第46部分(第7/8頁)

ked　like）；　staring　across　at　the　walls　and　lights　and　guard…towers　of　Cold　Mountain　Penitentiary。　I　could　actually　see　the　vague　shape　of　a　guard　inside　one　of　those　towers；　blowing　on　his　hands；　but　only　for　a　moment；　the　road…facing　windows　in　the　towers　were　small　and　unimportant。　Still；　we　would　have　to　be　very；　very　quiet。　And　if　a　car　did　e　along　now；　we　could　be　in　deep　trouble。

〃e　on；〃　I　whispered。　〃Lead　the　way；　Harry。〃

We　slunk　north　along　the　highway　in　a　little　congaline；　Harry　first；　then　John　Coffey；　then　Brutal；　then　me。　We　breasted　the　first　rise　and　walked　down　the　other　side；　where　all　we　could　see　of　the　prison　was　the　bright　glow　of　the　lights　in　the　tops　of　the　trees。　And　still　Harry　led　us　onward。

〃Where'd　you　park　it？〃　Brutal　stage…whispered；　vapor　puffing　from　his　mouth　in　a　white　cloud。　〃Baltimore？〃

〃It's　right　up　ahead；〃　Harry　replied；　sounding　nervous　and　irritable。　〃Hold　your　damn　water；　Brutus。〃

But　Coffey；　from　what　I'd　seen　of　him；　would　have　been　happy　to　walk　until　the　sun　came　up；　maybe　until　it　went　back　down　again。　He　looked　everywhere；　starting　…　not　in　fear　but　in　delight；　I　am　quite　sure　…　when　an　owl　hoo'd。　It　came　to　me　that；　while　he　might　be　afraid　of　the　dark　inside；　he　wasn't　afraid　of　it　out　here；　not　at　all。　He　was　caressing　the　night；　rubbing　his　senses　across　it　the　way　a　man　might　rub　his　face　across　the　swells　and　concavities　of　a　woman's　breasts。

〃We　turn　here；〃　Harry　muttered。