Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Read Free Book Online Page B

hoof. Got to get some tar on it." His voice trailed off. It was silent outside.
    Carlson's footsteps died away. The silence come into the room.
    And the silence lasted.

    George chuckled, "I bet Lennie's right out there in the barn with his pup. He won't want to come in here no more now he's got a pup."

    Slim said, "Candy, you can have any one of them pups you want."

    Candy did not answer. The silence fell on the room again. It came out of the night and invaded the room. George said, "Anybody like to play a little euchre?"

    "I'll play out a few with you," said Whit.

    They took places opposite each other at the table under the light, but George did not shuffle the cards. He rippled the edge of the deck nervously, and the little snapping noise drew.the eyes of all the men in the room, so that he stopped doing it. The silence fell on the room again. A minute passed, and another minute. Candy lay still, staring at the ceiling. Slim gazed at him for a moment and then looked down at his hands; he subdued one hand with the other, and held it down. There came a little gnawing sound from under the floor and all the men looked down toward it gratefully.
    Only Candy continued to stare at the ceiling.

    "Sounds like there was a rat under there," said Geoge. "We ought to get a trap down there."

    Whit broke out, "What the hell's takin' him so long? Lay out some cards, why don't you? We ain't going to get no euchre played this way."

    George brought the cards together tightly and studied the backs of them. The silence was in the room again.

    A shot sounded in the distance. The men looked quickly at the old man. Every head turned toward him.

    For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent.

    George shuffled the cards noisily and dealt them. Whit drew a scoring board to him and set the pegs to start. Whit said, "I guess you guys really come here to work."

    "How do ya mean?" George asked.

    Whit laughed. "Well, ya come on a Friday. You got two days to work till Sunday."

    "I don't see how you figure," said George.

    Whit laughed again. "You do if you been around these big ranches much. Guy that wants to look over a ranch comes in Sat'day afternoon. He gets Sat'day tight supper an' three meals on Sunday, and he can quit Monday mornin' after breakfast without turning his hand. But you come to work Friday noon. You got to put in a day an' a half no matter how you figure.

    George looked at him levelly. "We're gonna stick aroun' a while,"
    he said. "Me an' Lennie's gonna roll up a stake."

    The door opened quietly and the stable buck put in his head; a lean Negro head, lined with pain, the eyes patient. "Mr. Slim."

    Slim took his eyes from old Candy. "Huh? Oh! Hello, Crooks.
    What's'a matter?"

    "You told me to warm up tar for that mule's foot. I got it warm."

    "Oh! Sure, Crooks. I'll come right out an' put it on."

    "I can do it if you want, Mr. Slim."

    "No. I'll come do it myself." He stood up.

    Crooks said, "Mr. Slim."

    "Yeah."

    "That big new guy's messin' around your pups out in the barn."

    "Well, he ain't doin' no harm. I give him one of them pups."

    "Just thought I'd tell ya," said Crooks. "He's takin' 'em outs the nest and handlin' them. That won't do them no good."

    "He won't hurt 'em," said Slim. "I'll come along with you now."

    George looked up. "If that crazy bastard's foolin' around too much, jus' kick him out, Slim."

    Slim followed the stable buck out of the room.

    George dealt and Whit picked up his cards and examined them.
    "Seen the new kid yet?" he asked.

    "What kid?" George asked.

    "Why, Curley's new wife."

    "Yeah, I seen her."

    "Well, ain't she a looloo?"

    "I ain't seen that much of her," said George.

    Whit laid down his cards impressively. " Well, stick around an'
    keep your eyes open. You'll see plenty. She ain't concealin'
    nothing. I never seen nobody like her. She got the eye goin' all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the