И проиграли бой

           Thecrowdpouredintotheroad,anditwasnolongerlooseandlistless.Ithadbecomeaquick,silentanddeadlyefficientmachine.Itswungdowntheroadatadog-trot,controlledanddirected.Andbehinditthecarsmovedslowlyalong.

           Jimhadwatchedthestart.Hecommandedhimselfaloud,"Don’tgetcaught.Don’tgetcaught.Don’tletitcatchyou.Useyourhead."

           Mostofthewomenwererunningwiththedepartingmen,butafewwhoremainedbehindlookedstrangelyatJim,forhiseyes,too,wereentrancedashestareddowntheroadaftertheterriblemechanism.Whenithaddisappearedhesighedshudderinglyandturnedaway.Hishandwentuptothehurtshoulderandpressedit,tomakeasteadyingpain.HewalkedslowlytoLondon’stent,wentinsilently,andsatdownonabox.

           Maclookedathimunderloweredeyelids.Onlyashinyslitshowedthathewasawake."Howlong’veIbeensleeping,Jim?"

           "Justalittlewhile.Idon’tthinkit’sevennoonyet,nearnoon."

           "Idreamedalot,butI’mrested.IthinkI’llgetupnow."

           "Bettergetsomemoresleepifyoucan."

           "What’stheuse?I’mrestednow."Heopenedhiseyeswide."Lostthesandyfeeling.Yousleephardwhenyou’rethattired.Idreamedcommotion.""Bettergotosleepagain."

           "No."Hesatupandstretched."AnythinghappenwhileIwasasleep?It’sawfulquietoutthere."

           "Plentyhappened,"Jimsaid."BurketriedtokickLondonout,andLondonsmashedhim—nearlykilledhim,and—Christ!