И проиграли бой

           Maclaughed."You’llgetused,allright.You’llgetusedtillyou’llwishyouwasbackintownwithaneight-hourjob."

           "No,Idon’tthinkIwill,Mac.Ineverfeltsogoodbefore.I’mallswelledupwithagoodfeeling.Doyoufeelthatway?"

           "Sometimes,"saidMac."MostlyI’mtoodamnbusytoknowhowIfeel."

           Thebuildingsalongthestreetweremoredilapidatedastheywent.Weldingworksandusedcarlotsandthegreattrashpilesofauto-wreckingyards.Thestreetlightsshoneontheblank,deadwindowsofoldandneglectedhouses,andmadeshadowsundershrubsthathadgonetobrush.Themenwalkedquicklyinthecoolnightair."IthinkIseethebridgelightsnow,"Jimsaid."Seethosethreelightsoneachside?"

           "Isee’em.Didn’thesayturnleft?"

           "Yeah,left."

           Itwasatwo-spanconcretebridgeoveranarrowriverthatwasreducedatthisseasontoasluggishlittlecreekinthemiddleofasandybed.JimandMacwenttotheleftofthebridgeramp,andneartheedgeoftheriverbedtheyfoundtheopeningofatrailintothewillows.Mactookthelead.Inamomenttheywereoutofrangeofthebridgelights,andthethickwillowscrubwasallaboutthem.Theycouldseethebranchesagainstthelightersky,and,totheright,ontheedgeoftheriverbed,adarkwalloflargecottonwoods.

           "Ican’tseethispath,"Macsaid."I’lljusthavetofeelitwithmyfeet."Hemovedcarefully,slowly."Holdupyourarmstoprotectyourface,Jim."