“Ain’t many guys travel around together,” he mused. “I don’t know why.
Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
“It’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know,” said George.
A powerful, big-stomached man came into the bunk house.
His head still dripped water from the scrubbing and dousing.
“Hi, Slim,” he said, and then stopped and stared at George and Lennie.
“These guys jus’ come,” said Slim by way of introduction.
“Glad ta meet ya,” the big man said. “My name’s Carlson.”
“I’m George Milton.
This here’s Lennie Small.”
“Glad ta meet ya,” Carlson said again. “He ain’t very small.” He chuckled softly at his joke. “Ain’t small at all,” he repeated. “Meant to ask you, Slim — how’s your bitch?
I seen she wasn’t under your wagon this morning.”
“She slang her pups last night,” said Slim. “Nine of ‘em.
I drowned four of ‘em right off.
She couldn’t feed that many.”
“Got five left, huh?”
“Yeah, five.
I kept the biggest.”
“What kinda dogs you think they’re gonna be?”
“I dunno,” said Slim. “Some kinda shepherds, I guess.
That’s the most kind I seen around here when she was in heat.”
Carlson went on, “Got five pups, huh. Gonna keep all of ‘em?”
“I dunno.
Have to keep ‘em a while so they can drink Lulu’s milk.”
Carlson said thoughtfully, “Well, looka here, Slim. I been thinkin’.
That dog of Candy’s is so God damn old he can’t hardly walk.
Stinks like hell, too.
Ever’ time he comes into the bunk house I can smell him for two, three days.
Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up?
I can smell that dog a mile away.
Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat.
Candy feeds him milk.
He can’t chew nothing else.”
George had been staring intently at Slim.
Suddenly a triangle began to ring outside, slowly at first, and then faster and faster until the beat of it disappeared into one ringing sound.
It stopped as suddenly as it had started.
“There she goes,” said Carlson.
Outside, there was a burst of voices as a group of men went by.
Slim stood up slowly and with dignity.
“You guys better come on while they’s still something to eat.
Won’t be nothing left in a couple of minutes.”
Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him, and then the two of them went out the door.
Lennie was watching George excitedly.
George rumpled his cards into a messy pile.
“Yeah!” George said, “I heard him, Lennie.
I’ll ask him.”
“A brown and white one,” Lennie cried excitedly.
“Come on. Le’s get dinner.
I don’t know whether he got a brown and white one.”
Lennie didn’t move from his bunk.