第22部分(第1/7 頁)

eport　on　the　incident。　When　I　finally　sensed　someone　looking　at　me　and　glanced　up；　there　he　was；　his　grin　displaying　a　set　of　blackening；　dying　teeth　with　several　gaps　among　them　already。　It　gave　me　a　jump　to　see　him　there　like　that。　I　tried　not　to　show　it；　but　I　think　he　knew。　〃Hey；　flunky；〃　he　said。　〃Next　time　it'll　be　you。　And　I　won't　miss。〃

〃Hello；　Wharton；〃　I　said；　as　evenly　as　I　could。　〃Under　the　circumstances；　I　guess　I　can　skip　the　speech　and　the　Wele　Wagon；　don't　you　think？〃

His　grin　faltered　just　a　little。　It　wasn't　the　sort　of　response　he　had　expected；　and　probably　wasn't　the　one　I　would　have　given　under　other　circumstances。　But　something　had　happened　while　Wharton　was　unconscious。　It　is；　I　suppose；　one　of　the　major　things　I　have　trudged　through　all　these　pages　to　tell　you　about。　Now　let's　just　see　if　you　believe　it。

3。

Except　for　shouting　once　at　Delacroix；　Percy　kept　his　mouth　shut　once　the　excitement　was　over。　This　was　probably　the　result　of　shock　rather　than　any　effort　at　tact　…　Percy　Wetmore　knew　as　much　about　tact　as　I　do　about　the　native　tribes　of　darkest　Africa；　in　my　opinion　…　but　it　was　a　damned　good　thing；　just　the　same。　If　he'd　started　in　whining　about　how　Brutal　had　pushed　him　into　the　wall　or　wondering　why　no　one　had　told　him　that　nasty　men　like　Wild　Billy　Wharton　sometimes　turned　up　on　E　Block；　I　think　we　would　have　killed　him。　Then　we　could　have　toured　the　Green　Mile　in　a　whole　new　way。　That's　sort　of　a　funny　idea；　when　you　consider　it。　I　missed　my　chance　to　make　like　James　Cagney　in　White　Heat。

Anyway；　when　we　were　sure　that　Dean　was　going　to　keep　breathing　and　that　he　wasn't　going　to　pass　out　on　the　spot；　Harry　and　Brutal　escorted　him　over　to　the　infirmary。　Delacroix；　who　had　been　absolutely　silent　duri