第6部分(第2/7 頁)

huge；　bare　arms　flexed　and　relaxed；　flexed　and　relaxed；　flexed　and　relaxed。

It　was　Klaus　Detterick　who　broke　the　tableau。　Screaming；　he　flung　himself　at　the　monster　who　had　raped　and　killed　his　daughters。　Sam　Hollis　knew　his　job　and　tried　to　do　it；　but　couldn't。　He　was　six　inches　taller　than　Klaus　and　outweighed　him　by　at　least　seventy　pounds；　but　Klaus　seemed　to　almost　shrug　his　encircling　arms　off。　Klaus　flew　across　the　intervening　open　ground　and　launched　a　flying　kick　at　Coffey's　head。　His　workboot；　caked　with　spilled　milk　that　had　already　soured　in　the　heat；　scored　a　direct　hit　on　Coffey's　left　temple；　but　Coffey　seemed　not　to　feel　it　at　all。　He　only　sat　there；　keening　and　rocking　and　looking　out　across　the　river；　the　way　I　imagine　it；　he　could　almost　have　been　a　picture　out　of　some　piney　woods　Pentecostal　sermon；　the　faithful　follower　of　the　Cross　looking　out　toward　Goshen　Land　。。。　if　not　for　the　corpses；　that　was。

It　took　four　men　to　haul　the　hysterical　farmer　off　John　Coffey；　and　he　fetched　Coffey　I　don't　know　how　many　good　licks　before　they　finally　did。　It　didn't　seem　to　matter　to　Coffey；　one　way　or　the　other；　he　just　went　on　looking　out　across　the　river　and　keening。　As　for　Detterick；　all　the　fight　went　out　of　him　when　he　was　finally　pulled　off　…　as　if　some　strange　galvanizing　current　had　been　running　through　the　huge　black　man　（I　still　have　a　tendency　to　think　in　electrical　metaphors；　you'll　have　to　pardon　me）；　and　when　Detterick's　contact　with　that　power　source　was　finally　broken；　he　went　as　limp　as　a　man　flung　back　from　a　live　wire。　He　knelt　wide…legged　on　the　riverbank　with　his　hands　to　his　face；　sobbing。　Howie　joined　him　and　they　hugged　each　other　forehead　to　forehead。

Two　men　watched　them　while　the　rest　formed　a　rifle…toting　ring　arou