第17部分(第3/7 頁)

leaned　closer　to　Delacroix；　putting　his　face　between　the　bars。　Delacroix　shrank　back　even　farther。　I　swear　to　God　that　he　would　have　melted　into　that　wall　if　he'd　been　able。

〃You　got　a　nickel　or　maybe　as　much　as　a　dime　to　pay　for　a　cigar　box；　you　lugoon？〃　he　asked。

〃I　got　four　pennies；〃；　Delacroix　said。　〃I　give　them　for　a　box；　if　it　a　good　one；　s'il　est　bon。〃

〃I'll　tell　you　what；〃　Percy　said。　〃If　that　toothless　old　whoremaster　will　sell　you　that　Corona　box　for　four　cents；　I'll　sneak　some　cotton　batting　out　of　the　dispensary　to　line　it　with。　We'll　make　us　a　regular　Mousie　Hilton；　before　we're　through。〃　He　shifted　his　eyes　to　me。　〃I'm　supposed　to　write　a　switch…room　report　about　Bitterbuck；〃　he　said。　〃Is　there　some　pens　in　your　office；　Paul？〃

〃Yes；　indeed；〃　I　said。　〃Forms；　too。　Lefthand　top　drawer。〃

〃Well；　that's　aces；〃　he　said；　and　went　swaggering　off。

Harry　and　I　looked　at　each　other。　〃Is　he　sick；　do　you　think？〃　Harry　asked。　〃Maybe　went　to　his　doctor　and　found　out　he's　only　got　three　months　to　live？〃

I　told　him　I　didn't　have　the　slightest　idea　what　was　up。　It　was　the　truth　then；　and　for　awhile　after；　but　I　found　out　in　time。　And　a　few　years　later；　I　had　an　interesting　supper…table　conversation　with　Hal　Moores。　By　then　we　could　talk　freely；　what　with　him　being　retired　and　me　being　at　the　Boys'　Correctional。　It　was　one　of　those　meals　where　you　drink　too　much　and　eat　too　little；　and　tongues　get　loosened。　Hal　told　me　that　Percy　had　been　in　to　plain　about　me　and　about　life　on　the　Mile　in　general。　This　was　just　after　Delacroix　came　on　the　block；　and　Brutal　and　I　had　kept　Percy　from　beating　him　half　to　death。　What　had　griped　Percy　the　most　was　me　telling　him　to　get　out　of　my　sight。　He　didn't　think　a　man　who　was　related　to　the　go