第6部分(第2/8 頁)

a　child　doing　a　tantrum；　and　the　sun　did　not　go　behind　a　cloud；　and　the　sight　was　not　blotted　from　their　eyes。　It　was　there　before　them；　as　real　as　a　dogbite。　The　black　man　rocked　back　and　forth；　Cora　and　Kathe　rocked　with　him　like　dolls　in　the　arms　of　a　giant。　The　bloodstained　muscles　in　the　man's　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