第12部分(第3/7 頁)

at　pick　or　grab　up　that　hoe　or　just　to　get　your　ass　over　here；　Harvey。　After　four　it　got　a　little　better；　and　after　six　it　got　better　still。　Six　to　eight　was　the　optimum　time。　After　that　you　could　see　the　long　thoughts　starting　to　steal　over　their　minds　again　…　in　their　eyes　you　could　see　it；　like　afternoon　shadows　and　it　was　best　to　stop。　They　still　heard　what　you　were　saying；　but　it　no　longer　made　sense　to　them。　Past　eight　they　were　getting　ready　for　the　watches　of　the　night　and　imagining　how　the　cap　would　feel　when　it　was　clamped　to　the　tops　of　their　heads；　and　how　the　air　would　smell　inside　the　black　bag　which　had　been　rolled　down　over　their　sweaty　faces。

But　I　got　The　Chief　at　a　good　time。　He　told　me　about　his　first　wife；　and　how　they　had　built　a　lodge　together　up　in　Montana。　Those　had　been　the　happiest　days　of　his　life；　he　said。　The　water　was　so　pure　and　so　cold　that　it　felt　like　your　mouth　was　cut　every　time　you　drank。

〃Hey；　Mr。　Edgebe；〃　he　said。　〃You　think；　if　a　man　he　sincerely　repent　of　what　he　done　wrong；　he　might　get　to　go　back　to　the　time　that　was　happiest　for　him　and　live　there　forever？　Could　that　be　what　heaven　is　like？〃

〃I've　just　about　believed　that　very　thing；〃　I　said；　which　was　a　he　I　didn't　regret　in　the　least。　I　had　learned　of　matters　eternal　at　my　mother's　pretty　knee；　and　what　I　believed　is　what　the　Good　Book　says　about　murderers：　that　there　is　no　eternal　life　in　them。　I　think　they　go　straight　to　hell；　where　they　burn　in　torment　until　God　finally　gives　Gabriel　the　nod　to　blow　the　Judgment　Trump。　When　he　does；　they'll　wink　out　。。。　and　probably　glad　to　go　they　will　be。　But　I　never　gave　a　hint　of　such　beliefs　to　Bitterbuck；　or　to　any　of　them。　I　think　in　their　hearts　they　knew　it。　Where　is　your　brother；　his　blood　crieth　to　me　from