@@@@@The fact that several men, that this man 973
@@@@@The fact that several men, that this man beside him, had come to his aid after Croft had killed the bird overwhelmed him with self-pity and gratitude and warmth"I appreciate extensively what you did today about the birdI want to tell you that I appreciate it To his utter dismay, he found himself weeping Red was touched for an instant, and he almost extended his arm to clap Roth on the backBut he aborted the motionRoth was like the mongrel dogs with shaggy moth-eaten hides that had always gathered in the rubbish dumps or clustered around the flophouses when the swill was thrown outIf you gave them a scrap of food or a pat on the head, they would follow you for days, staring at you with watery eyes of gratitude
He wanted to be kind to Roth now, but if he did Roth would be coming to him all the time, donating his confidences, making a touch for sentimentRoth would latch on to anyone who was friendly to himHe couldn't afford it; Roth was the kind of man who would stop a bullet soon
And more than this; he didn't want toThere was something nasty, unclean, about the emotion Roth was showingRed always curdled before emotion"For Christ's sakes, man, cut it out," he snapped"I don't give a goddam about you and your bird
Roth stopped as if he had been slapped across the faceFor a moment in his weeping he had been expecting the warm arms of his motherThey were gone now; everything was goneIt gave him a bitter pleasure, as if in having plumbed this last rejection he knew at last that there was no further humiliation he could receiveThe foundation stones of his despair were at least stonesRed could not see the bitter smile Roth assumed instinctively"You can forget about it," Roth said, turning over on his side away from Red, staring through the tears in his eyes at the cold gaunt reaches of the mountainHis throat was hot when he swallowedAt least now there was nothing left to desire, he told himsel
