III + 

Otero lay looking out the window at the electric sign across the Street. + 

Club + 

P + 

a + 

l + 

e + 

r + 

m + 

o + 

Dancing + 

Snow was falling past the windows. Otero lay smoking a big twenty-five cent cigar and singing softly to himself. He always sang when he was with Seal Skin. + 

“Some snow,” said Otero. + 

“Yeah, some snow,” said Seal Skin, who was sitting with her feet on the window sill, smoking one of Otero’s cigars. + 

“Heavy like cotton,” said Otero. + 

“Yeah,” said Seal Skin. + 

“Where I used to be it never snowed.” + 

“Didn’t it?” + 

“No, it never snowed.” + 

Seal Skin blew out a cloud of smoke. + 

“How come you ever left Mexico, Ramón?” + 

“Well, I don’t know.” Otero scratched his head. “I just left.” + 

“Was they after you?” + 

“No, I just left.” + 

Otero got up and put his arms around Seal Skin. + 

“Some girl,” he said. + 

Seal Skin gave him a push. + 

“Wait’ll I finish this.” + 

“Sure, sure,” said Otero, smiling and patting her on the shoulder. + 

“Look,” said Seal Skin, “you’re a good guy, Ramón. But dumb. How come you hang after Rico?” + 

“Rico is a great man.” + 

Seal Skin laughed out loud. + 

“Yeah? Great, but careless. He’ll never die of old age.” + 

Otero didn’t understand. + 

“What you say?” + 

“They’ll fill him full of lead. He’s too cocky.” + 

Otero shook his head. + 

“No, they’ll never get Rico.” + 

“They get ’em all.” + 

“No,” said Otero, “they’ll never get Rico. Once I say to him. ‘Look, you must be careful.’ But he say, ‘Not me, they’ll never get Rico.’ ” + 

Seal Skin opened the window and flung her cigar down into the street. A gust of cold air rushed into the overheated room. + 

“Listen,” she said, “that’s bunk. Rico’s no different from anybody else. You stick with Rico long enough and you’ll have a swell funeral. Why don’t you get into the beer racket? That’s safe.” + 

“I go with Rico,” said Otero. “What do I care? I have no people. Once I had a brother but they shot him.” + 

“The cops?” + 

“No, the rurales. He was with Villa.” + 

“Who the hell’s Villa?” + 

“Villa was a great man, like Rico.” + 

Seal Skin got up and took a drink from a bottle on the bureau. Then she said: + 

“Let’s hit the hay, Ramón.” + 

“Sure, sure,” said Otero. + 