8
PARTISAN REVIEW
again; the club-on-a-card whizzed in a gleaming circle a foot
above his head, Mack reached toward it, and the club came
down. It cracked down slantwise across the temple with
the hissing sound of a large stone thrown through a thin paper
wall-a brief sound, sharp and ripping and cold. Mack stood
still for one long moment. He had stopped screaming rather
suddenly. A dark star appeared on his temple, and his head
began sagging slowly; like a wounded fighting-cock's head.
Hands caught him under the arm-pits as he fell. While hands
held him tentatively, offering him out to the cop like an unclean
dish rag.
"My! Wasn't that
brave!"
a woman called from the crowd. .
The big bull turned, for that voice had been mocking; but
it was not repeated, so he turned toward his patrol.
"Oh, officer!"
A boy's voice this time.
The cop's eyes were shifting uneasily, for the eyes of .the"
crowd were unfriendly. The cop remembered how, once when
he was ten, he had been beaten by a smaller boy while other boys
stood in a circle and watched: he remembered, seeing encircling
eyes. So without fixing his gaze on any one face, he asked,
"Well, who wants to see me?"
No reply, till he turned.
"No one, officer my dear. Who would? You stink most
awful vile." The woman's voice.
"Who said 'at to me?" he bluffed loudly, "Who said 'at–
huh?" His big face looked ready to burst with its bluff. Then
he saw laughter starting, and got inside the patrol just in time.
The other officer followed with Tex, in front of a chorus of
catcalls that sounded like the mad thousand applauding. But
Tex McKay heard only one thing clearly. Just as the door
slammed someone shouted in, "Niggerlickers-that's what cops
is. That's all they do in this ·town. Big tough niggerlickers,
an' that's all they
do
do."
Mack's eyes opened, he revived slowly. On either side of
him sat a bull. Tex wondered whether Mack understood all
that had happened. His own hands were free, but Mack's
were handcuffed. Tex, watching him revive, was torn between
regret for having walked with him, and pity for seeing him in
pain. The Negro looked sickly grey.
From where he sat guarding the door, the bigger bull
glanced over to Tex and spoke warningly. He was still out of
