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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。 Not long after … couldn't have been more than one summer after the Detterick girls were abducted … he had a heart attack in his office； apparently while screwing a seventeen year…old black girl named Daphne Shurtleff。 There was a lot of talk about that； with him always sporting his wife and six boys around so prominent e election time … those were the days when； if you wanted to run for something； the saying used to be 〃Be Baptist or be gone。〃 But people love a hypocrite； you know … they recognize one of their own； and it always feels so good when someone gets caught with his pants down and his dick up and it isn't you。
Besides being a hypocrite； he was inpetent； the kind of fellow who'd get himself photographed pet that point； running southeast through low； wooded hills where families named Cray and Robite and Duplissey still made their own mandolins and often spat out their own rotted teeth as they plowed； deep countryside where men were apt to handle snakes on Sunday morning and lie down in carnal embrace with their daughters on Sunday night。 I knew their families； most of them had sent Sparky a meal from time to time。 On the far side of the river； the members of the posse could see the June sun glinting off the steel rails of a Great Southern branch line。 About a mile downstream to their right； a trestle crossed toward the coal…fields of West Green。
Here they found a wide trampled patch in the grass and low bushes； a patch so bloody that many of the men had to sprint back into the woods and relieve themselves of their breakfasts。 They also found the rest of Cora's nightgown lying in this bloody patch； and Howie； who had held up admirably until then； reeled back against his father and nearly fainted。
And it was here that Bobo Marchant's dogs had their first and only disagreement of the day。 There were six in all； two bloodhounds； two bluetick hounds； and a couple of those terrierlike mongrels border Southerners call coon hounds。 The coonies wanted to go northwest； upstream along the Trapingus； the rest wanted to go in the other direction； southeast。 They got all tangled in their leads； and although the papers said nothing about this part； I could imagine the horrible curses Bobo must have rained down on them as he used his hands … surely the most educated part of him … to get them straightened around again。 I have known a few hound…dog men in my time； and it's been my experience that； as a class； they run remarkably true to type。
Bobo shortleashed them into a pack； then ran Cora Detterick's torn nightgown under their noses； to kind of remind them what they were doing out on a day when the temperature would be in the mid…niies by noon and the noseeums were already circling the heads of the possemen in clouds。 The coonies took another sniff； decided to vote the straight ticket； and off they all went downstream； in full cry。
It wasn't but ten minutes later when the men stopped； realizing they could hear more than just the dogs。 It was a howling rather than a baying； and a sound no dog had ever made； not even in its dying extremities。 It was a sound none of them had ever heard anything make； but they knew right away； all of them； that it was a man。 So they said； and I believed them。 I think I would have recognized it； too。 I have heard men scream just that way； I think； on their way to the electric chair。 Not a lot … most button themselves up and go either quiet or joking； like it was the class picnic … but a few。 Usually the ones who believe in hell as a real place； and know it is waiting for them at the end of the Green Mile。
Bobo shortleashed his dogs again。 They were valuable； and he had no intention of losing them to the psychopath howling and gibbering just down yonder。 The other men reloaded their guns and snapped them closed。 That howling had chilled them all； and made the sweat under their arms and running down their backs feel like icewater。 When men take a chill like that； they need a leader if they are to go on； and Deputy McGee led them。 He got out in front and walked briskly （I bet he didn't feel very brisk right then； though） to a stand of alders that jutted out of the woods on the right； with the rest of them trundling along nervously about five paces behind。 He paused just once； and that was to motion the biggest man among them … Sam Hollis … to keep near Klaus Detterick。
On the other side of the alders there was more open ground stretching back to the woods on the right。 On the left was the long； gentle slope of the riverbank。 They all stopped where they were； thunderstruck。 I think they would have given a good deal to unsee what was before them； and none of them would ever forget it … it was the sort of nightmare； bald and almost smoking in the sun； that lies beyond the drapes and furnishings of good and ordinary lives … church suppers； walks along country lanes； honest work； love…kisses in bed。 There is a skull in every man； and I tell you there is a skull in the lives of all men。 They saw it that day； those men … they saw what sometimes grins behind the smile。
Sitting on the riverbank in a faded； bloodstained jumper was the biggest man any of them had ever seen … John Coffey。 His enormous； splay…toed feet were bare。 On his head he wore a faded red bandanna； the way a country woman would wear a kerchief into church。 Gnats circled him in a black cloud。 Curled in each arm was the body of a naked girl。 Their blonde hair； once curly and light as milkweed fluff； was now matted to their heads and streaked red。 The man holding them sat bawling up at the sky like a moonstruck calf； his dark brown cheeks slicked with tears； his face twisted in a monstrous cramp of grief He drew breath in hitches； his chest rising until the snaps holding the straps of his jumper were strained； and then let that vast catch of air out in another of those howls。 So often you read in the paper that 〃the killer showed no remorse；〃 but that wasn't the case here。 John Coffey was torn open by what he had done 。。。 but he would live。 The girls would not。 They had been torn open in a more fundamental way。
No one seemed t