"Oh, that's great," said Harry. "Well, I got to be going now. I've got
to get that band to playing, and start a little excitement in there, or
the guests will kick. So long, honey, I'll see you at the party."
"Oh, Henry, another whiskey for me," called Evelyn. "What do you want,
dear--whiskey or smelling salts?"
"Both," answered Pearl.
"Do you really like him as much as that? No kidding, come clean."
"Honestly, cross my heart, I love him--like Hell."
"Well, suppose you catch another dame cooing over him, and making love
to him in a big way--then what?"
"I'd cut enough meat off her rear end to feed the dogs for a week," said
Pearl, viciously.
"Well, I admit there are a lot of rear ends in this town that could
stand a little cut off here and there, but some of them are so tough you
would have to use a hack-saw to do it," tittered Evelyn. "Did you ever
stop to think that Big Boy might feel the same way about you that you
feel about Harry? Have you stopped to think of that, and have you
stopped to think Harry might feel about you the way you feel about Big
Boy? Now, honey, don't think I'm butting in, cause I ain't, but think
about it, will you?"
The Rio Bravo Hotel, on the Sixteenth of September Street, is the Class
A hotel of the town. With the street cars running in front of it, with
the railroad track on the side of it, a rip-snorting bar under it, and
the numerous parties going on inside of it, it would hardly be a place
one would pick out to spend a quiet evening, or get a night's sleep--so
when one goes to the Rio Bravo, one does not go for anything less than a
party--or maybe to earn two dollars, but, of course, that takes but a
matter of a few minutes--in Juarez, but as so many of the local
population figure, why spend a dollar for a room when there are so many
dark nooks and corners off the main street, and parked cars, whether
your own or someone else's.
The rooms in this establishment are furnished with only the bare
necessities of a room--a bed, a chair, sometimes a rocker, sometimes
with the rockers broken off, but still used as a chair, a rug on the
floor, but never a big one, or a good one, and the bathroom, but never
in the history of Juarez has the hotel water heater ever been known to
work, never any toilet paper, but a pile of newspapers stacked in the
corner, a mirror, a cracked one, but still usable, if you are not
particular--and one seldom is--when one is on a party.
It was twelve-thirty, the mad rush for the International bridge was
over, the gates separating the two republics were closed until six
o'clock in the morning.
"Think we better stop and have some coffee before we go on up to the
hotel, what do you think?" said Evelyn, as she and Pearl walked arm in
arm unsteadily up the street.
"If we gotta do a lot of drinking up there, it wouldn't be a bad idea,"
answered Pearl. "Here's as good a place as any." She took Evelyn's arm
and turned her into a little Mexican cafe.
They sat and sipped their coffee for a while, said nothing to each
other, or to anyone else, as they were the only ones in the place except
the little weezened black waiter, who could easily have been mistaken
for a Negro, had it not been for his straight black hair.
"All through?" asked Evelyn.
"Yeah--let's get going and see what this joint of joy is going to be
like."
They left the place, and walked up the street toward the Rio Bravo. As
they were crossing the railroad tracks next to the hotel, Evelyn
stopped, "Good Lord, look coming--there's Ruby, Myrtle, Betty, Billie,
Lillian, Virginia, Annie, Laura, Irene, Marie, and I don't know any of
the others."
"Well, we must not be late for the party, anyhow, seeing that they are
just arriving."
"Jees--there's probably twice that many already up there," answered
Evelyn.
"Where do they all come from?"
"A party in this town does the same thing to these Hookers that cheese
does to rats."
"Let's wait a minute and let them go on in," said Pearl.
They waited until the girls had disappeared: "Come on, dearie, we might
as well go on and crash it and see what's going on." They went up the
steps and into the lobby, which was rather bare, with nothing but a few
leather chairs, showing considerable use, and a desk at the back near
the stairs.
"Oh, Senorita Evelyn, I have not see you for so long time, I have near
forget what you look like," bowed the clerk, who was possessed of a
monstrous stomach.
"Hi--Guts--we are looking for that party that's going on here tonight."
"A thousand pardons, Senorita, there is five parties going tonight. You
will look and see which one you are invited to. I need not go up with
you--you will hear these parties long before you see them. Have a very
good time, Senorita."
"Come back here, you slut--do you hear me--come back here with my leg,"
came a voice, as Evelyn and Pearl neared the second floor.
"You can just go to Hell, you cheap, lousy bastard, having the nerve to
promise me two dollars, and then when I'm ready to go, you saying you
wasn't going to give me a dime--Goddam you, you just try and get this
leg back," said Mickey Finn, as she came to the head of the stairs, with
an artificial leg under her arm, with the shoe and sock still on it.
"What's the trouble, Mickey?" asked Evelyn, as she and Pearl came up.
"Why, can you believe a guy would have the nerve to pull a trick like
that on me--promising me my money, and then not giving it to me? I'm
taking this leg and hock it--to Hell with him--the thing that makes me
sore is anyone trying to pull a lousy trick like that on me--can you
believe it?" fumed Mickey.
"Come back here with my leg, you bitch. If I get my hands on you, I'll
wring your damn neck."
"Go to Hell," screamed Mickey, "You'll pay me more than two dollars to
get this leg back."
"Pipe down, Mickey," shushed Evelyn, "If Guts hears you, he'll raise
Hell right."
"A thousand pardons, Senoritas, but what is this trouble--and you--what
are you doing with the Senor's leg?" came the voice of Guts from behind
the trio.
"You seen me come in here with this guy, didn't you, Guts? He paid for
the room, didn't he? Well, after he had his fun he refused to pay me my
two dollars, and I'm damned if I ain't taking his false leg for the
bill--and come to think of it, what have you got to say about it? Are
you for me, or are you against me? You remember, I know of a couple of
dirty deals I could tell the Custom and Federal authorities about--and
by God, you know me, Guts," frothed Mickey.
"Ah, Senorita--I am so sorry. Why you did not call me before? You are my
friend, and no one can say different," answered Guts, as he pulled his
enormous belly up, and with a scowl on his near-black face, started down
the hall toward the half-opened door.
"Take that leg away from that slut," ordered the man, leaning against
the dresser to support himself, as Guts and the three girls came into
the room.
"Why have you refuse to pay the Senorita?" asked Guts.
"Refuse to pay her--why, the damn liar--I have paid her."
"You are just lying because there's some other people here. You ain't
give me a red cent, and what's more, you are giving me ten dollars or
I'm taking the leg. Ain't I right, Guts?"
"Si, Senorita, you are right."
"Hand the leg over and I'll give you the ten dollars to get rid of you."
"All right, I'll give it to you, but don't you try to pull nothing funny
or I'll take that thing away from you again, and beat the Hell out of
you with it," said Mickey, as she handed him the leg.
"Thanks," said the man, as he took the leg, and reached down the top of
it and pulled out a roll of bills, "Here's your ten," as he dug it out
of a roll of fifties and hundreds.
"I'll be damned!" said Mickey, as they all left the room, "That's what I
get for getting chicken-hearted, and giving it back to him. Every time I
get sympathetic I lose money."
"Cheer up, Mickey--let's find the drinks," said Evelyn.
"Well, you ain't got far to look. They are right above us on the next
floor," answered Mickey, as she made for the stairs.
"Well, nobody can't say it ain't starting off well--if we all don't end
in the Mex jail, it will be a miracle of fate."
As they reached the third floor a sight greeted their eyes that would
have made the old Roman gatherings look like child's play. There were
couples everywhere in the hall, some fully dressed, some partially
dressed, others practically nude, all oblivious of each other, while in
the room there were less clothes but many more bodies, laying around on
the floor, sprawled on chairs, on the bed, on the bathroom floor, while
the bathtub was piled high with ice and bottles of every description;
the connecting room to the bathroom had been opened, and an old
phonograph was scratching the Mexican National Anthem, while a couple
scantily clad, both male and female, in ladies' step-ins, insisted on
doing their idea of the rhumba, which consisted mostly of the male part
of the team goosing the female with the third finger of the hand, while
she leaped, and screamed, with elephantine grace, much to the joy of the
spectators, who were beginning to undress and join the dance, midst
shouts and screams of gaiety.
Of the three hosts that gave the party, two had passed to the realm of
unconsciousness, while the third sat stark nude on the dresser, with his
toupee in one hand, and a bottle of whiskey in the other, wasting no
time in trying to join his friends in the happy state of
unconsciousness.
"Looks like good pickings to me," said Mickey. "Everybody is
undressed--it won't be no trouble to go through their pockets."
"Good God, the bathroom is the place we are looking for. That is where
all the drinks are. Come, come, my dear, let us not waste time," said
Evelyn, as she stepped over the sprawled bodies on the floor.
"Jees, this takes the prize--I been on lots of parties, but never on one
like this," said Pearl, as she followed Evelyn, who by this time was
opening a fresh, cold bottle of whiskey.
"Why, the Hell--will they put whiskey on ice."
"Well, you couldn't expect anybody in this condition to know any
different, could you, Ev?"
"You couldn't expect people who get in this condition to give a damn in
the first place," said Evelyn, as she took a long swig of the freshly
opened bottle, "Even I don't care after the first ten drinks."
"Quick--give me a slug of that stuff--if I ever get sober on a thing
like this, and actually realize what it's all about, I'd do a nose dive
out of my hotel window some morning," said Pearl, as Evelyn handed her
the bottle. "Come to think of it--I ain't seen hide nor hair of Harry,
and he said he would be here."
"Well, Pearl, dear, when you see a pile of whores about ten deep, dig to
the bottom of them and you will find Harry--at least, that's where he
usually is."
"Oh--Jees--that's lousy whiskey--open another bottle--that tastes like
tobacco juice."
"There's going to be trouble here this night as sure as the world
stands--" said Evelyn under her breath. "I just saw Juan Moros pass the
door--and that's a bad sign, as sure as you're born."
"Who is Juan Moros?"
"He's the boy friend of Negro Noche, and he has been on the trail of
Irene, the blonde girl that came in with the crowd we saw come in just
ahead of us. You know Irene, the tall blonde--he is crazy about her."
"Well, what's that got to do with us?" asked Pearl.
"Plenty--and in more ways than one--Negro Noche is the one woman in the
town to be afraid of. She has been pulled in by the government officials
several times for smuggling dope over the border into the United
States--but they have never been able to convict her. She was arrested
not long ago for smuggling Chinese across, and several attempts have
been made to frame her, but no one has ever been able to pin it on her,
and now she has threatened to kill any woman that she catches the boy
friend with, and what's more, Irene is crazy about him. Now, ain't that
cause for trouble?"
"Well, I can't see what that has got to do with this party. He is here
and so is Irene, but that is no cause for trouble--surely she wouldn't
come up here and start trouble," reasoned Pearl.
"Which proves conclusively that you don't know Negro Noche."
"You might add that I don't want to."
"Well--well, hello, Henry, you devil--I thought you went home to your
wife every night," said Evelyn, as a bartender she knew came into the
bathroom.
"Well," laughed Henry, "She can't say nothing if I don't get through
work in time, and get locked on this side of the river, can she?"
"Not unless you pull that gag once too often--here, have a drink," as
she offered him the bottle.
"Well, Pearl, what do you think of the party?" asked Henry, as he
turned to Pearl, who was looking out into the other room, trying to see
Harry.
"Henry, my darling, since you inquire, I think it is the most charming
affair--in fact, I've never been on a party where so little
self-consciousness was present--in plain English, it is the damndest
thing I've ever seen--let's drink to it," as she raised her bottle and
clinked it against his.
The phonograph in the adjoining room had stopped, but everyone was
singing instead. Everybody had joined the first couple in the rhumba,
making the scene more hilarious by not having any clothes on at all.
"Hi, baby," said Harry, as he staggered into the bathroom.
"Oh, Harry, I'm glad you came. I was afraid you might change your mind,"
said Pearl, happily.
"Where you are concerned, baby, I never change my mind--let's have a
drink."
"Come on, Henry," said Evelyn, "Let's leave these two in here. It's
plain to be seen they don't need us."
"Ev, you're a damn good mind-reader," said Harry. "Here, take a couple
more bottles with you, so you won't have to bother us."
"Thanks, I'll just do that little thing," as she took two extra bottles.
"Ah, baby--I want you so," said Harry, as he pulled Pearl to him and
smothered her with kisses. "Come on, let's undress and go in the next
room and join the dance."
"Oh, no, Harry, I've never done anything like that."
"Oh, baby--baby--don't you trust me? Have another drink."
"Yes, but--"
"No buts," said Harry, as he began to unfasten her dress. "Come on, I'll
help you undress and then you have to help me."
"Harry--please--I don't really want to undress."
"You see--you see--you don't love me, that proves it."
"Oh, yes I do, Harry--I like you so much, but I can't see where my
undressing could have anything to do with it."
"That just proves it--proves it right there--you don't care a thing
about me."
"Harry, if you were sober you wouldn't do a thing like this. I'm not
sober by any means myself, but I don't want to undress."
"You see--you just want to spoil my whole night."
"Oh, all right--if my stripping will make you happy, I might as well
strip--give me that bottle. I'll have to get a little drunker to enjoy
this--here goes," as she put the bottle to her mouth, taking long, big
swallows.
"Atta girl--I knew you would be a good scout," as he tried to help her
get her dress off over her head.
Pearl took off her dress, laid it over a chair, took off her step-ins,
laid them with her dress, keeping only her shoes and stockings on.
"Oh, gee, baby--you sure look good to me--I'm just crazy about you."
"All right--you keep your word--you undress, too."
"Sure, I'll undress," said Harry, as he started to take off his pants,
shirt, and underwear, and laid them on the chair with Pearl's things,
standing before her in only his shoes and socks.
"Let's have a couple more drinks, Harry, darling--you know, I believe
I'm going to enjoy this after all."
"I know I am," as he put his huge arms around her cool, pink body.
"Well--so help me--what the Hell is coming off here?" said Evelyn, as
she came into the bathroom, her face blank in wonderment.
"Oh, Jees--this is great--let's have a drink," said Henry, as he came in
behind Evelyn. "You know, Ev, we might as well join the merry, mad
gang--what do you say?"
"I dare you, Henry," answered Evelyn, as she started to strip with
speed.
Pearl, in Harry's arms, leaped into the milling, singing, drinking,
wrestling mob, in the semi-dark room, held tight in each others' arms,
naked bodies rubbed against each other, strangers kissed passionately,
lovers kissed more passionately, enemies kissed less passionately, but
kissed--in their drunken orgy they had forgotten what they were enemies
about--couples who had been dancing longer than the others fell on the
floor, locked in each others' arms, their legs stuck grotesquely in the
air above them, while their burning wet lips were pressed tightly
against each others' mouths, stopping only long enough to take a drink.
A shriek from the bathroom--Evelyn and Henry leaped into the mob, naked
as the rest--"Shake it up, baby," screamed Evelyn, as she and Henry in a
tight embrace started singing and dancing with the rest; as the other
couples fell to the floor newer and fresher couples joined the
throng--only to fall later on the floor, to continue the party with mad,
wet kisses, and--?
"My snow-white darling, I have love you so veer long, I weel never love
but you--I have never love no one but you--only you--my darling--my
darling--" came a soft voice near Pearl's ear, and as she looked
closely, she saw it was the tall, handsome Moros, with the blonde Irene
in his arms.
"Get your Goddam foot out of my face," yelled a drunken voice.
"My humble pardon, Senor--I am looking for some one," answered the deep,
sober voice of a Mexican woman.
"Why the Hell don't you turn on the light, then?"
"That, Senor, is a veer good idea," as she returned to the door and
snapped on a flood of bright, red light.
Couples that were still on their feet, stopped dead still. Couples that
were on the floor, stopped whatever they were doing--all looking towards
the door, where the Mexican woman was standing, her hand still on the
light button. Not a soul moved.
Negro Noche stood motionless--her pock-marked face covered with a heavy
layer of snow white powder that is typical of all Mexican women. Eyes
gleaming, breathing heavily, she pulled a heavy, dark-blue, 45-calibre
automatic from under her dirty coat, as a grim smile broke the
death-like mask that was her face. Six shots rent the dead silence. Juan
and Irene lay in each others' arms, just as they had a few minutes
before, but they knew it not. Negro Noche had accomplished her
purpose--her lover and her rival were to annoy her no more--the gun
silent in her hand, finger still on the light button, a blue wisp of
smoke rose from the end of the gun, as the blood from the two bodies
rapidly spread on the cheap, worn carpet--pandemonium broke loose.
Pearl ran into the bathroom to get her clothes--Evelyn was already
there--"My God, what will we do?" asked Pearl.
"This ain't no time to sing Frankie and Johnnie--don't wait to put your
clothes on--run for it," answered Evelyn, as she grabbed Pearl and
started for the hall.
Women were screaming, crying--men were yelling and cursing, running up
and down the hall, some too excited to realize that they had on no
clothes--others just running around in circles.
As Evelyn and Pearl came to the stairs, Guts was on his way up. He
started to ask Evelyn and Pearl what had happened, but they brushed by
and on down the stairs. As they rounded the second floor, they saw
Mickey Finn on her hands and knees looking through a key-hole.
"My God, Mickey," said Evelyn, excitedly, "Don't waste no time--get out
of here quick."
"What's happened--what was all them shots?" as she rose off her knees
and came to them.
"Negro Noche--shot Juan and Irene--don't waste a minute--we have got to
get on the U. S. side somehow."
They all three ran down the stairs into the lobby, and out the front
door, onto the street.
"Down the railroad tracks towards the bridge."
"We can't cross that bridge," said Mickey.
"I know it," answered Evelyn, "but it's dark down that way, and we can
put our clothes on--come on," as they ran down the tracks.
They stopped in the deep darkness and put their clothes on.
"Now, listen to me," said Evelyn, "I have a plan. We will get back over
on Lysol Lane, and go in one of those all-night bars, and I'll telephone
to Tony, a taxi driver I know, where to meet us."
"Do you think it will work?" asked Pearl.
"It's got to," said Mickey, as they started.
"Now, you two stand around the corner--I'll stagger in this dump, as
though nothing had happened, and use the phone."
"Can't I go with you?"
"No, you stay with Mickey--if they see all three of us they will be sure
to suspect something, and I don't crave to get mixed up in this
mess--stand back there in the dark," as she put on her best drunken
smile and staggered into the place.
"Hi, Senor--can a lady use your phone?"
"Si, Senorita--right this way," he led her over to the phone booth in
the corner.
"Gracia, Senor," as she went in and closed the door, lifted the
receiver--"El Paso operator, please--Hello--El Paso operator--give me
Main Eight-Eight--Yeah--Hello, all-night taxi? Let me talk to Tony.
What--Oh, that's you, Tony? Listen, get a load of this--this is Ev, you
know--yeah--take one of the plain cars you got there, and cruise along
the Smelter Road near the Southern Pacific bridge, and look out for
three of us. No--no--no--it's not liquor--don't ask questions over the
phone--make it snappy--good-bye." She hung up the receiver, and
staggered out of the booth. "Adios, Senor," as she went out the door and
around the corner, to Mickey and Pearl.
"I just heard the ambulance and the police wagon going up the street,"
said Mickey.
"Tony is going to meet us up on the Smelter Road," said Evelyn. "We'll
go down these side streets until we get to the river, and then we'll
follow the levee on around to where it is only about twenty feet wide,
and about three feet deep. I know the very place. We won't have any
trouble if we hurry--come on." So saying, they started for the river,
down dark alleys and side streets, of which there are plenty in Juarez.
They stumbled on through the darkness, half running, sometimes walking.
"I'm sure I hear someone following us," said Pearl, as they neared the
river.
"Your life ain't worth two cents over here in this section at this hour
of the night," answered Evelyn.
"Let's run," said Mickey, as they started on down the levee.
"How far is this place you know about, Ev?" asked Pearl, out of breath,
as they slowed to a fast walk again.
"About a mile or more," answered Evelyn, "But it's our only chance."
It seemed like ten miles to the three, as they ran stumbling through the
darkness, when a flare lit up the sky ahead of them to the right.
"What's that?" asked Pearl.
"Thank Heaven, it's the smelter," said Mickey. "We are almost there."
"Here's the place I mean," said Evelyn, as she pointed to a very narrow
place in the river. "Now, let's all take hands, and hold tight. The only
thing we have to be careful of is the quicksands--they are as
treacherous as Hell," as they started to wade into the river.
"Watch your step," said Evelyn.
"Jees--that water is cold--hold tight to my hand, Pearl, and don't let
go," said Mickey, as she took hold of Pearl, who was in the middle.
"We are in the midst of a lot of quicksand here--I can't seem to find
bottom any further than I am standing. Let go of me, Pearl, and I'll
wade around a bit and see if I can find a more solid place."
"Oh, God--now, Ev, don't do that. Don't let go at all here in the
water--we will all wade together."
"Hold tight, then, and we will wade up the side here a ways, and maybe
we will find more solid bottom," as they started up the side of the
stream.
Slowly they waded in until they were in about five feet of the bank.
"I think we are going to make it all right," said Evelyn, as she was
almost jerked off her feet by Pearl falling to her knees in the water,
and Mickey went out of sight.
"Hold on to me," gasped Pearl, "I've still got hold of her--she is in a
sand-hole," as she rose to her feet, pulling Mickey's head above water,
helping her to get solid footing again.
Evelyn reached back and took hold of Mickey's free hand, and slowly they
reached the bank and climbed out on solid ground again.
"Are you all right, Mickey?" came from Evelyn and Pearl at the same
time.
"Yeah--I'm O. K., but I'd been a goner if Pearl hadn't had a good hold
on me. That hole I fell in back there didn't have no bottom, at least, I
didn't feel any--My God, what a night," as she stooped over and felt of
her stockings to see if her money was still there. "Yeah, I still got my
money, but I'll have to dry it, but wet money is better than no money."