They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Read Free Page A

you be discouraged because people ain’t coming to the marathon dance. It takes time to get these things going, so we have decided to start a little novelty guaranteed to pack ’em in. Now here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna have a derby race every night. We’re going to paint an oval on the floor and every night everybody will race around the track for fifteen minutes and the last couple every night is disqualified. I guarantee that’ll bring in the crowds.’
    ‘It’ll bring in the undertaker, too,’ somebody said.
    ‘We’ll move some cots out in the middle of the track,’ the promoter said, ‘and have the doctor and nurses on hand during the derby. When a contestant falls out and has to go to the pit, the partner will have to make two laps to make up for it. You kids will get more kick out of it because the crowds will be bigger. Say, when that Hollywood bunch starts coming here, we’ll be standing ’em up …Now, how’s the food? Anybody got any kicks about anything? Alright, kids, that’s fine. You play ball with us and we’ll play ball with you.’
    We went out to the floor. None of the contestants had anything to say about the derbies. They seemed to think that anything was a good idea if it would only start the crowds to coming. Rollo came up to me as I sat down on the railing. I had about two minutes more of rest before the next two-hour grind.
    ‘Don’t get me wrong about what I said a few minutes ago,’ he said. ‘It’s not you, it’s Gloria.’
    ‘I know,’ I said. ‘She’s all right. She’s just sore on the world, that’s all.’
    ‘Try to keep her piped down,’ he said.
    ‘That’s a hard job, but I’ll do the best I can,’ I said.
    In a moment I looked up to the runway from the girls’ dressing room and I was surprised to see Gloria and Ruby coming to the floor together. I went over to meet her.
    ‘What do you think about the derbies?’ I asked her.
    ‘It’s one good way to kill us off,’ she said.
    The whistle started us away again.
    ‘There’s not more than a hundred people here tonight,’ I said. Gloria and I weren’t dancing. I had my arm around her shoulder and she had hers around my waist, walking. That was all right. For the first week we had to dance, but after that you didn’t. All you had to do was keep moving. I saw James and Ruby coming over to us and I could tell by the expression on his face that something was wrong. I wanted to get away, but there was no place to go.
    ‘I told you to lay off my wife, didn’t I?’ he said to Gloria.
    ‘You go to hell, you big ape,’ Gloria said.
    ‘Wait a minute,’ I said. ‘What’s the matter?’
    ‘She’s been after Ruby again,’ James said. ‘Every time I turn my back she’s after her again.’
    ‘Forget it, Jim,’ Ruby said, trying to steer him away.
    ‘Naw, I won’t forget it. I told you to keep your mouth shut, didn’t I?’ he said to Gloria.
    ‘You take a flying—’
    Before Gloria could get the words finished he slapped her hard on the side of the face, knocking her head against my shoulder. It was a hard wallop. I couldn’t stand for that. I reached up and hit him in the mouth. He hit me in the jaw with his left hand, knocking me back against some of the dancers. That kept me from falling to the floor. He rushed at me and I grabbed him, wrestling with him, trying to jerk my knee up between his legs to foul him. It was the only chance I had.
    A whistle blew in my ear and somebody grabbed us. It was Rollo Peters. He shoved us apart.
    ‘Cut it out,’ he said. ‘What’s coming off here?’
    ‘Nothing,’ I said.
    ‘Nothing,’ Ruby said.
    Rollo raised his hand, waving to Rocky on the platform.
    ‘Give,’ said Rocky, and the orchestra started to play.
    ‘Scatter out,’ Rollo said to the contestants, who started to move away. ‘Come on,’ he said, leading them around the floor.
    ‘Next time I’m going to cut your throat,’ James said to Gloria.
    ‘—you,’ Gloria