第5部分(第2/7 頁)

　after　coon　and　deer　in　their　seasons　not　because　they　much　wanted　to；　but　because　it　was　an　expected　thing。　And　the　dooryard　around　the　house　was　a　blighted　patch　of　dirt　with　tracks　all　overlaid　in　a　meaningless　tangle。　They　went　around　the　barn；　and　saw　almost　at　once　why　Bowser；　a　bad　biter　but　a　good　barker；　hadn't　sounded　the　alarm。　He　lay　half　in　and　half　out　of　a　doghouse　which　had　been　built　of　leftover　barnboards　（there　was　a　signboard　with　the　word　Bowser　neatly　printed　on　it　over　the　curved　hole　in　the　front　…　I　saw　a　photograph　of　it　in　one　of　the　papers）；　his　head　turned　most　of　the　way　around　on　his　neck。　It　would　have　taken　a　man　of　enormous　power　to　have　done　that　to　such　a　big　animal；　the　prosecutor　later　told　John　Coffey's　jury　。。。　and　then　he　had　looked　long　and　meaningfully　at　the　hulking　defendant；　sitting　behind　the　defense　table　with　his　eyes　cast　down　and　wearing　a　brand…new　pair　of　state…bought　bib　overalls　that　looked　like　damnation　in　and　of　themselves。　Beside　the　dog；　Klaus　and　Howie　found　a　scrap　of　cooked　link　sausage。　The　theory　…　a　sound　one；　I　have　no　doubt　…　was　that　Coffey　had　first　charmed　the　dog　with　treats；　and　then；　as　Bowser　began　to　eat　the　last　one；　had　reached　out　his　hands　and　broken　its　neck　with　one　mighty　snap　of　his　wrists。

Beyond　the　barn　was　Detterick's　north　pasture；　where　no　cows　would　graze　that　day。　It　was　drenched　with　morning　dew；　and　leading　off　through　it；　cutting　on　a　diagonal　to　the　northwest　and　plain　as　day；　was　the　beaten　track　of　a　man's　passage。

Even　in　his　state　of　near…hysteria；　Klaus　Detterick　hesitated　at　first　to　follow　it。　It　wasn't　fear　of　the　man　or　men　who　had　taken　his　daughters；　it　was　fear　of　following　the　abductor's　backtrail　。。。　of　going　off　in　exactly　the　wrong　direction　at　a