To Have And Have Not

TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT
headed Vet said. 'My teeth are floating now,*
'No/said the other. Thisbeerisgoodforyou. Thisis
draught beer. Stick with the beer. Let's go and beat
this guy up and come back and drink some more beer/
'No. Leave him alone.5
'No, pal. Not us. You said that rat ruined your wife.'
'My life. Not my wife.5
'Jese! Pardon me. Fm sorry, pal.5
'He defaulted and ruined the bank/ the other Vet
said. Til bet there5s a reward for him. By God, I seen
a picture of him at the post office to-day.5
'What were you doing at the post office?5 asked
the other suspiciously.
'Can't I get a letter?5
'What's the matter with getting letters at camp?'
'Do you think I went to the postal savings?'
'What were you doing in the post office?5
'I just stopped by/
'Take that/ said his pal and swung on him as
well as he could in the crowd.
'There goes those two cell mates/ said somebody.
Holding and punching, kneeing and butting, the
two were pushed out of the door,
'Let 'em fight on the sidewalk/ the wide-
shouldered young man said. 'Those bastards fight
three or four times a night.'
'They're a couple of punchies/ another Vet said*
'Red could fight once but he's got the old rale.'
They've both got it.'
'Red got it fighting a fellow in the ring/ a short