“They all bust their hands on me,” the little man said. “They couldn’t hurt me.”
He looked at Nick. “Sit down,” he said. “Want to eat?”
“Don’t bother,” Nick said. “I’m going on to the town.”
“Listen!” the man said. “Call me Ad.”
“Sure!”
“Listen,” the little man said. “I’m not quite right.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m crazy.”
He put on his cap. Nick felt like laughing.
“You’re all right,” he said.
“No, I’m not. I’m crazy. Listen, you ever been crazy?”
“No,” Nick said. “How does it get you?”
“I don’t know,” Ad said. “When you got it you don’t know about it. You know me, don’t you?”
“No.”
“I’m Ad Francis.”
“Honest to God?”
“Don’t you believe it?”
“Yes.”
Nick knew it must be true.
“You know how I beat them?”
“No,” Nick said.
“My heart’s slow. It only beats forty a minute. Feel it.” Nick hesitated.
“Come on,” the man took hold of his hand. “Take hold of my wrist. Put your fingers there.”
The little man’s wrist was thick and the muscles bulged above the bone. Nick felt the slow pumping under his fingers.
“Got a watch?”
“No.”
“Neither have I,” Ad said. “It ain’t any good if you haven’t got a watch.” Nick dropped his wrist.
“Listen,” Ad Francis said. “Take ahold again. You count and I’ll count up to sixty.”
