И проиграли бой

           The‘super’steppedcloser,pressinghisadvantage."Don’tbeafool,London.YouknowaswellasIdowhatthevagrancylawsare.Youknowvagrancy’sanythingthejudgedoesn’twantyoutodo.Andifyoudon’tknowit,thejudgehere’snamedHunter.Comeon,now,London.Bringthemenbacktowork.It’sasteadyjobforyou,fivedollarsaday."

           London’seyesfellaway.HelookedatMac,askingmutelyforinstructions.Macletthesilencehang.

           "Well,comeon,London.Howaboutit?Yourredpalsherecan’thelpyou,andyouknowitdamnwell."

           Jim,ontheoutskirts,wasshivering.Hiseyeswerewideandquiet.MacwatchedLondonandsawwhatthe‘super’didnotsee,theshouldersgraduallysettlingandwidening,thebig,muscledneckdroppingdownbetweentheshoulders,thearmshookingslowlyup,theeyestakingonadangerousgleam,aflushstealinguptheneckandoutonthecheeks.

           SuddenlyMaccriedsharply,"London!"Londonjerked,andthenrelaxedalittle.Macsaidquietly,"Iknowawayout,London.Whilethisgentishere,let’sholdameetin’ofallthemen.Let’stelltheguyswhatwe’vebeenofferedtosell’emout.We’lltakeavoteonwhetheryougetthatfivedollarjoband—then—we’lltrytokeeptheguysfromlynchin’thisgenthere."

           The‘super’turnedredwithanger."Thisisthelastoffer,"hecried."Takethis,orgetout."

           "Wewasjustabouttogetout,"Macsaid.

           "You’llgetoutoftheTorgasValley.We’llrunyouout."

           "Oh,noyouwon’t.Wegotapieceofprivatepropertywecanstayon.Theownerinvitedus."