Page:Frank Owen - Rare Earth, 1931.djvu/158

 "Yo' sure was 'vited to join. Jus' like dey 'vites a man to hang. Dey says, 'Look at dis yere swell rope we got yere. Soft as velvet roun' de neck. Like yo' babies' arms. Ben passin' out ropes fo' years an' nary a complaint.' An' if dat don' entice de victim over dey goes an' gits him. An' dats how yo' wuz 'vited to dis yere wo'. De President would o' sent his car ef yo' hadna' gone an' dey'd a been a firin' squad wid it. Ef dey ask me, a target's 'bout de only thing yo' is cut out or fit fo'."

Dirk Dock spat his contempt. "Yo' got nuthin' to say," he grumbled. "Yo' no soldier. Yo' look like yo' los' de war o' sumpin'. You 'pears like a casualty. Yo* in a daze. Yo' so dumb yo' don' know whether yo' goin' to war or on yo' way home. Yo' don' even know who yo' fightin'."

"While yo're here, I knows."

"Yo' in a collapse."

"Maybe I is, brudder, but yo' don' look like yo's so far away. I'se sure close 'nough to see de whites o' yo' eyes."

Dirk and Joe were always fighting. They