И проиграли бой

           "Hurtsalittle,notmuch."

           "Ohsay,Jim.Lookslikewe’regoin’tohaveanewboss."

           "KickedDakinout,youmean?"

           "No,buthe’sout,allright.Dicksentwordhehadaloadofblankets.Well,Dakintooksixmenandwentinwithhisshinytruck.Oneofthesixguysgotawayandcamebackandtoldhowitwas.Theygottheirloadandstartedback.Alittlewaythissideoftowntheyranoverabunchofnails,stoppedtochangeatire.Well,thenadozenmenwithgunsjumpedoutandheldthemup.Well,sixofthemstandtheguysupwhiletheywreckDakin’struck,smashthecrank-caseandsetitonfire.Dakinstandstherewithagunonhim.Heturnswhite,andthenheturnsblue.Thenheletsoutahowllikeacoyoteandstartsfor’em.Theyshoothimintheleg,butthatdon’tstophim.Whenhecan’trunanymore,hecrawlsfor’em,slaveringaroundthemouthlikeamaddog—justnuts,hejustwentnuts!Iguesshelovedthattruckbetter’nanythingintheworld.Theguythatcamebacksaiditwasjustawful,thewayhecrawledfor’em.Triedtobite’em.Hewassnarling—likeamaddog.Well,then,sometrafficcopscomealong,andthevigilanteboysfade.ThecopspickDakinupandtakehimin.Theguythatcameinandtoldaboutitwasupagumtreewatching.HesaysDakinbitacoponthehand,andtheyhadtostickascrew-driverbackinhisteethtopry’imloose.Andthat’stheguyIsaidwouldn’tlosehistemper.He’sinthecannow.Iguesstheguys’llelectLondoninhisplace."

           Jimsaid,"Wellhesurelookedcoolenoughtome.I’mgladIdidn’tlayafingeronhistruck."

           Macheapedalittlepileofdirtonthefloorwithhishand,andmouldeditround,andpattedalittleflattoponit.