Slim looked at curley's wife's lifeless body squinting his eyes before looking back up at George ''Curley's still mad about his hand. An' s'pose they lock him up an' strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain't no good, George."

"I know," said George, "I know."

Carlson came running in.

"The bastard's stole my Luger," he shouted. "It ain't in my bag."

Curley followed him, and Curley carried a shotgun in his good hand.

"All right, you guys," he said. "The nigger's got a shotgun. You take it, Carlson.

Whit broke in. "I ain't got a gun."

Curley said, "You go in Soledad an' get a cop. Get Al Wilts, he's deputy sheriff. Le's go now." He turned suspiciously on George.

"You're comin' with us, fella."

"Yeah," said George. "I'll come. But listen, Curley. The poor guy's nuts. Don't shoot 'im. He didn't know what he was doing."

"Don't shoot 'im?" Curley cried. "He got Carlson's Luger. 'Course we'll shoot 'im." George said weakly, "Maybe Carlson lost his gun." George looked up in hope that they'd believe him.

"I seen it this morning, but it's been took, i'm sure it was 'i'm, caught 'im looking at it when i put it in my bag before going out to play horse shoe" he said.

''Alright boys! Le's get moving.''

George watched curley, whit, and carlson run out of the barn, he knew he had to get to lennie before they did.

Slim shook George's shoulder, squeezing it before nodding to him then walking out of the barn to the others. George's heart was racing, he pulled his hair tightly trying to think. ''Son of a bitch..'' he hissed.

Carlson walked up to his horse and climbed on top grunting. Crooks walked out of his room with his shotgun in both hands, bending his back as he slowly walked closer to carlson, mumbling.

''Uh.. h-here you are sir.'' crooks looked around at the workers getting ready to leave.

''God damn, you took your time.'' Carlson grabbed on to the end of the rifle and held it up in his left hand. Crooks looked out towards the woods behind the side of the barn.

''Say.. Where'd you think he's goin'?'' crooks asked hesitantly.

Carlson looked down at crooks for a moment and then glanced around.

''Don't got a clue, but these men know these roads well.. we'll get 'im.''

''We always get 'i'm'' he chuckled.

''Yea.. i...i know'' said crooks staring down at the floor.

Carlson put crook's rifle at the right side of his horse's saddle, just under the bend of his right knee. He then pulled the dark grey horse to the direction of curley's group and trotted over.

Crooks watched the group of ranch workers as they armed themselves. He then started to walk back to his room, slowly opening the door until he noticed George running out of the barn looking very worried.

Slim's horse trotted over to George, and Slim could be seen talking to him but for some reason with no gun in his saddle. Crooks thought it was very unlike Slim to go out unarmed, all that could be seen was the rope that he held in his hand.

''Well, Where'd you think he might of gone?'' slim asked him. George walked around in front of slim shaking his head trying to think.

''Oh, uhm.. he might of uh… went up north'' he said looking back up at Slim.

''Up north huh?''

''Yea, since that's where we was coming from'' He said hoping Slim would believe him.

''Hmm… alright George, we'll check it out'' He said patting his palomino horse before him and George went over to Curly's large group. Crooks saw the boss watch over from the front of his houses porch chewing on something while watching from afar.

''oh God damn, that curly's raisin up hell'' Crooks said in his head.

Curly shouted to his men that looked up to him from his horse, he was enraged, never giving himself a second to catch his own breath. His words were quick, for every word he spoke Lennie gained another step away from him, and so there was no time to waist, no nonsense to be said, the time was now.

''Alright boys! Get the hell on those horses! Anyone of you manage to find him well just remember i want to give the first crack into i'm', Slim! I'm taking my boys west, you take north or south'' Curly cocked his rifle, the sound that the chamber made always sounded pleasing to him, the sound of his intensions finally happening.

''I'll… take north'' said Slim.

''Alright good, the rest of you that isn't with me and slim, form two groups and head south and east, let's move!''

Curly shouted as he kicked his horse to move. The rest of the men followed west, the real direction of where the brush George told Lennie to hide at was and George turned his head to Slim and his men on their horses.

Slim's facial expression already told George what he was thinking, and in a long time Slim wasn't proud of it, this time it wasn't normal for him, and it felt new to him again. Slim nodded his head back towards his friend before leading his men up the valley north.

George watched him as he left, he couldn't believe this was happening! He looked frantically around the ranch but there was no horse in site.