gs.earthabides-第64节

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；　and　called　to　him　to　e　and　see。　Joey　was　interested；　as　always。　Ish　explained　to　him　about　the　。　During　the　passage　of　the　years　their　own　munity　had　delayed　so　long　in　trying　to　raise　　that　in　the　end　he　had　not　been　able　to　find　any　still　living　seed。　Now　there　was　another　chance。　
　　Then；　even　though　it　seemed　a　terrible　thing　to　do；　Ish　took　the　little　box；　and　went　out　into　the　kitchen　with　Joey。　They　lighted　a　burner　in　the　gasoline　stove；　and　took　a　frying…pan。　Carefully；　allowing　themselves　only　two　dozen　kernels；　they　poured　some　corn　into　the　frying…pan；　and　parched　the　kernels　over　the　flame。　
　　Even　though　they　thus　wasted　some　of　the　seeds；　Ish　felt　too　Much　moved　emotionally　to　resist　the　temptation；　and　he　justified　himself　by　thinking　that　the　actual　demonstration　to　Joey；　immediately；　was　necessary。　
　　The　corn　did　not　parch　well；　and　was　barely　edible。　Neither　of　them　cared　for　it　much。　Actually　Ish　could　only　remember　having　eaten　parched　corn　as　a　sophisticated　cocktail…relish；　but　he　explained　to　Joey　that　parched　corn　had　been　a　regular　food　on　the　American　frontier　and　that　his　ancestors　must　often　have　depended　largely　upon　it。　
　　The　big　eyes；　bright　in　the　thin　little　face；　showed　that　Joey　appreciated　the　story。　
　　〃I　wish；〃　thought　Ish；　〃that　he　might　grow　stronger；　and　be　something　firmer　to　count　on。　Well；　I　have　wasted　two　dozen　of　them；　but　perhaps　in　Joey's　mind　I　have　planted　a　more　important　seed。〃　
　　Wheat　and　corn…they　too；　like　dog　and　horse；　marched　and　shared　with　man；　friends　and　helpers　on　the　long　way。。。　
　　Far　in　some　dry　corner　of　the　Old　World　the　little　spiked　grass　sprouted　more　thickly　around　the　edges　of　the　campsites　where　the　disturbing　and　enrichment　of　the　soil　gave　it　ground　to　its　liking。　So　first；　perhaps；　it　adopted　man；　but　soon　man　adopted　it。　The　more　it　repaid　his　care；　the　more　he　coddled　it。　With　his　fostering　it　grew　taller　and　stronger；　yielding　more　seed；　but　also　it　came　to　demand　the　tilled　soil　and　the　seedbed　free　of　the　petition　of　the　wilder　grasses。　
　　The　first　Year　after　there　were　no　more　plowed　fields；　the　volunteer　wheat　sprang　up　on　thousands　of　acres；　but　soon　there　was　less　of　it　and　then　still　less。　Like　wolves　upon　the　sheep；　the　fierce　native　grasses　returned。　They　formed　tough　sod；　year　after　year；　they　grew　from　the　same　roots；　thriving　the　better　for　lack　of　cultivation。　
　　After　a　while　there　was　no　more　wheat；　except　that　far　off　in　the　dry　lands　of　Asia　and　Africa；　here　and　there；　the　little　spiked　grass　still　was　growing；　as　it　had　grown　before　an　incident　called　Agriculture。。。。　So　also　with　the　maize。　From　the　tropics　of　America；　it　too　journeyed　far　with　man。　Like　the　sheep　it　traded　its　freedom　for　a　fat　and　pampered　life。　It　could　no　longer　even　shed　its　own　seeds；　held　tight　within　the　tough　husk。　Even　sooner　than　the　wheat；　the　maize　vanished。　Only；　on　the　Mexican　High　lands；　in　thick　clumps　the　wild　teosinte　still　pushed　up　tasseled　tops　against　the　high　sun。。。。　
　　So　it　will　go；　unless　here　and　there　a　few　men　still　linger。　For　if　man　cannot　prosper　without　the　wheat　and　the　corn；　still　less　can　they　prosper　without　man。　
　　Although　George　and　Maurine　kept　track　of　the　months　and　the　days　of　the　months　（or　thought　they　did）；　all　the　rest　went　more　by　the　position　of　the　sun　and　the　state　of　the　vegetation。　Ish　took　pride　in　being　able　to　estimate　the　time　of　the　year；　and　when　he　pared　notes　with　George's　calendar；　he　was　generally　pleased　to　see　that　he　was　not　more　than　a　week　or　so　wrong…if　indeed　he　might　not　be　right　and　George　wrong；　for　Ish　had　no　strong　faith　in　George's　accuracy。　
　　In　any　case；　a　week　or　two　made　no　difference　when　it　came　to　planting　the　corn。　Obviously　the　season　was　too　far　advanced。　The　cold　weather　would　arrive　before　the　corn　was　more　than　well　sprouted。　Next　year　they　would　try　it。　
　　In　the　next　few　days；　however；　Ish　spent　some　time　scouting　about　in　the　vicinity；　trying　to　locate　a　good　spot　for　the　patch。　He　took　Joey　along　with　him；　and　the　two　were　soon　talking　learnedly　about　exposures；　soil；　and　possibilities　for　keeping　the　wild　cattle　out。　Actually；　Ish　realized；　their　particular　region　was　about　the　worst　place　in　the　United　States　for　…growing。　A　variety　which　was　adapted　to　the　dry　and　hot　Rio　Grande　valley　might　not　even　mature　at　all　in　the　chilly　and　fog…blanketed　summers　near　San　Francisco　Bay。　Moreover；　he　himself　was　not　a　farmer；　and　had　never　even　had　a　green　thumb　for　gardening。　His　knowledge　of　plants　and　soils　was　mostly　theoretical；　gained　from　his　studies　in　geography。　He　remembered　how　podzols　and　chernozems　were　formed　and　he　thought　he　might　even　recognize　them　when　he　saw　them；　but　that　did　not　make　him　a　farmer。　No　one　else　in　The　Tribe　had　been　one　either；　although　Maurine　had　grown　up　on　a　farm。　This　accident；　so　you　might　call　it；　that　they　had　no　one　who　was　close　to　the　soil；　had　already　been　of　much　importance　in　determining　their　munal　outlook　on　life。　
　　One　day…more　than　a　week　had　passed；　and　the　memory　of　Charlie　and　the　oak　tree　had　faded　somewhat…Ish　and　Joey　came　back　to　the　house　after　having　located　what　seemed　the　most　favorable　site　they　had　yet　seen。　Em　came　out　on　the　porch　to　meet　them；　and　Ish　knew　immediately　that　something　had　happened。　〃What's　the　matter？〃　he　asked　quickly。　
　　〃Oh；　nothing　much；〃　she　said；　〃I　hope　anyway。　Bob　seems　to　be　sick；　a　little。〃　Ish　stopped　dead　on　the　porch；　and　looked　at　her。　
　　〃No；　I　don't　think　so；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　no　doctor；　but　I　don't　think　it's　anything　like　that。　I　don't　even　see　how　it　could　be。　e　and　take　a　look　at　him。　He　says　he's　felt　a　little　bad　for　the　last　few　days。〃　
　　During　the　years　Ish　had　usually　taken　the　responsibility　of　doctoring。　He　had　developed　some　skill　at　treating　cuts　and　bruises　and　sprains；　and　had　once　set　a　broken　arm。　But　he　had　gained　practically　no　experience　with　disease；　because　there　were　only　the　two　that　seemed　to　exist　in　The　Tribe。　
　　〃Bob　hasn't　just　got　a　case　of　that　sore　throat？〃　he　asked。　〃I　can　fix　that　soon　enough！〃　
　　〃No；〃　she　said；　as　he　had　known　she　would…she　would　not　be　so　obviously　worrying　about　the　sore　throat。　〃No；〃　she　repeated；　〃he　hasn't　got　a　sore　throat　at　all。　He　just　seems　laid　out；　flat。〃　
　　〃Sulfa　will　probably　do　the　job　anyway；〃　said　Ish；　cheerfully。　〃As　long　as　there　are　thousands　of　pills　in　the　drug　stores；　and　still　good；　we're　lucky！　And　if　sulfa　won't　work；　I'll　take　a　chance　with　penicillin。〃　
　　He　went　upstairs　quickly。　Bob　was　lying　in　bed；　lying　very　still　with　his　face　turned　away　from　the　light。　
　　〃Oh；　I'm　all　right！〃　he　said；　irritably。　〃Mother　gets　excited！〃　
　　Proof　enough　to　the　contrary；　thought　Ish；　lay　in　his　taking　to　bed。　A　sixteen…year…old　did　not　go　to　bed；　before　he　was　too　sick　to　stand。　
　　Ish　looked　around　and　saw　Joey；　peering　curiously　at　his　brother。　
　　〃Joey；　get　out　of　here！〃　he　snapped。　
　　〃I'd　like　to　see。　I　want　to　know　about　being　sick！〃　
　　〃No；　you　keep　your　nose　out　of　this。　When　you　get　bigger　and　stronger；　I'll　show　you；　and　teach　you。　But　we　don't　want　you　getting　sick　too。　The　first　thing　to　learn　about　sickness　is　that　it　may　go　from　one　person　to　another。〃　
　　Joey　backed　out　reluctantly；　his　curiosity　stronger　than　any　theoretical　fear　of　being　sick。　The　Tribe　had　had　so　little　experience　with　disease　that　the　children　had　no　respect　for　it。　
　　Bob　plained　of　a　headache；　and　a　general　sense　of　unlocalized　disfort。　He　kept　very　still　in　bed；　obviously　prostrated。　Ish　took　his　temperature　and　found　it　just　under　101；　not　too　good　or　too　bad。　He　prescribed　two　sulfa　pills　and　a　full　glass　of　water。　Bob　gagged　over　the　pills；　he　was　not　used　to　swallowing　such　things。　
　　Telling　Bob　to　get　some　sleep；　Ish　went　out；　and　closed　the　door。　
　　〃What　is　it？〃　Em　asked　him。　
　　He　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃Nothing　that　sulfa　won't　cure；　I　guess。〃　
　　〃I　don't　like　it；　though。　So　soon。。。〃　
　　〃Yes。　There's　such　a　thing；　however；　as　coincidence；　you　remember。〃　
　　〃I　know　that。　But　you're　the　one　that　will　be　worrying。〃　
　　〃I'll　give　the　pills　every　four　hours；　overnight　at　least；　before　I　begin。〃　
　　〃That's　fine；　if　it's　so！〃　she　said　as　a　last　word；　and　went　off。　
　　And　Ish；　before　even　he　had　got　all　the　way　downstairs；　knew　that　her　skepticism　was　justified。　After　all；　why　should　a　man　not　worry？　In　the　Old　Times　when　you　lived　with　all　the　protection　of　doctors　and　public…health　services；　even　then　the　mysterious　and　sudden　onset　of　disease　was　terrifying。　How　much　more　so；　now！　
　　Now；　just　as　man　lacked　the　all…embracing　power　of　a　nation　around　him；　so　also　he　felt　himself　bare　and　exposed　and　helpless　for　lack　of　that　age…old　tradition　of　medical　skill。　
　　〃It's　my　fault！〃　he　thought。　〃All　these　years　of　grace！　I　should　have　been　studying　the　medical　books。　I　should　have　made　myself　into　a　doctor。〃　
　　Yet　the　study　of　medicine　had　never　appealed　to　him；　even　far　back　in　the　Old　Times　when　he　had　been　thinking　about　a　profession。　And　a　man　couldn't　be　a　universal　genius！　Besides；　there　had　been　no　pressure；　when　nearlv　all　the　diseases　seemed　to　have　died　out。　
　　That　fact；　when　he　thought　o