子浪小说

第12部分（第2页）

〃Hey；　mouse！〃　The　Chief　said；　and　the　mouse　stopped　and　looked　at　him；　whiskers　twitching。　I　tell　you；　it　was　exactly　as　if　the　damned　thing　knew　it　had　been　called。　〃You　some　kind　of　spirit　guide？〃

Bitterbuck　tossed　the　mouse　a　little　morsel　of　cheese　from　his　supper。　It　landed　right　in　front　of　the　mouse；　but　Steamboat　Willy　hardly　even　glanced　at　it；　just　came　on　his　way　again；　up　the　Green　Mile；　looking　in　empty　cells。

〃Boss　Edgebe！〃　The。　President　called。　〃Do　you　think　that　little　bastard　knows　Wetmore　isnt　here？　I　do；　by　God！〃

I　felt　about　the　same　。。。　but　I　wasnt　going　to　say　so　out　loud。

Harry　came　out　into　the　hall；　hitching　up　his　pants　the　way　he　always　did　after　hed　spent　a　refreshing　few　minutes　in　the　can；　and　stood　there　with　his　eyes　wide。　Toot…Toot　was　also　staring；　a　sunken　grin　doing　unpleasant　things　to　the　soft　and　toothless　lower　half　of　his　face。

The　mouse　stopped　in　what　was　being　its　usual　spot；　curled　its　tail　around　its　paws；　and　looked　at　us。　Again　I　was　reminded　of　pictures　I　had　seen　of　judges　passing　sentence　on　hapless　prisoners　。。。　yet；　had　there　ever　been　a　prisoner　as　small　and　unafraid　as　this　one？　Not　that　it　really　was　a　prisoner；　of　course；　it　could　e　and　go　pretty　much　as　it　pleased。　Yet　the　idea　would　not　leave　my　mind；　and　it　again　occurred　to　me　that　most　of　us　would　feel　that　small　when　approaching　Gods　judgment　seat　after　our　lives　were　over；　but　very　few　of　us　would　be　able　to　look　so　unafraid。

〃Well；　I　swear；〃　Old　Toot…Toot　said。　〃There　he　sits；　big　as　Billy…Be…Frigged。〃

〃You　aint　seen　nothing　yet；　Toot；〃　Harry　said。　〃atch　this。〃　He　reached　into　his　breast　pocket　and　came　out　with　a　slice　of　cinnamon　apple　wrapped　in　waxed　paper。　He　broke　off　the　end　and　tossed　it　on　the　floor。　It　was　dry　and　hard　and　I　thought　it　would　bounce　right　past　the　mouse；　but　it　reached　out　one　paw；　as　carelessly　as　a　man　swatting　at　a　fly　to　pass　the　time；　and　batted　it　flat。　We　all　laughed　in　admiration　and　surprise；　an　outburst　of　sound　that　should　have　sent　the　mouse　skittering；　but　it　barely　twitched。　It　picked　up　the　piece　of　dried　apple　in　its　paws；　gave　it　a　couple　of　licks；　then　dropped　it　and　looked　up　at　us　as　if　to　say；　Not　bad；　what　else　do　you　have？

Toot…Toot　opened　his　cart；　took　out　a　sandwich；　unwrapped　it；　and　tore　off　a　scrap　of　bologna。

〃Dont　bother；〃　Dean　said。

What　do　you　mean？〃　Toot…Toot　asked。　〃Aint　a　mouse　alived　pass　up　bologna　if　he　could　get　it。　You　a　crazy　guy！〃

But　I　knew　Dean　was　right；　and　I　could　see　by　Harrys　face　that　he　knew　it；　too。　There　were　floaters　and　there　were　regulars。　Somehow；　that　mouse　seemed　to　know　the　difference。　Nuts；　but　true。

Old　Toot…Toot　tossed　the　scrap　of　bologna　down；　and　sure　enough；　the　mouse　wouldnt　have　a　thing　to　do　with　it；　sniffed　it　once　and　then　backed　off　a　pace。

〃Ill　be　a　goddamned　son　of　a　bitch；〃　Old　Toot…Toot　said；　sounding　offended。

I　held　out　my　hand。　〃Give　it　to　me。〃

〃What　…　same　sammitch？〃

〃Same　one。　Ill　pay　for　it。〃

Toot…Toot　handed　it　over。　I　lifted　the　top　slice　of　bread；　tore　off　another　sliver　of　meat；　and　dropped　it　over　the　front　of　the　duty　desk。　The　mouse　came　forward　at　once。　picked　it　up　in　its　paws；　and　began　to　eat。　The　bologna　was　gone　before　you　could　say　Jack　Robinson。

〃Ill　be　goddamned！〃　Toot…Toot　cried。　〃Bloody　hell！　Gimme　dat！〃

He　snatched　back　the　sandwich；　tore　off　a　much　larger　piece　of　meat　…　not　a　scrap　this　time　but　a　flap　…　and　dropped　it　so　close　to　the　mouse　that　Steamboat　Willy　almost　ended　up　wearing　it　for　a　hat。　It　drew　back　again；　sniffed　（surely　no　mouse　ever　hit　such　a　jackpot　during　the　Depression　…　not　in　our　state；　at　least）；　and　then　looked　up　at　us。

〃Go　on；　eat　it！〃　Toot…Toot　said；　sounding　more　offended　than　ever。　〃Whats　wrong　witchoo？〃

Dean　took　the　sandwich　and　dropped　a　piece　of　meat　…　by　then　it　was　like　some　strange　munion　service。　The　mouse　picked　it　up　at　once　and　bolted　it　down。　Then　it　turned　and　went　back　down　the　corridor　to　the　restraint　room；　pausing　along　the　way　to　peer　into　a　couple　of　empty　cells　and　to　take　a　brief　investigatory　tour　of　a　third。　Once　again　the　idea　that　it　was　looking　for　someone　occurred　to　me；　and　this　time　I　dismissed　the　thought　more　slowly。

〃Im　not　going　to　talk　about　this；〃　Harry　said。　He　sounded　as　if　he　was　half…joking；　half…not。　〃First　of　all；　nobodyd　care。　Second；　they　wouldnt　believe　me　if　they　did。〃

〃He　only　ate　from　you　fellas；〃　Toot…Toot　said。　He　shook　his　head　in　disbeli

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