И проиграли бой

           "Well,no,itain’tclear."

           "Andwhoareyourneighbors?"Macaskedquickly."I’lltellyouwhotheyare:Hunter,Gillray,Martin.Whoholdsyourpaper?TorgasFinanceCompany.WhoownsTorgasFinanceCompany?Hunter,Gillray,Martin.Havetheybeensqueezingyou?YouknowGoddamnwelltheyhave.Howlongyougoingtolast?Maybeoneyear;andthenTorgasFinancetakesyourplace.Isthatstraight?Nowsupposeyougotacropoutwithnolaborcharges;supposeyousolditonarisingmarket?Couldyouclearoutyourpaper?"

           Anderson’seyeswerebrightandbeady.Twolittlespotsofangerwereonhischeeks.Hishandscreptundertheedgeofthetableandhid.Foramomentheseemednottobreathe.Atlasthesaidsoftly,"Youdidn’tlay’emdown,fellow,youplayed’em.IfIcouldgetclear—ifIcouldgetaknifein——"

           "We’llgiveyoutworegimentsofmentogetyourknifein."

           "Yeah,butmyneighbors’drunmeout."

           "Ohnotheywon’t.Iftheytouchyouoryourplacewewon’tleaveabarnstandingintheValley."

           Anderson’sleanoldjawwassethard."Whatyougettingoutofit?"

           Macgrinned."Icouldtellyoutheotherstuffstraight.Idon’tknowwhetheryou’dbelievetheanswertothatoneornot.Mean’Jimheregetasockinthepussnowandthen.Wegetsixtydaysforvagrancyprettyoften."

           "You’reoneofthosereds?"

           "Youwin;we’rereds,asyoucallthem."

           "Andwhatdoyoufiguretodowithyourstrike?"