bone in his han' is bust."
   "I didn't wanta," Honeydew cried. "I didn't wanta hurt him."
   Strippin' said, "Martyn, you get the Lalna wagon hitched up. We'll take 'um into Soledad an' get 'um fixed up." Martyn hurried out. Strippin' turned to the whimpering Honeydew. "It ain't your fault," he said. "This punk sure had it comin' to him. But - Jesus! He ain't hardly got no han' left." Strippin' hurried out, and in a moment returned with a tin cup of water. He held it to Rythian's lips.
   Xeph said, "Strippin', will we get canned now? We need the stake. Will Rythian's old man can us now?"
   Strippin' smiled wryly. He knelt down beside Rythian. "You got your senses in hand enough to listen?" he asked. Rythian nodded. "Well, then, listen," Strippin' went on. "I think you got your han' caught in a machine. If you don't tell nobody what happened, we ain't going to. But you jus' tell an' try to get this guy canned and we'll tell ever'body, an' then will you get the laugh."
   "I won't tell," said Rythian. He avoided looking at Honeydew.
Buggy wheels sounded outside. Strippin' helped Rythian up. "Come on now. Martyn's gonna take you to the doctor." He helped Rythian out the door. The sound of wheels drew away. In a moment Strippin' came back into the bunk house. He looked at Honeydew, still crouching fearfully against the wall. "Let's see your hands," he asked.
   Honeydew stuck out his hands.
   "Christ awmighty, I hate to have you mad at me," Strippin' said.
   Xeph broke in, "Honeydew was jus' scairt," he explained. "He didn't know what to do. I told you nobody ought never to fight him. No, I guess it was Lalna I told."
   Lalna nodded solemnly. "That's jus' what you done," he said. "Right this morning when Rythian first lit intil your fren', you says, 'He better not fool with Honeydew is he knows what good for 'um.' That's jus' what you says to me."
   Xeph turned to Honeydew. "It ain't your fault," he said. "You don't need to be scairt no more. You done jus' what I tol' you to. Maybe you better go in the wash room an' clean up your face. You look like hell."
   Honeydew smiled with his bruised mouth. "I didn't want no trouble," he said. He walked toward the door, but just before he came to it, he turned back. "Xeph?"
   "What you want?"
   "I can still tend the rabbits, Xeph?"
   "Sure. You ain't done nothing wrong."
   "I di'n't mean no harm, Xeph."
   "Well, get the hell out and wash your face."