¨So long； bright boy；〃 he said to George。 ¨You got a lot of luck。〃
¨Thatˇs the truth；〃 Max said。 ¨You ought to play the races； bright boy。〃
The two of them went out of the door。 George watched them； through the window； pass under the arc…light； and cross the street。 In their tight overcoats and derby hats they looked like a vaudeville team。 George went back through the swinging…door into the kitchen and untied Nick and the cook。
¨I donˇt want any more of that；〃 said Sam； the cook。 ¨I donˇt want any more of that。〃
Nick stood up。 He had never had a towel in his mouth before。
¨Say；〃 he said。 ¨What the hell？〃 He was trying to swagger it off。
¨They were going to kill Ole Andreson；〃 George said。 ¨They were going to shoot him when he came in to eat。〃
¨Ole Andreson？〃
¨Sure。〃
The cook felt the corners of his mouth with his thumbs。
¨They all gone？〃 he asked。
¨Yeah；〃 said George。 ¨Theyˇre gone now。〃
¨I donˇt like it；〃 said the cook。 ¨I donˇt like any of it at all。〃
¨Listen；〃 George said to Nick。 ¨You better go see Ole Andreson。〃
¨All right。〃
¨You better not have anything to do with it at all；〃 Sam； the cook； said。 ¨You better stay way out of it。〃
¨Donˇt go if you donˇt want to；〃 George said。
¨Mixing up in this ainˇt going to get you anywhere；〃 the cook said。 ¨You stay out of it。〃
¨Iˇll go see him；〃 Nick said to George。 ¨Where does he live？〃
The cook turned away。
¨Little boys always know what they want to do；〃 he said。
¨He lives up at Hirschˇs rooming…house；〃 George said to Nick。
¨Iˇll go up there。〃
Outside； the arc…light shone through the bare branches of a tree。 Nick walked up the street beside the car…tracks and turned at the next arc…light down a side…street。 Three houses up the street was Hirschˇs rooming…house。 Nick walked up the two steps and pushed the bell。 A woman came to the door。
¨Is Ole Andreson here？〃
¨Do you want to see him？〃
¨Yes； if heˇs in。〃
Nick followed the woman up a flight of stairs and back to the end of the corridor。 She knocked on the door。
¨Who is it？〃
¨Itˇs somebody to see you； Mr。 Andreson；〃 the woman said。
¨Itˇs Nick Adams。〃
¨Come in。〃
Nick opened the door and went into the room。 Ole Andreson was lying on the bed with all his clothes on。 He had been a heavyweight prize…fighter and he was too long for the bed。 He lay with his head on two pillows。 He did not look at Nick。
¨What was it？〃 he asked。
¨I was up at Henryˇs；〃 Nick said； ¨and two fellows came in and tied up me and the cook； and they said they were going to kill you。〃
It sounded silly when he said it。 Ole Andreson said nothing。
¨They put us out in the kitchen；〃 Nick went on。 ¨They were going to shoot you when you came in to supper。〃
Ole Andresen looked at the wall and did not say anything。
¨George thought Iˇd better come and tell you about it。〃
¨There isnˇt anything I can do about it；〃 Ole Andreson said。
¨Iˇll tell you what they were like。〃
¨I donˇt want to know what they were like；〃 Ole Andreson said。 He looked at the wall。 ¨Thanks for coming to tell me about it。〃
¨Thatˇs all right。〃
Nick looked at the big man lying on the bed。
¨Donˇt you want me to go and see the police？〃
¨No；〃 Ole Andresen said。 ¨That wouldnˇt do any good。〃
¨Isnˇt there something I could do？〃
¨No。 There ainˇt anything to do。〃
¨Maybe it was just a bluff。〃
¨No。 It ainˇt just a bluff。〃
Ole Andresen rolled over towards the wall。
¨The only thing is；〃 he said； talking towards the wall； ¨I just canˇt make up my mind to go out。 I been in here all day。〃
¨Couldnˇt you get out of town？〃
¨No；〃 Ole Andresen said。 ¨Iˇm through with all that running around。〃
He looked at the wall。
¨There ainˇt anything to do now。〃
¨Couldnˇt you fix it up some way？〃
¨No。 I got in wrong。〃 He talked in the same flat voice。 ¨There ainˇt anything to do。 After a while Iˇll make up my mind to go out。〃
¨I better go back and see George；〃 Nick said。
¨So long；〃 said Ole Andreson。 He did not look towards Nick。 ¨Thanks for coming around。〃
Nick went out。 As he shut the door he saw Ole Andreson with all his clothes on； lying on the bed looking at the wall。
¨Heˇs been in his room all day；〃 the landlady said downstairs。 ¨I guess he donˇt feel well。 I said to him： ˉMr。 Andreson； you ought to go out and take a walk on a nice fall day like this；ˇ but he didnˇt feel like it。〃
¨He doesnˇt want to go out。〃
¨Iˇm sorry he donˇt feel well；〃 the woman said。 ¨Heˇs an awfully nice man。 He was in the ring； you know。〃
¨I know it。〃
¨Youˇd never know it except from the way his face is；〃 the woman said。 They stood talking just inside the street door。 ¨Heˇs just as gentle。〃
¨Well； good…night； Mrs。 Hirsch；〃 Nick said。
¨Iˇm not Mrs。 Hirsch〃 the woman said。 ¨She owns the place。 I just look after it for her； Iˇm Mrs。 Bell。〃
¨Well； good…night； Mrs。 Bell；〃 Nick said。
¨Good…night；〃 the woman said。
Nick walked up the dark street to the corner under the arc…light； and then along the car…tracks to Henryˇs eating…house。 George was inside； back of the counter。
¨Did you see Ole？〃
¨Yes；〃 said Nick。 ¨Heˇs in his room and he wonˇt go out。〃
The cook opened the door from the kitchen when he heard Nickˇs voice。
¨I donˇt even listen to it；〃 he said and shut the door。
¨Did you tell him about it？〃 George asked。
¨Sure。 I told him； but he knows what itˇs all about。〃
¨Whatˇs he going to do？〃
¨Nothing。〃
¨Theyˇll kill him。〃
¨I guess they will。〃
¨He must have got mixed up in something in Chicago。〃
¨I guess so；〃 said Nick。
¨Itˇs a hell of a thing。〃
¨Itˇs an awful thing；〃 Nick said。
They did not say anything。 George reached down for a towel and wiped the counter。
¨I wonder what he did？〃 Nick said。
¨Double…crossed somebody。 Thatˇs what they kill them for。〃
¨Iˇm going to get out of this town；〃 Nick said。
¨Yes；〃 said George。 ¨Thatˇs a good thing to do。〃
¨I canˇt stand to think about him waiting in the room and knowing heˇs going to get it。 Itˇs too damned awful。〃
¨Well；〃 said George； ¨you better not think about it。〃
CHE TI DICE LA PATRIA？
THE road of the pass was hard and smooth and not yet dusty in the early morning。 Below were the hills with oak and chestnut trees； and far away below was the sea。 On the other side were snowy mountains。
We came down from the pass through wooded country。 There were bags of charcoal piled beside the road； and through the trees we saw charcoal…burnersˇ huts。 It was Sunday and the road； rising and falling； but always dropping away from the altitude of the pass； went through the scrub woods and through villages。
Outside the villages there were fields with vines。 The fields were brown and the vines coarse and thick。 The houses were white； and in the streets the men； in their Sunday clothes； were playing bowls。 Against the walls of some of the houses there were pear trees； their branches candelabraed against the white walls。 The pear trees had been sprayed； and the walls of the houses were stained a metallic blue…green by the spray vapor。 There were small clearings around the villages where the vines grew； and then the woods。
In a village； twenty kilometers above Spezia； there was a crowd in the square； and a young man carrying a suitcase came up to the car and asked us to take him in to Spezia。
¨There are only two places； and they are occupied；〃 I said。 We had an old Ford coup？。
¨I will ride on the outside。〃
¨You will be uncomfortable。〃
¨That makes nothing； I must go to Spezia。〃
¨Should we take him？〃 I asked Guy。
¨He seems to be going anyway；〃 Guy said。 The young man handed in a parcel through the window。
¨Look after this；〃 he said。 Two men tied his suitcase on the back of the car； above our suitcases。 He shook hands with every one； explained that to a Fascist and a man as used to traveling as himself there was no discomfort； and climbed up on the running…board on the left…hand side of the car； holding on inside； his right arm through the open window。
¨You can start；〃 he said。 The crowd waved。 He waved with his free hand。
¨What did he say？〃 Guy asked me。
¨That we could start。〃
¨Isnˇt he nice？〃 Guy said。
The road followed a river。 Across the river were mountains。 The sun was taking the frost out of the grass。 It was bright and cold and the air came through the open windshield。
¨How do you think he likes it out there？〃 Guy was looking up the road。 His view out of his side of the car was blocked by our guest。 The young man projected from the side of the car like the figurehead of a ship。 He had turned his coat collar up and pulled his hat down and his nose looked cold in the wind。
¨Maybe heˇll get enough of it；〃 Guy said。 ¨Thatˇs the side our bum tireˇs on。〃
¨Oh； heˇd leave us if we blew out；〃 I said。 ¨He wouldnˇt get his traveling c