“Tux! Listen! I swear…!”
“Save it, pally,” Tux said, as he got out of the car. “Come on.” He threatened Louie with the gun. “Step out and snap it up.”
Whitey had already got out of the car. He took a bicycle chain from his pocket and began lovingly to wrap it around his right hand.
Louie got out of the car. His legs shook so violently he nearly fell.
Tux put his gun away, took a bicycle chain from his hip pocket and, following Whitey’s example, he, too, began to wrap the chain around his right hand.
“I wanted to kill you, pally,” he said softly, “but the boss doesn’t like killings. He asked me to soften you up a little just to make sure you don’t bother the girl again, and just to make sure you don’t yap to the cops. If you do, pally, I’ll come after you next time with the heater, and you’ll get it in the gut.”
“Keep away from me!” Louie yelled, throwing up his hands to protect his head. “Keep away from me!”
The two men suddenly closed in on him.