They was lookin’ for us, but they didn’t catch us.”
Lennie giggled happily.
“I didn’t forget that, you bet.”
George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head, and Lennie imitated him, raising his head to see whether he was doing it right.
“God, you’re a lot of trouble,” said George. “I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail.
I could live so easy and maybe have a girl.”
For a moment Lennie lay quiet, and then he said hopefully,
“We gonna work on a ranch, George.”
“Awright.
You got that.
But we’re gonna sleep here because I got a reason.”
The day was going fast now.
Only the tops of the Gabilan Mountains flamed with the light of the sun that had gone from the valley.
A water snake slipped along on the pool, its head held up like a little periscope.
The reeds jerked slightly in the current.
Far off toward the highway a man shouted something, and another man shouted back.
The sycamore limbs rustled under a little wind that died immediately.
“George — why ain’t we goin’ on to the ranch and get some supper?
They got supper at the ranch.”
George rolled on his side.
“No reason at all for you.
I like it here.
Tomorra we’re gonna go to work.
I seen thrashin’ machines on the way down.
That means we’ll be buckin’ grain bags, bustin’ a gut.
Tonight I’m gonna lay right here and look up.
I like it.”
Lennie got up on his knees and looked down at George.
“Ain’t we gonna have no supper?”
“Sure we are, if you gather up some dead willow sticks.
I got three cans of beans in my bindle.
You get a fire ready.
I’ll give you a match when you get the sticks together.
Then we’ll heat the beans and have supper.”
Lennie said, “I like beans with ketchup.”
“Well, we ain’t got no ketchup.
You go get wood.
An’ don’t you fool around. It’ll be dark before long.”
Lennie lumbered to his feet and disappeared in the brush.
George lay where he was and whistled softly to himself.
There were sounds of splashings down the river in the direction Lennie had taken.
George stopped whistling and listened.
“Poor bastard,” he said softly, and then went on whistling again.
In a moment Lennie came crashing back through the brush. He carried one small willow stick in his hand.
George sat up.
“Awright,” he said brusquely. “Gi’me that mouse!”
But Lennie made an elaborate pantomime of innocence.
“What mouse, George?
I ain’t got no mouse.”
George held out his hand.