Thetatteredmanstoodmusing. “Well,hewasareg’larjim-dandyfernerve,wa’n’the,”saidhefinallyinalittleawestruckvoice.“Areg’larjim-dandy.” Hethoughtfullypokedoneofthedocilehandswithhisfoot. “Iwonnerwherehegot‘isstren’thfrom?Ineverseenamandolikethatbefore.Itwasafunnything.Well,hewasareg’larjim-dandy.” Theyouthdesiredtoscreechouthisgrief.Hewasstabbed,buthistonguelaydeadinthetombofhismouth.Hethrewhimselfagainuponthegroundandbegantobrood. Thetatteredmanstoodmusing. “Look-a-here,pardner,”hesaid,afteratime.Heregardedthecorpseashespoke. “He’supan’gone,ain’t‘e,an’wemightaswellbegint’lookoutferol’numberone.Thisherethingisallover.He’supan’gone,ain’t‘e?An’he’sallrighthere.Nobodywon’tbother‘im. An’ImustsayIain’tenjoyinganygreathealthm’selfthesedays.” Theyouth,awakenedbythetatteredsoldier’stone,lookedquicklyup.Hesawthathewasswinginguncertainlyonhislegsandthathisfacehadturnedtoashadeofblue. “GoodLord!”hecried,“youain’tgoin’t’—notyou,too.” Thetatteredmanwavedhishand.“Narydie,”hesaid.“AllIwantissomepeasoupan’agoodbed.Somepeasoup,”herepeateddreamfully. Theyoutharosefromtheground.“Iwonderwherehecamefrom.Ilefthimoverthere.”Hepointed.“AndnowIfind‘imhere. Andhewascomingfromoverthere,too.”Heindicatedanewdirection. Theybothturnedtowardthebodyasiftoaskofitaquestion. “Well,”atlengthspokethetatteredman,“thereain’tnouseinourstayin’herean’tryin’t’askhimanything.” Theyouthnoddedanassentwearily.Theybothturnedtogazeforamomentatthecorpse. Theyouthmurmuredsomething. “Well,hewasajim-dandy,wa’n’t‘e?”saidthetatteredmanasifinresponse. Theyturnedtheirbacksuponitandstartedaway.Foratimetheystolesoftly,treadingwiththeirtoes.Itremainedlaughingthereinthegrass. “I’mcommencin’t’feelprettybad,”saidthetatteredman,suddenlybreakingoneofhislittlesilences.“I’mcommencin’t’feelprettydamn’bad.” Theyouthgroaned.“OhLord!”Hewonderedifhewastobethetorturedwitnessofanothergrimencounter. Buthiscompanionwavedhishandreassuringly.“Oh,I’mnotgoin’t’dieyit! Theretoomuchdependin’onmefermet’dieyit.No,sir!Narydie!ICAN’T! Ye’doughtaseeth’swada’chil’renI’vegot,an’alllikethat.” Theyouthglancingathiscompanioncouldseebytheshadowofasmilethathewasmakingsomekindoffun. Astheploddedonthetatteredsoldiercontinuedtotalk. “Besides,ifIdied,Iwouldn’tdieth’waythatfellerdid.Thatwasth’funniestthing.I’djestflopdown,Iwould. Ineverseenafellerdieth’waythatfellerdid. “YehknowTomJamison,helivesnextdoort’meuphome. He’sanicefeller,heis,an’wewasallusgoodfriends.Smart,too.Smartasasteeltrap. Well,whenwewasa-fightin’thisatternoon,all-of-a-suddenhebegint’ripupan’cussan’belleratme.‘Yershot,yehblamedinfernal!’—heswearhorrible—hesest’me. Iputupm’handt’m’headan’whenIlookedatm’fingers,Iseen,sure‘nough,Iwasshot. Igiveaholleran’begint’run,butb’foreIcouldgitawayanotheronehitmeinth’arman’whirl’meclean‘round. Igotskearedwhentheywasalla-shootin’b’hindmean’Irunt’beatall,butIcotchitprettybad. I’veanideeI’dabeenfightin’yit,ift’wasn’tferTomJamison.” Thenhemadeacalmannouncement:“There’stwoof‘em—littleones—butthey‘rebeginnin’t’havefunwithmenow.Idon’tb’lieveIkinwalkmuchfurder.” Theywentslowlyoninsilence.“Yehlookprettypeek’edyerself,”saidthetatteredmanatlast. “Ibetyeh‘vegotaworseronethanyehthink.Ye’dbettertakekeerofyerhurt.Itdon’tdot’letsechthingsgo. Itmightbeinsidemostly,an’themplaysthunder.Whereisitlocated?” Buthecontinuedhisharanguewithoutwaitingforareply. “Iseeafellergithitpluminth’headwhenmyreg’mentwasa-standin’ateaseonct. An’everybodyyelledto‘im:‘Hurt,John?Areyehhurtmuch?’‘No,’seshe. Helookedkindersurprised,an’hewentontellin’‘emhowhefelt.Hesedhedidn’tfeelnothin’. But,bydad,th’firstthingthatfellerknowedhewasdead.Yes,hewasdead—stonedead.So,yehwantawatchout. Yehmighthavesomequeerkind‘ahurtyerself.Yehcan’tnevertell.Whereisyour’nlocated?” Theyouthhadbeenwrigglingsincetheintroductionofthistopic. Henowgaveacryofexasperationandmadeafuriousmotionwithhishand.“Oh,don’tbotherme!”hesaid. Hewasenragedagainstthetatteredman,andcouldhavestrangledhim. Hiscompanionsseemedevertoplayintolerableparts. Theywereeverupraisingtheghostofshameonthestickoftheircuriosity. Heturnedtowardthetatteredmanasoneatbay. “Now,don’tbotherme,”herepeatedwithdesperatemenace. “Well,LordknowsIdon’twantabotheranybody,”saidtheother.Therewasalittleaccentofdespairinhisvoiceashereplied,“LordknowsI‘vegota‘noughm’ownt’tendto.” Theyouth,whohadbeenholdingabitterdebatewithhimselfandcastingglancesofhatredandcontemptatthetatteredman,herespokeinahardvoice.“Good-by,”hesaid. Thetatteredmanlookedathimingapingamazement.“Why—why,pardner,whereyehgoin’?”heaskedunsteadily. Theyouthlookingathim,couldseethathe,too,likethatotherone,wasbeginningtoactdumbandanimal-like. Histhoughtsseemedtobeflounderingaboutinhishead. “Now—now—look—a—here,youTomJamison—now—Iwon’thavethis—thisherewon’tdo.Where—whereyehgoin’?” Theyouthpointedvaguely.“Overthere,”hereplied. “Well,nowlook—a—here—now,”saidthetatteredman,ramblingoninidiotfashion. Hisheadwashangingforwardandhiswordswereslurred.“Thisthingwon’tdo,now,TomJamison.Itwon’tdo.Iknowyeh,yehpig-headeddevil. Yehwantagotrompin’offwithabadhurt. Itain’tright—now—TomJamison—itain’t. Yehwantaleavemetakekeerofyeh,TomJamison. Itain’t—right—itain’t—feryeht’go—trompin’off—withabadhurt—itain’t—ain’t—ain’tright—itain’t.” Inreplytheyouthclimbedafenceandstartedaway.Hecouldhearthetatteredmanbleatingplaintively. Oncehefacedaboutangrily.“What?” “Look—a—here,now,TomJamison—now—itain’t—” Theyouthwenton.Turningatadistancehesawthetatteredmanwanderingabouthelplesslyinthefield. Henowthoughtthathewishedhewasdead.Hebelievedheenviedthosemenwhosebodieslaystrewnoverthegrassofthefieldsandonthefallenleavesoftheforest. Thesimplequestionsofthetatteredmanhadbeenknifethruststohim. Theyassertedasocietythatprobespitilesslyatsecretsuntilallisapparent. Hislatecompanion’schancepersistencymadehimfeelthathecouldnotkeephiscrimeconcealedinhisbosom. Itwassuretobebroughtplainbyoneofthosearrowswhichcloudtheairandareconstantlypricking,discovering,proclaimingthosethingswhicharewilledtobeforeverhidden. Headmittedthathecouldnotdefendhimselfagainstthisagency. Itwasnotwithinthepowerofvigilance. 
