绿里奇迹(英文版)-第5部分

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ps；　and　occasional　curses　from　the　infirmary　upstairs　（where　it　had　to　be　at　least　ten　degrees　hotter；　and　I　hoped　Percy　Wetmore　was　enjoying　it）。　I　didn't　bother　him；　either；　but　went　around　to　the　short　side　of　the　L；　where　the　newspapers　were　kept。　I　thought　they　might　be　gone　along　with　the　fans；　in　spite　of　what　Dean　had　said。　They　weren't；　though；　and　the　business　about　the　Detterick　twins　was　easily　enough　looked　out；　it　had　been　front…page　news　from　the　mission　of　the　crime　in　June　right　through　the　trial　in　late　August　and　September。　
Soon　I　had　forgotten　the　heat　and　the　thumps　from　upstairs　and　old　Gibbons's　wheezy　snores。　The　thought　of　those　little　nine…year…old　girls　…　their　fluffy　heads　of　blonde　hair　and　their　engaging　Bobbsey　Twins　smiles　…　in　connection　with　Coffey's　hulking　darkness　was　unpleasant　but　impossible　to　ignore。　Given　his　size；　it　was　easy　to　imagine　him　actually　eating　them；　like　a　giant　in　a　fairy　tale。　What　he　had　done　was　even　worse；　and　it　was　a　lucky　thing　for　him　that　he　hadn't　just　been　lynched　right　there　on　the　riverbank。　If；　that　was；　you　considered　waiting　to　walk　the　Green　Mile　and　sit　in　Old　Sparky's　lap　lucky。　
4。　
King　Cotton　had　been　deposed　in　the　South　seventy　years　before　all　these　things　happened　and　would　never　be　king　again；　but　in　those　years　of　the　thirties　it　had　a　little　revival。　There　were　no　more　cotton　plantations；　but　there　were　forty　or　fifty　prosperous　cotton　farms　in　the　southern　part　of　our　state。　Klaus　Detterick　owned　one　of　them。　By　the　standards　of　the　nieen…fifties　he　would　have　been　considered　only　a　rung　above　shirttail　poor；　but　by　those　of　the　thirties　he　was　considered　well…to…do　because　he　actually　paid　his　store　bill　in　cash　at　the　end　of　most　months；　and　he　could　meet　the　bank　president's　eyes　if　they　happened　to　pass　on　the　street。　The　farmhouse　was　clean　and　modious。　In　addition　to　the　cotton；　there　were　the　other　two　c's：　chickens　and　a　few　cows。　He　and　his　wife　had　three　children：　Howard。　who　was　twelve　or　thereabouts；　and　the　twin　girls。　Cora　and　Kathe。　
On　a　warm　night　in　June　of　that　year；　the　girls　asked　for　and　were　given　permission　to　sleep　on　the　screen…enclosed　side　porch；　which　ran　the　length　of　the　house。　This　was　a　great　treat　for　them。　Their　mother　kissed　them　goodnight　just　shy　of　nine；　when　the　last　light　had　gone　out　of　the　sky。　It　was　the　final　time　she　saw　either　of　them　until　they　were　in　their　coffins　and　the　undertaker　had　repaired　the　worst　of　the　damage。　
Country　families　went　to　bed　early　in　those　days　…　〃soon　as　'twas　dark　under　the　table；〃　my　own　mother　sometimes　said　…　and　slept　soundly。　Certainly　Klaus；　Marjorie；　and　Howie　Detterick　did　on　the　night　the　twins　were　taken。　Klaus　would　almost　certainly　have　been　wakened　by　Bowser；　the　family's　big　old　half…breed　collie；　if　he　had　barked；　but　Bowser　didn't。　Not　that　night；　not　ever　again。　
Klaus　was　up　at　first　light　to　do　the　milking。　The　porch　was　on　the　side　of　the　house　away　from　the　barn；　and　Klaus　never　thought　to　look　in　on　the　girls。　Bowser's　failure　to　join　him　was　no　cause　for　alarm；　either。　The　dog　held　the　cows　and　the　chickens　alike　in　great　disdain；　and　usually　hid　in　his　doghouse　behind　the　barn　when　the　chores　were　being　performed；　unless　called　。。。　and　called　energetically；　at　that。　
Marjorie　came　downstairs　fifteen　minutes　or　so　after　her　husband　had　pulled　on　his　boots　in　the　mudroom　and　tromped　out　to　the　barn。　She　started　the　coffee；　then　put　bacon　on　to　fry。　The　bined　smells　brought　Howie　down　from　his　room　under　the　eaves；　but　not　the　girls　from　the　porch。　She　sent　Howie　out　to　fetch　them　as　she　cracked　eggs　into　the　bacon　grease。　Klaus　would　want　the　girls　out　to　get　fresh　ones　as　soon　as　breakfast　was　over。　Except　no　breakfast　was　eaten　in　the　Detterick　house　that　morning。　Howie　came　back　from　the　porch；　white　around　the　gills　and　with　his　formerly　sleep…puffy　eyes　now　wide　open。　
〃They're　gone；〃　he　said。　
Marjorie　went　out　onto　the　porch；　at　first　more　annoyed　than　alarmed。　She　said　later　that　she　had　supposed；　if　she　had　supposed　anything；　that　the　girls　had　decided　to　take　a　walk　and　pick　flowers　by　the　dawn's　early　light。　That　or　some　similar　green…girl　foolishness。　One　look；　and　she　understood　why　Howie　had　been　white。　
She　screamed　for　Klaus　…　shrieked　for　him　…　and　Klaus　came　on　the　dead　run；　his　workboots　whitened　by　the　half…full　pail　of　milk　he　had　spilled　on　them。　What　he　found　on　the　porch　would　have　jellied　the　legs　of　the　most　courageous　parent。　The　blankets　in　which　the　girls　would　have　bundled　themselves　as　the　night　drew　on　and　grew　colder　had　been　cast　into　one　er。　The　screen　door　had　been　yanked　off　its　upper　hinge　and　hung　drunkenly　out　into　the　dooryard。　And　on　the　boards　of　both　the　porch　and　the　steps　beyond　the　mutilated　screen　door；　there　were　spatters　of　blood。　
Marjorie　begged　her　husband　not　to　go　hunting　after　the　girls　alone；　and　not　to　take　their　son　if　he　felt　he　had　to　go　after　them；　but　she　could　have　saved　her　breath。　He　took　the　shotgun　he　kept　mounted　in　the　mudroom　high　out　of　the　reach　of　little　hands；　and　gave　Howie　the　。22　they　had　been　saving　for　his　birthday　in　July。　Then　they　went；　neither　of　them　paying　the　slightest　attention　to　the　shrieking；　weeping　woman　who　wanted　to　know　what　they　would　do　if　they　met　a　gang　of　wandering　hobos　or　a　bunch　of　bad　niggers　escaped　from　the　county　farm　over　in　Laduc。　In　this　I　think　the　men　were　right；　you　know。　The　blood　was　no　longer　runny；　but　it　was　only　tacky　yet；　and　still　closer　to　true　red　than　the　maroon　that　es　when　blood　has　well　dried。　The　abduction　hadn't　happened　too　long　ago。　Klaus　must　have　reasoned　that　there　was　still　a　chance　for　his　girls；　and　he　meant　to　take　it。　
Neither　one　of　them　could　track　worth　a　damn　…　they　were　gatherers；　not　hunters；　men　who　went　into　the　woods　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　time　when　every　second　might　count。　
Howie　solved　that　dilemma　by　plucking　a　shred　of　yellow　cotton　cloth　from　a　bush　growing　just　beyond　the　edge　of　the　dooryard。　Klaus　was　shown　this　same　scrap　of　cloth　as　he　sat　on　the　witness　stand；　and　began　to　weep　as　he　identified　it　as　a　piece　of　his　daughter　Kathe's　sleeping…shorts。　Twenty　yards　beyond　it；　hanging　from　the　jutting　finger　of　a　juniper　shrub；　they　found　a　piece　of　faded　green　cloth　that　matched　the　nightie　Cora　had　been　wearing　when　she　kissed　her　ma　and　pa　goodnight。　
The　Dettericks；　father　and　son；　set　off　at　a　near…run　with　their　guns　held　in　front　of　them；　as　soldiers　do　when　crossing　contested　ground　under　heavy　fire。　If　I　wonder　at　anything　that　happened　that　day。　it　is　that　the　boy；　chasing　desperately　after　his　father　（and　often　in　danger　of　being　left　behind　pletely）；　never　fell　and　put　a　bullet　in　Klaus　Detterick's　back。　
The　farmhouse　was　on　the　exchange　…　another　sign　to　the　neighbors　that　the　Dettericks　were　prospering；　at　least　moderately；　in　disastrous　times　…　and　Marjorie　used　Central　to　call　as　many　of　her　neighbors　that　were　also　on　the　exchange　as　she　could；　telling　them　of　the　disaster　which　had　fallen　like　a　lightning…stroke　out　of　a　clear　sky；　knowing　that　each　call　would　produce　overlapping　ripples；　like　pebbles　tossed　rapidly　into　a　stilly　pond。　Then　she　lifted　the　handset　one　last　time；　and　spoke　those　words　that　were　almost　a　trademark　of　the　early　telephone　systems　of　that　time；　at　least　in　the　rural　South：　〃Hello；　Central；　are　you　on　the　line？〃　
Central　was；　but　for　a　moment　could　say　nothing；　that　worthy　woman　was　all　agog。　At　last　she　managed；　〃Yes；　ma'am。　Mrs。　Detterick；　I　sure　am；　oh　dear　sweet　blessed　Jesus；　I'm　a…prayin　right　now　that　your　little　girls　are　all　right………！'　
〃Yes；　thank　you；〃　Marjorie　said。　〃But　you　tell　the　Lord　to　wait　long　enough　for　you　to　put　me　through　to　the　high　sheriff's　office　down　Tefton；　all　right？〃　
The　Trapingus　County　high　sheriff　was　a　whiskeynosed　old　boy　with　a　gut　like　a　washtub　and　a　head　of　white　hair　so　fine　it　looked　like　pipe…cleaner　fuzz。　I　knew　him　well；　he'd　been　up　to　Cold　Mountain　plenty　of　times　to　see　what　he　called　〃his　boys〃　off　into　the　great　beyond。　Execution　witnesses　sat　in　the　same　folding　chairs　you've　probably　sat　in　yourself　a　time　or　two；　at　funerals　or　church　suppers　or　Grange　bingo　（in　fact；　we　borrowed　ours　from　the　Mystic　Tie　No。　44　Grange　back　in　those　days）；　and　every　time　Sheriff　Homer　Cribus　sat　down　in　one；　I　waited　for　the　dry　crack　that　would　signal　collapse。　I　dreaded　that　day　and　hoped　for　it；　both　at　the　same　time；　but　it　was　a　day　that　never　came。