gs.earthabides-第47节

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　　There　seemed　little　to　choose　between　the　others。　The　speedometer　of　one　of　them　stood　at　six　thousand；　and　Ish　decided　to　try　that　one。　
　　The　boys　looked　at　him　expectantly；　and　Ish　felt　that　he　was　putting　himself　to　the　test。　
　　〃Now　remember；〃　he　said　defensively；　〃I　don't　know　whether　I　can　get　this　thing　going　or　not。　I　don't　know　whether　anyone　could…after　twenty　years　and　more！　I'm　not　even　a　mechanic；　you　know！　I　was　just　one　of　those　ordinary　fellows　who　had　driven　a　car　quite　a　lot　and　could　change　a　fire；　or　tighten　a　fan…belt；　maybe。　Don't　expect　too　much。。。。　Well；　first；　we　might　try　to　see　if　we　can　move　her。〃　
　　Ish　made　sure　that　the　brake　was　off　and　the　gears　in　neutral。　
　　〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃The　tires　are　flat；　and　the　grease　is　stiff　in　the　wheel…bearings；　and　for　all　I　know　maybe　the　bearings　themselves　have　gone　flat　from　standing　twenty　years　the　same　way。　But　e　on　and　get　behind　her；　and　we'll　shove。　This　floor　is　level　anyway。。。。　All　right；　now。　All　together…shove！〃　The　car　lurched　suddenly　forward！　
　　The　boys　were　yelping　with　pleasure　and　excitement；　and　their　noise　set　the　dogs　to　barking。　You　would　have　thought　it　was　all　over；　whereas　all　that　had　been　proved　was　that　the　wheels　still　would　turn。　
　　Next　Ish　put　the　gear　into　high；　and　they　shoved　again。　This　was　a　different　story。　The　car　did　not　budge。　
　　The　question　was　now　whether　the　engine　and　gears　were　merely　stiff　from　disuse　or　whether　they　were　actually　rusted　tight　somewhere。　
　　Looking　under　the　hood；　Ish　saw　that　the　engine　was　well　smeared　with　grease；　as　engines　usually　were。　There　was　little　sign　of　external　rust；　but　that　might　show　nothing　about　what　had　happened　inside。　
　　The　boys　looked　at　him　expectantly；　and　he　thought　of　expedients。　He　could　try　the　other　car。　He　could　have　the　boys　bring　the　dog…teams　in　and　hitch　them　to　the　car。　Then　he　had　another　idea。　
　　The　jeep　which　had　been　in　the　process　of　being　repaired　was　only　some　ten　feet　behind　the　one　they　had　chosen　to　try。　If　they　could　shove　that　one　forward　out　of　gear；　they　might　send　it　against　the　rear　of　the　other　with　enough　momentum　to　make　something　give。　Also　they　might　smash　something；　but　that　was　no　matter！　
　　They　brought　this　jeep　within　two　feet　of　the　other；　and　rested。　Then；　altogether；　they　shoved　again。　
　　There　was　a　satisfactory　bang　of　metal　on　metal。　Going　to　look；　they　found　that　the　first　jeep　had　moved　three　inches。　After　that；　they　could　move　it　with　hard　pushing；　even　when　it　was　in　gear。　Ish　began　to　feel　triumphant。　
　　〃You　see；〃　he　said；　〃once　you　get　something　moving　it's　easier　to　keep　moving！〃　（Then　he　wondered　whether　that　principle　applied　to　groups　of　people；　as　well　as　to　engines。）　
　　The　battery　of　course　was　dead；　but　Ish　had　faced　that　problem　before。　First；　however；　he　gave　the　boys　instructions　to　drain　all　oil　out　of　the　car　and　replace　it　with　oil　from　sealed　cans；　using　the　lightest　oil　available。　
　　Leaving　them　at　work；　he　went　off　with　a　dog…team。　In　half　an　hour　he　was　back　with　a　battery。　He　connected　it；　and　turned　the　key　in　the　ignition　switch；　watching　the　needle　on　the　ammeter。　Nothing　happened。　Perhaps　the　wiring　was　gone　somewhere。　
　　But　he　tapped　the　ammeter；　and　the　long　unused　needle　suddenly　disengaged　and　went　jiggling　over　to　Discharge。　There　was　life！　He　felt　around　for　the　starter…button。　
　　〃Well；　boys；〃　he　said；　〃here's　a　real　test。。。。　Yes；　I　guess　this　is　the　acid　test；　seeing　that　that's　what　we　have　in　the　battery！〃　But　the　boys　grinned　blankly；　never　having　heard　the　expression；　and　Ish　found　himself　a　little　disturbed　that　he　had　been　able　to　make　a　pun　at　such　a　climax。　He　pressed　t　'　he　starter…button。　There　was　a　long　grunt。　
　　Then　slowly　the　engine　turned！　
　　After　the　first　turn　it　moved　more　easily；　and　then　more　q；asily　still。　So　far；　so　good！　
　　The　gasoline…tank　was　empty；　like　most　of　them。　these　days。　Probably　their　caps　were　not　air…tight；　or　else　the　gasoline　seeped　through　the　carburetor…Ish　did　not　know。　
　　They　found　gasoline　in　a　drum；　and　poured　five　gallons　into　the　tank。　Ish　put　in　fresh　spark…plugs。　He　primed　the　carburetor；　feeling　a　little　proud　that　he　knew　enough　to　do　so。　He　got　into　the　seat；　set　the　choke；　snapped　the　ignition　on　again；　and　tramped　on　the　starter…button。　
　　The　engine　grunted；　turned　over；　turned　faster；　and　then　suddenly　roared　into　life。　
　　The　boys　were　shouting。　Ish　sat　triumphantly；　nursing　the　throttle　with　his　foot。　He　felt　a　sense　of　pride　in　the　old　achievements　of　civilization…in　all　the　honest　design　and　honest　work　of　engineers　and　machinists　which　had　gone　into　fashioning　this　engine；　fit　to　work　after　twenty…some　years　of　idleness。　
　　The　engine；　however；　died　suddenly　when　the　gas　in　the　carburetor　was　exhausted。　They　primed　and　ran　it　again；　and　still　again；　and　finally　the　ancient　pump　brought　up　gas　from　the　tank；　and　the　engine　ran　continuously。　The　problem　now…and　perhaps　the　worst　of　all…was　tires。　
　　In　the　same　display…room　there　was　one　of　the　usual　tireracks　well　raised　above　the　floor。　But　the　tires　had　been　standing　upright　for　so　long　that　they　had　sagged　a　little　under　their　own　weight；　and　the　rubber；　where　it　had　rested　against　the　rack；　was　badly　indented。　Such　tires；　even　though　they　might　last　for　a　few　miles；　held　obviously　little　possibility　for　a　long　run。　By　searching　carefully；　they　finally　found　some　fires　which　had　been　resting　on　their　sides；　and　these　seemed　to　be　in'better　condition；　although　the　rubber　was　hard　and　full　of　little　cracks；　and　gave　an　impression　of　being　dead。　
　　They　found　a　jack；　and　raised　the　first　wheel　from　the　ground。　Even　to　get　the　wheel　off　was　a　struggle；　for　the　nuts　had　begun　to　rust　to　the　threads。　
　　Bob　and　Dick　were　unaccustomed　to　the　use　of　tools；　and　little　Joey　kept　getting　in　the　way　with　his　eagerness；　and　was　more　hindrance　than　help。　Even　in　the　Old　Times　Ish　had　never　dismounted　a　fire　except　once　or　twice　in　an　emergency；　and　he　had　forgotten　the　tricks；　if　he　had　ever　known　them。　
　　They　spent　a　long　time　sweating　the　first　tire　off　the　rim。　Bob　barked　a　knuckle；　and　Dick　tore　a　finger…nail　half　off。　Getting　the　〃new〃　tire　onto　the　rim　was　even　more　of　a　struggle；　both　because　of　their　clumsiness　and　because　of　the　tire's　own　aged　stiffness。　At　last；　tired　and　thoroughly　irritated　with　one　another　and　with　the　whole　job；　they　finished　getting　this　one　tire　onto　the　rim。　
　　Just　as　they　were　pausing；　triumphant　but　fired；　Ish　heard　Joey　calling　to　him　from　across　the　garage。　
　　〃What　is　it；　Joey？'　he　answered；　a　little　petulantly。　
　　〃e　here；　Daddy。〃　
　　〃Oh；　Joey；　I'm　tired；〃　he　said；　but　he　went；　and　the　two　other　boys　trailed　with　him。　Joey　was　pointing　at　the　spare　wheel　of　one　of　the　jeeps。　
　　〃Look；　Daddy；〃　he　said；　〃why　couldn't　you　use　that　one？〃　
　　〃All　Ish　could　do　was　to　burst　out　laughing。　
　　〃Well；　boys；〃　he　said　to　Dick　and　Bob；　〃that's　the　time　we　made　fools　of　ourselves！〃　
　　The　tire　on　the　spare　wheel　had　been　suspended　in　the　air　all　these　years；　and　it　was　already　on　a　wheel。　They　had　not　needed　to　shift　any　tires。　All　they　had　needed　to　do　was　to　take　this　and　the　other　spares；　pump　them　up；　and　put　them　on　their　own　jeep。　They　had　done　a　lot　of　work　for　no　purpose　because　they　had　just　barged　along　and　not　used　their　heads。　
　　Then　Ish；　suddenly　recognizing　his　own　stupidity；　strangely　gained　a　new　pleasure。　Joey　was　the　one　who　had　seen！　But　by　now　it　was　time　for　lunch。　
　　They　had　brought　along　only　their　spoons　and　always　essential　can…openers。　Now　they　went　off　to　the　nearest　grocery　store。　
　　Like　all　the　others　it　was　a　scene　of　devastation　and　litter　and　ruin。　A　mess！　It　was　depressing　to　Ish；　even　horrible；　in　spite　of　the　many　times　he　had　seen　its　like。　The　boys；　however；　thought　nothing　of　it；　never　having　seen　a　grocery　store　in　any　other　state。　Rats　and　mice　had　chewed　into　all　the　cartons；　and　the　floor　was　deep　with　the　remnants　of　cardboard　and　paper；　mixed　with　rodent　droppings。　Even　the　toilet　paper　had　been　chewed；　probably　for　nesting。　
　　But　the　rodents　could　do　nothing　with　glass　or　tin；　and　so　the　bottles　and　cans　were　undisturbed。　They　even　looked　startlingly　neat；　at　first　glance；　in　contrast　with　the　mess　elsewhere。　When　you　looked　closer；　they　were　not　really　neat。　Droppings　were　scattered　even　on　these　shelves；　and　many　labels　had　been　chewed；　probably　because　of　the　paste　beneath　the　paper。　Also　the　colors　had　faded；　so　that　the　once　bright　red　tomatoes　on　the　labels　were　a　sickly　yellow；　and　the　rosy…cheeked　peaches　had　almost　disappeared。　
　　The　labels；　however；　were　still　readable。　At　least；　Ish　and　Joey　could　read　them；　and　the　others；　though　they　got　stuck　on　many　hard　words　like　apricots　and　asparagus；　could　at　least　tell　what　was　inside　by　looking　at　the　pictures。　They　selected　what　they　wanted。　
　　The　boys　were　quite　ready　to　sit　down　in　the　liner　and　eat。　Ish；　however；　wanted　to　get　outside。　So　they　went　and　sat　on　the　curb　in　the　sun。　
　　They　did　not　bother　with　a　fire；　but　ate　a　cold　lunch　out　of　the　cans；　each　to　his　choice；　from　a　selection　of　baked　beans；　sardines；　salmon；　li