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shop。 the clatter of automatic riflefire and the deep heavy slam of a shotgun rattling off the facades of the buildings。 the men in the street were dressed in raincoats and tennis shoes。 they didnt look like anybody you would expect to meet in this part of the country。 he limped back up the steps to the porch and laid the pistol over the balustrade and opened fire on them。
by the time theyd figured out where the fire was ing from hed killed one and wounded another。 the wounded man got behind the car and opened up on the hotel。
chigurh stood with his back to the brick wall and fitted a fresh clip into the pistol。 the rounds were taking out the glass in the doors and splintering up the sashwork。 the foyer light went out。 it was still dark enough in the street that you could see the muzzleflashes。
there was a break in the firing and chigurh turned and pushed his way through into the hotel lobby； the bits of glass crackling under his boots。 he went gimping down the hallway and down the steps at the rear of the hotel and out into the parking lot。
he crossed the street and went up jefferson keeping to the north wall of the buildings； trying to hurry and swinging the bound leg out at his side。 all of this was one block from the maverick county courthouse and he figured he had minutes at best before fresh parties began to arrive。
when he got to the corner there was only one man standing in the street。 he was at the rear of the car and the car was badly shot up； all of the glass gone or shot white。 there was at least one body inside。 the man was watching the hotel and chigurh leveled the pistol and shot him twice and he fell down in the street。 chigurh stepped back behind the corner of the building and stood with the pistol upright at his shoulder； waiting。 a rich tang of gunpowder on the cool morning air。 like the smell of fireworks。 no sound anywhere。
when he limped out into the street one of the men hed shot from the hotel porch was crawling toward the curb。 chigurh watched him。 then he shot him in the back。 the other one was lying by the front fender of the car。 hed been shot through the head and the dark blood was pooled all about him。 his weapon was lying there but chigurh paid it no mind。 he walked to the rear of the car and jostled the man there with his boot and then bent and picked up the machine…gun hed been firing。 it was a shortbarreled uzi with the twenty…five round clip。 chigurh rifled the dead mans raincoat pockets and came up with three more clips； one of them full。 he put them in the pocket of his jacket and stuck the pistol down in the front of his belt and checked the rounds in the clip that was in the uzi。 then he slung the piece over his shoulder and hobbled back to the curb。
the man hed shot in the back was lying there watching him。 chigurh looked up the street toward the hotel and the courthouse。 the tall palm trees。 he looked at the man。
the man was lying in a spreading pool of blood。 help me； he said。 chigurh took the pistol from his waist。 he looked into the mans eyes。 the man looked away。
look at me； chigurh said。
the man looked and looked away again。
do you speak english？
yes。
dont look away。 i want you to look at me。
he looked at chigurh。 he looked at the new day paling all about。 chigurh shot him through the forehead and then stood watching。 watching the capillaries break up in his eyes。 the light receding。 watching his own image degrade in that squandered world。 he shoved the pistol in his belt and looked back up the street once more。 then he picked up the bag and slung the uzi over his shoulder and crossed the street and went limping on toward the hotel parking lot where hed left his vehicle。
。。
No Country for Old MenV
：
we e here from georgia。 our family did。 horse and wagon。 i pretty much know that for a fact。 i know theys a lots of things in a family history that just plain aint so。 any family。 the stories gets passed on and the truth gets passed over。 as the sayin goes。 which i reckon some would take as meanin that the truth cant pete。 but i dont believe that。 i think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet。
it dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time。 you cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt。 you cant corrupt it because thats what it is。
its the thing youre talkin about。 ive heard it pared to the rock — maybe in the bible—and i wouldnt disagree with that。 but itll be here even when the rock is gone。 im sure theys people would disagree with that。 quite a few； in fact。 but i never could find out what any of them did believe。
you always tried to be available for your social events and i would always go to things like cemetery cleanins of course。 that was all right。 the women would fix dinner on the ground and of course it was a way of campaignin but you were doin somethin for folks that couldnt do it for theirselves。 well； you could be cynical about it i reckon and say that you just didnt want em in around at night。 but i think it goes deeper than that。
it is munity and it is respect； of course； but the dead have more claims on you than what you might want to admit or even what you might know about and them claims can be very strong indeed。 very strong indeed。 you get the feelin they just dont want to turn loose。 so any little thing helps； in that respect。
what i was sayin the other day about the papers。 here last week they found this couple out in california they would rent out rooms to old people and then kill em and bury em in the yard and cash their social security checks。 theyd torture em first； i dont know why。 maybe their television was broke。 now heres what the papers had to say about that。 i quote from the papers。 said： neighbors were alerted when a man run from the premises wearin only a dogcollar。 you cant make up such a thing as that。 i dare you to even try。
but thats what it took； youll notice。 all that hollerin and diggin in the yard didnt bring it。
thats all right。 i laughed myself when i read it。 there aint a whole lot else you can do。
it was almost a three hour drive to odessa and dark when he got there。 he listened to the truckers on the radio。 has he got jurisdiction up here？ e on。 hell if i know。 i think if he sees you mittin a crime he does。 well im a reformed criminal then。 you got that right old buddy。
he got a city map at the quickstop and spread it out on the seat of the cruiser while he drank coffee out of a styrofoam cup。 he traced his route on the map with a yellow marker from the glovebox and refolded the map and laid it on the seat beside him and switched off the domelight and started the engine。
when he knocked at the door llewelyns wife answered it。 as she opened the door he took off his hat and he was right away sorry hed done it。 she put her hand to her mouth and reached for the doorjamb。
im sorry mam； he said。 hes all right。 your husband is all right。 i just wanted to talk to you if i could。
you aint lyin to me are you？
no mam。 i dont lie。
you drove up here from sanderson？
yes mam。
what did you want。
i just wanted to visit wit