第20部分(第1/7 页)

ean　helped　him；　getting　his　feet　to　go　where　they　belonged　and　then　yanking　the　trousers　up；　doing　the　fly；　and　snapping　the　waistband。。　Wharton　only　stood　there；　not　even　trying　to　help　once　he　saw　that　Dean　was　doing　it　for　him。　He　stared　vacantly　across　the　room；　hands　lax；　and　it　didn't　occur　to　any　of　them　that　he　was　shamming。　Not　in　hopes　of　escape　（at　least　I　don't　believe　that　was　it）　but　only　in　hopes　of　making　the　maximum　amount　of　trouble　when　the　right　time　came。

The　papers　were　signed。　William　Wharton；　who　had　bee　county　property　when　he　was　arrested；　now　became　the　state's　property。　He　was　taken　down　the　back　stairs　and　through　the　kitchen；　surrounded　by　bluesuits。　He　walked　with　his　head　down　and　his　long…fingered　hands　dangling。　The　first　time　his　cap　fell　off；　Dean　put　it　back　on　him。　The　second　time；　he　just　tucked　it　into　his　own　back　pocket。

He　had　another　chance　to　make　trouble　in　the　back　of　the　stagecoach；　when　they　were　shackling　him；　and　didn't。　If　he　thought　（even　now　I'm　not　sure　if　he　did；　or　if　he　did；　how　much）；　he　must　have　thought　that　the　space　was　too　small　and　the　numbers　too　great　to　cause　a　satisfactory　hooraw。　So　on　went　the　chains；　one　set　running　between　his　ankles　and　another　set　too　long；　it　turned　out；　between　his　wrists。

The　drive　to　Cold　Mountain　took　an　hour。　During　that　whole　time；　Wharton　sat　on　the　lefthand　bench　up　by　the　cab；　head　lowered；　cuffed　hands　dangling　between　his　knees。　Every　now　and　then　he　hummed　a　little；　Harry　said；　and　Percy　roused　himself　enough　from　his　funk　to　say　that　the　lugoon　dripped　spittle　from　his　lax　lower　lip；　a　drop　at　a　time；　until　it　had　made　a　puddle　between　his　feet。　Like　a　dog　dripping　off　the　end　of　its　tongue　on　a　hot　summer　day。

They　drove　in　through　t