Will you do that, Lennie?”
“I don’t want no trouble,” Lennie mourned. “I never done nothing to him.”
“Well, that won’t do you no good if Curley wants to plug himself up for a fighter.
Just don’t have nothing to do with him.
Will you remember?”
“Sure, George.
I ain’t gonna say a word.”
The sound of the approaching grain teams was louder, thud of big hooves on hard ground, drag of brakes and the jingle of trace chains.
Men were calling back and forth from the teams.
George, sitting on the bunk beside Lennie, frowned as he thought.
Lennie asked timidly,
“You ain’t mad, George?”
“I ain’t mad at you.
I’m mad at this here Curley bastard.
I hoped we was gonna get a little stake together — maybe a hundred dollars.” His tone grew decisive. “You keep away from Curley, Lennie.”
“Sure I will, George.
I won’t say a word.”
“Don’t let him pull you in — but — if the son-of-a-bitch socks you — let ‘im have it.”
“Let ‘im have what, George?”
“Never mind, never mind.
I’ll tell you when.
I hate that kind of a guy.
Look, Lennie, if you get in any kind of trouble, you remember what I told you to do?”
Lennie raised up on his elbow.
His face contorted with thought.
Then his eyes moved sadly to George’s face.
“If I get in any trouble, you ain’t gonna let me tend the rabbits.”
“That’s not what I meant.
You remember where we slep’ last night?
Down by the river?”
“Yeah.
I remember.
Oh, sure I remember!
I go there an’ hide in the brush.”
“Hide till I come for you.
Don’t let nobody see you.
Hide in the brush by the river.
Say that over.”
“Hide in the brush by the river, down in the brush by the river.”
“If you get in trouble.”
“If I get in trouble.”
A brake screeched outside.
A call came,
“Stable — buck.
Oh! Sta-able buck.”
George said,
“Say it over to yourself, Lennie, so you won’t forget it.”
Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off.
A girl was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red.
Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages.