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ins。 Couple a days。 Call Alma up and tell her you're goin。 e on； Ennis； you just shot my airplane out a the sky give me somethin a go on。 This ain't no little thing that's happenin here。〃The hollow ringing began again in the next room； and as if he were answering it； Ennis picked up the phone on the bedside table； dialed his own number。
A slow corrosion worked between Ennis and Alma； no real trouble； just widening water。 She was working at a grocery store clerk job； saw she'd always have to work to keep ahead of the bills on what Ennis made。 Alma asked Ennis to use rubbers because she dreaded another pregnancy。 He said no to that； said he would be happy to leave her alone if she didn't want any more of his kids。 Under her breath she said； 〃I'd have em if you'd support em。〃 And under that； thought； anyway； what you like to do don't make too many babies。
Her resentment opened out a little every year： the embrace she had glimpsed； Ennis's fishing trips once or twice a year with Jack Twist and never a vacation with her and the girls； his disinclination to step out and have any fun； his yearning for low paid； long…houred ranch work； his propensity to roll to the wall and sleep as soon as he hit the bed； his failure to look for a decent permanent job with the county or the power pany； put her in a long； slow dive and when Alma Jr。 was nine and Francine seven she said； what am I doin hangin around with him； divorced Ennis and married the Riverton grocer。
Ennis went back to ranch work； hired on here and there； not getting much ahead but glad enough to be around stock again； free to drop things； quit if he had to； and go into the mountains at short notice。 He had no serious hard feelings； just a vague sense of getting shortchanged； and showed it was all right by taking Thanksgiving dinner with Alma and her grocer and the kids； sitting between his girls and talking horses to them； telling jokes； trying not to be a sad daddy。 After the pie Alma got him off in the kitchen； scraped the plates and said she worried about him and he ought to get married again。 He saw she was pregnant； about four； five months； he guessed。
〃Once burned；〃 he said； leaning against the counter； feeling too big for the room。
〃You still go fishin with that Jack Twist？〃〃Some。〃 He thought she'd take the pattern off the plate with the scraping。
〃You know；〃 she said； and from her tone he knew something was ing； 〃I used to wonder how e you never brought any trouts home。 Always said you caught plenty。 So one time I got your creel case open the night before you went on one a your little trips price tag still on it after five years and I tied a note on the end of the line。 It said； hello Ennis； bring some fish home； love； Alma。 And then you e back and said you'd caught a bunch a browns and ate them up。 Remember？ I looked in the case when I got a chance and there was my note still tied there and that line hadn't touched water in its life。〃 As though the word 〃water〃 had called out its domestic cousin she twisted the faucet； sluiced the plates。
〃That don't mean nothin。〃
〃Don't lie； don't try to fool me； Ennis。 I know what it means。 Jack Twist？ Jack Nasty。 You and him 〃She'd overstepped his line。 He seized her wrist； tears sprang and rolled； a dish clattered。
〃Shut up；〃 he said。 〃Mind your own business。 You don't know nothin about it。〃〃I'm goin a yell for Bill。〃
〃You ****in go right ahead。 Go on and ****in yell。 I'll make him eat the ****in floor and you too。〃 He gave another wrench that left her with a burning bracelet； shoved his hat on backwards and slammed out。 He went to the Black and Blue Eagle bar that night； got drunk； had a short dirty fight and left。 He didn't try to see his girls for a long time； figuring they would look him up when they got the sense and years to move out from Alma。
They were no longer young men with all of it before them。 Jack had filled out through the shoulders and hams； Ennis stayed as lean as a clothes…pole； stepped around in worn boots； jeans and shirts summer and winter； added a canvas coat in cold weather。 A benign growth appeared on his eyelid and gave it a drooping appearance； a broken nose healed crooked。
Years on years they worked their way through the high meadows and mountain drainages； horse…packing into the Big Horns； Medicine Bows； south end of the Gallatins； Absarokas； Granites； Owl Creeks； the Bridger…Teton Range； the Freezeouts and the Shirleys； Ferrises and the Rattlesnakes； Salt River Range； into the Wind Rivers over and again； the Sierra Madres； Gros Ventres； the Washakies； Laramies； but never returning to Brokeback。
Down in Texas Jack's father…in…law died and Lureen； who inherited the farm equipment business； showed a skill for management and hard deals。 Jack found himself with a vague managerial title； traveling to stock and agricultural machinery shows。 He had some money now and found ways to spend it on his buying trips。 A little Texas accent flavored his sentences； 〃cow〃 twisted into 〃kyow〃 and 〃wife〃 ing out as 〃waf。〃 He'd had his front teeth filed down and capped； said he'd felt no pain； and to finish the job grew a heavy mustache。
In May of 1983 they spent a few cold days at a series of little icebound； no…name high lakes； then worked across into the Hail Strew River drainage。
Going up； the day was fine but the trail deep…drifted and slopping wet at the margins。 They left it to wind through a slashy cut； leading the horses through brittle branchwood； Jack； the same eagle feather in his old hat； lifting his head in the heated noon to take the air scented with resinous lodgepole； the dry needle duff and hot rock； bitter juniper crushed beneath the horses' hooves。 Ennis； weather…eyed； looked west for the heated cumulus that might e up on such a day but the boneless blue was so deep； said Jack； that he might drown looking up。
Around three they swung through a narrow pass to a southeast slope where the strong spring sun had had a chance to work； dropped down to the trail again which lay snowless below them。 They could hear the river muttering and making a distant train sound a long way off。 Twenty minutes on