jg.atimetokill-第2部分

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bbed　her；　removed　the　rope　from　her　neck；　dragged　her　to　the　pickup　and　threw　her　over　the　tailgate　into　the　bed　of　the　truck。　Cobb　slapped　her　and　threatened　to　kill　her　if　she　did　not　lie　still　and　keep　quiet。　He　said　he　would　take　her　home　if　she　stayed　down　and　did　as　told；　otherwise；　they　would　kill　her。　They　slammed　the
　doors　and　sped　onto　the　dirt　road。　She　was　going　home。　She　passed　out。
　Cobb　and　Willard　waved　at　the　Firebird　with　the　loud　pipes　as　it　passed　them　on　the　narrow　dirt　road。　Willard　checked　the　back　to　make　sure　the　little　nigger　was　lying　down。　Cobb　turned　onto　the　highway　and　raced　away。
　〃What　now？〃　Willard　asked　nervously。
　〃Don't　know；〃　Cobb　answered　nervously。　〃But　we　gotta　do　something　fast　before　she　gets　blood　all　over　my　truck。　Look　at　her　back　there；　she's　bleedin'　all　over　the　place。〃
　Willard　thought　for　a　minute　while　he　finished　a　beer。　〃Let's　throw　her　off　a　bridge；〃　he　said　proudly。
　〃Good　idea。　Damned　good　idea。〃　Cobb　slammed　on　the　brakes。　〃Gimme　a　beer；〃　he　ordered　Willard；　who　stumbled　out　of　the　truck　and　fetched　two　beers　from　the　back。
　〃She's　even　got　blood　on　the　cooler；〃　he　reported　as　they　raced　off　again。
　Gwen　Hailey　sensed　something　horrible。　Normally　she　would　have　sent　one　of　the　three　boys　to　the　store；　but　they　were　being　punished　by　their　father　and　had　been　sentenced　to　weed…pulling　in　the　garden。　Tonya　had　been　to　the　store　before　by　herself…it　was　only　a　mile　away…and　had　proven　reliable。　But　after　two　hours　Gwen　sent　the　boys　to　look　for　their　little　sister。　They　figured　she　was　down　at　the　Pounders'　house　playing　with　the　many　Pounders　kids；　or　maybe　she　had　ventured　past　the　store　to　visit　her　best　friend；　Bessie　Pierson。
　Mr。　Bates　at　the　store　said　she　had　e　and　gone　an　hour　earlier。　Jarvis；　the　middle　boy；　found　a　sack　of　groceries　beside　the　road。
　Gwen　called　her　husband　at　the　paper　mill；　then　loaded　Carl　Lee；　Jr。；　into　the　car　and　began　driving　the　gravel　roads　around　the　store。　They　drove　to　a　settlement　of　ancient　shotgun　houses　on　Graham　Plantation　to　check　with　an　aunt。　They　stopped　at　Broadway's　store　a　mile　from　Bates　Grocery　and　were　told　by　a　group　of　old　black　men　that　she　had　not　been　seen。　They　crisscrossed　the　gravel　roads　and　dusty　field　roads　for　three　square　miles　around　their　house。
　Cobb　could　not　find　a　bridge　unoccupied　by　niggers　with　fishing　poles。　Every　bridge　they　approached　had　four　or　five　niggers　hanging　off　the　sides　with　large　straw　hats　and　cane　poles；　and　under　every　bridge　on　the　banks　there　would　be　another　group　sitting　on　buckets　with　the　same　straw　hats　and　cane　poles；　motionless　except　for　an　occasional　swat　at　a　fly　or　a　slap　at　a　mosquito。
　He　was　scared　now。　Willard　had　passed　out　and　was　of　no　help；　and　he　was　left　alone　to　dispose　of　the　girl　in　such　a　way　that　she　could　never　tell。　Willard　snored　as　he　frantically　drove　the　gravel　roads　and　county　roads　in　search　of　a　bridge　or　ramp　on　some　river　where　he　could　stop　and　toss　her　without　being　seen　by　half　a　dozen　niggers　with　straw　hats。　He　looked　in　the　mirror　and　saw　her　trying　to　stand。　He　slammed　his　brakes；　and　she　crashed　into　the　front　of　the　bed；　just　under　the　window。　Willard　ricocheted　off　the　dash　into　the　floorboard；　where　he　continued　to　snore。　Cobb　cursed　them　both　equally。
　Lake　Chatulla　was　nothing　more　than　a　huge；　shallow；　man…made　mudhole　with　a　grass…covered　dam　running　exactly　one　mile　along　one　end。　It　sat　in　the　far　southwest　corner　of　Ford　County；　with　a　few　acres　in　Van　Buren　County。　In　the　spring　it　would　hold　the　distinction　of　being　the　largest　body　of　water　in　Mississippi。　But　by　late　summer　the　rains　were　long　gone；　and　the　sun　would　cook　the　shallow　water　until　the　lake　would　dehydrate。　Its　once　ambitious　shorelines　would　retreat　and　move　much　closer　together；　creating　a　depthless　basin　of　reddish　brown　water。　It　was　fed　from　all　directions　by　innumerable　streams；　creeks；　sloughs；　and　a　couple　of　currents　large　enough　to　be　named　rivers。　The　existence　of　all　these　tributaries　necessarily　gave　rise　to　a　good　number　of　bridges　near　the　lake。
　It　was　over　these　bridges　the　yellow　pickup　flew　in　an　all…out　effort　to　find　a　suitable　place　to　unload　an　unwanted　passenger。　Cobb　was　desperate。　He　knew　of　one　other　bridge；　a　narrow　wooden　one　over　Foggy　Creek。　As　he　approached；　he　saw　niggers　with　cane　poles；　so　he　turned　off　a　side　road　and　stopped　the　truck。　He　lowered　the　tailgate；
　dragged　her　out；　and　threw　her　in　a　small　ravine　lined　with　kudzu。
　Carl　Lee　Hailey　did　not　hurry　home。　Gwen　was　easily　excited；　and　she　had　called　the　mill　numerous　times　when　she　thought　the　children　had　been　kidnapped。　He　punched　out　at　quitting　time；　and　made　the　thirty…minute　drive　home　in　thirty　minutes。　Anxiety　hit　him　when　he　turned　onto　his　gravel　drive　and　saw　the　patrol　car　parked　next　to　the　front　porch。　Other　cars　belonging　to　Owen's　family　were　scattered　along　the　long　drive　and　in　the　yard；　and　there　was　one　car　he　didn't　recognize。　It　had　cane　poles　sticking　out　the　side　windows；　and　there　were　at　least　seven　straw　hats　sitting　in　it。
　Where　were　Tonya　and　the　boys？
　As　he　opened　the　front　door　he　heard　Gwen　crying。　To　his　right　in　the　small　living　room　he　found　a　crowd　huddled　above　a　small　figure　lying　on　the　couch。　The　child　was　covered　with　wet　towels　and　surrounded　by　crying　relatives。　As　he　moved　to　the　couch　the　crying　stopped　and　the　crowd　backed　away。　Only　Gwen　stayed　by　the　girl。　She　softly　stroked　her　hair。　He　knelt　beside　the　couch　and　touched　the　girl's　shoulder。　He　spoke　to　his　daughter；　and　she　tried　to　smile。　Her　face　was　bloody　pulp　covered　with　knots　and　lacerations。　Both　eyes　were　swollen　shut　and　bleeding。　His　eyes　watered　as　he　looked　at　her　tiny　body；　pletely　wrapped　in　towels　and　bleeding　from　ankles　to　forehead。
　Carl　Lee　asked　Gwen　what　happened。　She　began　shaking　and　wailing；　and　was　led　to　the　kitchen　by　her　brother。　Carl　Lee　stood　and　turned　to　the　crowd　and　demanded　to　know　what　happened。
　Silence。
　He　asked　for　the　third　time。　The　deputy；　Willie　Hastings；　one　of　Gwen's　cousins；　stepped　forward　and　told　Carl　Lee　that　some　people　were　fishing　down　by　Foggy　Creek　when　they　saw　Tonya　lying　in　the　middle　of　the　road。　She　told　them　her　daddy's　name；　and　they　brought　her　home。
　Hastings　shut　up　and　stared　at　his　feet。
　Carl　Lee　stared　at　him　and　waited。　Everyone　else　stopped　breathing　and　watched　the　floor。
　〃What　happened；　Willie？〃　Carl　Lee　yelled　as　he　stared　at　the　deputy。
　Hastings　spoke　slowly；　and　while　staring　out　the　window　repeated　what　Tonya　had　told　her　mother　about　the　white　men　and　their　pickup；　and　the　rope　and　the　trees；　and　being　hurt　when　they　got　on　her。　…Hastings　stopped　when　he　heard　the　siren　from　the　ambulance。
　The　crowd　filed　solemnly　through　the　front　door　and　waited　on　the　porch；　where　they　watched　the　crew　unload　a　stretcher　and　head　for　the　house。
　The　paramedics　stopped　in　the　yard　when　the　front　door　opened　and　Carl　Lee　walked　out　with　his　daughter　in　his　arms。　He　whispered　gently　to　her　as　huge　tears　dripped　from　his　chin。　He　walked　to　the　rear　of　the　ambulance　and　stepped　inside。　The　paramedics　closed　the　door　and　carefully　removed　her　from　his　embrace。
　Ozzie　Walls　was　the　only　black　sheriff　in　Mississippi。　There　had　been　a　few　others　in　recent　history；　but　for　the　moment　he　was　the　only　one。　He　took　great　pride　in　that　fact；　since　Ford　County　was　seventy…four　percent　white　and　the　other　black　sheriffs　had　been　from　much　blacker　counties。　Not　since　Reconstruction　had　a　black　sheriff　been　elected　in　a　white　county　in　Mississippi。
　He　was　raised　in　Ford　County；　and　he　was　kin　to　most　of　the　blacks　and　a　few　of　the　whites。　After　desegregation　in　the　late　sixties；　he　was　a　member　of　the　first　mixed　graduating　class　at　Clanton　High　School。　He　wanted　to　play　football　nearby　at　Ole　Miss；　but　there　were　already　two　blacks　on　the　team。　He　starred　instead　at　Alcorn　State；　and　was　a　defensive　tackle　for　the　Rams　when　a　knee　injury　sent　him　back　to　Clanton。　He　missed　football；　but　enjoyed　being　the　high　sheriff；　especially　at　election　time　when　he　received　more　。　white　votes　than　his　white　opponents。　The　white　kids　loved　him　because　he　was　a　hero；　a　foot