cant　gaze　down　the　length　of　the　Green　Mile。

〃We　didn't　see　that；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Did　we；　Paul？〃

〃No。　I　didn't　and　you　didn't。　Did　you　see　it；　Harry？〃

〃No；〃　Harry　said。

〃Dean？〃

〃See　what？〃　Dean　took　his　glasses　off　and　began　to　polish　them。　I　thought　he　would　drop　them　out　of　his　trembling　hands；　but　he　managed　not　to。

〃　See　what；　that's　good。　That's　just　the　ticket。　Now　listen　to　your　scoutmaster；　boys；　and　get　it　right　the　first　time；　because　time　is　short。　It's　a　simple　story。　Let's　not　plicate　it。〃

3。

I　told　all　this　to　Jan　at　around　eleven　o'clock　that　morning　…　the　next　morning；　I　almost　wrote；　but　of　course　it　was　the　same　day。　The　longest　one　of　my　whole　life；　without　a　doubt。　I　told　it　pretty　much　as　I　have　here；　finishing　with　how　William　Wharton　had　ended　up　lying　dead　on　his　bunk；　riddled　with　lead　from　Percy's　sidearm。

No；　that's　not　right。　What　I　actually　finished　with　was　the　stuff　that　came　out　of　Percy；　the　bugs　or　the　whatever…it…was。　That　was　a　hard　thing　to　tell；　even　to　your　wife；　but　I　told　it。

As　I　talked；　she　brought　me　black　coffee　by　the　half…cup　at　first　my　hands　were　shaking　too　badly　to　pick　up　a　whole　one　without　spilling　it。　By　the　time　I　finished；　the　shaking　had　eased　some；　and　I　felt　that　I　could　even　take　some　food　an　egg；　maybe；　or　some　soup。

〃The　thing　that　saved　us　was　that　we　didn't　really　have　to　lie；　any　of　us。〃

〃Just　leave　a　few　things　out；〃　she　said；　a