gs.earthabides-第12节

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　her。　After　all；　he　had　not　wished　to　take　her　along　in　the　first　place。　If　now　she　chose　to　abandon　him　in　the　desert　and　go　off　after　the　first　chance　rabbit；　what　debt　had　he　toward　her？　He　slipped　the　car　into　gear；　and　drove　ahead。　But　he　stopped　after　only　a　few　yards。　It　seemed　too　mean　a　desertion。　The　dog　would　probably　find　no　water　in　the　desert；　and　that　would　be　a　horrible　end。　In　some　way　he　had　aheady　incurred　obligations　to　the　beagle；　even　though　she　seemed　to　be　using　him　for　her　own　ends。　He　shivered　in　his　loneliness　and　depression。　
　　After　a　while；　a　quarter　of　an　hour　perhaps；　he　was　suddenly　aware　that　the　beagle　had　returned。　He　had　not　heard　her；　she　had　merely　appeared。　She　lay　down　panting；　her　tongue　hanging　out。　He　felt　sudden　uncontrollable　anger　against　her。　He　thought　wildly　of　all　those　vague　dangers　to　which　her　foolishness　seemed　to　expose　him。　If　he　could　not　leave　her　to　die　of　thirst　in　the　desert；　at　least　he　could　put　her　to　a　quick　end。　He　got　out　of　the　car　carrying　the　shot…gun。　
　　Then；　as　he　looked　down；　he　saw　the　dog　lying　with　its　head　between　its　forepaws；　panting　still　from　the　run。　She　did　not　bother　to　move；　but　he　could　vaguely　see　her　large　eyes　lifted　up　toward　him　with　the　touch　of　whites　along　the　bottom。　Having　had　her　fun　chasing　the　rabbit；　she　had　now　e　back　to　her　man；　the　one　she　had　adopted　and　who　had　proved　extremely　useful　to　supply　tasty　food　out　of　cans　and　to　transport　her　to　a　lovely　country　which　supplied　real　rabbits　for　chasing。　Suddenly　Ish　relaxed；　and　laughed。　
　　With　the　laughter；　something　broke　inside　of　him；　and　was　as　if　a　load　had　rolled　away。　〃After　all；〃　he　thought；　〃what　am　I　afraid　of？　Nothing　more　than　my　death　can　happen。　That　has　e　to　most　people　already。　Why　should　I　be　afraid　of　that？　It　can　be　nothing　worse　than　that。〃　
　　He　felt　infinite　relief。　He　strode　half　a　dozen　steps　do　the　road；　springily；　giving　his　body　a　chance　to　express　what　his　mind　felt。　
　　And　surely　this　was　more　than　the　dropping　off　of　any　momentary　burden。　This　was　a　kind　of　great　Declaration　of　Independence。　He　had　boldly　stepped　up　to　Fate；　and　slapped　Fate　in　the　face；　and　dared　Fate　to　do　the　worst。　
　　Thereupon　he　resolved　that　if　he　was　to　live　at　all　he　would　live　without　fear。　After　all；　he　had　escaped　a　nearly　universal　disaster。　
　　With　a　quick　decision　he　hurried　to　the　rear　of　the　car；　undid　the　lashing；　and　dumped　the　motorcycle。　No　longer　would　he　take　all　these　overcautious　precautions。　There　might　not　be　any　Fate　which　objected　to　people　playing　the　game　too　safely。　But；　even　if　there　were　not；　such　playing　was　too　much　trouble。　He　would　take　his　chances　from　now　on；　and　at　least　enjoy　fife　without　fear；　as　long　as　he　lived　it。　Was　he　not　living；　as　they　said；　on　borrowed　time？　
　　〃Well；　e　on；　Princess；〃　he　said　ironically；　〃let's　get　going。〃　And　as　he　said　it；　he　realized　that　he　had　at　last　named　the　dog。　That　was　a　good　name；　its　very　triteness　seemed　to　connect　him　with　the　old　days；　and　at　least　she　was　The　Princess；　always　expecting　him　to　take　care　of　her　with　the　best　of　service；　repaying　him　only　incidentally；　in　so　far　as　she　took　him　away　from　thoughts　of　himself。　
　　Yet；　reconsidering；　he　did　not　go　any　farther　that　night。　With　his　new…found　sense　of　freedom　he　rather　enjoyed　merely　taking　additional　chances。　He　pulled　the　sleeping…bag　out。　Unrolling　it；　he　lay　on　the　sand　under　the　slight　shelter　of　a　mesquite　bush。　Princess　lay　beside　him；　and　went　soundly　to　sleep；　tired　from　her　run。　Once　he　awoke　in　the　night；　and　lay　calm　at　last。　He　had　passed　through　so　much；　and　now　he　seemed　to　know　a　calm　which　would　never　pass。　Once　Princess　whimpered　in　her　sleep；　and　he　saw　her　legs　twitch　as　if　she　were　still　chasing　the　rabbit。　Then　she　lay　quiet；　he；　too；　slept　away。　
　　When　he　awoke；　finally；　the　dawn　was　lemon　yellow　above　the　desert　hills。　He　was　cold；　and　he　found　Princess　close　up　against　his　sleeping…bag。　He　crawled　out　just　as　the　sun　was　rising。　
　　This　is　the　desert；　the　wilderness。　It　began　a　long　time　ago。　After　a　while；　men　came。　They　camped　at　the　springs　and　left　chips　of　stone　scattered　about　in　the　sand　there；　and　worefaint　trails　through　the　lines　of　the　mesquite　bushes；　but　you　could　hardly　tell　that　they　had　been　there。　Still　later；　they　laid　down　railroads；　and　strung　up　wires；　and　made　long　straight　roads。　Still；　in　parison　with　the　whole　desert；　you　could　hardly　tell　that　men　had　been　there；　and　ten　yards　asidefrom　the　steel　rails　or　the　concrete　pavement；　it　was　all　the　same。　After　a　while；　the　men　went　away；　leaving　their　works　behind　them。　
　　There　is　plenty　of　time　in　the　desert。　A　thousand　years　are　as　a　day。　The　sand　drifts；　and　in　the　high　winds　even　the　gravel　moves；　but　it　is　all　very　slow。　Now　and　then；　once　in　a　century；　it　may　be；　there　es　a　cloudburst；　and　the　long…dry　streambeds　roar　with　water；　rolling　boulders。　Given　ten　centuries　perhaps；　the　fissures　of　the　earth　will　open　again　and　the　black　lava　pourforth。　
　　But　as　the　desert　was　slow　to　yield　before　man；　so　it　will　be　slow　to　wipe　out　his　traces。　e　back　in　a　thousand　years；　and　you　will　still　see　the　chips　of　stone　scattered　through　the　sand　and　the　long　road　stretching　off　to　the　gap　in　the　kmfelike　hills　on　the　horizon。　There　will　be　little　rust；　and　even　the　iron　rails　may　be　there。　As　for　the　copper　wires；　they　are　next　to　immortal。　This　is　the　desert；　the　wilderness…slow　to　give；　and　slow　to　take　away。　
　　For　a　while　the　speedometer　needle　stood　at　80；　and　he　drove　with　the　wild　joy　of　freedom；　fearless　at　the　thought　of　a　tire　blowing　out。　Later；　he　slowed　down　a　little；　and　began　to　look　around　with　new　interest；　his　trained　geographer's　mind　focusing　upon　that　drama　of　man's　passing。　In　this　country；　he　saw　little　difference。　
　　When　he　came　to　Needles；　the　gasoline…gauge　stood　nearly　at　empty。　Electric　power　had　failed；　and　the　gas…pumps　would　not　work。　With　a　little　search　he　found　a　gasoline　depot　at　the　edge　of　town；　and　filled　his　tank　from　one　of　the　drums。　He　went　on。　
　　Crossing　the　Colorado　River；　he　entered　Arizona；　and　the　road　began　to　rise　up　among　sharp；　rocky　crags。　Here；　at　last　he　saw　cattle。　Half　a　dozen　steers　and　two　cows　with　their　calves　stood　in　a　draw　near　the　road。　They　raised　their　heads；　idly；　when　he　stopped　the　car　to　look　them　over。　These　desert'　cattle；　unless　when　grazing　near　the　road；　scarcely　saw　a　man　from　one　month's　end　to　the　other。　Twice　a　year；　the　cowboys　came　out　to　round　them　up。　The　passing　of　man　would　make　no　difference　here；　except　that　actually　the　herds　would　breed　more　rapidly。　After　a　time；　perhaps；　they　might　have　troubles　with　overgrazed　range；　but　before　then　the　long…drawn　howl　of　the　lobo　wolves　would　re…echo　again　through　these　ravines；　and　there　would　be　a　new　means　of　control…of　numbers。　In　the　end；　however；　he　had　no　doubt　that　the　cattle　and　the　wolves　would　strike　off　some　unconscious　balance　and　that　the　cattle；　bereft　of　man；　would　continue　to　thrive。　
　　Farther　on；　near　the　old　mining…town　of　Oatman；　he　saw　two　burros。　Whether　they　had　merely　been　wandering　about　the　vicinity　of　the　town　at　the　time　of　the　catastrophe；　or　whether　they　had　been　some　that　had　gone　wild；　already；　he　did　not　know；　but　they　seemed　well　contented。　He　got　out　of　the　car；　and　tried　approaching　them；　but　they　scampered　away；　keeping　their　distance。　Returning　to　the　car　he　loosed　the　yapping　Princess'　；　and　she　made　a　wild　dash　at　the　two　strange　animals。　The　jack　laid　down　his　ears；　and　charged　upon　her　with　lips　drawn　back　from　teeth　and　lashing　forefeet。　Princess　turned　sharply　and　scuttled　to　the　car　and　the　protection　of　her　man。　The　jack；　thought　Ish；　would　be　more　than　a　match　for　any　wolf；　and　even　a　mountain…lion　might　well　regret　pressing　an　attack。　
　　He　passed　the　summit　above　Oatman；　and　well　down　the　other　side　he　came　for　the　first　time　to　a　partial　block　in　the　road。　At　some　time　during　the　last　few　days　a　fierce　desert　thunderstorm　must　have　swept　across　this　edge　of　the　moun_　tains。　When　the　water　came　tearing　down　the　wash；　the　culvert　had　plugged　and　water　had　streamed　across　the　road；　carrying　sand。　He　got　out　to　investigate。　In　ordinary　times；　a　road…crew　would　soon　have　been　along。　They　would　have　cleared　the　sand　from　the　road　and　opened　the　culvert　again；　and　everything　would　have　been　as　before。　But　now；　the　culvert　remained　plugged；　and　the　few　inches　of　sand　remained　on　the　road；　and　when　he　looked　at　the　lower　side　of　the　pavement　he　saw　that　the　washing　water　had　already　cut　out　half　a　foot　of　dirt　from　under　the　lower　side　of　the　concrete。　Now；　at　the　next　storm；　still　more　sand　would　wash　across；　and　still　more　dirt　would　be　cut　away　from　the　underside。　In　a　few　years　the　concrete　might　begin　to　crack　away　from　where　it　was　undercut；　and　the　sand　and　gravel　would　pile　up　still　higher　on　the　road　itself。　Now；　however；　there　was　no　serious　question　of　passability。　He　drove　the　car　over　the　sand。　
　　〃A　road　is　as　strong　as　its　weakest　link；〃；　he　thought；　wondering　how　long　it　would　be　possible　to　travel　as　he　was　traveling　now。　That　night　he　slept　again　in　a　bed；　helping　himself　to　a　place　in　the　best　tourist…court　in　Kingma