'The Blue Hotel,' by Stephen Crane, Part Four

01The Blue Hotel, Part 4 The Swede's face, fresh from Johnny's blows, felt more pleasure than pain in the wind and the whipping snow.

02A number of square shapes appeared before him, and he recognized them as the houses of the town.

03He traveled along a street until he found a saloon.

04He pushed open the door and entered.

05At the end of the room, four men sat drinking at a table.

06The Swede dropped his bag upon the floor, and smiling at the saloon keeper, said, Give me some whiskey, will you?

07The man placed a bottle, a whiskey glass, and a glass of ice-filled water upon a table.

08The Swede poured himself an extra large amount of whiskey and drank it down.

09Bad night, remarked the saloon keeper, without interest.

10He was acting as though he were not noticing the man.

11But it could have been seen that he was secretly studying the remains of blood on the Swede's face.

12Bad night, he said again.

13Oh, it's good enough for me, replied the Swede, as he poured himself some more whiskey.

14No, continued the Swede.

15This isn't too bad weather.

16It's good enough for me.

17The large drinks of whiskey made the Swede's eyes watery, and he breathed a little heavier.

18Well, I guess I'll take another drink, said the Swede after a while.

19Would you like something?

20No, thanks.

21I'm not drinking.

22How did you hurt your face?

23The Swede immediately began to talk loudly.

24Oh, in a fight.

25I beat the soul out of a man at Scully's Hotel.

26This caught the interest of the four men at the table.

27Who was it?

28Asked one.

29Johnny Scully, son of the man who owns the hotel.

30He will be nearly dead for some weeks, I can tell you.

31I beat him well, I did.

32He couldn't get up.

33They had to carry him into the house.

34Have a drink.

35Instantly, the men, in a quiet way, surrounded themselves in privacy.

36No, thanks, said one.

37It was a strange group.

38Two were well-known local businessmen.

39One was a lawyer, and one was a gambler.

40But a close look at the group would not have enabled an observer to pick the gambler from the other men.

41He was, in fact, so delicate in manner and so careful with whom he gambled that the men of the town completely trusted and admired him.

42His business was regarded with fear and lack of respect.

43That is why, without doubt, his quiet dignity shone brightly above the quiet dignity of men who might be merely hat makers or builders or salesmen.

44Beyond an occasional unwise traveler who came by rail, this gambler supposedly cheated only careless farmers who, when rich with good crops, drove into town full of foolish pride.

45Hearing at times of such a farmer, the important men of romper usually laughed at his losses.

46And if they thought of the gambler at all, it was with a kind of pride of knowing he would never dare to attack their wisdom and courage.

47Besides, it was known that this gambler had a wife and two children in a nice little house, where he led a perfect home life.

48And when anyone even suggested that there was a fault in his character, the men immediately described the virtues of his family life.

49And one must not forget to declare the bare fact of his entire position in romper.

50It is true that in all affairs other than his business, this card player was so generous, so fair, so good, that he could be considered to have a higher moral sense than nine-tenths of the citizens of romper.

51And so it happened that he was seated in this saloon with two local businessmen and the lawyer.

52The Swede continued to drink whiskey and to try to make the saloon keeper drink with him.

53Come on, have a drink.

54Come on.

55No?

56Well, have a little one, then.

57By God, I've beaten a man tonight, and I beat him good, too.

58Gentlemen!

59The Swede cried to the men at the table.

60Have a drink?

61Shh!

62Quiet!

63Said the saloon keeper.

64The group at the table, although really interested, had been trying to appear busy and talk.

65But now a man lifted his eyes towards the Swede and said shortly, Thanks.

66We don't want any more.

67At this reply, the Swede straightened.

68Well, he shouted.

69It seems I can't get anybody to drink with me.

70I want someone to drink with me now.

71Now!

72Do you understand?

73He struck the table with his hand.

74Years of experience had hardened the saloon keeper.

75He merely answered.

76I hear you.

77Well!

78Cried the Swede.

79Listen, then.

80See those men over there?

81Well, they're going to drink with me, and don't you forget it.

82Now you watch.

83Stop that!

84Shouted the saloon keeper.

85Why should I?

86Demanded the Swede.

87He walked to the men's table and by chance laid his hand on the shoulder of the gambler.

88What about it?

89He asked angrily.

90I ask you to drink with me.

91The gambler simply turned his head and spoke over his shoulder.

92My friend, I don't know you.

93Never mind!

94Answered the Swede.

95Come and have a drink.

96Now, my boy.

97Advised the gambler kindly.

98Take your hand off my shoulder and go away.

99He was a little, thin man, and it seemed strange to hear him use this tone to the big Swede.

100The other men at the table said nothing.

101What?

102You won't drink with me, you little fool?

103I'll make you, then.

104I'll make you.

105The Swede had grasped the gambler fiercely at the throat and was dragging him from his chair.

106The other men jumped up.

107The saloon keeper ran toward the table.

108There was a great scene of shouts and movements, and then a long knife appeared in the hand of the gambler.

109It shot forward, and a human body was cut as easily as if it had been a piece of fruit.

110The Swede fell with a cry of greatest surprise.

111The businessman and the lawyer must have rushed out of the place backward.

112The saloon keeper found himself hanging weakly to the arm of a chair and gazing into the eyes of a murderer.

113Henry, said the latter, you tell them where to find me.

114I'll be home waiting.

115Then he left.

116A moment afterward, the saloon keeper was in the street, racing through the storm for help and, more important, companionship.

117Months later, the cowboy was cooking meat on the stove of a small cattle farm near the Dakota border when there was the sound of a horse stopping outside.

118The Easterner entered with mail and newspapers.

119Well, said the Easterner at once, The fellow who killed the Swede will spend three years in prison.

120That's not much, is it?

121He will?

122Three years?

123The cowboy turned the meat in the pan.

124Three years?

125That isn't much.

126No, replied the Easterner.

127There was a lot of sympathy for him in Romper.

128If the saloon keeper had been any good, said the cowboy thoughtfully, He would have gone in and hit that Swede on the head with a bottle in the beginning of it.

129That would have stopped all this murdering.

130Yes, a thousand things might have happened, said the Easterner sharply.

131The cowboy moved his pan of meat on the fire, continued with his philosophy.

132It's strange, isn't it?

133If he hadn't said Johnny was cheating, he'd be alive this minute.

134He was an awful fool.

135I believe he was crazy.

136I feel sorry for that gambler, said the Easterner.

137So do I, said the cowboy.

138He doesn't deserve three years in prison for killing that fellow.

139The Swede might not have been killed if everything had been honest.

140Might not have been killed, exclaimed the cowboy.

141Everything honest?

142When he said that Johnny was cheating and acted so crazy, then in the saloon he practically asked to get hurt?

143With these arguments, the cowboy made the Easterner angry.

144You're a fool, cried the Easterner fiercely.

145You're a bigger fool than that Swede.

146Now let me tell you one thing.

147Let me tell you one thing.

148Listen.

149Johnny was cheating.

150Johnny, said the cowboy blankly.

151There was a minute of silence, and then he said strongly, Oh no.

152The game was only for fun.

153Fun or not, said the Easterner.

154Johnny was cheating.

155I saw him.

156I know it.

157I saw him.

158And I refused to stand up and be a man.

159I let the Swede fight alone.

160And you, you were simply jumping around the place and wanting to fight.

161And old Scully too.

162We are all in it.

163This poor gambler just got pulled into it.

164Every sin is the result of shared effort.

165We, five of us, have shared in the murder of this Swede.

166You, I, Johnny, old Scully, and that fool of an unfortunate gambler came merely at the end of a human movement and gets all the punishment.

167The cowboy, hurt and angry, cried out blindly into this mystery of thought.

168Well, I didn't do anything, did I?

169I didn't do anything, I didn't do anything.

170I didn't do anything.

171I didn't do anything.

172I didn't do anything.

173I didn't do anything.

174I didn't do anything.

175I didn't do anything.

176I didn't do anything.

177I didn't do anything.

178I didn't do anything.

179I didn't do anything.

180I didn't do anything.

181I didn't do anything.

182I didn't do anything.

183I didn't do anything.

184I didn't do anything.

185I didn't do anything.

186I didn't do anything.

187I didn't do anything.