12
PARTISAN REVIEW
reached down for the 'choke' and his heavy brown shoe pressed on the
starter again. It seemed to Texas that the engine was sleepy and didn't
want to get up. All it would consent to do, was to turn over a bit, and
grumble.
"I reckon it's done gone and froze, Sandy." The heavy shoe pressed
down again.
"Down in our Panhandle, we allus say the North Pole blows down
from over Kansas, but I never done seen no frost like this one heah." The
Kid's teeth chattered so wildly, he had to stop talking. Jack Kearns then
reached behind them, into the compartment, and drew out a rusty crank.
"Try a few turns with the crank, Tex. I don't like tuh be killin' the
battery."
The Kid was of smaller build than Sandy, but wiry and tough
enough. Yet cranking thi!O frozen motor was for him an extreme effort.
Perhaps it was because he was frozen himself, and hungry too. Anyway,
the crank required three or more severe jerks to get it around once. He
continued to struggle with it, bravely until Sandy clanlbered uut of the
car.
"Never you min'. I'll do it. You jest keep yo' foot un the gas,
ready .... "
Tex was nineteen the last December, and his birthday was spent
repairing California Highway 73, for the Needles County Prison Com·
mission. Well, it was damn cold, but it was better than that fierce
desert sun beating down on his back, on the road between Needles and La
Joya, Arizona. Sandy turned the crank steadily. He seemed strong enough
to turn it forever, for many hours anyway. His shoulders were as wide
as the radiator in front. Tex remembered his utter amazement of the day
before. The rear tire had sprung a slow leak and had gone flat. Sandy
had given him the 'jack' to hold.
It
was raised and Tex started to lower
it, in order to get it under the axle.
"Never min' with that. Jest slip it under as I tell you." Then Tex's
eyes almost popped out of his head, as he watched his companion brace
back and shoulders against the rear of the car, and grasp the bumper
with his both hands and straighten out. And as he straightened, the rear
end of the car rose with him, until it was off the ground. Then Sandy
gave him the signal to slip the 'jack' in place. Later, the steel-roller
boomed a laugh of satisfaction as the Kid spoke of his astonishment.
"I once did it with a Buick six. This one's pie."
Now Texas with his foot ready on the throttle, and his hand on the
'choke', watched the other's brow bead with sweat. Tex found it interest-
