Max Brand

Name: The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie
Author: Max Brand

The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

Summary

“The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie”, published in 1920, is a work by Max Brand. It explores elements such as Mac Strann, Pale Annie and Haw-Haw Langley.

Quotes from The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (Max Brand)

Max Brand, The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

“ The eye of Haw-Haw Langley brightened. He looked over the two carefully. The one had black hair and the other red, but they were obviously brothers, both tall, thick-shouldered, square-jawed, and pug-nosed. There was Irish blood in that twain; the fire in their eyes could have come from only one place on earth. And Haw-Haw grinned and looked down the length of the room to where Mac Strann sat, a heavy, inert mass, his fleshy forehead puckered into a half-frown of animal wistfulness.
"You ain't the only ones," he said to his companion at the bar. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Max Brand, The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

“ His dextrous hands were never for a moment still at the bar, either setting out drinks or making change, except when he walked out and threw a fresh feed into the fire, and stirred up the ruddy depths of the stove with a tall poker. It was so long, indeed, that it might have served even Pale Annie for a cane and it was a plain untapered bar of iron which the blacksmith had given him as the price of a drink, on a day. He needed a large poker, however, for there was only the one stove in the entire big room, and it was a giant of its kind, as capacious as a hogshead. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Max Brand, The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

“ This day was even more prosperous than usual for Pale Annie, for the grey weather and the chilly air made men glad of the warmth, both external and internal, which Pale Annie possessed in his barroom. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Max Brand, The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

“ Since Pale Annie's crowd took little exercise except for bending their elbows now and again, and since the majority of them had been in the place fully half the day, by ten in the evening sounds of hilarity began to rise from the saloon. Solemn-faced men who had remained in their places for hour after hour, industriously putting away the red-eye, now showed symptoms of life. Some of them discovered hitherto hidden talents as singers, and they would rise from their places, remove their hats, open their bearded mouths, and burst into song. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Max Brand, The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

“ Then he relaxed on the floor, a twisted and foolish looking mass.
As for the seeker after action, he had at first reached after his revolver, but he changed his mind at the last instant and instead picked up the great poker which leaned against the stove. It was a ponderous weapon and he had to wield it in both hands. As he swung it around his head there was a yell from men ducking out of the way, and Pale Annie curled his hand again around his favorite empty bottle. He had no good opportunity to demonstrate its efficiency, however. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Max Brand, The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

“ It was at this time that Haw-Haw Langley made his way back to the table and occupied the contested seat.
"That was a bum play," he said solemnly to Mac Strann. "When Barry hears about what you done here to two men, d'you think that he'll ever hit your trail?"
The other started.
"I never thought about it," he murmured, his thick lips, as always, framing speech with difficulty. "D'you s'pose I'd ought to go back to the Cumberland place for him?"
A yell rose at the farther end of the room.
"A wolf! Hey! Shoot the damn wolf!"
"You fool!" cried another. "He ain't skinny enough to be a wolf. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Max Brand, The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

“ It died off short on the lips of the applauders, however, for it was seen that Mac Strann was not yet done with his work, and he went about it in a manner which made men sober suddenly and exchange glances.
First the stranger dragged the two brothers together, laying one of them face down on the floor. The second he placed over the first, back to back. Next he picked up the long poker from the floor and slipped it under the head and down to the neck of the first man. The bystanders watched in utter silence, with a touch of horror coming now in their eyes. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Max Brand, The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (1920)

“ An antiquarian who had washed gold in '49 and done nothing the rest of his life save grow a prodigious set of pure white whiskers, sprang from his place and did a hoe-down that ravished the beholders. ”

Max Brand

Summary

Quotes from The Night Horseman — XXXV. Pale Annie (Max Brand)

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