И проиграли бой

           Thecheeksaroundtheeyestwitchednervously.Once,asthoughstrivingagainstweight,Jim’slipsopenedtospeakandworkedonaword,butonlyagrowlingmumblewassaid.MacpulledtheoldcoverletsoverJim’sbody.

           Suddenlythelampflamewassuckeddown,thewickanddarknesscreptintowardthecenterofthetent.Macjumpedupandfoundaspout-canofkerosene.Heunscrewedthelanterncapandfilledthereservoir.Slowlytheflamegrewupagain,anditsedgesspreadoutlikeabutterfly’swings.

           Outside,theslowfootstepsofpatrollingmenwentby.Inthedistancetherecouldbeheardthegrumbleofthegreatnightcargotrucksonthehighway.Mactookdownthelanternfromthetent-poleandcarriedittothemattressandsetitontheground.Fromhishippockethebroughtoutapacketoffoldedpapersandamussystampedenvelopeandabrokenpieceofpencil.Withthepaperonhiskneehewroteslowly,inlarge,roundletters:

           DearHarry:

           Christsakegetsomehelpdownhere.DocBurtonwassnatchedlastnight.Ithinkhewas.Docwasnotamantorunoutonus,butheisgone.ThisvalleyisorganizedlikeItaly.Thevigilantesareraisinghell.Weneedfoodandmedicineandmoney.Dickisdoingfine,onlyifwedon’tgetsomeoutsidehelpIamafraidwearesunk.IneverranintoaplacethatwassoGoddamnorganized.Aboutthreemencontrolthesituation.ForallIknowDickmaybeinthecannow.

           Jimissurecomingthrough.Hemakesmelooklikeapin.TomorrowIexpectthatwewillgetkickedoutofthisplace.TheV’s.burnedtheowner’sbarn,andheisawfullysore.WithDocBurtongone,thecountyhealthofficerswillbounceus.Sotrytothinkofsomething.TheyareafterJim’sandmyscalpallthetime.Thereoughttobesomebodydownhereincasetheygetus.