小说园

第25部分（第2页）

〃Tell　you　something；〃　he　said。　〃You　want　to　listen　close；　too；　because　this　might　just　be　something　you　need　to　know。〃

〃Im　listening。〃

〃We　had　us　a　dog　named　Sir　Galahad；〃　he　said；　and　cocked　a　thumb　at　the　doghouse。　〃A　good　dog。　No　particular　breed；　but　gentle。　Calm。　Ready　to　lick　your　hand　or　fetch　a　stick。　There　are　plenty　of　mongrel　dogs　like　him；　wouldnt　you　say？〃

I　shrugged；　nodded。

〃In　many　ways；　a　good　mongrel　dog　is　like　your　negro；〃　he　said。　〃You　get　to　know　it；　and　often　you　grow　to　love　it。　It　is　of　no　particular　use；　but　you　keep　it　around　because　you　think　it　loves　you。　If　youre　lucky；　Mr。　Edgebe；　you　never　have　to　find　out　any　different。　Cynthia　and　I；　we　were　not　lucky。〃　He　sighed　…　a　long　and　somehow　skeletal　sound；　like　the　wind　rummaging　through　fallen　leaves。　He　pointed　toward　the　doghouse　again；　and　I　wondered　how　I　had　missed　its　general　air　of　abandonment　earlier；　or　the　fact　that　many　of　the　turds　had　grown　whitish　and　powdery　at　their　tops。

〃I　used　to　clean　up　after　him；〃　Hammersmith　said；　〃and　keep　the　roof　of　his　house　repaired　against　the　rain。　In　that　way　also　Sir　Galahad　was　like　your　Southern　negro；　who　will　not　do　those　things　for　himself。　Now　I　dont　touch　it；　I　havent　been　near　it　since　the　accident　…　if　you　can　call　it　an　accident。　I　went　over　there　with　my　rifle　and　shot　him；　but　I　havent　been　over　there　since。　I　cant　bring　myself　to。　I　suppose　I　will；　in　time。　Ill　clean　up　his　messes　and　tear　down　his　house。〃

Here　came　the　kids；　and　all　at　once　I　didnt　want　them　to　e；　all　at　once　that　was　the　last　thing　on　earth　I　wanted。　The　little　girl　was　all　right；　but　the　boy　…

They　pounded　up　the　steps；　looked　at　me；　giggled；　then　went　on　toward　the　kitchen　door。

〃Caleb；〃　Hammersmith　said。　〃e　here。　Just　for　a　second。〃

The　little　girl　…　surely　his　twin；　they　had　to　be　of　an　age　…　went　on　into　the　kitchen。　The　little　boy　came　to　his　father；　looking　down　at　his　feet。　He　knew　he　was　ugly。　He　was　only　four；　I　guess；　but　four　is　old　enough　to　know　that　youre　ugly。　His　father　put　two　fingers　under　the　boys　chin　and　tried　to　raise　his　face。　At　first　the　boy　resisted；　but　when　his　father　said　〃Please；　son；〃　in　tones　of　sweetness　and　calmness　and　love；　he　did　as　he　was　asked。

A　huge；　circular　scar　ran　out　of　his　hair；　down　his　forehead；　through　one　dead　and　indifferently　cocked　eye；　and　to　the　er　of　his　mouth；　which　had　been　disfigured　into　the　knowing　leer　of　a　gambler　or　perhaps　a　whoremaster。　One　cheek　was　smooth　and　pretty；　the　other　was　bunched　up　like　the　stump　of　a　tree。　I　guessed　there　had　been　a　hole　in　it；　but　that；　at　least；　had　healed。

〃He　has　the　one　eye；〃　Hammersmith　said；　caressing　the　boys　bunched　cheek　with　a　lovers　kind　fingers。　〃I　suppose　hes　lucky　not　to　be　blind。　We　get　down　on　our　knees　and　thank　God　for　that　much；　at　least。　Eh；　Caleb？〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　the　boy　said　shyly　…　the　boy　who　would　be　beaten　mercilessly　on　the　play…yard　by　laughing；　jeering　bullies　for　all　his　miserable　years　of　education；　the　boy　who　would　never　be　asked　to　play　Spin　the　Bottle　or　Post　Office　and　would　probably　never　sleep　with　a　woman　not　bought　and　paid　for　once　he　was　grown　to　manhoods　times　and　needs；　the　boy　who　would　always　stand　outside　the　warm　and　lighted　circle　of　his　peers；　the　boy　who　would　look　at　himself　in　his　mirror　for　the　next　fifty　or　sixty　or　seventy　years　of　his　life　and　think　ugly；　ugly；　ugly。

〃Go　on　in　and　get　your　cookies；〃　his　father　said；　and　kissed　his　sons　sneering　mouth。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　Caleb；　said；　and　dashed　inside。

Hammersmith　took　a　handkerchief　from　his　back　pocket　and　wiped　at　his　eyes　with　it　…　they　were　dry；　but　I　suppose　hed　gotten　used　to　them　being　wet。

〃The　dog　was　here　when　they　were　born；〃　he　said。　〃I　brought　him　in　the　house　to　smell　them　when　Cynthia　brought　them　home　from　the　hospital；　and　Sir　Galahad　licked　their　hands。　Their　little　hands。〃　He　nodded；　as　if　confirming　this　to　himself。　〃He　played　with　them；　used　to　lick　Ardens　face　until　she　giggled。　Caleb　used　to　pull　his　ears；　and　when　he　was　first　learning　to　walk；　hed　sometimes　go　around　the　yard；　holding　to　Galahads　tail。　The　dog　never　so　much　as　growled　at　him。　Either　of　them。〃

Now　the　tears　were　ing；　he　wiped　at　them　automatically；　as　a　man　does　when　hes　had　lots　of　practice。

〃There　was　no　reason；〃　he　said。　〃Caleb　didnt　hurt　him；　yell　at　him；　anything。　I　know。　I　was　there。　If　I　hadnt　have　been；　the　boy　would　almost　certainly　have　been　killed。　What　happened；　Mr。　Edgebe；　was　nothing。　The　boy　just　got　his　face　set　the　right　way　in　front　of　the　dogs　face；　and　it　came　into　Sir　Galahads　mind　…　whatever　serves　a　dog　for　a　mind　…　to　lunge　and　bite。　To　kill；　if　he　could。　The　boy　was　there　in　front　of　him　and　the　dog　bit。　And　thats　what　happened　with　Coffey。　He　was　there；　he　saw　them　on　the　porch；　he　took　them；　he　raped　them；　he　killed　them。　You　say　there　should　be　some　hint　that　he　did　something　like　it　before；　and　I　know　what　you　mean；　but　maybe　he　didnt　do　it　before。　My　dog　never　bit　before；　just　that　once。　Maybe；　if　Coffey　was　let　go；　hed　never　do　it　again。　Maybe　my　dog　never　would　have　bit　again。　But　I　didnt　concern　myself　with　that；　you　know。　I　went　out　with　my　rifle　and　grabbed　his　collar　and　blew　his　head　off。〃

He　was　breathing　hard。

〃Im　as　enlightened　as　the　next　man；　Mr。　Edgebe；　went　to　college　in　Bowling　Green；　took　history　as　well　as　journalism；　some　philosophy；　too。　I　like　to　think　of　myself　as　enlightened。　I　dont　suppose　folks　up　North　would；　but　I　like　to　think　of　myself　as　enlightened。　Id　not　bring　slavery　back　for　all　the　tea　in　China。　I　think　we　have　to　be　humane　and　generous　in　our　efforts　to　solve　the　race　problem。　But　we　have　to　remember　that　your　negro　will　bite　if　he　gets　the　chance；　just　like　a　mongrel　dog　will　bite　if　he　gets　the　chance　and　it　crosses　his　mind　to　do　so。　You　want　to　know　if　he　did　it；　your　weepy　Mr。　Coffey　with　the　scars　all　over　him？〃

I　nodded。

〃Oh；　yes；〃　Hammersmith　said。　〃He　did　it。　Dont　you　doubt　it；　and　dont　you　turn　your　back　on　him。　You　might　get　away　with　it　once　or　a　hundred　times　。。。　even　a　thousand　。。。　but　in　the　end　…〃　He　raised　a　hand　before　my　eyes　and　snapped　the　fingers　together　rapidly　against　the　thumb；　turning　the　hand　into　a　biting　mouth。　〃You　understand？〃

I　nodded　again。

〃He　raped　them；　he　killed　them；　and　afterward　he　was　sorry　…　but　those　little　girls　stayed　raped；　those　little　girls　stayed　dead。　But　youll　fix　him；　wont　you；　Edgebe？　In　a　few　weeks　youll　fix　him　so　he　never　does　anything　like　that　again。〃　He　got　up；　went　to　the　porch　rail；　and　looked　vaguely　at　the　doghouse；　sta