gs.earthabides-第14节

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　the　marauders　that　came　sniffing　in　the　night。　He　stopped　the　car　and　watched；　keeping　Princess　beside　him　on　the　seat；　so　that　she　would　not　disturb　the　situation。　The　two　sheep…dogs　grew　excited　when　they　noticed　the　car；　they　barked　excitedly；　and　rounded　up　a　few　stragglers。　They　kept　their　distance；　a　quarter…mile　away；　and　seemed　hostile。　Just　as　in　the　cities　the　electric　power　was　still　pulsating　through　the　wires　after　man　had　passed；　so　here　upon　the　far　stretches　of　the　grass　lands；　the　dogs　watched　the　sheep　for　a　little　while。　But；　he　thought；　it　could　not　be　for　long。　
　　The　road　led　on　across　the　wide　spaces；　U。S。　66　read　the　signs　beside　the　pavement。　It　had　been　a　great　highway；　he　remembered；　in　the　old　days；　the　road　of　the　Okies　to　California；　there　had　been　a　popular　song　about　it；　now；　it　lay　empty。　No　bus　roared　by　with　Los　Angeles　imprinted　on　its　front；　no　truck　came　from　east　or　west；　no　jalopy　piled　high　with　the　household　goods　of　some　migrating　fruitpicker；　no　sleek　car　of　tourists　going　to　the　Indian　dances；　not　even　a　Navaho　wagon　with　a　bony　horse　pulling　it　by　the　side　of　the　pavement。　
　　He　dropped　into　the　valley　of　the　Rio　Grande；　crossed　the　bridge；　and　went　up　the　long　street　of　Albuquerque。　This　was　the　largest　town　he　had　seen　since　leaving　California；　he　honked　his　horn　as　he　went；　and　waited　for　a　response。　He　heard　nothing；　and　he　did　not　wait　long。　
　　He　slept　that　night　at　a　tourist…court　on　the　eastern　edge　of　Albuquerque；　from　which　he　could　look　back　down　the　long　slope　toward　the　town。　It　was　all　in　darkness；　here　the　power　had　failed　already。　
　　In　the　morning　he　went　on　through　the　mountains；　and　came　out　on　the　other　side　into　a　country　of　scattered　buttes　with　broad　plains　between。　A　frenzy　of　speed　came　upon　him　again；　and　he　drove　the　car　at　its　limit　on　the　straight　roads。　The　buttes　fell　away　behind；　he　crossed　the　state　line；　and　was　in　Texas；　in　the　flat　country　of　the　Panhandle。　The　day　was　suddenly　blazing　hot；　and　around　him　lay　endless　stubble　fields　from　which　the　wheat　had　already　been　cut　before　the　death　fell　upon　the　harvesters。　That　night　he　slept　on　the　outskirts　of　Oklahoma　City。　
　　In　the　morning　he　skirted　the　city　by　a　by…pass；　and　went　on。　He　followed　66　toward　Chicago；　but　after　a　few　miles　a　tree　across　the　road　blocked　him。　He　got　out　to　consider　the　situation。　There　had　obviously　been　one　of　those　sudden　wind　storms　which　sweep　the　plains　country。　A　tall　poplar　standing　before　a　farm　house　had　tipped　and　gone　over；　hiding　the　whole　highway　in　a　clutter　of　leaves　and　branches。　It　would　be　a　labor　of　a　half　a　day　to　chop　any　kind　of　passage　through　the　tangle。　Then　suddenly　he　realized　that　here　was　a　significant　scene　in　that　great　drama　which　he　had　set　himself　to　watch。　Highway　66；　that　famous　road！　Here　it　was；　blocked　by　the　chance　falling　of　a　tree！　A　man　might　cut　his　way　through　this　Obstruction；　but　there　were；　or　would　soon　be；　others。　In　the　thunderstorms；　mud　would　wash　across　the　road　and　earth　Slide　from　the　cuts；　a　bridge　would　go　in　the　surnmer　freshet；　in　a　few　years；　to　take　a　car　from　Chicago　to　Los　Angeles　on　Highway　66　would　be　a　task　for　a　pioneer　in　a　covered　wagon。　
　　He　thought　of　detouring　through　the　fields；　but　the　sod　was　soft　and　mucky　from　recent　rains。　Consulting　his　road…map；　he　saw　that　he　could　go　south　ten　miles　and　strike　another　paved　road；　which　would　bring　him　back　to　the　highway。　He　turned　the　station…wagon　around；　and　started　back。　
　　But　when　he　reached　the　other　road；　he　saw　no　real　reason　why　he　should　return　to　66。　The　secondary　highway　led　on　directly　toward　the　east；　and　so　far　as　he　could　tell；　that　direction　was　just　as　good　as　another。　〃Perhaps；〃　he　thought；　〃that　fallen　tree　has　changed　the　whole　future　course　of　human　history。　I　might　have　gone　on　toward　Chicago；　and　something　might　have　happened　there。　Now　something　different　will　happen。〃　
　　So　he　went　eastward　through　Oklahoma；　the　country　empty　everywhere。　On　the　rolling　hills　the　scrubby　oak…growth　looked　just　as　it　must　have　looked　before。　On　the　level　cultivated　stretches；　corn　and　cotton　were　growing。　The　corn　stood　high；　head　above　the　weeds；　it　would　bear　a　fairly　good　crop。　But　the　cotton　was　rapidly　being　choked　out。　
　　The　full　heat　of　surnmer　was　upon　him　now；　and　was　breaking　down　more　of　his　remnants　of　civilization。　He　still　'shaved　daily；　more　because　he　felt　fortable　that　way　than　for　any　sense　of　his　appearance；　but　he　had　not　had　his　hair　cut；　and　it　hung　shaggily　about　him。　He　hacked　at　it　with　a　pair　of　scissors。　He　had　reverted　merely　to　a　pair　of　blue　jeans　and　an　open…necked　shirt。　He　threw　the　shirt　away　every　morning；　and　put　on　a　clean　one。　Somewhere　he　had　forgotten　his　gray　fedora；　and　from　an　Oklahoma　general　store　he　picked　up　a　cheap　straw　hat；　the　kind　that　any　tenant　farmer　might　wear　in　the　summer。　
　　That　afternoon　he　crossed　into　Arkansas；　and　though　he　knew　that　state　lines　were　only　imaginary；　he　suddenly　be　came　conscious　of　another　change。　Here　all　the　dryness　of　the　plains　country　was　left　far　behind；　and　the　weather　was　hot　and　humid。　As　a　result　the　growth　was　everywhere　pushing　in　upon　the　roads　and　buildings。　Runners　from　vines　and　climb　mg　roses　already　dangled　across　windows　and　hung　swinging　from　eaves　and　porch　roofs。　The　smaller　houses　looked　as　if　they　were　shrinking　back　shyly　and　beginning　to　hide　in　the　woods。　Fences　also　were　being　obscured。　There　was　no　longer　a　sharp　line　between　the　road　and　the　surrounding　country。　Grass　and　weeds　were　showing　green　at　every　little　crack　in　the　concrete；　blackberry　shoots　were　pushing　in　from　the　shoulders；　breaking　the　clean　white　line。　In　one　place　the　long　runners　of　some　vme　reached　clear　to　the。　white　line　in　the　nuddle　of　the　pavement；　and　met　others　advancing　from　the　other　side。　
　　Peaches　were　ripe；　and　he　varied　his　diet　of　canned　food　by　raiding　an　orchard。　His　entry　scared　off　a　few　hogs　which　had　been　eating　the　fallen　fruit。　That　night　he　slept　at　North　Little　Rock。　
　　The　prize　boars　will　die　in　their　well…kept　pens；　and　the　fat　brood　sows　will　wander　about；　squealing　for　their　mash；　but　on　many　a　farm；　the　shoats　will　run　wild　without　restraint　of　fences。　They　need　nothing　from　man。　In　the　heat　they　seek　the　swamps　by　the　river；　and　root　there；　and　lie　in　the　mud；　grunting　happily。　When　the　air　grows　cool；　they　wander　the　oak　woods　and　feed　on　the　acorns。　After　a　few　generations；　they　grow　slimmer　of　leg　and　thinner　of　body　and　longer　of　tusk。　Before　the　fury　of　their　boars；　even　the　wolf　and　the　bear　hurry　aside。　Like　man；　they　eat　flesh　or　fowl　or　tuber　or　nut　or　fruit。　They　will　live。　
　　An　hour　on　the　road　next　morning；　at　the　edge　of　a　small　town；　he　started；　as　his　eyes　fell　upon　the　unaccustomed　sight　of　a　well…weeded　and　tended　garden。　He　stopped；　went　to　investigate；　and　found　fbr　the　first　time　what　might；　by　generous　interpretation；　be　called　a　social　group。　They　were　Negroes…a　man；　a　middle…aged　woman；　a　young　boy。　By　the　obvious　look　of　the　woman；　there　would　soon　be　a　fourth　member。　They　were　tinud。　The　boy　kept　in　the　background；　curious　but　frightened；　scratching　at　his　head　in　a　way　that　suggested　lice。　The　woman　stood；　stolidly　silent　except　to　direct　question。　The　man　took　off　his　straw　hat　and　stood　fingering　its　broken　rim　nervously；　beads　of　sweat；　from　nervousness　or　the　heat　of　the　morning　sun；　ran　down　his　shiny　black　forehead。　
　　Ish　could　hardly　understand　the　thick　dialect；　rendered　more　unintelligible　by　embarrassment。　He　made　out；　however；　that　they　knew　of　no　one　else　in　the　neighborhood；　and　in　fact　knew　very　little　of　anything；　not　having　been　beyond　walking　distance　from　the　spot　since　the　disaster。　They　were　not　a　family　group；　but　merely　a　chance　association　of　survivors…three；　against　the　law　of　chance；　having　survived　in　one　small　town。　
　　Ish　soon　realized　they　were　suffering　not　only　from　the　shock　of　the　catastrophe　but　also　from　the　taboos　carried　over　from　before　it。　They　talked　with　diffidence　in　the　presence　of　a　strange　white　man；　dropping　their　eyes。　
　　In　spite　of　their　obvious　reluctance；　Ish　looked　around　their　Place。　Although　all　the　houses　of　the　town　must　have　been　open　to　them；　they　still　lived　in　the　crude　cabin　where　the　woman　had　lived　before　the　disaster。　Ish　did　not　go　in；　but　through　the　open　door　he　saw　the　rickety　bed　and　chairs　and　the　sheet…iron　stove；　and　the　oil…cloth…draped　table　with　the　flies　buzzing　about　the　uncovered　food。　The　outside　looked　better。　They　had　a　luxuriant　garden　and　a　good　corn…patch；　and　were　actually　tending　a　small　field　of　cotton；　although　what　in　the　world　they　expected　to　do　with　the　cotton　was　more　than　Ish　could　figure　out。　Apparently　they　had　merely　carried　on；　doing　the　things　that　people　in　their　world　were　supposed　to　do；　and　thus　gaining　a　sense　of　security。　
　　They　had　chickens　in　a　pen；　and　some　pigs。　Their　painfully　naive　embarrassment　when　Ish　saw　the　pigs　was　only　too　plain　advertisement　that　they　had　appropriated　them　from　some　fw…mer's　pen　and　now　felt　that　the　white　man　would　hold　them　accountable。　
　　Ish　asked　for　some　ftesh　eggs；　and　for　a　dozen　gave　them　one　of　his　dollar　bills。　They　seem