Text Pants_ Jeans Trousers

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Notes for Section Two

The next day George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and go to
the bunk house, where they meet most of the other main
characters in the story: Candy, an old swamper with only one
hand; Curley, the boss's son; the boss, who is suspicious that
George will not let Lennie speak up for himself; Curley's
beautiful young wife, who flirts with the other men; Slim, the
top ranch hand who is respected by all the other hands; and
Carlson, another of the established hands. Slim is friendly
towards George and Lennie. Slim's bitch dog has recently
given birth to pups and Lennie begs George to ask him if he
will give one to Lennie as a pet.

What do you think?
As you read this section, try to imagine how George and
Lennie feel, coming to work as strangers on a new ranch.
Think about the reasons why George wants to do all the

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
talking in his exchanges with the boss and Curley, and what
might have happened if Lennie had been allowed to speak for

Look for evidence in the text to help you answer these

1. What does the language used by Candy to describe the
stable buck tell us about the relationship between blacks and
whites? Does this language offer us any clues as to the period
in which the novel was set?

2. What words and phrases does Steinbeck use in introducing
us to Curley which suggest that he might cause trouble for

3. Do you think that the ranch hands find Curley's wife
attractive? Does this also include Lennie? Give examples
which suggest that she openly flirts with the men.
Of Mice and Men. Section 2
4. How does Steinbeck's description of Slim suggest that he
carries authority amongst the men? What do you think about
the language which Steinbeck uses to describe him?

                                                 [Text page 37]

5. What evidence is there to suggest that the social
environment in which the story takes place is one of hostility?
What effect does this have on itinerant workers like George
and Lennie?

Further activities
1. Most of the main characters in the novel appear in this
section. Using ICT if possible, draw up a chart for each
character with four columns headed Key Point, Comment,
Quotation and Page.

In the first column include details such as appearance, what
s/he says or does, how others respond to her/him and so on.
Of Mice and Men. Section 2
In the second column jot down briefly what this tells you about
the character and how s/he might be changing. In the third
column whenever possible, put an appropriate quotation to
support your comments in Column 2.

Give a page reference in the fourth column so you can easily
check back at any time. If you use a computer for this log you
will find it easier to update and alter it as you come across
further evidence or need to add other characters.

Key point    Comment          Quotation        Page

2. Imagine that you are the boss who is immediately
suspicious of the two new hands—George and Lennie—who
have been sent to you by Murray and Ready's. You decide
that before you can take them on, you require more
information about them. Write a letter to their previous
employer at the ranch in Weed asking for a reference for

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
George and Lennie. In the letter you should ask for
information on:

    • why they left
    • whether they were good workers
    • why George does most of the talking for Lennie
    • if they are trustworthy and safe to employ
    • any other factors which you think are relevant.

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                                                 [Text page 38]


walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In three walls
five of them made up with blankets and the other three
showing their burlap ticking. Over each bunk there was nailed
an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two
shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant of the
bunk. And these shelves were loaded with little articles, soap
and talcum powder, razors and those Western magazines
ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe. And
there were medicines on the shelves, and little vials, combs;
and from nails on the box sides, a few neckties. Near one wall
there was a black cast-iron stove, its stove-pipe going straight
up through the ceiling. In the middle of the room stood a big
square table littered with playing cards, and around it were
grouped boxes for the players to sit on.
Of Mice and Men. Section 2
At about ten o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright
out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars.

The wooden latch raised. The door opened and a tall, stoop-
shouldered old man came in. He was dressed in blue jeans
and he carried a big push-broom in his left hand. Behind him
came George, and behind George, Lennie.

                                                 [Text page 39]
'The boss was expectin' you last night,' the old man said. 'He
was sore as hell when you wasn't here to go out this morning.'
round stick-like wrist, but no hand. 'You can have them two
beds there,' he said, indicating two bunks near the stove.

George stepped over and threw his blankets down on the
burlap sack of straw that was a mattress. He looked into the
box shelf and then picked a small yellow can from it. 'Say.

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
What the hell's this?'

'I don't know,' said the old man.

'Says "positively kills lice, roaches, and other scourges". What
the hell kind of bed you giving us, anyways. We don't want no
pants rabbits.'

The old swamper shifted his broom and held it between his
elbow and his side while he held out his hand for the can. He
studied the label carefully. 'Tell you what ...' he said finally,
'last guy that had this bed was a blacksmith—hell of a nice
his hands even after he ate.'

'Then how come he got graybacks?' George was working up a
slow anger. Lennie put his bindle on the neighboring bunk and
sat down. He watched George with open mouth.

'Tell you what,' said the old swamper. 'This here blacksmith—

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name of Whitey—was the kind of guy that would put that stuff
around even if there wasn't no bugs—just to make sure, see?
Tell you what he used to do—At meals he'd peel his boil'
potatoes, an' he'd take out ever' little spot, no matter what
kind, before he'd eat

                                                    [Text page 40]
it. And if there was a red splotch on an egg, he'd scrape it off.
Finally quit about the food. That's the kinda guy he was—
clean. Used ta dress up Sundays even when he wasn't going
no place, put on a necktie even, and then set in the bunk

'I ain't so sure,' said George skeptically. 'What did you say he
quit for?'

The old man put the yellow can in his pocket, and he rubbed
his bristly white whiskers with his knuckles. 'Why ... he ... just
quit, the way a guy will. Says it was the food. Just wanted to
move. Didn't give no other reason but the food. Just says

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"gimme my time" one night, the way any guy would.'

George lifted his tick and looked underneath it. He leaned over
and inspected the sacking closely. Immediately Lennie got up
and did the same with his bed. Finally George seemed
and leather wristband. Then he made his bed up neatly with
blankets. The old man said, 'I guess the boss'll be out here in
a minute. He was sure burned when you wasn't here this
morning. Come right in when we was eatin' breakfast and
says, "Where the hell's them new men?" An' he give the stable
buck hell, too.'

George patted a wrinkle out of his bed, and sat down. 'Give
the stable buck hell?' he asked.

'Sure. Ya see the stable buck's a nigger.'

'Nigger, huh?'

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                                                  [Text page 41]
'Yeah. Nice fella, too. Got a crooked back where a horse
kicked him. The boss gives him hell when he's mad. But the
stable buck don't give a damn about that. He reads a lot. Got
books in his room.'

'What kind of a guy is the boss?' George asked.

'Well, he's a pretty nice fella. Gets pretty mad sometimes, but
he's pretty nice. Tell ya what—know what he done Christmas?
Brang a gallon of whisky right in here and says, "Drink hearty,
boys. Christmas comes but once a year."'

'The hell he did! Whole gallon?'

'Yes sir. Jesus, we had fun. They let the nigger come in that

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woulda killed the nigger. The guys said on account of the
nigger's got a crooked back, Smitty can't use his feet.' He
paused in relish of the memory. 'After that the guys went into
Soledad and raised hell. I didn't go in there. I ain't got the poop
no more.'

Lennie was just finishing making his bed. The wooden latch
raised again and the door opened. A little stocky man stood in

The old swamper looked quickly at him, and then

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shuffled to the door rubbing his whiskers with his knuckles as
he went. 'Them guys just come,' he said, and shuffled past the
boss and out the door.

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a fat-legged man. 'I wrote Murray and Ready I wanted two
men this morning. You got your work slips?' George reached
into his pocket and produced the slips and handed them to the
boss. 'It wasn't Murray and Ready's fault. Says right here on
the slip that you was to be here for work this morning.'

George looked down at his feet. 'Bus driver give us a bum
steer,' he said. 'We hadda walk ten miles. Says we was here
when we wasn't. We couldn't get no rides in the morning.'

The boss squinted his eyes. 'Well, I had to send out the grain
teams short two buckers. Won't do any good to go out now till
after dinner.' He pulled his time book out of his pocket and
opened it where a pencil was stuck between the leaves.
George scowled meaningfully at Lennie, and Lennie nodded
to show that he understood. The boss licked his pencil.
'What's your name?'

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'George Milton.'

'And what's yours?'

George said, 'His name's Lennie Small.'

The names were entered in the book. 'Le's see, this is the
twentieth, noon the twentieth.' He closed the book. 'Where you
boys been working?'

'Up around Weed,' said George.

'You, too?' to Lennie.

                                                 [Text page 43]
'Yeah, him too,' said George.

The boss pointed a playful finger at Lennie. 'He ain't much of a
talker, is he?'

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'No, he ain't, but he's sure a hell of a good worker. Strong as a

Lennie smiled to himself. 'Strong as a bull,' he repeated.

George scowled at him, and Lennie dropped his head in
shame at having forgotten.

The boss said suddenly, 'Listen, Small!' Lennie raised his
head. 'What can you do?'

In a panic, Lennie looked at George for help. 'He can do
anything you tell him,' said George. 'He's a good skinner. He
Just give him a try.'

The boss turned on George. 'Then why don't you let him
answer? What you trying to put over?'

George broke in loudly, 'Oh! I ain't saying he's bright. He ain't.

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But I say he's a God damn good worker. He can put up a four
hundred pound bale.'

The boss deliberately put the little book in his pocket. He
hooked his thumbs in his belt and squinted one eye nearly
closed. 'Say—what you sellin'?'


'I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin' his pay away
from him?'

'No, 'course I ain't. Why ya think I'm sellin' him out?'

guy. I just like to know what your interest is.'

                                                    [Text page 44]
George said, 'He's my ... cousin. I told his old lady I'd take

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anything you tell him.'

The boss turned half away. 'Well, God knows he don't need
over, Milton. I got my eye on you. Why'd you quit in Weed?'

'Job was done,' said George promptly.

'What kinda job?'

'We ... we was diggin' a cesspool.'

'All right. But don't try to put nothing over, 'cause you can't get
away with nothing. I seen wise guys before. Go on out with the
grain teams after dinner. They're pickin' up barley at the
threshing machine. Go out with Slim's team.'


Of Mice and Men. Section 2
'Yeah. Big tall skinner. You'll see him at dinner.' He turned
abruptly and went to the door, but before he went out he
turned and looked for a long moment at the two men.

When the sound of his footsteps had died away, George
turned on Lennie. 'So you wasn't gonna say a word. You was
gonna leave your big flapper shut and leave me do the talkin'.
Damn near lost us the job.'

Lennie stared hopelessly at his hands. 'I forgot, George.'

of it.' He sat down heavily on the bunk. 'Now he's got his eye
on us. Now we got to be careful and

                                                  [Text page 45]
not make no slips. You keep your big flapper shut after this.'
He fell morosely silent.


Of Mice and Men. Section 2
'What you want now?'

'I wasn't kicked in the head with no horse, was I, George?'

'Be a damn good thing if you was,' George said viciously.
'Save ever'body a hell of a lot of trouble.'

'You said I was your cousin, George.'

'Well, that was a lie. An' I'm damn glad it was. If I was a
relative of yours I'd shoot myself.' He stopped suddenly,
stepped to the open front door and peered out. 'Say, what the
hell you doin' listenin'?'

his hand. And at his heels there walked a drag-footed sheep
struggled lamely to the side of the room and lay down,
grunting softly to himself and licking his grizzled, moth-eaten

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coat. The swamper watched him until he was settled. 'I wasn't
listenin'. I was jus' standin' in the shade a minute scratchin' my
dog. I jus' now finished swampin' out the wash house.'

'You was pokin' your big ears into our business,' George said.
'I don't like nobody to get nosey.'

The old man looked uneasily from George to Lennie, and then
back. 'I jus' come there,' he said. 'I didn't hear nothing you
guys was sayin'. I ain't interested in nothing you was sayin'. A
guy on a ranch don't never listen nor he don't ast no

                                                    [Text page 46]
'Damn right he don't,' said George, slightly mollified, 'not if he
wants to stay workin' long.' But he was reassured by the
swamper's defense. 'Come on in and set down a minute,' he
said. 'That's a hell of an old dog.'

'Yeah. I had 'im ever since he was a pup. God, he was a good

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sheep dog when he was younger.' He stood his broom against
the wall and he rubbed his white bristled cheek with his
knuckles. 'How'd you like the boss?' he asked.

'Pretty good. Seemed awright.'

'He's a nice fella,' the swamper agreed. 'You got to take him

like the boss, he wore high-heeled boots. 'Seen my old man?'
he asked.

The swamper said, 'He was here jus' a minute ago, Curley.
Went over to the cook house, I think.'

'I'll try to catch him,' said Curley. His eyes passed over the
new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George and

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hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight
crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious.
Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously.
Curley stepped gingerly close to him. 'You the new guys the
old man was waitin' for?'

                                                    [Text page 47]
'We just come in,' said George.

'Let the big guy talk.'

Lennie twisted with embarrassment.

George said, 'S'pose he don't want to talk?'

Curley lashed his body around. 'By Christ, he's gotta talk when
he's spoke to. What the hell are you gettin' into it for?'

'We travel together,' said George coldly.

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'Oh, so it's that way.'

George was tense, and motionless. 'Yeah, it's that way.'

Lennie was looking helplessly to George for instruction.

'An' you won't let the big guy talk, is that it?'

'He can talk if he wants to tell you anything.' He nodded
slightly to Lennie.

'We jus' come in,' said Lennie softly.

and his elbows were still bent out a little.

George watched him out, and then he turned back to the
swamper. 'Say, what the hell's he got on his shoulder? Lennie

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didn't do nothing to him.'

The old man looked cautiously at the door to make sure no
one was listening. 'That's the boss's son,' he said quietly.
'Curley's pretty handy. He done quite a bit in the ring. He's a
lightweight, and he's handy.'

'Well, let him be handy,' said George. 'He don't have to take
after Lennie. Lennie didn't do nothing to him. What's he got
against Lennie?'

                                                    [Text page 48]
The swamper considered. ... 'Well ... tell you what. Curley's
you? Always scrappy?'

'Sure,' said George. 'I seen plenty tough little guys. But this
Curley better not make no mistakes about Lennie. Lennie ain't

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handy, but this Curley punk is gonna get hurt if he messes
around with Lennie.'

'Well, Curley's pretty handy,' the swamper said skeptically.
'Never did seem right to me. S'pose Curley jumps a big guy
s'pose he does the same thing and gets licked. Then
ever'body says the big guy oughtta pick somebody his own
right to me. Seems like Curley ain't givin' nobody a chance.'

George was watching the door. He said ominously, 'Well, he
better watch out for Lennie. Lennie ain't no fighter, but
Lennie's strong and quick and Lennie don't know no rules.' He
walked to the square table and sat down on one of the boxes.
He gathered some of the cards together and shuffled them.

The old man sat down on another box. 'Don't tell Curley I said
none of this. He'd slough me. He just don't give a damn. Won't
ever get canned 'cause his old man's the boss.'

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George cut the cards and began turning them over, looking at
each one and throwing it down on a pile. He

                                                 [Text page 49]
said, 'This guy Curley sounds like a son-of-a-bitch to me. I
don't like mean little guys.'

'Seems to me like he's worse lately,' said the swamper. 'He
boss's house. Seems like Curley is cockier'n ever since he got

George grunted, 'Maybe he's showin' off for his wife.'

The swamper warmed to his gossip. 'You seen that glove on
his left hand?'

'Yeah. I seen it.'

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
'Well, that glove's fulla vaseline.'

'Vaseline? What the hell for?'

'Well, I tell ya what—Curley says he's keepin' that hand soft
for his wife.'

George studied the cards absorbedly. 'That's a dirty thing to
tell around,' he said.

The old man was reassured. He had drawn a derogatory
statement from George. He felt safe now, and he spoke more
confidently. 'Wait'll you see Curley's wife.'

George cut the cards again and put out a solitaire lay, slowly
and deliberately. 'Purty?' he asked casually.

'Yeah. Purty ... but—'

George studied his cards. 'But what?'

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'Well—she got the eye.'

'Yeah? Married two weeks and got the eye? Maybe that's why
Curley's pants is full of ants.'

'I seen her give Slim the eye. Slim's a jerkline skinner.

                                                    [Text page 50]
boots on a grain team. I seen her give Slim the eye. Curley
never seen it. An' I seen her give Carlson the eye.'

George pretended a lack of interest. 'Looks like we was gonna
have fun.'

The swamper stood up from his box. 'Know what I think?'
George did not answer. 'Well, I think Curley's married ... a tart.'

'He ain't the first,' said George. 'There's plenty done that.'

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The old man moved toward the door, and his ancient dog lifted
his head and peered about, and then got painfully to his feet to
follow. 'I gotta be settin' out the wash basins for the guys. The
teams'll be in before long. You guys gonna buck barley?'


'You won't tell Curley nothing I said?'

'Hell no.'

'Well, you look her over, mister. You see if she ain't a tart.' He
stepped out the door into the brilliant sunshine.

George laid down his cards thoughtfully, turned his piles of
three. He built four clubs on his ace pile. The sun square was
on the floor now, and the flies whipped through it like sparks.
A sound of jingling harness and the croak of heavy-laden
axles sounded from outside. From the distance came a clear

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call. 'Stable Buck—ooh, sta-able Buck!' And then, 'Where the
hell is that God damn nigger?'

                                                     [Text page 51]
George stared at his solitaire lay, and then he flounced the
cards together and turned around to Lennie. Lennie was lying
down on the bunk watching him.

'Look, Lennie! This here ain't no set up. I'm scared. You gonna
have trouble with that Curley guy. I seen that kind before. He
was kinda feelin' you out. He figures he's got you scared and
he's gonna take a sock at you the first chance he gets.'

Lennie's eyes were frightened. 'I don't want no trouble,' he
said plaintively. 'Don't let him sock me, George.'

George got up and went over to Lennie's bunk and sat down
on it. 'I hate that kinda bastard,' he said. 'I seen plenty of 'em.
Like the old guy says, Curley don't take no chances. He
always wins.' He thought for a moment. 'If he tangles with you,

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Lennie, we're gonna get the can. Don't make no mistake about
that. He's the boss's son. Look, Lennie. You try to keep away
from him, will you? Don't never speak to him. If he comes in
here you move clear to the other side of the room. Will you do
that, Lennie?'

'I don't want no trouble,' Lennie mourned. 'I never done
nothing to him.'

'Well, that won't do you no good if Curley wants to plug himself
up for a fighter. Just don't have nothing to do with him. Will
you remember?'

'Sure, George. I ain't gonna say a word.'

The sound of the approaching grain teams was louder, thud of
trace chains. Men were calling back and forth from the teams.
George, sitting on the bunk beside

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                                                   [Text page 52]
Lennie, frowned as he thought. Lennie asked timidly, 'You ain't
mad, George?'

'I ain't mad at you. I'm mad at this here Curley bastard. I
hoped we was gonna get a little stake together—maybe a
hundred dollars.' His tone grew decisive. 'You keep away from
Curley, Lennie.'

'Sure I will, George. I won't say a word.'

'Don't let him pull you in—but—if the son-of-a-bitch socks
you—let 'im have it.'

'Let 'im have what, George?'

'Never mind, never mind. I'll tell you when. I hate that kind of a
guy. Look, Lennie, if you get in any kind of trouble, you
remember what I told you to do?'

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Lennie raised up on his elbow. His face contorted with
thought. Then his eyes moved sadly to George's face. 'If I get
in any trouble, you ain't gonna let me tend the rabbits.'

'That's not what I meant. You remember where we slep' last
night? Down by the river?'

'Yeah. I remember. Oh, sure I remember! I go there an' hide in
the brush.'

'Hide till I come for you. Don't let nobody see you. Hide in the
brush by the river. Say that over.'

'Hide in the brush by the river, down in the brush by the river.'

'If you get in trouble.'

'If I get in trouble.'

A brake screeched outside. A call came, 'Stable—Buck. Oh!

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Sta-able Buck.'

                                                   [Text page 53]
George said, 'Say it over to yourself, Lennie, so you won't
forget it.'

Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the
on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich
feathers. 'I'm lookin' for Curley,' she said. Her voice had a
nasal, brittle quality.

George looked away from her and then back. 'He was in here
a minute ago, but he went.'

'Oh!' She put her hands behind her back and leaned against
the door frame so that her body was thrown forward. 'You're

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the new fellas that just come, ain't ya?'


Lennie's eyes moved down over her body, and though she did
looked at her fingernails. 'Sometimes Curley's in here,' she

George said brusquely, 'Well he ain't now.'

'If he ain't, I guess I better look some place else,' she said

Lennie watched her, fascinated. George said, 'If I see him, I'll
pass the word you was looking for him.'

She smiled archly and twitched her body. 'Nobody can't blame
a person for lookin',' she said. There were footsteps behind
her, going by. She turned her head. 'Hi, Slim,' she said.

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                                                    [Text page 54]
Slim's voice came through the door. 'Hi, Good-lookin'.'

'I'm tryin' to find Curley, Slim.'

'Well, you ain't tryin' very hard. I seen him goin' in your house.'

She was suddenly apprehensive. "Bye, boys,' she called into
the bunk house, and she hurried away.

George looked around at Lennie. 'Jesus, what a tramp,' he
said. 'So that's what Curley picks for a wife.'

'She's purty,' said Lennie defensively.

'Yeah, and she's sure hidin' it. Curley got his work ahead of
him. Bet she'd clear out for twenty bucks.'

Lennie still stared at the doorway where she had been. 'Gosh,

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she was purty.' He smiled admiringly. George looked quickly
down at him and then he took him by an ear and shook him.

'Listen to me, you crazy bastard,' he said fiercely. 'Don't you
piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be.'

Lennie tried to disengage his ear. 'I never done nothing,

'No, you never. But when she was standin' in the doorway
showin' her legs, you wasn't lookin' the other way, neither.'

'I never meant no harm, George. Honest I never.'

'Well, you keep away from her,' cause she's a rattrap if I ever
seen one. You let Curley take the rap. He let himself in for it.
Glove fulla vaseline,' George said disgustedly.

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                                                       [Text page 55]
'An I bet he's eatin' raw eggs and writin' to the patent medicine

Lennie cried out suddenly—'I don' like this place, George. This
ain't no good place. I wanna get outta here.'

'We gotta keep it till we get a stake. We can't help it, Lennie.
We'll get out jus' as soon as we can. I don't like it no better
than you do.' He went back to the table and set out a new
solitaire hand. 'No, I don't like it,' he said. 'For two bits I'd
might hit a pocket.'

Lennie leaned eagerly toward him. 'Le's go, George. Le's get
outta here. It's mean here.'

'We gotta stay,' George said shortly. 'Shut up now. The guys'll

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be comin' in.'

From the washroom nearby came the sound of running water
and rattling basins. George studied the cards. 'Maybe we
oughtta wash up,' he said. 'But we ain't done nothing to get

denim jacket. When he had finished combing his hair he
moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only
achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerkline
sixteen, even twenty mules

                                                   [Text page 56]
on the wheeler's butt with a bull whip without touching the

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profound that all talk stopped when he spoke. His authority
had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond
action as those of a temple dancer.

He smoothed out his crushed hat, creased it in the middle and
put it on. He looked kindly at the two in the bunk house. 'It's
brighter'n a bitch outside,' he said gently. 'Can't hardly see
nothing in here. You the new guys?'

'Just come,' said George.

'Gonna buck barley?'

'That's what the boss says.'

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Slim sat down on a box across the table from George. He
studied the solitaire hand that was upside down to him. 'Hope
you get on my team,' he said. His voice was very gentle. 'I
gotta pair of punks on my team that don't know a barley bag
from a blue ball. You guys ever bucked any barley?'

'Hell, yes,' said George. 'I ain't nothing to scream about, but
that big bastard there can put up more grain alone than most
pairs can.'

                                                   [Text page 57]
Lennie, who had been following the conversation back and
forth with his eyes, smiled complacently at the compliment.
Slim looked approvingly at George for having given the
compliment. He leaned over the table and snapped the corner
of a loose card. 'You guys travel around together?' His tone
was friendly. It invited confidence without demanding it.

'Sure,' said George. 'We kinda look after each other.' He
indicated Lennie with his thumb. 'He ain't bright. Hell of a good

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
worker, though. Hell of a nice fella, but he ain't bright. I've
knew him for a long time.'

Slim looked through George and beyond him. 'Ain't many guys

'It's a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know,' said George.

His head still dripped water from the scrubbing and dousing.
'Hi, Slim,' he said, and then stopped and stared at George and

'These guys jus' come,' said Slim by way of introduction.

'Glad ta meet ya,' the big man said. 'My name's Carlson.'

'I'm George Milton. This here's Lennie Small.'

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
'Glad ta meet ya,' Carlson said again. 'He ain't very small.' He
chuckled softly at his joke. 'Ain't small at all,' he repeated.
'Meant to ask you, Slim—how's your bitch? I seen she wasn't
under your wagon this morning.'

                                                    [Text page 58]

'She slang her pups last night,' said Slim. 'Nine of 'em. I
drowned four of 'em right off. She couldn't feed that many.'

'Got five left, huh?'

'Yeah, five. I kept the biggest.'

'What kinda dogs you think they're gonna be?'

'I dunno,' said Slim. 'Some kinda shepherds, I guess. That's
the most kind I seen around here when she was in heat.'

Carlson went on, 'Got five pups, huh. Gonna keep all of 'em?'

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
'I dunno. Have to keep 'em a while so they can drink Lulu's

Carlson said thoughtfully, 'Well, looka here, Slim. I been
thinkin'. That dog of Candy's is so God damn old he can't
hardly walk. Stinks like hell, too. Ever' time he comes into the
bunk house I can smell him for two, three days. Why'n't you
to raise up? I can smell that dog a mile away. Got no teeth,
damn near blind, can't eat. Candy feeds him milk. He can't
chew nothing else.'

George had been staring intently at Slim. Suddenly a triangle
began to ring outside, slowly at first, and then faster and faster
until the beat of it disappeared into one ringing sound. It
stopped as suddenly as it had started.

'There she goes,' said Carlson.

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
Outside, there was a burst of voices as a group of men went

Slim stood up slowly and with dignity. 'You guys better

                                                   [Text page 59]
come on while they's still something to eat. Won't be nothing
left in a couple of minutes.'

Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him, and then the
two of them went out the door.

Lennie was watching George excitedly. George rumpled his
cards into a messy pile. 'Yeah!' George said, 'I heard him,
Lennie. I'll ask him.'

'A brown and white one,' Lennie cried excitedly.

'Come on. Le's get dinner. I don't know whether he got a
brown and white one.'

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
Lennie didn't move from his bunk. 'You ask him right away,
George, so he won't kill no more of 'em.'

'Sure. Come on now, get up on your feet.'

Lennie rolled off his bunk and stood up, and the two of them
started for the door. Just as they reached it, Curley bounced

'You seen a girl around here?' he demanded angrily.

George said coldly, "Bout half an hour ago maybe.'

'Well what the hell was she doin'?'

George stood still, watching the angry little man. He said
insultingly, 'She said—she was lookin' for you.'

Curley seemed really to see George for the first time. His eyes

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
flashed over George, took in his height, measured his reach,
looked at his trim middle. 'Well, which way'd she go?' he
demanded at last.

'I dunno,' said George. 'I didn't watch her go.'

Curley scowled at him, and turning, hurried out the door.

George said, 'Ya know, Lennie, I'm scared I'm gonna

                                                   [Text page 60]
tangle with that bastard myself. I hate his guts. Jesus Christ!
Come on. They won't be a damn thing left to eat.'

They went out the door. The sunshine lay in a thin line under
the window. From a distance there could be heard a rattle of

After a moment the ancient dog walked lamely in through the
open door. He gazed about with mild, half-blind eyes. He

Of Mice and Men. Section 2
sniffed, and then lay down and put his head between his
paws. Curley popped into the doorway again and stood
looking into the room. The dog raised his head, but when
Curley jerked out, the grizzled head sank to the floor again.

Of Mice and Men. Section 2

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