第12部分(第5/7 頁)

from　his　supper。　It　landed　right　in　front　of　the　mouse；　but　Steamboat　Willy　hardly　even　glanced　at　it；　just　came　on　his　way　again；　up　the　Green　Mile；　looking　in　empty　cells。

〃Boss　Edgebe！〃　The。　President　called。　〃Do　you　think　that　little　bastard　knows　Wetmore　isn't　here？　I　do；　by　God！〃

I　felt　about　the　same　。。。　but　I　wasn't　going　to　say　so　out　loud。

Harry　came　out　into　the　hall；　hitching　up　his　pants　the　way　he　always　did　after　he'd　spent　a　refreshing　few　minutes　in　the　can；　and　stood　there　with　his　eyes　wide。　Toot…Toot　was　also　staring；　a　sunken　grin　doing　unpleasant　things　to　the　soft　and　toothless　lower　half　of　his　face。

The　mouse　stopped　in　what　was　being　its　usual　spot；　curled　its　tail　around　its　paws；　and　looked　at　us。　Again　I　was　reminded　of　pictures　I　had　seen　of　judges　passing　sentence　on　hapless　prisoners　。。。　yet；　had　there　ever　been　a　prisoner　as　small　and　unafraid　as　this　one？　Not　that　it　really　was　a　prisoner；　of　course；　it　could　e　and　go　pretty　much　as　it　pleased。　Yet　the　idea　would　not　leave　my　mind；　and　it　again　occurred　to　me　that　most　of　us　would　feel　that　small　when　approaching　God's　judgment　seat　after　our　lives　were　over；　but　very　few　of　us　would　be　able　to　look　so　unafraid。

〃Well；　I　swear；〃　Old　Toot…Toot　said。　〃There　he　sits；　big　as　Billy…Be…Frigged。〃

〃You　ain't　seen　nothing　yet；　Toot；〃　Harry　said。　〃atch　this。〃　He　reached　into　his　breast　pocket　and　came　out　with　a　slice　of　cinnamon　apple　wrapped　in　waxed　paper。　He　broke　off　the　end　and　tossed　it　on　the　floor。　It　was　dry　and　hard　and　I　thought　it　would　bounce　right　past　the　mouse；　but　it　reached　out　one　paw；　as　carelessly　as　a　man　swatting　at　a　fly　to　pass　the　time；　and　batted　it　flat。　We　all　laughed　in　admiration　and　surprise；　an　outburst　of　sound　that　shou