Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 7
Already,inlessthananhour,Ihaddiedathousanddeaths.Andyetthisneighbour,balancedandequable,calm-voicedandalmostbeneficentdespitetheharshnessofhisfirstremarks,hadbeeninthejacketfiftyhours!
“Howmuchlongeraretheygoingtokeepyouin?”Iasked.
“TheLordonlyknows.CaptainJamieisrealpeevedwithme,an’hewon’tletmeoutuntilI’maboutcroakin’.Now,brother,I’mgoingtogiveyouthetip.Theonlywayisshutyourfacean’forgetit.Yellin’an’hollerin’don’twinyounomoneyinthisjoint.An’thewaytoforgetistoforget.Justgettorememberin’everygirlyoueverknew.That’llcatuphoursforyou.Mebbeyou’llfeelyourselfgettin’woozy.Well,getwoozy.Youcan’tbeatthatforkillin’time.An’whenthegirlswon’tholdyou,gettothinkin’ofthefellowsyougotitinfor,an’whatyou’ddoto’emifyougotachance,an’whatyou’regoin’todoto’emwhenyougetthatsamechance.”
ThatmanwasPhiladelphiaRed.BecauseofpriorconvictionhewasservingfiftyyearsforhighwayrobberycommittedonthestreetsofAlameda.Hehadalreadyservedadozenofhisyearsatthetimehetalkedtomeinthejacket,andthatwassevenyearsago.Hewasoneofthefortyliferswhoweredouble-crossedbyCecilWinwood.ForthatoffencePhiladelphiaRedlosthiscredits.Heismiddle-agednow,andheisstillinSanQuentin.
