nto　my　office。　〃Well；　I'll　be　goddamned；〃　Harry　said。　〃One　of　the　witnesses　came　a　day　early。〃

Sitting　in　the　doorway　with　its　tail　curled　neatly　around　its　paws；　watching　with　its　beady　black　oilspot　eyes；　was　the　mouse。

5。

The　execution　went　well　…　if　there　was　ever　such　a　thing　as　〃a　good　one〃　（a　proposition　I　strongly　doubt）；　then　the　execution　of　Arlen　Bitterbuck；　council　elder　of　the　Washita　Cherokee；　was　it。　He　got　his　braids　wrong　…　his　hands　were　shaking　too　badly　to　make　a　good　job　of　it　…　and　his　eldest　daughter；　a　woman　of　thirty…odd；　was　allowed　to　plait　them　nice　and　even。　She　wanted　to　weave　feathers　in　at　the　tips；　the　pinfeathers　of　a　hawk；　his　bird；　but　I　couldn't　allow　it。　They　might　catch　fire　and　burn。　I　didn't　tell　her　that；　of　course；　just　said　it　was　against　regulations。　She　made　no　protest；　only　bowed　her　head　and　put　her　hands　to　her　temples　to　show　her　disappointment　and　her　disapproval。　She　conducted　herself　with　great　dignity；　that　woman；　and　by　doing　so　practically　guaranteed　that　her　father　would　do　the　same。

The　Chief　left　his　cell　with　no　protest　or　holding　back　when　the　time　came。　Sometimes　we　had　to　pry　their　fingers　off　the　bars　…　I　broke　one　or　two　in　my　time　and　have　never　forgotten　the　muffled　snapping　sound　…　but　The　Chief　wasn't　one　of　those；　thank　God。　He　walked　strong　up　the　Green　Mile　to　my　office；　and　there　he　dropped　to　his　knees　to　pray　with　Brother　Schuster；　who　had　driven　down　from　the　Heavenly　Light