gs.earthabides-第44节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　surprise　which　had　e　upon　them　because　they　had　not　taken　the　pains　to　explore　around　the　reservoir。　He　would　have　considered　it　the　least　important　of　his　suggestions；　but　this　was　the　one　that　caught　the　group…imagination。　Suddenly　everyone　was　in　favor　of　it；　and　Ish　joined　the　crowd　in　vigorous　support。　It　was　better；　he　felt；　to　do　something…anything　to　break　the　lethargy。　
　　Soon　he　felt　himself　being　more　enthusiastic。　His　original　idea　of　an　〃expedition〃　had　merely　been　that　they　should　explore　the　country　for　a　hundred　miles　or　so　roundabout；　but　he　found　that　the　others　had　understood　him　to　envisage　something　much　more。　Soon；　his　imagination　kindling；　he　went　along　with　them。　In　a　few　minutes　everyone　was　talking　of　a　transcontinental　expedition。　〃Lewis…and…Clark　in　reverse！〃　thought　Ish　to　himself；　but　he　said　nothing；　knowing　that　few　of　those　present　would　know　anything　about　Lewis　and　Clark。　
　　The　talk　ran　on　vigorously：　
　　〃Too　long　for　walking！〃　
　　〃Or　dog…teams　either！〃　
　　〃Horses　would　do　better；　if　we　had　some！〃　
　　〃There're　sure　to　be　some　over　in　the　big　valley。〃　
　　〃Take　a　long　time　to　catch　and　break　them。〃　
　　As　he　listened；　still　another　thought　crossed　Ish's　mind。　His　old　dream；　the　one　which　had　e　again　that　afternoon！　How　did　they　really　know　that　the　Government　of　the　United　States　had　actually　failed？　Even　if　it　had；　it　might　have　been　reconstituted。　It　would　be　small　and　weak；　of　course；　and　might　not　yet　have　been　able　to　re…establish　touch　with　the　West　Coast。　By　their　own　effort　they　might　make　the　contact。　
　　Another　curious　feature　was　that　nearly　everyone　wanted　to　go！　It　was　the　best　evidence　you　could　want　as　to　the　way　in　which　people　generally…males；　at　least…were　born　with　itchy　feet；　always　ready　to　go　somewhere　else　and　see　new　things。　The　question　became　one　of　elimination。　Ish　was　ruled　out；　scarcely　being　able　to　put　up　a　good　protest；　because　of　his　disability　where　the　mountain…lion　had　clawed　him；　far　back　in　the　Year　of　the　Lions。　George　was　too　old。　Ezra；　in　spite　of　his　vigorous　arguments；　was　disqualified　as　being　the　worst　shot　of　them　all　and　generally　the　least　fitted　to　take　care　of　himself　in　the　open。　As　for　the　〃boys；〃　everyone　except　themselves　agreed　that　they　should　not　leave　their　wives　and　young　families。　In　the　end　the　decision　was　for　Robert　and　Richard；　youngsters；　but　well　able　to　take　care　of　themselves。　Their　mothers；　Em　and　Molly；　looked　doubtful；　but　the　enthusiasm　of　the　meeting　oven…ode　their　objections。　Robert　and　Richard　were　delighted。　
　　The　more　ticklish　questions　were　really　as　to　the　route　and　the　means　of　transportation。　In　the　last　few　years　no　one　had　used　an　automobile；　and　several　once…fine　cars　stood　forlorn　and　ruinous　along　San　Lupo　Drive　on　hopelessly　flat　tires；　the　children　used　them　for　playhouses。　The　trouble　of　keeping　automobiles　going　was　more　work　than　pleasure；　and　the　roads　in　all　directions　had　bee　so　clogged　with　fallen　trees　and　the　bricks　of　chimneys　brought　down　by　the　earthquake　that　there　would　have　been　little　practical　advantage　to　trying　to　travel　about　the　city　by　car；　even　if　you　had　a　workable　one。　On　top　of　all　that；　the　younger　men　had　never　known　the　fun　of　driving　a　car　under　good　conditions；　and　so　had　no　interest。　Finally；　where　would　you　go　if　you　had　a　car？　You　had　no　friends　to　visit　in　the　other　part　of　town；　and　no　movies　to　go　to。　To　bring　cans　and　bottles　home　from　the　grocery　stores；　the　dog…teams　did　well　enough；　and　they　also　served　for　fishing…expeditions　to　the　bay…shore。　
　　Still；　the　older　ones　agreed；　it　might　be　possible　to　get　an　automobile　running　again；　and　to　drive　it　for　a　considerable　distance；　even　on　rotten　tires；　if　you　kept　the　speed　down　below；　say；　twenty…five　miles　an　hour。　And　that　was　really　traveling；　pared　with　a　dog…team！　Fast　enough　too　to　take　you　to　New　York　in　a　month　easily…provided　the　roads　were　passable！　
　　That　was　the　other　difficult　point…the　route！　Ish　was　suddenly　at　home；　bringing　into　play　his　old　knowledge　of　geography。　Everything　to　the　east；　across　the　Sierra　Nevada；　would　be　pletely　blocked　by　fallen　trees　and　landslides；　and　the　roads　to　the　north　would　probably　be　the　same。　The　best　chance　would　certainly　be　through　the　more　open　country　toward　the　south；　actually　the　route　by　winch　Ish　had　gone　to　New　York　once　long　before。　The　desert　roads　might　still　be　almost　as　good　as　ever。　The　Colorado　River　bridges　might　still　be　standing　or　might　have　fallen。　ne　only　way　to　find　out　would　be　to　go　and　see。　
　　His　excitement　rising；　the　old　road…maps　standing　out　more　clearly　in　his　mind；　Ish　planned　the　route　eastward。　Beyond　the　Colorado　the　mountains　should　not　be　too　difficult；　and　there　were　no　big　rivers　for　a　long　way…until　you　came　to　the　Rio　Grande　at　Albuquerque。　Beyond　there；　if　you　could　just　get　through　the　Sandia　Mountains；　you　had　open　plateau　country；　and　farther　east　there　would　be　more　and　more　choice　of　roads。　（You　could　still　find　gasoline　in　drums；　that　would　be　no　great　problem。）　Once　on　the　plains；　you　should　be　able　to　get　to　the　Missouri　or　the　Mississippi；　and　even　across　those　largest　rivers；　the　high　steel　bridges　should　still　be　in。　good　condition；　to　judge　by　the　Bay　Bridge。　
　　〃What　an　adventure！〃　he　burst　out。　〃I'd　give　anything　to　be　able　to　go！　You　must　look　everywhere　for　people…not　just　one　or　two；　but　munities。　You　must　see　how　other　groups　are　going　at　solving　their'problenis　and　getting　started　again。〃　
　　Beyond　the　Mississippi　（he　resumed　planning　the　route）　it　would　be　hard　to　say。　That　was　natural　forest　country；　and　the　roads　might　be　badly　blocked。　On　the　other　hand；　fires　might　have　kept　the　growth　down；　at　least　across　the　old　prairie　country　in　Illinois。　All　they　could　do　would　be　to　go　and　find　out；　if　they　even　got　that　far；　and　to　make　decisions　then。　
　　By　now　the　candles　were　getting　well　burned　down。　The　clock。　pointed　to　ten　o'clock；　although　that　was　only　an　approximation。　（Ish　checked　time　once　in　a　while　by　watching　the　shadow　at　noon；　and　the　big　clock　in　his　living…room　was　considered　standard　for　the　munity。）　But　it　certainly　was　a　late　hour　for　people　who　had　no　electric　lights；　and　so　had　gradually　got　arourid　to　making　more　and　more　use　of　sunlight。　
　　Suddenly　the　others　were　all　on　their　feet　and　taking　leave。　When　they　had　gone；　Ish　and　Em　sent　Robert　to　bed；　and　then　started　to　straighten；up　the　living…room。　
　　Ish　felt　a　nostalgic　touch。　Things　had　changed　so　much　and　yet　sometimes　seemed　to　have　changed　not　at　all！　This　might　have　been　away　back　in　the　Old　Times；　and　he　instead　of　Robert　might　have　been　the　youngster　just　sent　upstairs。　He　instead　of　Robert　might　be　the　one　peeping　down　through　the　stairway　（as　Robert　probably　was）；　seeing　his　father　and　mother　moving　about；　emptying　cigarette　trays；　shoving　cushions　back　into　place；　and　generally　putting　the　room　to　rights　so　that　it　would　not　look　too　devastating　when　they　came　down　in　the　morning。　It　furnished　a　kind　of　fortable　little；　domestic　interim　which　rounded　off　the　evening　and　let　your　nerves　settle　down　from　the　buzz　of　conversation。　
　　When　they　had　finished；　they　sat　on　the　davenport　for　a　last　cigarette。　Ish's　mind　could　not　help　snapping　back　to　the　everung's　discussion。　Even　though　things　had　not　turned　out　as　he　had　at　first　planned；　still　he　felt　that　he　had　carried　a　main　point。　
　　〃munications；〃　he　said。　〃munications…maybe　that's　the　big　thing！　Take　it　anywhere　in　history。　When　a　nation　or　a　munity　got　isolated　all　by　itself；　it　went　conservative　and　then　retrograded。　It　got　to　acting　just　the　way　George　and　Maurine　are　over　there；　gathering　in　all　the　things　out　of　the　past；　and　freezing　just　at　that　point。　That　sort　of　thing；　maybe；　happened　to　Egypt　and　China。　But　then　when　there's　contact　with　some　other　civilization；　everything　loosens　up　again；　and　gets　going。　That's　the　way　it　will　be　with　us。〃　
　　She　did　not　say　anything；　but　he　knew　from　the　very　fact　of　her　silence；　that　she　did　not　altogether　agree。　
　　〃What　is　it；　darling？〃　he　asked。　
　　〃Well；　you　see；　I　was　thinking　maybe　it　wasn't　so　good　for　the　Indians　when　they　got　into　munication　with　the　white　people；　was　it？　Or　how　about　all　my　people　on　the　coast　of　Africa　when　they　got　into　contact　with　the　slavers？〃　
　　〃Yes；　but　maybe　that's　just　my　point。　How　would　we　like　it　if　some　slavers　came　over　the　hill　some　fine　morning；　and　we　had　never　known　they　were　anywhere　around　before？　Wouldn't　it　have　been　better　if　the　Indians　could　have　sent　some　scouts　over　to　Europe；　and　been　ready　for　white　men　who　came　with　horses　and　guns？〃　
　　He　was　pleased　that　he　had　countered　so　cleverly。　After　all；　her　argument　had　merely　been　for　letting　things　slide　and　for　living　in　ignorance。　That　kind　of　philosophy　could　never　win　in　the　long　run。　But　all　she　said　was：　〃Yes；　perhaps；　perhaps。〃　
　　〃Do　you　remember？〃　he　went　on。　〃I　was　saying　this　a　long　time　ago。　We've　got　to　live　more　creatively；　not　just　as　scavengers。　Why；　I　was　saying　this　way　back　even　at　the　time　our　first　baby　was　going　to　be　bom！〃　
　　〃Yes；　I　remember。　You've　said　it　a　great　many　times！　And　still　some　way　or　other；　it　seems　to　be　easier