shirt in the bedroom。〃They went off in Jack's truck； bought a bottle of whiskey and within twenty minutes were in the Motel Siesta jouncing a bed。 A few handfuls of hail rattled against the window followed by rain and slippery wind banging the unsecured door of the next room then and through the night。
The room stank of semen and smoke and sweat and whiskey； of old carpet and sour hay； saddle leather； **** and cheap soap。 Ennis lay spread…eagled； spent and wet； breathing deep； still half tumescent； Jack blowing forceful cigarette clouds like whale spouts； and Jack said； 〃Christ； it got a be all that time a yours ahorseback makes it so goddamn good。 We got to talk about this。 Swear to god I didn't know we was goin a get into this again yeah； I did。 Why I'm here。 I ****in knew it。 Redlined all the way； couldn't get here fast enough。〃〃I didn't know where in the hell you was；〃 said Ennis。 〃Four years。 I about give up on you。 I figured you was sore about that punch。〃〃Friend；〃 said Jack； 〃I was in Texas rodeoin。 How I met Lureen。 Look over on that chair。〃On the back of the soiled orange chair he saw the shine of a buckle。 〃Bullridin？〃〃Yeah。 I made three ****in thousand dollars that year。 ****in starved。 Had to borrow everthing but a toothbrush from other guys。 Drove grooves across Texas。 Half the time under that cunt truck fixin it。 Anyway； I didn't never think about losin。 Lureen？ There's some serious money there。 Her old man's got it。 Got this farm machinery business。 Course he don't let her have none a the money； and he hates my ****in guts； so it's a hard go now but one a these days 〃〃Well； you're goin a go where you look。 Army didn't get you？〃 The thunder sounded far to the east； moving from them in its red wreaths of light。
〃They can't get no use out a me。 Got some crushed vertebrates。 And a stress fracture； the arm bone here； you know how bullridin you're always leverin it off your thigh？ she gives a little ever time you do it。 Even if you tape it good you break it a little goddamn bit at a time。 Tell you what； hurts like a ***** afterwards。 Had a busted leg。 Busted in three places。 e off the bull and it was a big bull with a lot a drop； he got rid a me in about three flat and he e after me and he was sure faster。 Lucky enough。 Friend a mine got his oil checked with a horn dipstick and that was all she wrote。 Bunch a other things； ****in busted ribs； sprains and pains； torn ligaments。 See； it ain't like it was in my daddy's time。 It's guys with money go to college； trained athaletes。 You got a have some money to rodeo now。 Lureen's old man wouldn't give me a dime if I dropped it； except one way。 And I know enough about the game now so I see that I ain't never goin a be on the bubble。 Other reasons。 I'm gettin out while I still can walk。〃Ennis pulled Jack's hand to his mouth； took a hit from the cigarette； exhaled。 〃Sure as hell seem in one piece to me。 You know； I was sittin up here all that time tryin to figure out if I was ？ I know I ain't。 I mean here we both got wives and kids； right？ I like doin it with women； yeah； but Jesus H。； ain't nothin like this。 I never had no thoughts a doin it with another guy except I sure wrang it out a hunderd times thinkin about you。 You do it with other guys？ Jack？〃〃**** no；〃 said Jack； who had been riding more than bulls； not rolling his own。 〃You know that。 Old Brokeback got us good and it sure ain't over。 We got a work out what the **** we're goin a do now。〃〃That summer；〃 said Ennis。 〃When we split up after we got paid out I had gut cramps so bad I pulled over and tried to puke； thought I ate somethin bad at that place in Dubois。 Took me about a year a figure out it was that I shouldn't a let you out a my sights。 Too late then by a long； long while。〃〃Friend；〃 said Jack。 〃We got us a ****in situation here。 Got a figure out what to do。〃〃I doubt there's nothin now we can do；〃 said Ennis。 〃What I'm sayin； Jack； I built a life up in them years。 Love my little girls。 Alma？ It ain't her fault。 You got your baby and wife； that place in Texas。 You and me can't hardly be decent together if what happened back there〃 he jerked his head in the direction of the apartment 〃grabs on us like that。 We do that in the wrong place we'll be dead。 There's no reins on this one。 It scares the piss out a me。〃〃Got to tell you； friend； maybe somebody seen us that summer。 I was back there the next June； thinkin about goin back I didn't； lit out for Texas instead and Joe Aguirre's in the office and he says to me； he says； 'You boys found a way to make the time pass up there； didn't you；' and I give him a look but when I went out I seen he had a big…ass pair a binoculars hangin off his rearview。〃 He neglected to add that the foreman had leaned back in his squeaky wooden tilt chair； said； Twist； you guys wasn't gettin paid to leave the dogs baby…sit the sheep while you stemmed the rose； and declined to rehire him。 He went on； 〃Yeah； that little punch a yours surprised me。 I never figured you to throw a dirty punch。〃〃I e up under my brother K。E。； three years older'n me； slugged me silly ever day。 Dad got tired a me e bawlin in the house and when I was about six he set me down and says； Ennis； you got a problem and you got a fix it or it's gonna be with you until you're ninety and K。E。's ninety…three。 Well； I says； he's bigger'n me。 Dad says； you got a take him unawares； don't say nothin to him； make him feel some pain； get out fast and keep doin it until he takes the message。 Nothin like hurtin somebody to make him hear good。 So I did。 I got him in the outhouse； jumped him on the stairs； e over to his pillow in the night while he was sleepin and pasted him damn good。 Took about two days。 Never had trouble with K。E。 since。 The lesson was； don't say nothin and get it over with quick。〃 A telephone rang in the next room； rang on and on； stopped abruptly in mid…peal。
〃You won't catch me again；〃 said Jack。 〃Listen。 I'm thinkin； tell you what； if you and me had a little ranch together； little cow and calf operation； your horses； it'd be some sweet life。 Like I said； I'm gettin out a rodeo。 I ain't no broke…dick rider but I don't got the bucks a ride out this slump I'm in and I don't got the bones a keep gettin wrecked。 I got it figured； got this plan； Ennis； how we can do it； you and me。 Lureen's old man； you bet he'd give me a bunch if I'd get lost。 Already more or less said it 〃〃Whoa； whoa； whoa。 It ain't goin a be that way。 We can't。 I'm stuck with what I got； caught in my own loop。 Can't get out of it。 Jack； I don't want a be like them guys you see around sometimes。 And I don't want a be dead。 There was these two old guys ranched together down home； Earl and Rich Dad would pass a remark when he seen them。 They was a joke even though they was pretty tough old birds。 I was what； nine years old and they found Earl dead in a irrigation ditch。 They'd took a tire iron to him； spurred him up； drug him around by his dick until it pulled off； just bloody pulp。 What the tire iron done looked like pieces a burned tomatoes all over him； nose tore down from skiddin on gravel。〃〃You seen that？〃
〃Dad made sure I seen it。 Took me to see it。 Me and K。E。 Dad laughed about it。 Hell； for all I know he done the job。 If he was alive and was to put his head in that door right now you bet he'd go get his tire iron。 Two guys livin together？ No。 All I can see is we get together once in a while way the hell out in the back a nowhere 〃〃How much is once in a while？〃 said Jack。 〃Once in a while ever four ****in years？〃〃No；〃 said Ennis； forbearing to ask whose fault that was。 〃I goddamn hate it that you're goin a drive away in the mornin and I'm goin back to work。 But if you can't fix it you got a stand it；〃 he said。 〃****。 I been lookin at people on the street。 This happen a other people？ What the hell do they do？〃〃It don't happen in Wyomin and if it does I don't know what they do； maybe go to Denver；〃 said Jack； sitting up； turning away from him； 〃and I don't give a flyin ****。 Son of a *****； Ennis； take a couple days off。 Right now。 Get us out a here。 Throw your stuff in the back a my truck and let's get up in the mountains。 Couple a days。 Call Alma up and tell her you're goin。 e on； Ennis； you just shot my airplane out a the sky give me somethin a go on。 This ain't no little thing that's happenin here。〃The hollow ringing began again in the next room； and as if he were answering it； Ennis picked up the phone on the bedside table； dialed his own number。
A slow corrosion worked between Ennis and Alma； no real trouble； just widening water。 She was working at a grocery store clerk job； saw she'd always have to work to keep ahead of the bills on what Ennis made。 Alma asked Ennis to use rubbers because she dreaded another pregnancy。 He said no to that； said he would be happy to leave her alone if she didn't want any more of his kids。 Under her breath she said； 〃I'd have em if you'd support em。〃 And under that； thought； anyway； what you like to do don't make too many babies。
Her resentment opened out a little every year： the embrace she had glimpsed； Ennis's fishing trips once or twice a year with Jack Twist and never a vacation with her and the girls； his disinclination to step out and have any fun； his yearning for low paid； long…houred ranch work； his propensity to roll to the wall and sleep as soon as he hit the bed； his failure to look for a decent permanent job with the county or the power pany； put her in a long； slow dive and when Alma Jr。 was nine and Francine seven she said； what am I doin hangin around with him； divorced Ennis and married the Riverton grocer。
Ennis went back to ranch work； hired on here and there； not getting much ahead but glad enough to be around stock again； free to drop things； quit if he had to； and go into the mountains at short notice。 He had no serious hard feelings； just a vague sense of getting shortchanged； and showed it was all right by taking Thanksgiving dinner with Alma and her grocer and the kids； sitting between his girls and talking horses to them； telling jokes； trying not to be a sad daddy。 After the pie Alma got him off in the kitchen； scraped the plates and said she worried about him and he ought to get married again。 He saw she was pregnant； about four； five months； he guessed。
〃Once burned；〃 he said； leaning against the counter； feeling too big for the room。
〃You still go fishin with that Jack Twist？〃〃Some。〃 He thought she'd take the pattern off the plate with the scraping。
〃You know；〃 she said； and from her tone he knew something was ing； 〃I used to wonder how e you never brought any trouts home。 Always said you caught plenty。 So one time I got your creel case open the night before you went on one a your little trips price tag still on it after five years and I tied a note on the end of the line。 It said； hello Ennis； bring some fish home； love； Alma。 And then you e back and said you'd caught a bunch a browns and ate them up。 Remember？ I looked in the case when I got a chance and there was my note still tied there and that line hadn't touched water in its life。〃 As though the word 〃water〃 had called out its domestic cousin she twisted the faucet； sluiced the plates。
〃That don't mean nothin。〃
〃Don't lie； don't try to fool me； En