《No Country for Old Men》第31章

he　stood　and　put　a　card　on　the　table　next　to　the　flowers。　he　looked　at　moss。　you　think you　wont　call　me　but　you　will。　just　dont　wait　too　long。　that　money　belongs　to　my　client。
chigurh　is　an　outlaw。　times　not　on　your　side。　we　can　even　let　you　keep　some　of　it。　but if　i　have　to　recover　the　funds　from　chigurh　then　it　will　be　too　late　for　you。　not　to mention　your　wife。
moss　didnt　answer。
all　right。　you　might　want　to　call　her。　when　i　talked　to　her　she　sounded　pretty　worried。
when　he　was　gone　moss　turned　up　the　photographs　lying　on　the　bed。　like　a　player checking　his　hole　cards。　he　looked　at　the　pitcher　of　water　but　then　the　nurse　came　in。
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No　Country　for　Old　MenVI
（／小｜说｜网）
young　people　anymore　they　seem　to　have　a　hard　time　growin　up。　i　dont　know why。　maybe　its　just　that　you　dont　grow　up　any　faster　than　what　you　have　to。　i　had　a cousin　was　a　deputized　peace　officer　when　he　was　eighteen。　he　was　married　and　had　a kid　at　the　time。　i　had　a　friend　that　i　grew　up　with　was　a　ordained　baptist　preacher　at　the same　age。　pastor　of　a　little　old　country　church。　he　left　there　to　go　to　lubbock　after about　three　years　and　when　he　told　em　he　was　leavin　they　just　set　there　in　that　church and　blubbered。　men　and　women　alike。　hed　married　em　and　baptized　em　and　buried　em。
he　was　twenty…one　years　old；　maybe　twenty…two。　when　he　preached　theyd　be　standin out　in　the　yard　listenin。　it　surprised　me。　he　was　always　quiet　in　school。　i　was　twenty…　one　when　i　went　in　the　army　and　i　was　one　of　the　oldest　in　our　class　at　boot　camp。　six months　later　i　was　in　france　shootin　people　with　a　rifle。　i　didnt　even　think　it　was　all that　peculiar　at　the　time。　four　years　later　i　was　sheriff　of　this　county。　i　never　doubted but　what　i　was　supposed　to　be　neither。　people　anymore　you　talk　about　right　and　wrong theyre　liable　to　smile　at　you。　but　i　never　had　a　lot　of　doubts　about　things　like　that。　in my　thoughts　about　things　like　that。　i　hope　i　never　do。
loretta　told　me　that　she　had　heard　on　the　radio　about　some　percentage　of　the　children in　this　country　bein　raised　by　their　grandparents。　i　forget　what　it　was。　pretty　high；　i thought。　parents　wouldnt　raise　em。　we　talked　about　that。　what　we　thought　was　that when　the　next　generation　e　along　and　they　dont　want　to　raise　their　children　neither then　who　is　goin　to　do　it？　their　own　parents　will　be　the　only　grandparents　around　and they　wouldnt　even　raise　them。　we　didnt　have　a　answer　about　that。　on　my　better　days　i think　that　there　is　somethin　i　dont　know　or　there　is　somethin　that　im　leavin　out。　but them　times　are　seldom。　i　wake　up　sometimes　way　in　the　night　and　i　know　as　certain　as death　that　there　aint　nothin　short　of　the　second　in　of　christ　that　can　slow　this　train。
i　dont　know　what　is　the　use　of　me　layin　awake　over　it。　but　i　do。
i　dont　believe　you　could　do　this　job　without　a　wife。　a　pretty　unusual　wife　at　that。　cook and　jailer　and　i　dont　know　what　all。　them　boys　dont　know　how　good　theyve　got　it。　well； maybe　they　do。　i　never　worried　about　her　bein　safe。　they　get　fresh　garden　stuff　a　good part　of　the　year。　good　cornbread。　soupbeans。　shes　been　known　to　fix　em　hamburgers and　french　fries。　weve　had　em　to　e　back　even　years　later　and　theyd　be　married　and doin　good。　bring　their　wives。　bring　their　kids　even。　they　didnt　e　back　to　see　me。　ive seen　em　to　introduce　their　wives　or　their　sweethearts　and　then　just　go　to　bawlin。　grown men。　that　had　done　some　pretty　bad　things。　she　knew　what　she　was　doin。　she　always did。　so　we　go　over　budget　on　the　jail　ever　month　but　what　are　you　goin　to　do　about　that？
you　aint　goin　to　do　nothin　about　it。　thats　what　youre　goin　to　do。
chigurh　pulled　off　of　the　highway　at　the　junction　of　131　and　opened　the telephone　directory　in　his　lap　and　folded　over　the　bloodstained　pages　till　he　got　to veterinarian。　there　was　a　clinic　outside　bracketville　about　thirty　minutes　away。　he looked　at　the　towel　around　his　leg。　it　was　soaked　through　with　blood　and　blood　had soaked　into　the　seat。　he　threw　the　directory　in　the　floor　and　sat　with　his　hands　at　the　top of　the　steering　wheel。　he　sat　there　for　about　three　minutes。　then　he　put　the　vehicle　in gear　and　pulled　out　onto　the　highway　again。
he　drove　to　the　crossroads　at　la　pryor　and　took　the　road　north　to　uvalde。　his　leg　was throbbing　like　a　pump。　on　the　highway　outside　of　uvalde　he　pulled　up　in　front　of　the cooperative　and　undid　the　sashcord　from　around　his　leg　and　pulled　away　the　towel。
then　he　got　out　and　hobbled　in。
he　bought　a　sack　full　of　veterinary　supplies。　cotton　and　tape　and　gauze。　a　bulb　syringe and　a　bottle　of　hydrogen　peroxide。　a　pair　of　forceps。　scissors。　some　packets　of　four inch　swabs　and　a　quart　bottle　of　betadine。　he　paid　and　went　out　and　got　in　the ramcharger　and　started　the　engine　and　then　sat　watching　the　building　in　the　rearview mirror。　as　if　he　might　be　thinking　of　something　else　he　needed；　but　that　wasnt　it。　he　put his　fingers　inside　the　cuff　of　his　shirt　and　carefully　blotted　the　sweat　from　his　eyes。　then he　put　the　vehicle　in　gear　and　backed　out　of　the　parking　space　and　pulled　out　onto　the highway　headed　toward　town。
he　drove　down　main　street　and　turned　north　on　getty　and　east　again　on　nopal　where he　parked　and　shut　off　the　engine。　his　leg　was　still　bleeding。　he　got　the　scissors　from the　bag　and　the　tape　and　he　cut　a　three　inch　round　disc　out　of　the　cardboard　box　that held　the　cotton。　he　put　that　together　with　the　tape　into　his　shirtpocket。　he　took　a coathanger　from　the　floor　behind　the　seat　and　twisted　the　ends　off　and　straightened　it out。　then　he　leaned　and　opened　his　bag　and　took　out　a　shirt　and　cut　off　one　sleeve　with the　scissors　and　folded　it　and　put　it　in　his　pocket　and　put　the　scissors　back　in　the　paper bag　from　the　cooperative　and　opened　the　door　and　eased　himself　down；　lifting　his injured　leg　out　with　both　hands　under　his　knee。　he　stood　there；　holding　on　to　the　door。
then　he　bent　over　with　his　head　to　his　chest　and　stood　that　way　for　the　better　part　of　a minute。　then　he　raised　up　and　shut　the　door　and　started　down　the　street。
outside　the　drugstore　on　main　he　stopped　and　turned　and　leaned　against　a　car　parked there。　he　checked　the　st