Of Mice and Men: Chapter 2

Summary

In Chapter 2 of "Of Mice and Men," George and Lennie arrive at a ranch, looking for work. They're introduced to the harsh realities and complex social dynamics of the place, including an encounter with the boss and his aggressive son, Curley. The pair must navigate various challenging situations, such as Lennie's formidable strength and Curley's hostility. Additionally, Curley's flirtatious wife adds tension, complicating their stay. The chapter paints a vivid picture of the ranch environment, highlighting the challenges the two friends face as they try to avoid trouble and keep their focus on their dream.

Highlights

• Introduced to the rustic bunk house filled with western magazines and playing cards. 📚
• Meet Candy, the old swamper, and his ancient dog. 🐕
• Tension rises as Curley displays hostility, notably towards Lennie. 😡
• The entrance of Curley's wife hints at potential future conflicts. 🥵
• George warns Lennie to steer clear of trouble, emphasizing their precarious situation. ⚠️

Key Takeaways

• The bunk house introducers readers to the setting—basic, rustic, and full of character—which reflects the lives of itinerant workers. 🛏️
• Curley, the boss's son, sets the stage for conflict with his aggressive demeanor towards Lennie. 🥊
• The struggle between the old and new is depicted with the mention of Candy's ancient dog and the potential of new pups. 🐶
• Curley’s wife emerges as a symbol of temptation and trouble for George and Lennie. 💋
• The bond between George and Lennie is highlighted, portraying deep friendship in a harsh world. 🤝

Overview

The chapter opens with a descriptive look at the bunk house—a simple, functional place where ranch workers reside. It's filled with personal belongings and western magazines, hinting at the idle moments between long working hours. The old swamper Candy, with his tired but loyal dog, introduces George and Lennie to the world they’ve just entered.

The plot thickens with the introduction of Curley, the boss's son, whose brash and aggressive demeanor puts Lennie on edge. George advises Lennie to stay out of Curley's way, but the tension between the two builds ominously, signaling potential conflict. Curley's history of boxing adds a layer of threat that hangs over them like a cloud.

Curley's wife makes her entrance with an air of flirtation and recklessness, introducing an element of danger and distraction. Her presence complicates matters for George and Lennie, further fracturing the fragile peace of the ranch. George knows they must tread carefully to stay out of trouble, as they work towards their shared dream.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 31:00: Of Mice and Men: Chapter 2 In Chapter 2 of "Of Mice and Men," the setting is introduced as a bunkhouse, described as a long rectangular building. The walls are whitewashed, and the floor is unpainted, giving a stark appearance. Three walls of the bunkhouse have small square windows, while the fourth wall features a solid door secured with a wooden latch. Inside, there are eight bunks; five of them are made with blankets, while the other three reveal burlap ticking. Above each bunk, apple boxes are nailed with the openings forward, creating shelves for personal belongings.

Of Mice and Men: Chapter 2 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 of mice and men chapter 2. the bunk house was a long rectangular building inside the walls were whitewashed in the floor unpainted and three walls there were small square windows and in the fourth a solid door with a wooden larch against the walls were eight bunks five of them made up with blankets and the other three showing their burlap ticking over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for the personal
• 00:30 - 01:00 belongings of the occupant of the bunk and these shelves were loaded with little articles soap and talcum powder razors and those western magazines ranch men loved to read and scoff at and secretly believe and there were medicines on the shelves and little vials combs and from nails on the box sides a few neckties near one wall there was a black cast iron stove a stove pipe going straight up through the ceiling in the middle of the room stood a big square table littered with playing cards and around it were
• 01:00 - 01:30 boxes for the players to sit on at about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out of the beam fly shot like rushing stars the wooden latch raised the door opened and a tall stoop-shouldered old man came in he was dressed in blue jeans and he carried a big push broom in his left hand behind him came george and behind george lenny the boss was expecting you last night
• 01:30 - 02:00 the old man said he was sore as hell when he wasn't here to go out this morning he pointed with right arm and out of the sleeve came a round stick like wrist but no hand you can have them two beds there he said indicating two bunks near the stove george stepped over and threw his blankets down on the burlap stack of straw that was a mattress he looked into his box shelf and then picked a small yellow can from it say what the hell is this i don't know
• 02:00 - 02:30 said the old man says positively kills lice roaches and other scourges what the hell kind of bed you've given us anyways we don't want no pants rabbits the old swamper shifted his broom and held it between his elbow and his side while he held out his hand for the can he studied the label carefully tell you what he said finally last guy that had this bed was a blacksmith hell of a nice fella and clean a guy as you want to meet
• 02:30 - 03:00 used to wash his hands even after he ate and how come he got gray backs george working up a slow anchor lenny put his bindle on the neighboring bunk and sat down he watched george with open mouth tell you what said the old swamper this here blacksmith named witty was the kind of guy that would put that stuff around even if there wasn't no bugs just to make sure see tell you what he used to do add meals he'd peel his boiled potatoes and he'd take out every little spot no matter what kind before he'd eat it
• 03:00 - 03:30 and if there was a red splotch on an egg well he'd scrape it off finally quit about the food that's the kind of guy he was clean used to dress up on sundays even when he wasn't going no place put on a necktie even and then set in the bunk house i ain't so sure said george skeptically what did you say he quit for the old man put the yellow can in his pocket and he rubbed his bristly white whiskers with his knuckles why he just quit the way a guy will
• 03:30 - 04:00 says it was the food just wanted to move didn't give no other reason but the food just says give me my time one night the way any guy would george lifted his tick and looked underneath it he leaned over and inspected the sacking closely immediately lenny got up and did the same with his bed finally george seemed satisfied he unrolled his bindle and put things on the shelf his razor and bar of soap his comb and bottle of pills his liniment and leather wristband then
• 04:00 - 04:30 he made his bed up neatly with blankets the old man said i guess the boss will be out here in a minute he was sure burned when he wasn't here this morning come right in when he was eating breakfast and says where the hell's them new men and he gave the stable buck hill too george patted a wrinkle out of his bed and sat down give the stable bug hell he asked sure you see the stable buck's black black huh yeah nice fella too got a crooked back where horse kicked him the boss gives him hell
• 04:30 - 05:00 when he's mad but the stable bug don't give a damn about that he reads a lot got books in his room what kind of guy is the boss george asked well he's a pretty nice fella gets pretty mad sometimes but he's pretty nice tell you what nobody done christmas bring a gallon of whiskey right in here and say drink hearty boys christmas comes but once a year the hell he did a whole gallon yes sir jesus we had fun they let the stable
• 05:00 - 05:30 buck come in that night little skinner named smithy took after the stable buck done pretty good too the guys wouldn't let him use his feet so the stable buck got him if he could have used his feet smitty says he would have killed the stable buck the guy said on the count of the stable bucks got a crooked back smitty can't use his feet he paused in relish of the memory well after that the guys went into soledad and raised hell didn't go in there i ain't got the poop no more lenny was just finishing making his bed the wooden latch raised again and the
• 05:30 - 06:00 door opened a little stocky man stood in the open doorway he wore blue jean trousers a flannel shirt a black unbuttoned vest and a black coat his thumbs were stuck in his belt on each side of a square steel buckle on his head was a soiled brown stetson hat and he wore high-heeled boots and spurs to prove he was not a laboring man the old swamper looked quickly at him and then shuffled to the door rubbing his whiskers with his knuckles as he went them guys just come he said and shuffled
• 06:00 - 06:30 past the boss and out the door the boss stepped into the room with the short quick steps of a fat legged man i wrote murray and ready i wanted two men this morning you got to work slips george reached into his pocket and produced the slips and handed them to the boss well it wasn't murray and reddy's fault says right here on the slip that you was to be here for work this morning george looked down at his feet uh bus driver gave us a bum steer he said we had to walk 10 miles says he
• 06:30 - 07:00 was here when he wasn't he couldn't get no rides in the morning the boss squinted his eyes well i had to send out the grain team short two buckers won't do any good to go out now until after dinner he pulled his time book out of his pocket and opened where a pencil was stuck between the leaves george scowled meaningfully at lenny and lenny nodded to show that he understood the boss licked his pencil what's your name george milton and what's yours george
• 07:00 - 07:30 said his name's lenny small the names were entered into the book let's see this is the 20th noon the 20th he closed the book where you boys been working up around weed said george you two to lenny yeah him too said george the boss pointed a playful finger at lenny he ain't much of a talker is he no he ain't but he's sure hell of a good worker strong as a bull lenny smiled to himself strong as a bull
• 07:30 - 08:00 he repeated george scowled at him and when he dropped his head in shame at having forgotten boss said suddenly listen small lenny raised his head what can you do in a panic lenny looked at george for help now he can do anything you tell him said george he's a good skinner he can wrestle green bags drive cultivator he can do anything just give him a try the boss turned on george then why don't you let him answer what are you trying to put over george
• 08:00 - 08:30 broke in loudly oh i ain't saying he's bright uh he ain't but i say he's a goddamn good worker he can put up a 400 pound bale boss deliberately put the little book in his pocket he hooked his thumbs in his belt and squinted one eye nearly closed say what you selling huh i said what steak you got in this guy you taking his pay away from him no of course i ain't why you think i'm selling him out well i never seen one guy take so much
• 08:30 - 09:00 trouble for another guy i just like to know what your interest is george said uh he's my cousin i told his old lady i'd take care of him he got kicked in the head by a horse when he was a kid he's all right just ain't bright but he can do anything you tell him boss turned half away well god knows we don't need any brains to buck barley bags but don't you try to put nothing over milton i got my eye on you why'd you quit in weed job was done said
• 09:00 - 09:30 george promptly what kind of job we uh we was digging a cesspool all right but don't try to put nothing over because you can't get away with nothing i've seen wise guys before going out with the grain team after dinner they're picking up barley at the threshing machine go out with slim's team slim yeah big tall skinner you'll see him at dinner he turned abruptly and went to the door but before he went out he turned and looked for a long moment at the two men
• 09:30 - 10:00 when the sound of his footsteps had died away george turned on lenny so you wasn't gonna say a word you was gonna leave your big flapper shut and leave me to do all the talking damn near lost does the job lenny stared hopelessly at his hands i forgot george yeah you forgot you always forget and i gotta talk you out of it he sat down heavily on the bunk now he's got the eye on us now we gotta be careful and not make no slips you keep your big rapper shut after this he fell morosely silent george
• 10:00 - 10:30 what you want now i wasn't kicked in the head with no horse was i george be a damn good thing if he was george said viciously save everybody a hell of a lot of trouble you said i was your cousin george well that was a lie and i'm damn glad it was if i was a relative of yours i'd shoot myself he stopped suddenly stepped to the open front door and peered out say what the hell you doing listening the old man came slowly into the room
• 10:30 - 11:00 he had his broom in his hand and at his heels there walked a track-footed sheepdog gray of muscle and with pale blind old eyes the dog struggled lamely to the inside of the room and lay down grunting softly to himself and licking his grizzled moth eating coat the swamper watched him until he was settled oh i wasn't listening i was just standing in the shade a minute scratching my dog i just now finished swamping out the wash house he was poking your big ears into our
• 11:00 - 11:30 business george said i don't like nobody to get nosy the old man looked uneasily from george to lenny and then back oh i just come there he said i didn't hear nothing you guys was saying i ain't interested in nothing you were saying a guy on a ranch don't ever listen nor you don't ask no questions damn right he don't said george slightly multiplied not if he wants to stay working long but he was reassured by the swamper's defense come on in and sit down a minute he said that's a hell of an old dog
• 11:30 - 12:00 yeah i had him ever since he was a pup god he was a good sheep dog when he was younger he stood his broom against the wall and he rubbed his white bristled cheek with his knuckles how'd you like the boss he asked pretty good he seemed all right he's a nice fella the swamper agreed you gotta take him right that moment a young man came into the bunk house a thin young man with brown face with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair he
• 12:00 - 12:30 wore a work glove on his left hand and like the boss he wore high-heeled boots see my old man he asked the swamper said he was just here a minute ago curly went over to the cook house i think i'll try to catch him his eyes passed over the new men and he stopped he glanced coldly at george and then at lenny his arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands clean closed into fists he stiffened and went into a slight crouch his glance was at once calculating and
• 12:30 - 13:00 pugnacious money squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously carly stepped gingerly close to him you the new guys the old man was waiting for we just come in said george let the big guy talk lenny twisted with embarrassment george said suppose he didn't want to talk really lashed his body around by christ he's gotta talk when he spoke to you what the hell you getting into it for we travel together said george coldly
• 13:00 - 13:30 oh so it's that way george was tense and motionless yeah it's that way lenny was looking helplessly to george for instruction and you won't let the big guy talk is that it he can talk if he wants to tell you something he nodded slightly to lenny we just come in said lenny softly really stared lovely at him well next time you answer when you're spoke to he turned toward the door and walked out and his elbows were bent out a little
• 13:30 - 14:00 george watched him out and then he turned back the swamper say what the hell has he got on his shoulder lenny didn't do nothing to him the old man looked cautiously at the door to make sure no one was listening that lost his son he said quietly earl is pretty handy he done quite a bit in the ring he's a lightweight and he's handy well let him be handy said george you don't have to take after lenny lenny didn't do nothing to him what's he got against lenny the swamper considered well tell you
• 14:00 - 14:30 what curly's like a lot of little guys he hates big guys he's all the time picking scraps with the big guys kind of like he's mad at him because he ain't a big guy you seen little guys like that ain't you always scrappy sure said george i've seen plenty tough little guys but this curly better now make no mistakes about lenny lenny ain't handy but this carly punk is gonna get hurt if he messes around with lenny well krilly's pretty handy the swamper said skeptically never did seem right to me suppose curly jumps a big guy
• 14:30 - 15:00 and licks him everybody says what a game guy currently is and suppose he does the same thing and gets licked then everybody says the big guy ought to pick somebody his own size and maybe they gang up on the big guy never did seem right to me seems like curly ain't giving nobody a chance george was watching the door he said ominously well you better watch out for lenny lenny ain't no fighter but lenny's strong and quick and lenny don't know no rules he walked to the square table and sat down on one of the boxes
• 15:00 - 15:30 he gathered some of the cards together and shuffled them the old man sat down on another box don't tell curly i said none of this he'd slow me you just don't give a damn won't even get canned because his old man's the boss george cut the cards and began turning them over looking at each one and throwing it down on a pile he said this god curly sounds like a son of a to me i don't like mean little guys seems to me he's worse lately said the swamper he got married a couple
• 15:30 - 16:00 of weeks ago wife lives over in the boss's house seems like curly is cockier and ever since he got married george grunted maybe he's showing off for his wife the swamper warmed to his gossip you've seen that glove on his left hand yeah i've seen it well that glove's full of vaseline vaseline what the hell for well i tell you what carly says he's keeping that hand soft for his wife george studied the cards absorbedly
• 16:00 - 16:30 that's a dirty thing to tell around he said the old man was reassured he had drawn a derogatory statement from george he felt safe now and he spoke more confidently it'll you see curly's wife george cut the cards again and put out a solitaire lay slowly and deliberately dirty yes casually yeah purdy but george studied his cards but what well uh she uh she's got the eye yeah married two weeks and got the eye
• 16:30 - 17:00 maybe that's why curly's pants is full of ants i seen her give slim the eye slim's a jerk lying skinner hell of a nice fella slim don't need to wear no high-heeled boots on a grain team i seen her give slim the eye curly never seen it and i seen her give carlsen the eye george pretended to have a lack of interest looks like we was gonna have fun the swamper stood up from his box know what i think george did not answer well i think carly's married a tart
• 17:00 - 17:30 he ain't the first said george there's plenty done that the old man moved toward the door and his ancient dog lifted his head and peered about and then got painfully to his feet to follow i gotta be setting out the wash basins for the guys the teams will be in before long you guys gonna buck barley yeah you won't tell curly nothing i said hell no well you look her over mister you see if she ain't a tart
• 17:30 - 18:00 he stepped out the door into the brilliant sunshine george laid down his cards thoughtfully turned his piles of three he built four clubs on his ace pile the sun square was on the floor now and the flies whipped through it like sparks the sound of jingling harness and the croak of heavy laden axel sounded from outside from the distance came a clear call stable buck oh stable buck then where the hell is that goddamn stable buck george stared at his solitaire leg and then he flounced the cards together
• 18:00 - 18:30 and turned around to lenny lenny was lying down on the bunk watching him look lenny this hearing no setup huh i'm scared you're gonna have trouble with that curly guy i seen that kind before he was kind of feeling you out he figures he's got you scared and he's going to take a sock at you the first chance he gets lenny's eyes were frightened i don't want no trouble he said plaintiffly don't let him stalk me george george got up and went over to lenny's
• 18:30 - 19:00 spunk and sat down on it i hate that kind of bastard he said i've seen plenty of them like that old guy says carly don't take no chances he always wins he thought for a moment if he tingles with you money we're gonna get the can don't make no mistake about that he's the boss his son look lenny you try to keep away from him will you don't never speak to him if he comes in here you move clear to the other side of the room will you do that lenny i don't want no trouble
• 19:00 - 19:30 anymore i never done nothing to him well that won't do you no good if curly wants to plug himself up for a fighter just don't give just don't have nothing to do with him will you remember that sure george i ain't gonna say a word the sound of the approaching grain teams was louder thought of big hooves on me hard ground drag breaks in the jingle of trace chains men were calling back and forth from the teams george sitting on the bunk beside money frowned as he thought lenny asked timidly you ain't mad george i ain't mad at you
• 19:30 - 20:00 i'm mad at this here curly bastard i hoped we was gonna get a little steak together maybe a hundred dollars his tone grew decisive you keep away from curly lenny sure i will george i won't say a word don't let him pull you in but if the son of a sucks you you let him have it well let him have white george never mind never mind i'll i'll tell you when i hate that kind of a guy look lenny if you get in any kind of trouble you remember what i told you to do
• 20:00 - 20:30 lenny raised up on his elbow his face contorted with thought then his eyes moved sadly to george's face if i get in any trouble you ain't gonna let me tend the rabbits that's not what i meant you remember where we slept last night down by the river yeah i remember oh sure i remember i go there and i hide in the brush hide till i come for you don't let nobody see you i didn't brush by the river you say that over hide in the brush by the river
• 20:30 - 21:00 down in the brush by the river if you get in trouble if i get in trouble a break screeched outside a call came stable buck go a stable buck george said say it over to yourself lenny so you won't forget it both men glanced up for the rectangle of sunshine and the doorway was cut off the girl was standing there looking in she had full rouge lips and wide spaced eyes heavily made up her fingernails were red
• 21:00 - 21:30 her hair hung in little rolled clusters like sausages she wore a cotton house dress and red mules on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers i'm looking for curly she said her voice had a nasal brittle quality george looked away from her and then back he was in here a minute ago but he went oh she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the doorframe so that her body was thrown forward
• 21:30 - 22:00 you're the new fellas that just come ain't you yeah lenny's eyes moved down over her body and though she did not seem to be looking at lenny she bridled a little she looked at her fingernails sometimes carly's in here she explained george said bruskly well he ain't now if he ain't i guess i better look someplace else she said playfully when he watched her fascinated george said if i see him i'll pass the word you was
• 22:00 - 22:30 looking for him she smiled archedly and twitched her body nobody can't blame a person for looking she said there were footsteps behind her going by she turned her head hi slim she said slim's voice came through the door ah good looking i'm trying to find curly slim well you ain't trying very hard i seen him going in your house she was suddenly apprehensive bye boys she called into the bunk house and she
• 22:30 - 23:00 hurried away george looked around at lenny jesus what a he said so that's what curly picks for a wife she's pretty said lenny defensively yeah and she sure hadn't it curly's got his work ahead of him but she'd clear out for 20 bucks lenny still stared at the doorway where she had been ah she was pretty he smiled admiringly george looked quickly down at him and then he took him by the ear and shook
• 23:00 - 23:30 him you listen to me you crazy bastard he said fiercely don't you even look at that i don't care what she says and what she does i seen him poisoned before but i never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her you leave her be lenny tried to disengage his ear i never done nothing george no you never but when she was standing in the doorway showing her legs she wasn't looking the other way neither i never meant no harm george honest i never will you keep away from her but she's a rat trap have i ever seen one
• 23:30 - 24:00 you let curly take the wrap he let himself in for it glove full of vaseline george said disgustedly and i bet he's eating raw eggs and right into the patin medicine houses when he cried out suddenly i don't like this place george this ain't no good place i want to get out of here we gotta keep it till we get a steak we can't help it lenny we'll get out just as soon as we can i don't like it no better than you do he went back to the table and set out a new solitaire hand no i don't like it he said a few bits
• 24:00 - 24:30 i'd shove out of here we can get just a few dollars in the poke we'll shove off and go up the american river and pan gold we can make maybe a couple of dollars a day there and we might hit a pocket lenny leaned eagerly toward him let's go george let's get out of here it's mean here we gotta stay george said shortly shut up now the guys be coming in from the washroom nearby came the sound of running water and rattling basins george studied the cards maybe we ought
• 24:30 - 25:00 to wash up he said but we ain't done nothing to get dirty tall man stood in the doorway he held a crushed stetson hat under his arm while he combed his long black damp hair straight back like the others he wore blue jeans and a short denim jacket when he had finished combing his hair he moved into the room and he moved with the majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen he was a jerk line skinner the prince of the ranch capable of driving 10
• 25:00 - 25:30 16 and even 20 mules with a single line to the leaders he was capable of killing a fly on the wheeler's butt with the bull whip without torching touching the mule there was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talks stopped when he spoke his authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject be it politics or love this was slim jerk line skinner his hatchet face was ageless he might have been 35 or 50. his ear heard more than what was said to him and
• 25:30 - 26:00 his slow speech had overtones not of thought but of understanding beyond thought his hands largely and were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer he smoothed out his crushed hat creased it in the middle and put it on he looked kindly at the two in the bunk house it's brighter and a outside he said gently can't hardly see nothing in here you the new guys just um said george gonna buck barley that's what the ball says
• 26:00 - 26:30 slim sat down on a box across the table from george he studied the solitaire hand that was upside down to him hope you get on my team he said his voice was very gentle i got a pair of punks on my team that don't know barley bag from a blue ball you guys ever bucked any barley hell yes george i ain't nothing to scream about but that big bastard there can put up more grain alone than most pairs can lenny who had been following the conversation back and forth with his eyes smiled complacently at the compliment
• 26:30 - 27:00 slam looked approvingly at george for having given the compliment he leaned over the table and snapped the corner of a loose card you guys travel around together his tone was friendly it invited confidence without demanding it sure said george they kind of look after each other he indicated lenny with his thumb he ain't bright hell of a good worker though hell of a nice fella but he ain't bray i've known him for a long time slim looked through george and beyond him ain't many guys travel around
• 27:00 - 27:30 together he mused i don't know why maybe everybody in the whole damn world is scared of each other it's a lot nicer to go around with the 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 asleem he said and then stopped and stared at george and lenny these guys just come said slim by way of introduction glad to meet you the big man said my name's carlson i'm george milton this here's lenny small glad to meet you
• 27:30 - 28:00 carlson said again he ain't very small he chuckled softly at his own joke ain't small at all he repeated meant to ask you slim how's your i seen she wasn't under your wagon this morning she slaying her pups last night said slim nine of them i round four of them right off she couldn't feed that many got five left huh yeah five i kept the biggest what kind of dogs you think they're gonna be i don't know said slim some kind of shepherds i guess that's the most kind i seen around here
• 28:00 - 28:30 when she was in heat carlson went on got five pups huh gonna keep all of them i don't know i had to keep them a while so they can drink lulu's milk carlson said thoughtfully look at here slim i i've been thinking that dog of candies is so goddamn old he can't hardly walk stinks like hell too every time he comes into the bunk house i can smell him for two three days why don't you get candy to shoot his old dog give him one of the pups to raise up i can smell that dog a mile away got no
• 28:30 - 29:00 teeth damn near blind can't eat candy feeds and milk you 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
• 29:00 - 29:30 you guys better come on while there's still something to eat won't be nothing left in a couple of minutes carlson stepped back to let slim proceed and then the two of them went out the door when he was watching george excitedly george rumpled his cards into a messy pile yeah george said i heard him lenny i'll ask him round and white one lenny cried excitedly come on let's get dinner i don't know whether he got a brown and white one buddy didn't move from his bunk you ask
• 29:30 - 30:00 him right away george so he won't kill no more of them sure come on now get up on your feet lenny rolled off his bunk and stood up and the two of them started for the door just as they reached it curly bounced in you seen a girl around here you demanded angrily george said coldly about half an hour ago maybe what the hell was she doing george stood still watching the angry little man he said insultingly she said she was looking for you hurley seemed really to see george for
• 30:00 - 30:30 the first time his eyes flashed over george took in his height measured his reach looked at his trim middle well which way did she go he demanded it last i don't know said george i didn't watch her go probably scouted him and turning hurried out the door george said you know lenny i'm scared i'm gonna tingle with that bastard myself i hate his nuts jesus christ come on they won't be a damn thing left to eat they went out the door the sunshine lay in a thin line under
• 30:30 - 31:00 the window from a distance there could be heard a rattle of dishes after a moment the ancient dog walked lamely in through the open door he gazed about with mild half-blind eyes he sniffed and then laid down and put his head between his paws curly popped into the doorway again and stood looking into the room the dog raised his head but when curly jerked out the grizzled head sank to the floor again