ever　had；　but　they　knew　other　tricks。　Yes　indeed　they　did。

〃My　friend；〃　I　told　him；　〃if　you　want　to　be　a　Billy　the　Kid　instead　of　a　Wild　Bill；　it's　all　the　same　to　me。〃

He　puffed　visibly；　like　one　of　those　loathsome　fish　that　live　in　South　American　rivers　and　can　sting　you　almost　to　death　with　the　spines　along　their　backs　and　sides。　I　dealt　with　a　lot　of　dangerous　men　during　my　time　on　the　Mile；　but　few　if　any　so　repellent　as　William　Wharton；　who　considered　himself　a　great　outlaw；　but　whose　jailhouse　behavior　rarely　rose　above　pissing　or　spitting　through　the　bars　of　his　cell。　So　far　we　hadn't　given　him　the　awed　respect　he　felt　was　his　by　right；　but　on　that　particular　night　I　wanted　him　tractable。　If　that　meant　lathering　on　the　softsoap；　I　would　gladly　lather　it　on。

〃I　got　a　lot　in　mon　with　the　Kid；　and　you　just　better　believe　it；〃　Wharton　said。　〃I　didn't　get　here　for　stealing　candy　out　of　a　dimestore。〃　As　proud　as　a　man　who's　been　conscripted　into　the　Heroes'　Brigade　of　the　French　Foreign　Legion　instead　of　one　whose　ass　has　been　slammed　into　a　cell　seventy　long　steps　from　the　electric　chair。　〃Where's　my　supper？〃

〃e　on；　Kid；　report　says　you　had　it　at　five…fifty。　Meatloaf　with　gravy；　mashed；　peas。　You　don't　con　me　that　easy。〃

He　laughed　expansively　and　sat　down　on　his　bunk　again。　〃Put　on　the　radio；　then。〃　He　said　radio　in　the　way　people　did　back　then　when　they　were　joking；　so　it　rhymed　with　the　fifties　slang　word　〃Daddy…O。〃

It's　funny