rc.theladyinthelake-第49部分

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　　〃He's　a　killer；〃　I　said。
　　〃He　ain't　that　kind　of　killer；〃　Patton　said。　〃You　lock　your　car？〃　I　nodded。　〃Andy's　ing　down　to　the　other　end　of　the　dam；〃　I　said。　〃Degarmo　has　stopped　him。　He's　speakingto　him。〃
　　〃He'll　take　Andy's　car　maybe；〃　Patton　said　sadly。
　　〃Weil；　I'll　be　damned；〃　I　said　again。　I　looked　back　at　Kingsley。　He　had　his　head　in　his　hands　and　he　was　staring　at　the　floor。　I　turned　back　to　the　window。　Degarmo　was　out　of　sight　beyond　the　rise。　Andy　was　half　way　across　the　dam；　ing　slowly；　looking　back　over　'his　shoulder　now　and　then。　The　sound　of　a　starting　car　came　distantly。　Andy　looked　up　at　the　cabin；　then　turned　back　and　started　to　run　back　along　the　dam。　…　The　sound　of　the　motor　died　away。　When　it　was　quite　gone；　Patton　said：　〃Well；　I　guess　we　better　go　back　to　the　office　and　do　some　telephoning。〃　Kingsley　got　up　suddenly　and　went　out　to　the　kitchen　and　came　back　with　a　bottle　of　whiskey。　He　poured　himself　a　stiff　drink　and　drank　it　standing。　He　waved　a　hand　at　it　and　walked　heavily　out　of　the　room。　I　heard　bed　springs　creak。
　　Patton　and　I　went　quietly　out　of　the　cabin。
　　
　　
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　　Patton　had　just　finished　putting　his　calls　through　to　block　the　highways　when　a　call　came　through　from　the　sergeant　in　charge　of　the　guard　detail　at　Puma　Lake　dam。　We　went　out　…and　got　into　Patton's　car　and　Andy　drove　very　fast　along　the　lake　road　through　the　village　and　along　the　lake　shore　back　to　the　big　dam　at　the　end。　We　were　waved　across　the　dam　where　the　sergeant　was　waiting　in　a　jeep　beside　the　headquarters　hut。
　　The　sergeant　waved　his　arm　and　started　the　jeep　and　we　followed　him　a　couple　of　hundred　feet　along　the　highway　to　where　a　few　soldiers　stood　on　the　edge　of　the　canyon　looking　down。　Several　cars　had　stopped　there　and　a　cluster　of　people　was　grouped　near　the　soldiers。　The　sergeant　got　out　of　the　jeep　and　Patton　and　Andy　and　I　climbed　out　of　the　official　car　and　went　over　by　the　sergeant。
　　〃Guy　didn't　stop　for　the　sentry；〃　the　sergeant　said；　and　there　was　…bitterness　in　his　voice。　〃Damn　near　knocked　him　off　the　road。　The　sentry　in　the　middle　of　the　bridge　had　to　jump　fast　to　get　missed。　The　one　at　this　end　had　enough。　He　called　the　guy　to　halt。　Guy　kept　going。〃　The　sergeant　chewed　his　gum　and　looked　down　into　the　canyon。
　　〃Orders　are　to　shoot　in　a　case　like　that；〃　he　said。　〃The　sentry　shot。〃　He　pointed　down　to　the　grooves　in　the　shoulder　at　the　edge　of　the　drop。　〃This　is　where　he　went　off。〃　A　hundred　feet　down　in　the　canyon　a　small　coupe　was　smashed　against　the　side　of　a　huge　granite　boulder。　It　was　almost　upside　down；　leaning　a　little。　There　were　three　men　down　there。　They　had　moved　the　car　enough　to　lift　something　out。
　　Something　that　had　been　a　man。







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