И проиграли бой

           Thesmileonthatwoman—that’swhyI’mtellingyouthis——Well,therewasaMaryinthere,andshehadthesamekindofasmile,wiseandcoolandsure.OnetimeIaskedmymotherwhyshesmiledlikethat.Mymothersaid,‘Shecansmilebecauseshe’sinHeaven.’Ithinkshewasjealous,alittle."Hisvoicetumbledon,"AndonetimeIwasthere,lookingatthatMary,andIsawaringoflittlestarsintheair,overherhead,goingaroundandaround,likelittlebirds.Reallysawthem,Imean.It’snotfunny,Mac.Thisisn’treligion—it’skindofwhatthebooksI’vereadcallwish-fulfillment,Iguess.Isawthem,allright.Theymademefeelhappy,too.Myoldmanwouldhavebeensoreifheknew.Henevertookanypositionthatlasted.Everythingwaswastedinhim."Macsaid,"You’regoingtobeagreattalkersometime,Jim.Yougotakindofapersuasivetone.Jesus,justnowyoumademethinkit’dbenicetositinchurch.Nice!That’sgoodtalking.Ifyoucantalkguysovertoourside,you’llbegood."Hetookalittlecleantincanthathungonanailonthesideofthewater-barrel,andhefilledthecananddrankfromit."Let’sgooverandseeiftheslumishot."

           Themenwereforminginaline,andastheypassedthestoves,thecooksladledlimabeansandlumpsofboiledbeefintothecans.MacandJimgotontheendofthelineandeventuallypassedtheboilers."Isthatallthefood?"Macaskedacook.

           "There’sbeansandbeefenoughforonemoremeal.We’reoutofsalt,though.Weneedmoresalt."

           Theydriftedalong,eatingastheywent.Alanceofsunlightshotoverthetreesandfellonthegroundoftheclearing,fellonthetentsandmadethemseemlessdingy.AtthelineofoldcarsLondonwastalkingtoagroupofmen."Let’sseewhat’sdoing,"Macsuggested.Theywalkedtowardtheroad,wheretheoldcarsstood.