Thieves' Highway Page #2

They ain't no friends of mine,

but your old man, I like him.

He used to be a good trucker.

We could buy two loads of Golden Delicious

one for him and one for me

and make a killing.

Hey, Doc!

The two guys I was

telling you about.

I wish I didn't have to

go in with them. They're sharp.

I got a hunch they're gonna bounce me

after they find out where the apples are.

Hey, you beanpole,

you long drink of

When are you gonna

get that gas-buggy heated up, huh?

Maybe I could raise

1,200 bucks.

- Hi, Ed. Got her all set to go?

- She's ready to roll.

That's our partner, boy. That's our partner.

After we pick up the money

tomorrow noon, we're on our way.

Tomorrow's too late.

You should have been here yesterday.

- Wait

- We ain't goin' nowhere. The deal's off.

- What?

- I don't hear ya. I don't hear ya!

The farmer called up.

Said he sold the whole orchard to a big shipper.

He can't do that!

You said he made a deal with us!

Yeah, you can't trust

nobody these days.

How do you like that? We get kissed off

before we even get a chance to pucker up.

I know how you feel.

Well, something may come up next week.

Keep in touch with me.

I got my eyes open.

Great, great!

I should have known it

when I had that dream.

You know I had a dream

that I had a handful of $1,000 bills?

- And when I woke up

- No. It don't sound kosher. It don't sound kosher.

- What do you mean?

- He's takin' it too easy.

What do you want him to do?

Wiggle in the dirt there and have convulsions?

That's just it.

He don't feel bad enough.

We'll need another truck.

I know a guy who's stuck

with a lot of war surplus jobs. Triple-A Garage.

That's where they got theirs. Just give 'em

a down payment, and we're in business.

- Tell 'em Ed Kinney sent ya.

- That was a dirty trick you pulled on those guys.

Kid, this ain't no lace pants business.

It takes tricks to get what you want

in this game, and I know 'em.

You just buy the loads.

I'll sell 'em.

You pull a trick like that on me,

I'd climb all over your neck.

You want to back out?

Any time you like.

- When do we go for the apples?

- Tonight.

After you pick up the truck,

go home and get some shut-eye.

We'll be on the road for 36 hours.

- You think you can make it?

- Sure, I can make it.

But remember, no tricks.

Now why would I want

to pull a trick on you?

Because I'm a pushover, too,

like my old man.

I come down here to pick up his truck,

and I wind up blowing all my cash.

I wanna tell you one thing,

I worked like a dog for that dough.

Gyp me, and I'll

cut your heart out.

Thanks.

I'll remember that.

Havel! What you do?

Pick the apples. Olga, Fedya.

Maria, he's picking

twice as many apple than you do.

Truckman waiting.

Whoa!

- What's the matter?

- Universal. Sounds like it's ready to go.

- So that's what I heard.

- Ah, I was afraid it wouldn't hold out.

- Look at that thing.

- Oh, great.

- What do we do now?

- Don't get the shakes.

I been keepin' this together with spit,

and I'm ready to spit all the way to the market.

Uh, I'll need 1,200 bucks.

Will you get your end wrench

and try to tighten those bolts?

Just the front ones.

I'll go down and pay off

the old geezer.

My wife, she say to tell you,

dollar a box.

- That's right.

- Thank you.

Thank you!

Good luck!

Have a nice trip!

And sell good my apple!

Papa!

Hey! Wait!

Hey! Stop!

- Don't go! Wait!

- Truckman!

Wait a moment.

You didn't count right. You make mistake.

You make mistake. This only 900.

- That's right. Six bits a box.

- Six bits a box?

- "Six bits"?

- Six bits cojest 75 cents!

Seventy-five cents?

You cheat.

Six bits is all I'm gonna pay.

If you don't like it, you can have your apples back.

- What you say?

- I busted my truck pulling up your hill.

I don't care whether I haul 'em or not.

You take your money!

And I take my apples!

- Seventy-five cents!

- Papa!

Here! Here! You cheat!

Seventy-five!

- Papa!

- Seventy-five cents, huh? Here!

All this cheating! You!

Seventy-five cents!

Nice going, Ed.

Nice.

- Nah, he cheat!

- He says one dollar. He pay six bits.

Saves two bits a box.

That's a lot of dough.

- 300 bucks.

- Sure, we could lose our shirts at a buck.

- What I am going to do with all these apples?

- He got no truck. They gonna rot.

- Give him his money.

- What?

- Go ahead.

- We'll need it for that shot universal.

If the universal goes out,

we'll park your rig and come back later.

- Sure, we got lots of time. We're on a tour.

- You made a deal. Give him his money.

Every john in the business will know

about apples by tomorrow morning.

- They'll flood the market.

We'll be peddling ours out of our hats.

- Give him his money.

Thank you. Thank you.

You good boy.

I tell from your face.

Here's five dollars for boxes

he throw off truck.

You almost saved me 300 bucks.

- Or weren't you gonna tell me?

- Maybe you'd like to wash up the deal we made.

Look, I buy the load,

you sell 'em. That still goes.

- No grudge?

- No grudge.

Let's get the top on.

- You go on ahead. I'll tail ya.

- Maybe I'd better tail you.

- Just in case you break down.

- Nah.

You'd lose time that way.

You get south, fast.

- We're hauling north.

- Thanks.

I thought the deal was,

you buy the loads, I sell 'em.

You can have the rest your way,

but this first run we're making north.

Okay, it's your dough.

Hello, hello. Uh

Well, lookee,

lookee, lookee.

Hi! Hey, Pete...

ain't we seen these boys

someplace before?

Yeah. Yeah, they do

look familiar.

Well, what do you know?

They got apples.

- What's the idea of following us?

- Ha! That's very funny.

Pete, some guys has always

got a suspicious nature.

Why do fellas have to be like that?

We weren't following them.

It's just fate.

I don't want you to rupture your brain,

but did you ever stop to figure...

if we all showed up with apples,

we'd all come out with peanuts?

We understand that.

We don't want to cool off your load.

Nah, that's the last thing

we'd want to do.

- Listen, chiselers

- Okay, okay. It's free enterprise.

We all want to make a buck.

We're gonna haul north. You guys haul south.

Now, there's a fella's

got good manners.

Go on, Slob.

So long.

Good luck.

Maybe we'll see you

again sometime.

- Listen, "Free Enterprise."

You know where they're gonna haul?

- Uh-huh.

- Where?

- San Francisco.

They wanna go where you go,

figure you got the nose for a buck.

At least we got the jump on 'em.

We're all loaded.

But they can spell each other. We gotta

drive alone. Get in and get goin' fast.

Watch it goin' down the hills

or you'll blow a tire. You got an overload.

- I'll watch her.

- If you get sleepy,

stick your elbow out the window.

- Cool off your blood, wake you up.

- Right.

When you get to Frisco,

don't talk to nobody about the load.

They'll see you're green,

they'll murder you. You hear?

Wait'll I get there. I won't be

more than 40 minutes behind.

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