И проиграли бой

           "Iain’tgotthetime.Icomeintiredan’Iwanttoeat.""Well,whattimehavetheothersgot?Womenworkallday,menworkallday;andtheownerchargesthreecentsextraforacanofbeansbecausethemenaretoodamntiredtogointotownforgroceries."

           DanturnedhisbristlybeardtoJim."Yousureworryatthething,don’tyou,kid?Justlikeapuppywithaknuckle-bone.Youchewandchewatit,butyoudon’tmakenomarksonit,andmaybeprettysoonyoubreakatooth."

           "Ifenoughguysgottochewingthey’dsplitit."

           "Maybe—butIlivedseventy-oneyearswithdogsandmen,andmostlyIseen’emtrytostealthebonefromeachother.Ineverseentwodogshelpeachotherbreakabone;butIseen’emchewhelloutofeachothertryin’tostealit."

           Jimsaid,"Youmakeaguyfeelthereisn’tmuchuse."

           OldDanshowedhisfourlong,gopherteeth."I’mseventy-one,"heapologized."Yougetonwithyourbone,anddon’tmindme.Maybedogsandmenain’tthesameastheyusedtobe."

           Astheydrewneareronthecloddygroundafiguredetacheditselffromthecrowdaroundthefaucetandstrolledouttowardthem."That’smypardner,"Jimsaid."That’sMac.He’saswellguy."

           OldDanrepliedungraciously."Well,Idon’twanttotalktonobody.Idon’tthinkI’llevenheatmybeans."

           Macreachedthem."Hello,Jim.How’dyoumakeout?"

           "Prettygood.ThisisDan,Mac.HewasinthenorthwoodswhentheWobblieswereworkingupthere."