gs.earthabides-第38节

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what　wouldn't　I　give　just　now　to　be　over　there　with　George's　big　radio　and　turn　it　right　on　and　hear　Charlie　McCarthy　again！　Don't　you　remember　the　way　that　little　guy　would　talk；　making　fun　of　the　other　guy；　whatever　his　name　was；　you　know；　and　here　that　other　one　was　just　the　same　as　him　all　the　time。〃　
　　Ezra　took　out　the　big　Victorian　penny　that　had　served　him　for　a　pocket…piece　during　all　these　years。　He　tossed　it　back　and　forth　from　one　hand　to　the　other　in　sheer　stimulation　at　the　thought　of　hearing　Charlie　McCarthy　again。　
　　〃Yes；　you　remember　too；〃　he　went　on。　〃Why；　you　used　to　be　able　to　go　down　to　the　picture…house　and　pay　your　money　and　go　right　in！　And　you　would　hear　all　that　music　going　with　the　film；　and　see…oh；　maybe…Bob　Hope　or　Dotty　Lamour。　Yes；　those　were　the　days　all　right！　Do　you　suppose　that　p'raps　if　we　all　got　together　and　worked　hard　we　could　find　some　of　those　films　and　rig　them　up　to　show　them　to　all　the　kids？　I　can　just　hear　them　laughing。　Maybe　we　could　get　a　Charlie　Chaplin　film　somewhere！〃　
　　Ezra　took　out　a　cigarette　and　a　match；　and　as　he　scratched　the　match　it　broke　into　a　bright　flame。　Matches　never　seemed　to　deteriorate　if　they　were　in　a　fairly　dry　place。　Yet　nobody　knew　how　to　make　matches；　and　at　every　sudden　spurt　of　flame　there　was　one　match　the　fewer。　Ish　had　a　strange　feeling　about　Ezra；　who　was　thinking　of　civilization　chiefly　as　the　return　of　motion…pictures；　and　at　the　same　time　was　scratching　a　match。　George　was　the　one　who　spoke　next：　
　　〃If　there　was　any　way　of　making　people　help　me；　just　one　or　two　of　the　boys；　I　could　get　that　gas…refrigerator　fixed　up　and　working　in　two；　three　days；　maybe。〃　
　　George　stopped　speaking；　and　Ish　supposed　that　he　had　finished；　for　George　was　never　much　of　a　talker。　Surprisingly；　he　went　on：　
　　〃About　those　there　laws；　though；　that　you　was　talking　about。　I　don't　know。　I　was　kind　of　glad　that　we　live　in　a　place　where　we　don't　have　no　laws。　These　days；　you　can　do　just　about　the　way　you　want。　You　can　go　out　and　park　your　car　anywhere　you　want　to。　Right　by　a　fire…hydrant；　maybe；　and　nobody's　going　to　give　you　a　ticket；　that　is；　you　could　park　it　right　by　the　fire…hydrant　if　you　had　a　car　that　would　run。〃　
　　This　was　as　far　in　the　way　of　a　joke　as　Ish　had　ever　heard　George　go；　and　George　responded　to　his　own　humor　by　chuckling　quietly。　The　others　all　joined　in。　The　standard　of　humor　in　The　Tribe；　Ish　realized；　had　never　been　very　high。　
　　Ish　was　about　to　say　something　more；　but　Ezra　spoke　again。　
　　〃e　on；　now；　I　propose　a　toast；〃　he　said。　〃To　law　and　order！〃　The　older　people　laughed　a　little　at　hearing　the　old　phrase　again；　but　to　the　younger　ones　it　meant　nothing。　
　　They　drank　the　toast；　and　then　everything　slipped　back　quite　naturally　into　merely　a　social　occasion　again。　
　　After　all；　Ish　reflected；　it　was　a　social　occasion；　just　as　well　perhaps；　not　to　let　business　interfere　too　much。　Perhaps　the　seed　he　had　planted　with　this　rendition　of　his　impassioned　little　speech　would　have　some　effect　in　the　future。　Yet；　he　felt　doubts。　You　used　to　have　the　jokes　about　never　fixing　the　roof　until　it　rained。　People　were　undoubtedly　the　same　now；　or　worse。　They　might　well　wait　until　something　happened　that　forced　them　to　act；　that　something　would　almost　certainly　be　unpleasant…most　likely；　serious。　
　　Yet　he　drank　the　toast　with　the　others；　and　with　half　his　mind　he　listened　to　the　talk。　With　the　other　half；　nevertheless；　he　still　kept　to　his　own　thoughts。　This　had　been　a　good　day；　yes；　on　this　day　he　had　carved　21　into　the　smooth　surface　of　the　rock；　and　the　Year　22　had　begun；　on　this　day；　also；　partly　because　the　year　had　been　named　as　it　was；　he　had　bee　more　conscious　of　the　possibilities　in　his　youngest　son。　
　　He　glanced　to　where　Joey　was　sitting；　and　caught　in　return　a　quick　bright　glance；　full　of　the　small　boy's　admiration　for　his　father。　Yes；　perhaps；　there　was　one　at　least　who　could　understand　fully。　
　　In　all　that　immense　and　plex　system　of　dams　and　tunnels；　aqueducts　and　reservoirs；　by　which　water　was　brought　from　the　mountains　to　the　cities；　one　particular　section　of　steel　pipe　in　the　main　aqueduct　supplied　the　fatal　flaw。　Even　at　the　time　of　its　manufacture　certain　imperfections　had　been　apparent。　It　had　happened；　however；　to　go　past　the　inspector　just　at　the　close　of　a　day；　when　his　senses　were　dulled　and　his　judgment　impaired。　
　　No　great　harm　resulted。　The　section　of　pipe　was　set　into　place　by　the　workmen；　and　fiinctioned　without　difficulty。　Shortly　before　the　Great　Disaster；　a　foreman　had　noticed　that　this　section　had　developed　a　slight　leak。　By　the　welding　of　a　patch　upon　it；　however；　it　would　be　made　as　good　as　new；　or　even　stronger　than　the　average。　
　　Then　through　the　years　no　man　passed　that　way　again。　A　little　trickle　of　water　from　the　faulty　section　of　pipe　grew　very　gradually　larger。　Even　in　the　dry　summers　a　small　patch　Of　green　showed　by　the　dripping　pipe；　birds　and　small　animals　came　there　to　drink。　And　still　rust　ate　from　the　outside；　and　from　the　inside　the　corrosive　action　of　the　water　itself　slowly　bored　outward　to　meet　the　rust　pits；　piercing　pinprick　after　pinprick　in　the　tough　skin　of　steel。　
　　Five　years；　ten　years…now　a　dozen　jets　of　fine　spray　played　from　the　surface　of　the　pipe。　Now　the　puddle　was　a　drinking…place　for　cattle。　
　　In　five　more　years　a　little　stream　ran　off　from　beneath；　the　only　summer　stream　in　all　that　dry　foothill　region。　By　now　the　pipe　was　beginning　to　be　honey…bed　with　rust；　its　actual　structure　grown　weak。　
　　Beneath　the　pipe　the　ground　had　long　been　soft　and　muddy；　and　the　tramping　of　animals　had　aided　the　erosion　of　a　little　gully。　Finally；　the　erosion　was　sufficient　to　start　a　mudflow　in　the　soft　wet　soil　on　which　the　concrete　pier　rested；　the　one　which　supported　the　pipe　with　its　heavy　load　of　water。　As　the　pier　settled；　the　weight　of　the　water　was　thrown　upon　the　weakened　pipe。　A　long　rent　opened　in　its　rust…riddled　steel；　and　a　broad　stream　of　water　poured　out　and　gushed　down　into　the　gully。　This　torrent　soon　undermined　thefooting　still　more；　and　it　shifted　again。　Once　more　the　pipe　tore；　and　the　stream　of　water　issuing　from　it　became　like　a　small　river。　
　　Just　as　Ish　had　crawled　into　bed　that　evening　the　sharp　crack　of　a　rifle　shot　brought　him　sitting　full　upright；　tense。　Another　resounded；　and　then　a　fusillade　began　popping　in　the　night。　
　　He　felt　the　bed　shaking　gently；　as　Em　laughed　quietly　beside　him。　He　relaxed。　〃Same　old　trick！〃　he　said。　
　　〃Fooled　you　badly　this　time！〃　
　　〃I've　been　thinking　too　much　about　all　the　future　today；　I　suppose。　Yes；　I　suppose　my　nerves　are　stirred　up　a　little　too　much　today。〃　
　　The　fusillade　was　still　popping　in　a　good　imitation　of　guerrilla　warfare；　but　he　lay　down　and　tried　to　relax。　He　knew　now　what　had　happened。　After　everyone　had　left　the　bonfire；　one　of　the　boys　had　sneaked　back　and　thrown　a　few　boxes　of　cartridges　into　the　hot　ashes。　As　soon　as　the　boxes　were　burned　through　and　things　became　hot　enough；　the　cartridges　had　let　loose。　Like　most　practical　jokes　it　involved　a　certain　element　of　risk；　but　at　this　time　of　year　the　grass　was　green；　and　there　was　no　danger　of　starting　a　fire。　Also；　most　of　the　people　had　been　warned　in　advance　or　knew　what　was　likely　to　happen　and　so　would　be　sure　to　keep　a　long　way　from　the　hot　ashes。　Indeed；　Ish　reconsidered；　he　himself　might　have　been　the　particular　object　of　this　joke；　and　everyone　else　might　have　known　about　it。　
　　All　right！　If　so；　he　was　successfully　baited。　He　felt　a　sense　of　irritation；　but　for　more　serious　reasons；　he　thought；　than　because　he　had　been　fooled。　〃Well；〃　he　said　to　Em；　〃there　they　go　again…more　boxes　of　cartridges　popping　off　uselessly；　and　no　one　left　in　the　world　who　knows　how　to　make　cartridges！　And　here　we　are　in　a　country　overrun　with　mountain…lions　and　wild　bulls；　and　cartridges　the　only　way　we　have　of　keeping　them　under　control；　and　for　food　we　don't　know　how　to　kill　cattle　or　rabbits　or　quail　except　by　shooting　them。〃　
　　Em　seemed　to　have　nothing　to　say；　and　in　the　pause　his　mind　ranged　petulantly　over　the　events　of　the　bonfire　itself。　That　fire　had　been　built　up　largely　out　of　sawed　timber　brought　from　a　lumber…yard；　interspersed　with　cartons　of　toilet　paper；　which　burned　beautifully　because　of　the　holes　through　the　middle。　In　addition；　boxes　of　matches　had　been　scattered　through　the　fire　because　they　went　up　with　fine　flares；　and　there　had　also　been　cans　of　alcohol　and　cleaning…fluid　to　give　further　zest。　Doubtless；　if　you　had　had　to　buy　all　those　materials　with　money；　the　bonfire　would　have　cost　ten　thousand　dollars　in　the　Old　Times；　now；　those　materials　might　be　considered　even　more　valuable；　because　they　had　e　to　be　pletely　irreplaceable。　
　　〃Don't　worry；　dearest；〃　he　heard　her　say　now。　〃It's　time　to　go　to　sleep。〃　
　　He　settled　down　beside　her；　his　head　close　against　her　breast；　seeming　as　always　to　draw　strength　and　confidence　from　her。　
　　〃I'm　not　worrying　much；　I　suppose；〃　he　said。　〃Maybe　I　really　enjoy　all　this；　feeling　a　little　lugubrious　about　the　future；　as　if　we　were　living　dangerously。〃　
　　He　lay　still　for　a　moment　more；　and　she　said　nothing；　and　then　he　went　on　with　his　thinking　aloud。