man in Texas. When he touches me…"
"Does he touch you often?"
"Not so much anymore."
"Maybe Tiny had a few words with him."
She sniffed. "It's like I told you. If you touched his hog, he'd have a fit-but me, he couldn't care less. Anyway, big as he is I know for a fact he don't want to mess with Soldier."
"Why do you put up with it, Pearly? Why don't you get out of ah this?"
Her eyes brightened. "You mean with you? To Wyoming?"
"Well I like you, and if I were going to Wyoming with anybody it might very well be you. But I'm not, you see. I've got things to do here."
She gave me a pert look and let her hair fall coquettishly over one eye. "What are you doing here anyway, Shaw?"
"Like I told you. Just riding."
She shook her head. "You're not like the rest of these apes. You could be… like gentle with a girl."
"Don't waste your time thinking about me, Pearly."
"Listen, did they beat up on you because I told them you were looking for Soldier?"
"In a way."
Her fingers came up to stroke my cheek. "Gee, I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay. One thing, Tiny's nose will never be the same."
She laughed. "You clobbered that gorilla?"
"Sort of."
"Oh man. He must be burning."
"The last I saw of him, he was drowning his sorrows in booze."
"What about Soldier? Was he the right one?"
"He's the right one all right."
"How about a little walk in the woods, Shaw? Let's get out of this scene before it gets real heavy. I mean, the way they're going, somebody is liable to get killed. We could like walk up into the pines and watch the moon come up. What about it?"
"I wish I could, Pearly. I really do."
"Oh, go fuck yourself, you snot-nosed bastard. What would I want with an old fart like you anyway. Hey, Magoo! Magoo! Wait for Pearly!"
I watched her go. Fifteen, maybe sixteen. Should be holding hands at a junior prom somewhere or a drive-in. What do you think this is, Shaw, a rerun of Little Women ? It wasn't Little Women for Stacey, and it won't be for that poor little bitch Pearly.
The thought of Stacey brought me back. Soldier is circulating. Find him and finish him. Probably never get a better chance. He already suspects something. He's a wanderer, a drifter. Once he leaves here, it will be like looking for spit in the ocean. This time, since I lacked a gun, there could be no final confrontation as there had been with Stud. Take him by surprise. My chain would do. But that would mean getting him alone somewhere. It was too complicated. And if it were to be done tonight, there was not enough time.
The riot was in my favor. More than one might be killed before this night was over.
I was swept along with the rest of them into the center of town. Cars were jammed up, and the cyclists were attacking them, ripping off antennae and smashing windows. The wiser drivers had fled on foot. Those who resisted were smashed into insensibility.
Two girls came down the main street with half a dozen riders following them like dogs in heat. The girls wore tight shorts and sweaters. I recognized them as the daughters of Moore, the grocery store owner at the campground. I wondered how they had slipped away from him, and if they knew what they were in for. They had come into town to see the fun. If I was correct in my reading of the intentions of the men behind them, they would soon be getting more than they bargained for. There was not a damn thing I could do to help them. Suddenly the girls were separated. The knot of men split, surrounding one of the girls and driving the other into the back of an abandoned Plymouth. I heard her cry out for her sister, but it was hardly more than a muffled bleat. Two men had piled into the back of the car with her. The sweater was shoved up around her throat, her heavy
"Does he touch you often?"
"Not so much anymore."
"Maybe Tiny had a few words with him."
She sniffed. "It's like I told you. If you touched his hog, he'd have a fit-but me, he couldn't care less. Anyway, big as he is I know for a fact he don't want to mess with Soldier."
"Why do you put up with it, Pearly? Why don't you get out of ah this?"
Her eyes brightened. "You mean with you? To Wyoming?"
"Well I like you, and if I were going to Wyoming with anybody it might very well be you. But I'm not, you see. I've got things to do here."
She gave me a pert look and let her hair fall coquettishly over one eye. "What are you doing here anyway, Shaw?"
"Like I told you. Just riding."
She shook her head. "You're not like the rest of these apes. You could be… like gentle with a girl."
"Don't waste your time thinking about me, Pearly."
"Listen, did they beat up on you because I told them you were looking for Soldier?"
"In a way."
Her fingers came up to stroke my cheek. "Gee, I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay. One thing, Tiny's nose will never be the same."
She laughed. "You clobbered that gorilla?"
"Sort of."
"Oh man. He must be burning."
"The last I saw of him, he was drowning his sorrows in booze."
"What about Soldier? Was he the right one?"
"He's the right one all right."
"How about a little walk in the woods, Shaw? Let's get out of this scene before it gets real heavy. I mean, the way they're going, somebody is liable to get killed. We could like walk up into the pines and watch the moon come up. What about it?"
"I wish I could, Pearly. I really do."
"Oh, go fuck yourself, you snot-nosed bastard. What would I want with an old fart like you anyway. Hey, Magoo! Magoo! Wait for Pearly!"
I watched her go. Fifteen, maybe sixteen. Should be holding hands at a junior prom somewhere or a drive-in. What do you think this is, Shaw, a rerun of Little Women ? It wasn't Little Women for Stacey, and it won't be for that poor little bitch Pearly.
The thought of Stacey brought me back. Soldier is circulating. Find him and finish him. Probably never get a better chance. He already suspects something. He's a wanderer, a drifter. Once he leaves here, it will be like looking for spit in the ocean. This time, since I lacked a gun, there could be no final confrontation as there had been with Stud. Take him by surprise. My chain would do. But that would mean getting him alone somewhere. It was too complicated. And if it were to be done tonight, there was not enough time.
The riot was in my favor. More than one might be killed before this night was over.
I was swept along with the rest of them into the center of town. Cars were jammed up, and the cyclists were attacking them, ripping off antennae and smashing windows. The wiser drivers had fled on foot. Those who resisted were smashed into insensibility.
Two girls came down the main street with half a dozen riders following them like dogs in heat. The girls wore tight shorts and sweaters. I recognized them as the daughters of Moore, the grocery store owner at the campground. I wondered how they had slipped away from him, and if they knew what they were in for. They had come into town to see the fun. If I was correct in my reading of the intentions of the men behind them, they would soon be getting more than they bargained for. There was not a damn thing I could do to help them. Suddenly the girls were separated. The knot of men split, surrounding one of the girls and driving the other into the back of an abandoned Plymouth. I heard her cry out for her sister, but it was hardly more than a muffled bleat. Two men had piled into the back of the car with her. The sweater was shoved up around her throat, her heavy
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