第2部分(第5/7 頁)

nergy　than　one　very　old　man　whittling　away　the　end　of　his　life　in　a　Georgia　nursing　home。　That　was

a　hot　fall；　I　remember　that；　very　hot；　indeed。　October　almost　like　August；　and　the　warden's　wife；　Melinda；　up　in　the　hospital　at　Indianola　for　a　spell。　It　was　the　fall　I　had　the　worst　urinary　infection　of　my　life；　not　bad　enough　to　put　me　in　the　hospital　myself；　but　almost　bad　enough　for　me　to　wish　I　was　dead　every　time　I　took　a　leak。　It　was　the　fall　of　Delacroix；　the　little　half…bald　Frenchman　with　the　mouse；　the　one　that　came　in　the　summer　and　did　that　cute　trick　with　the　spool。　Mostly；　though；　it　was　the　fall　that　John　Coffey　came　to　E　Block；　sentenced　to　death　for　the　rape…murder　of　the　Detterick　twins。

There　were　four　or　five　guards　on　the　block　each　shift；　but　a　lot　of　them　were　floaters。　Dean　Stanton；　Harry　Terwilliger；　and　Brutus　Howell　（the　men　called　him　〃Brutal；〃　but　it　was　a　joke；　he　wouldn't　hurt　a　fly　unless　he　had　to；　in　spite　of　his　size）　are　all　dead　now；　and　so　is　Percy　Wetmore；　who　really　was　brutal　。。。　not　to　mention　stupid。　Percy　had　no　business　on　E　Block；　where　an　ugly　nature　was　useless　and　sometimes　dangerous；　but　he　was　related　to　the　governor　by　marriage；　and　so　he　stayed。

It　was　Percy　Wetmore　who　ushered　Coffey　onto　the　block；　with　the　supposedly　traditional　cry　of　〃Dead　man　walking！　Dead　man　walking　here！〃

It　was　still　as　hot　as　the　hinges　of　hell；　October　or　not。　The　door　to　the　exercise　yard　opened；　letting　in　a　flood　of　brilliant　light　and　the　biggest　man　I've　ever　seen；　except　for　some　of　the　basketball　fellows　they　have　on　the　TV　down　in　the　〃Resource　Room〃　of　this　home　for　wayward　droolers　I've　finished　up　in。　He　wore　chains　on　his　arms　and　across　his　water…barrel　of　a　chest；　he　wore　legirons　on　his　ankles　and