Sam Bass Read Online Free PDF

pockets and found more and dropped them in, too. “Wooo!” he hollered.
    â€œQuiet!” I said. “The children will hear you.”
    He grinned in the same stupid way and tipped his absent hat and took the reins from Sam, who stepped up and dropped more money into the hat. He said, “Old Army told you there were lots of dollars in that Jenny. That’s how many she throwed up for us today.”
    But it wasn’t Jenny who had “throwed up.” Army’s shirt and vest were covered with vomit, and his sour odor filled the air between us. Sam noticed my disgust. “Old Army taken sick and fell off his horse,” he said. “That’s why we was walking.”
    I gave the hat and its heavy contents to Sam and gathered the reins from Army’s hand. “I’ll help Army with the horses,” I said.
    â€œArmy, he’s too drunk…”
    â€œI want to talk to my brother in private,” I said. “Don’t go inside until you’re sober.” I put my arm around Army’s shoulders and half led, half carried him toward the barn, pulling the horses behind. Army mumbled, and leaned heavily against me, and it was hard to keep my balance in the darkness. But I made it to the barn and managed to prop Army against the wall. I unlatched the door and lit the lantern and led the horses inside and unsaddled them. While I was currying Jenny I called out, “How much will you take for your part of this mare, brother?”
    â€œTen thousand dollars,” he called back. Then he giggled to himself, and I didn’t speak to him again until I had put the animals up and fed and watered them.
    When I closed the door Army was sitting against the barn. His chin lay on his chest. He appeared to be asleep, but he raised his head when I nudged him with my toe, and I said, “I’ll give you four hundred dollars in the morning, brother. Take it or be damned.”
    He frowned, trying to focus on me, but said nothing. “Our dead mother demands it,” I said. “She would weep to see you now.”
    Army wept. He tried to get to his feet, but couldn’t. “Sleep in the barn,” I said. “I don’t want you in my house.” Then I left him.
    Sam was slouched on the porch still, but seemed fairly sober. Either he hadn’t drunk as much as Army or he held it better. Army’s hat was in his lap, and he was counting the silver into two neat stacks. “So you won,” I said.
    â€œYeah. Where’s Army?”
    â€œAsleep.”
    â€œI couldn’t stop him, Dad.”
    I shrugged. “He’s a grown man. He’s responsible for himself. But I’m buying his part of the mare.”
    Sam smiled and offered his hand. “Good,” he said. “Shake, pard.”
    â€œNo, I won’t be your partner. The four hundred is a loan. The mare is all yours.”
    Sam gazed thoughtfully at the stacks of dollars. “It’ll take a while to pay back four hundred of those.”
    â€œTake as long as you need. I should have loaned you the money in the first place. It’s not good for me or my family to be mixed up in horse racing.”
    â€œI’m sorry about Army, Dad.”
    â€œIt’s not your fault. Sam, do you have to race her?”
    â€œYeah. If I do it right, she’ll be my ticket to big things.”
    â€œWhat things, Sam?”
    He waved at the stacks of dollars. “Money’s what makes us men, ain’t it, Dad? Without it, nobody can be much more than a nigger. You’ve treated me good, and now I’m your head nigger. But I’m still a nigger. I’ve been a nigger all my life. But I come to Texas to stop being a nigger, and Jenny’s going to help me do that.”
    I laid my hand on his knee. “You’re looking for a short cut where there isn’t any,” I said, “but that’s none of my business. Let’s go inside.”
    â€œNo,