True Grit by Charles Portis Page A

tried to collect bounties from states and railroads too. They will lie to you quicker than a man will. You do good to get half what they say they will pay. Sometimes you get nothing. Anyhow, it sounds queer. Five hundred dollars is mightly little for a man that killed a senator."

    "Bibbs was a little senator," said LaBoeuf. "They would not have put up anything except it would look bad."

    "What is the terms?" said Rooster.

    "Payment on conviction."

    Rooster thought that one over. He said, "We might have to kill him."

    "Not if we are careful."

    "Even if we don't they might not convict him," said Rooster. "And even if they do, by the time they do there will be a half dozen claims for the money from little top-water peace officers down there. I believe I will stick with sis."

    "You have not heard the best part," said LaBoeuf.

    "The Bibbs family has put up fifteen hundred dollars for Chelmsford."

    "Have they now?" said Rooster. "The same terms?"

    "No, the terms are these: just deliver Chelmsford up to the sheriff of McLennan County, Texas. They don't care if he is alive or dead. They pay off as soon as he is identified."

    "That is more to my liking," said Rooster. "How do you figure on sharing the money?"

    LaBoeuf said, "If we take him alive I will split that fifteen hundred dollars down the middle with you and claim the state reward for myself. If we have to kill him I will give you a third of the Bibbs money. That is five hundred dollars."

    "You mean to keep all the state money yourself?"

    "I have put in almost four months on this job. I think it is owing to me."

    "Will the family pay off?"

    LaBoeuf replied, "I will be frank to say the Bibbses are not loose with their money. It holds to them like the cholera to a nigger. But I guess they will have to pay. They have made public statements and run notices in the paper. There is a son, Fatty Bibbs, who wants to run for the man's seat in Austin. He will be obliged to pay."

    He took the reward notices and newspaper cuttings out of his corduroy coat and spread them out on the table. Rooster looked them over for some little time. He said, "Tell me what your objection is, sis. Do you wish to cut me out of some extra money?"

    I said, "This man wants to take Chaney back to Texas. That is not what I want. That was not our agreement."

    Rooster said, "We will be getting him all the same. What you want is to have him caught and punished. We still mean to do that."

    "I want him to know he is being punished for killing my father. It is nothing to me how many dogs and fat men he killed in Texas."

    "You can let him know that," said Rooster. "You can tell him to his face. You can spit on him and make him eat sand out of the road. You can put a ball in his foot and I will hold him while you do it. But we must catch him first. We will need some help. You are being stiff-necked about this. You are young. It is time you learned that you cannot have your way in every little particular. Other people have got their interests too."

    "When I have bought and paid for something I will have my way. Why do you think I am paying you if not to have my way?"

    LaBoeuf said, "She is not going anyhow. I don't understand this conversation. It is not sensible. I am not used to consulting children in my business. Run along home, little britches, your mama wants you."

    "Run home yourself," said I. "Nobody asked you to come up here wearing your big spurs."

    "I told her she could go," said Rooster. "I will see after her."

    "No," said LaBoeuf. "She will be in the way."

    Rooster said, "You are taking a lot on yourself."

    LaBoeuf said, "She will spell nothing but trouble and confusion. You know that as well as I do. Stop and think. She has got you buffaloed with her saucy ways."

    Rooster said, "Maybe I will just catch this Chaney myself and take all the money."

    LaBoeuf considered it. "You might deliver him," he said. "I would see you did not collect anything for it."

    "How would you do that,