gs.earthabides-第3节

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mely　well　nourished；　and　even　unduly　fat。　
　　In　1903　some　new　disease　sprang　up。　Because　of　their　crowding　and　also　probably　because　of　the　softened　condition　of　the　individuals；　the　rats　proved　universally　susceptible；　and　soon　were　dying　by　thousands。　In　spite　of　great　numbers；　in　spite　of　an　abundant　supply　of　food；　in　spite　of　a　very　rapid　breeding　rate；　the　species　is　extinct。　
　　He　came　over　the　rise；　and　saw　Hutsonville　a　mile　away。　Just　as　he　started　to　slide　down　the　grade；　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　he　caught　sight　of　something　which　turned　him　inwardly　cold。　Automatically　he　tramped　hard　on　the　brake。　He　walked　back；　scarcely　believing　that　he　had　really　seen　it。　Just　there　at　the　side　of　the　road；　in　full　view；　lay　the　body　of　a　fully　clothed　man；　ants　were　crawling　over　the　face。　The　body　must　have　lain　there　a　day　or　two　at　least。　Why　had　it　not　been　seen？　He　did　not　look　closely　or　long；　obviously　the　thing　to　do　was　to　get　into　Hutsonville；　and　tell　the　Coroner　as　soon　as　possible。　He　hurried　back　to　the　car。　
　　Yet　as　he　started　again；　he　had　a　deep　feeling　inside　him　somewhere；　strangely；　that　this　was　not　a　case　for　the　Coroner；　and　that　possibly　there　would　even　be　no　Coroner。　He　had　seen　no　one　at　the　Johnson's　or　at　the　power…house；　and　he　had　not　met　a　single　car　on　the　road。　The　only　things　that　seemed　real　from　all　the　old　life　had　been　the　light　burning　at　the　power…house　and　the　quiet　hum　of　the　great　generators　at　their　work。　
　　Then；　as　he　came　to　the　first　houses；　he　suddenly　breathed　more　easily；　for　there　on　a　vacant　lot　a　hen　was　quietly　scratching　in　the　dust；　a　half…dozen　chicks　beside　her；　and　a　little　farther　on；　a　black…and…white　cat　wandered　across　the　sidewalk　as　unconcernedly　as　it　would　have　done　upon　any　other　June　day。　
　　The　heat　of　the　afternoon　lay　heavy　on　the　street；　and　he　saw　no　one。　〃Bad　as　a　Mexican　town；〃　he　thought；　〃everyone　taking　a　siesta。〃　Then　suddenly　he　realized　that　he　had　said　it　as　a　man　whistles　to　keep　up　his　courage。　He　came　to　the　business　center；　stopped　the　car　by　the　curb；　and　got　out。　There　was　nobody。　
　　He　tried　the　door　of　a　little　restaurant。　It　was　open。　He　went　in。　
　　〃Hi！〃　he　yelled。　
　　Nobody　came。　Not　even　an　echo　spoke　back　to　reassure　him。　
　　The　door　of　the　bank　was　locked；　although　the　hour　was　well　before　closing　time；　and　he　was　sure　（the　more　he　thought　of　it）　that　the　day　must　be　Tuesday　or　Wednesday　or　possibly　Thursday。　〃What　am　I　anyway？〃　he　thought。　〃Rip　van　Winkle？〃　Even　so；　Rip　van　Winkle；　though　he　had　slept　twenty　years；　had　e　back　to　a　village　that　was　still　full　of　people。　
　　The　door　of　the　hardware　store　beyond　the　bank　was　open。　
　　He　went　in；　and　again　he　called；　and　again　there　was　not　even　an　echo　ing　back　for　answer。　He　looked　in　at　the　bakery；　this　time　there　was　only　a　tiny　noise　such　as　a　scuttling　mouse　could　make。　
　　Had　the　people　all　gone　to　a　baseball　game？　Even　so；　they　would　have　closed　the　stores。　He　went　back　to　his　car；　got　into　the　seat；　and　looked　around。　Was　he　himself　delirious；　still　lying　on　his　bunk；　really？　He　was　half　inclined　merely　to　drive　on；　panic　was　rising　up　inside　him。　Now　he　noticed　that　several　cars　were　parked　along　the　street；　just　as　they　might　be　on　any　not　too　busy　afternoon。　He　could　not　merely　drive　on；　he　decided；　because　he　must　report　the　dead　man。　So　he　pushed　upon　the　horn…rig；　and　the　great　blatant　squawk　resounded　obscenely　along　the　deserted　street　through　the　quiet　of　the　afternoon。　He　blew　twice；　waited；　and　blew　twice　again。　Again　and　again；　in　…rising　panic；　he　pressed　down。　As　he　pressed；　he　looked　around；　hoping　to　see　somebody　e　popping　out　from　a　door　or　at　least　a　head　at　a　window。　He　paused；　and　again　there　was　only　silence；　except　that　somewhere　far　off　he　heard　the　strident　cackling　of　a　hen。　〃Must　have　scared　an　egg　out　of　her！〃　he　thought。　
　　A　fat　dog　came　waddling　around　the　er　and　down　the　sidewalk；　the　kind　of　dog　you　see　along　Main　Street　in　any　small　town。　Ish　got　out　of　the　car；　and　confronted　the　dog。　〃You　haven't　been　missing　any　meals；　anyway；〃　he　said。　（Then　he　had　a　sudden　feeling　of　tightness　in　die　throat　when　he　thought　of　things　the　dog　might　be　eating。）　The　dog　was　not　friendly；　it　skirted　him；　keeping　distance；　then　it　went　on　down　the　street。　He　made　no　effort　to　call　it　closer　or　to　follow　it；　after　all；　the　dog　could　not　tell　him。　
　　I　could　play　detective　by　going　into　some　of　these　stores　and　looking　around；〃　he　thought。　Then　he　had　a　better　idea。　
　　Across　the　street　was　a　little　pool…room　where　he　had　often　stopped　to　buy　a　newspaper。　He　went　over　to　it。　The　door　was　locked。　He　looked　through　the　window；　and　saw　newspapers　in　the　rack。　He　stared　hard　against　the　reflection　of　the　light　in　the　window；　and　suddenly　he　saw　that　there　were　headlines　as　large　as　for　Pearl　Harbor。　He　read：　
　　CRISIS　ACUTE
　　What　crisis？　With　sudden　determination　he　strode　back　to　the　car；　and　picked　up　the　hammer。　A　moment　later　he　stood　with　the　heavy　head　poised　in　front　of　the　door。　
　　Then　suddenly　all　the　restraints　of　habit　stopped　him。　Civilization　moved　in；　and　held　his　arm；　almost　physically。　You　couldn't　do　this！　You　didn't　break　into　a　store　this　way…you；　a　law…abiding　citizen！　He　glanced　up　and　down　the　street；　as　if　a　policeman　or　a　posse　might　be　bearing　down　upon　him。　
　　But　the　empty　street　brought　him　back　again；　and　panic　overbore　the　restraints。　〃Hell；〃　he　thought；　I　can　pay　for　the　door　if　I　have　to！〃　
　　With　a　wild　feeling　of　burning　his　bridges；　of　leaving　civilization　behind；　he　swung　the　heavy　hammer…head　with　all　his　force　against　the　door…lock。　The　wood　splintered；　the　door　flew　open；　he　stepped　in。　
　　His　first　shock　came　when　he　picked　up　the　newspaper。　The　Chronicle；　the　one　he　remembered；　was　thick…twenty　or　thirty　pages　at　least。　The　newspaper　he　picked　up　was　like　a　little　country　weekly；　a　single　folded　sheet。　It　was　dated　Wednesday　of　the　preceding　week。　
　　The　headlines　told　him　what　was　most　essential。　The　United　States　from　coast　to　coast　was　overwhelmed　by　the　attack　of　some　new　and　unknown　disease　of　unparalleled　rapidity　of　spread；　and　fatality。　Estimates　for　various　cities；　admittedly　little　more　than　guesses；　indicated　that　between　25　percent　and　35　percent　of　the　population　had　already　died。　No　reports；　he　read；　were　available　for　Boston；　Atlanta；　and　New　Orleans；　indicating　that　the　news…services　in　those　cities　had　already　broken　down。　Rapidly　scanning　the　rest　of　the　paper；　he　gained　a　variety　of　impressions…a　hodge…podge　which　he　could　scarcely　put　together　in　any　logical　order。　In　its　symptoms　the　disease　was　Re　a　kind　of　super…measles。　No　one　was　sure　in　what　part　of　the　world　it　had　originated；　aided　by　airplane　travel；　it　had　sprung　up　almost　simultaneously　in　every　center　of　civilization；　outrunning　all　attempts　at　quarantine。　
　　In　an　interview　a　notable　bacteriologist　indicated　that　the　emergence　of　some　new　disease　had　always　been　a　possibility　which　had　worried　the　more　far…thinking　epidemiologists。　He　mentioned　in　the　past　such　curious　though　minor　outbreaks　as　the　English　sweat　and　Q…fever。　As　for　its　origin；　he　offered　three　possibilities。　It　might　have　emerged　from　some　animal　reservoir　of　disease；　it　might　be　caused　by　some　new　microorganism；　most　Rely　a　virus；　produced　by　mutation；　it　might　be　an　escape；　possibly　even　a　vindictive　release；　from　some　laboratory　of　bacteriological　warfare。　The　last　was　apparently　the　popular　idea。　The　disease　was　assumed　to　be　airborne；　possibly　upon　particles　of　dust。　A　curious　feature　was　that　the　isolation　of　the　individual　seemed　to　be　of　no　avail。　
　　In　an　interview　conducted　by　trans…Atlantic　telephone；　a　crusty　old　British　sage　had　mented；　〃Man　has　been　growing　more　stupid　for　several　thousand　years；　I　myself　shall　waste　no　tears　at　his　demise。〃　On　the　other　hand　an　equally　crusty　American　critic　had　got　religion：　〃Only　faith　can　save　us　now；　I　am　praying　hourly。〃　
　　A　certain　amount　of　looting；　particularly　of　liquor　stores　was　reported。　On　the　whole；　however；　order　had　been　well　preserved；　possibly　through　fear。　Louisville　and　Spokane　reported　conflagrations；　out　of　control　because　of　decimated　fire…departments。　
　　Even　in　what　they　must　have　suspected　to　be　their　last　issue；　the　gentlemen　of　the　press；　however；　had　not　neglected　to　include　a　few　of　their　beloved　items　of　curiosity。　In　Omaha　a　religious　fanatic　had　run　naked　through　the　streets；　calling　out　the　end　of　the　world　and　the　opening　of　the　Seventh　Seal。　In　Sacramento　a　crazed　woman　had　opened　the　cages　of　a　circus　menagerie　for　fear　that　the　animals　might　starve　to　death；　and　had　been　mauled　by　a　lioness。　Of　more　scientific　interest；　the　Director　of　the　San　Diego　zoo　reported　his　apes　and　monkeys　to　be　dying　off　rapidly；　the　other　animals　unaffected。　
　　As　he　read；　Ish　felt　himself　growing　weak　with　the　cumulative　piling　up　of　horror　and　an　overwhelming　sense　of　solitude。　Yet　he　still　read　on；　fascinated。　
　　Civilization；　the　human　race…at　least；　it　seemed　to　have　gone　down　gallantly。　Many　people　were　reported　as　escaping　from　the　cities；　but　those　remaining　had　suffered；　as　far　as　he　could　make　out　from　the　newspaper　a　wee