第4部分(第3/7 頁)

nd　you'll　have　to　answer　even　harder　for　expecting　him　to　do　some　real　work。〃

〃I　don't　expect　it；〃　I　said；　and　I　didn't　。。。　but　I　had　hopes。　Bill　Dodge　wasn't　the　sort　to　let　a　man　just　stand　around　and　do　the　heavy　looking…on。　〃I'm　more　interested　in　the　big　boy；　for　the　time　being。　Are　we　going　to　have　trouble　with　him？〃

Harry　shook　his　head　with　decision。

〃He　b　at　court　down　there　in　Trapingus　County；〃　Dean　said。　He　took　his　little　rimless　glasses　off　and　began　to　polish　them　on　his　vest。　〃Of　course　they　had　more　chains　on　him　than　Scrooge　saw　on　Marley's　ghost；　but　he　could　have　kicked　up　dickens　if　he'd　wanted。　That's　a　pun；　son。〃

〃I　know；〃　I　said；　although　I　didn't。　I　just　hate　letting　Dean　Stanton　get　the　better　of　me。

〃Big　one；　ain't　he？〃　Dean　said。

〃He　is；〃　I　agreed。　〃Monstrous　big。〃

〃Probably　have　to　crank　Old　Sparky　up　to　Super　Bake　to　fry　his　ass！'

〃Don't　worry　about　Old　Sparky；〃　I　said　absently。　〃He　makes　the　big　'uns　little。〃

Dean　pinched　the　sides　of　his　nose；　where　there　were　a　couple　of　angry　red　patches　from　his　glasses；　and　nodded。　〃Yep；〃　he　said。　〃Some　truth　to　that；　all　right。〃

I　asked；　〃Do　either　of　you　know　where　he　came　from　before　he　showed　up　in　。。。　Tefton？　It　was　Tefton；　wasn't　it？〃

〃Yep；〃　Dean　said。　〃Tefton；　down　in　Trapingus　County。　Before　he　showed　up　there　and　did　what　he　did；　no　one　seems　to　know。　He　just　drifted　around；　I　guess。　You　might　be　able　to　find　out　a　little　more　from　the　newspapers　in　the　prison　library；　if　you're　really　interested。　They　probably　won't　get　around　to　moving　those　until　next　week。〃　He　grinned。　〃You　might　have　to　listen　to　your　little　buddy　bitching　and　moaning　upstairs；　though。〃

〃I　might　just　go　have　a　peek；　anyway；〃　I　said；　and　l