35
The drunkard began pounding on the door. "You got to come out
some time," he said. "I'll wait here till you do."
"Go away," said the boy. "I've done you nothing."
Behind the door the boy's bitterness grew to rage. He began to
tremble, not fearing the man but fearing the rage growing in himself. He
brought the knife from his pocket.
"Go away," he said again. "I have a knife. I don't want any
trouble."
The drunkard said he was a real American, wounded twice. He
wouldn't go away. He was afraid of no dirty little yellow-faced Filipino
with a knife.
"I will kill you," said the boy. "I don't want any trouble. Go away.
Please, don't make any trouble," he said earnestly.
He threw the door open and tried to rush beyond the man, the knife
in his fist, but the drunkard caught him by the sleeve and drew him back.
The sleeve of the boy's coat ripped, and the boy turned and thrust the
knife into the side of the drunkard, feeling it scrape against the ribbone
3
.
The drunkard shouted and screamed at once, then caught the boy by the
throat, and the boy began to thrust the knife into the side of the man
many times. When the drunkard could hold him no more and fell to the
floor, the boy rushed from the room, the knife still in his hand.
Everyone knew what he had done, yet no one moved. The boy ran
to the front of the boat, seeking some place to go, but there was no place
to go, and before the officers of the boat arrived he stopped suddenly
and began to shout at the people.
"I didn't want to hurt him, why didn't you stop him? Is it right to
chase a man like a rat? You knew he was drunk. I didn't want to hurt
him, but he wouldn't let me go. He tore my coat and tried to choke me. I
told him I would kill him if he wouldn't go away. It is not my fault. I
must go to Oakland to see my brother. He is sick. Do you think I'm
looking for trouble when my brother is sick. Why didn't you stop him?"
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