gs.earthabides-第1节

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　　1
　　World　Without　End
　　If　a　killing　type　of　virus　strain　should　suddenly　arise　by　mutation　。。。　it　could；　because　of　the　rapid　transportation　in　which　we　indulge　nowadays；　be　carried　to　the　far　corners　of　the　earth　and　cause　the　deaths　of　millions　of　people。　
　　…　W。　M。　Stanley；　in　Chemical　and　Engineering　News；　Dec。　22；　1947。
　　
　　Chapter　1
　　。。。　and　the　government　of　the　United　States　of　America　is　herewith　suspended；　except　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　as　of　the　emergency。　Federal　officers；　including　those　of　the　Armed　Forces；　will　put　themselves　under　the　orders　of　the　governors　of　the　various　states　or　of　any　other　functioning　local　authority。　By　order　of　the　Acting　President。　God　save　the　people　of　the　United　States。。。。　
　　Here　is　an　announcement　which　has　just　e　in　from　the　Bay　Area　Emergency　Council。　The　West　Oakland　Hospitalization　Center　has　been　abandoned。　Its　functions；　including　burials　at　sea；　are　now　concentrated　at　the　Berkeley　Center。　That　is　all。。。。　
　　Keep　tuned　to　this　Station；　which　is　the　only　one　now　in　operation　in　northern　California。　We　shall　inform　you　of　developments；　as　long　as　it　is　possible。　
　　Just　as　he　pulled　himself　up　to　the　rock…ledge；　he　heard　a　sudden　rattle；　and　felt　a　prick　of　fangs。　Automatically　he　jerked　back　his　right　hand；　turning　his　head；　he　saw　the　snake；　coiled　and　menacing。　It　was　not　a　large　one；　he　noted；　even　at　the　moment　when　he　raised　his　hand　to　his　lips　and　sucked　hard　at　the　base　of　the　index…finger；　where　a　little　drop　of　blood　was　oozing　out。　
　　〃Don't　waste　time　by　killing　the　snake！〃　he　remembered。　
　　He　slid　down　from　the　ledge；　still　sucking。　At　the　bottom　he　saw　the　hammer　lying　where　he　had　left　it。　For　a　moment　he　thought　he　would　go　on　and　leave　it　there。　That　seemed　like　panic；　so　he　stooped　and　picked　it　up　with　his　left　hand；　and　went　on　down　the　rough　trail。　
　　He　did　not　hurry。　He　knew　better　than　that。　Hurry　only　speeded　up　a　man's　heart；　and　made　the　venom　circulate　faster。　Yet　his　heart　was　pounding　so　rapidly　from　excitement　or　fear　that　hurrying　or　not　hurrying；　it　seemed；　should　make　no　difference。　After　he　had　e　to　some　trees；　he　took　his　handkerchief　and　bound　it　around　his　right　wrist。　With　the　aid　of　a　twig　he　twisted　the　handkerchief　into　a　crude　tourniquet。　
　　Walking　on；　he　felt　himself　recovering　from　his　panic。　His　heart　was　slowing　down。　As　he　considered　the　situation；　he　was　not　greatly　afraid。　He　was　a　young　man；　vigorous　and　healthy。　Such　a　bite　would　hardly　be　fatal；　even　though　he　was　by　himself　and　without　good　means　of　treatment。　
　　Now　he　saw　the　cabin　ahead　of　him。　His　hand　felt　stiff。　Just　before　he　got　to　the　cabin；　he　stopped　and　loosened　the　tourniquet；　as　he　had　read　should　be　done；　and　let　the　blood　circulate　in　the　hand。　Then　he　tightened　it　again。　
　　He　pushed　open　the　door；　dropping　the　hammer　on　the　floor　as　he　did　so。　It　fell；　handle　up；　on　its　heavy　head；　rocked　back　and　forth　for　a　moment；　and　then　stood　still；　handle　in　the　air。　
　　He　looked　into　the　drawer　of　the　table；　and　found　his　snake…bite　outfit；　which　he　should　have　been　carrying　with　him　on　this　day　of　a　days。　Quickly　he　followed　the　directions；　slicing　with　the　razor…blade　a　neat　little　criss…cross　over　the　mark　of　the　fangs；　applying　the　rubber　suction…pump。　Then　he　lay　on　his　bunk　watching　the　rubber　bulb　slowly　expand；　as　it　sucked　the　blood　out。　
　　He　felt　no　premonitions　of　death。　Rather；　the　whole　matter　still　seemed　to　him　just　a　nuisance。　People　had　kept　telling　him　that　he　should　not　go　into　the　mountains　by　himself…〃Without　even　a　dog！〃　they　used　to　add。　He　had　always　laughed　at　them。　A　dog　was　constant　trouble；　getting　mixed　up　with　porcupines　or　skunks；　and　he　was　not　fond　of　dogs　anyway。　Now　all　those　people　would　say；　〃Well；　we　warned　you！〃　
　　Tossing　about　half…feverishly；　he　now　seemed　to　himself　to　be　posing　a　defense。　〃Perhaps；〃　he　would　say；　〃the　very　danger　in　it　appealed　to　me！〃　（That　had　a　touch　of　the　heroic　in　it。）　More　truthfully　he　might　say；　〃I　like　to　be　alone　at　times；　really　need　to　escape　from　all　the　problems　of　dealing　with　people。〃　His　best　defense；　however；　would　merely　be　that；　at　least　during　the　last　year；　he　had　gone　into　the　mountains　alone　as　a　matter　of　business。　As　a　graduate　student；　he　was　working　on　a　thesis：　The　Ecology　of　the　Black　Creek　Area。　He　had　to　investigate　the　relationships；　past　and　present；　of　men　and　plants　and　animals　in　this　region。　Obviously　he　could　not　wait　until　just　the　right　panion　came　along。　In　any　case；　he　could　never　see　that　there　was　any　great　danger。　Although　nobody　lived　within　five　miles　of　his　cabin；　during　the　summer　hardly　a　day　passed　without　some　fisherman　ing　by；　driving　his　car　up　the　rocky　road　or　merely　following　the　stream。　
　　Yet；　e　to　think　of　it；　when　had　he　last　seen　a　fisherman？　Not　in　the　past　week　certainly。　He　could　not　actually　remember　whether　he　had　seen　one　in　the　two　weeks　that　he　had　been　living　by　himself　in　the　cabin。　There　was　that　car　he　had　heard　go　by　after　dark　one　night。　He　thought　it　strange　that　any　car　would　be　going　up　that　road　in　the　darkness；　and　could　hardly　see　the　necessity；　for　ordinarily　people　camped　down　below　for　the　night　and　went　up　in　the　morning。　But　perhaps；　he　thought；　they　wanted　to　get　up　to　their　favorite　stream；　to　go　out　for　some　early　fishing。　
　　No；　actually；　he　had　not　exchanged　a　word　with　anyone　in　the　last　two　weeks；　and　he　could　not　even　remember　that　he　had　seen　anyone。　
　　A　throb　of　pain　brought　him　back　to　what　was　happening　at　the　moment。　The　hand　was　beginning　to　swell。　He　loosened　the　tourniquet　to　let　the　blood　circulate　again。　
　　Yes；　as；　he　returned　to　his　thoughts；　he　realized　that　he　was　out　of　touch　with　things　entirely。　He　had　no　radio。　Therefore；　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；　there　might　have　been　a　crash　of　the　stockmarket　or　another　Pearl　Harbor；　something　like　that　would　account　for　so　few　fishermen　going　by。　At　any　rate；　there　was　very　little　chance　apparently　that　anyone　would　e　to　help　him。　He　would　have　to　work　his　own　way　out。　
　　Yet　even　that　prospect　did　not　alarm　him。　At　worst；　he　considered；　he　would　lie　up　in　his　cabin；　with　plenty　of　food　and　water　for　two　or　three　days；　until　the　swelling　in　his　hand　subsided　and　he　could　drive　his　car　down　to　Johnson's；　the　first　ranch。　
　　The　afternoon　wore　on。　He　did　not　feel　like　eating　anything　when　it　came　toward　supper…time；　but　he　made　himself　a　pot　of　coffee　on　the　gasoline　stove；　and　drank　several　cups。　He　was　in　much　pain；　but　in　spite　of　the　pain　and　in　spite　of　the　coffee　he　became　sleepy。。。　
　　He　woke　suddenly　in　half…light；　and　realized　that　someone　had　pushed　open　the　cabin　door。　He　felt　a　sudden　relief　to　know　that　he　had　help。　Two　men　in　city　clothes　were　standing　there；　very　decent…looking　men；　although　staring　around　strangely；　as　if　in　fright。　〃I'm　sick！〃　he　said　from　his　bunk；　and　suddenly　he　saw　the　fright　on　their　faces　change　to　sheer　panic。　They　turned　suddenly　without　even　shutting　the　door；　and　ran。　A　moment　later　came　the　sound　of　a　starting　motor。　It　faded　out　as　the　car　went　up　the　road。　
　　Appalled　now　for　the　first　time；　he　raised　himself　from　the　bank；　and　looked　through　the　window。　The　car　had　already　vanished　around　the　curve。　He　could　not　understand。　Why　had　they　suddenly　disappeared　in　panic；　without　even　offering　to　help？　
　　He　got　up。　The　light　was　in　the　east；　so　he　had　slept　until　dawn　the　next　morning。　His　right　hand　was　swollen　and　acutely　painful。　Otherwise　he　did　not　feel　very　ill。　He　warmed　lap　the　pot　of　coffee；　made　himself　some　oatmeal；　and　lay　down　in…　his　bunk　again；　in　the　hope　that　after　a　while　he　would　feel　well　enough　to　risk　driving　down　to　Johnson's　that　is；　of　course；　if　no　one　came　along　in　the　meantime　who　would　stop　and　help　him　and　not　like　those　others；　who　must　be　crazy；　run　away　at　the　sight　of　a　sick　man。　
　　Soon；　however；　he　felt　much　worse；　and　realized　that　he　must　be　suffering　some　kind　of　relapse。　By　the　middle　of　the　afternoon　he　was　redly　frightened。　Lying　in　his　bunk；　he　posed　a　note；　thinking　that　he　should　leave　a　record　of　what　had　happened。　It；　would　not　be　very　long　of　course　before　someone　would　find　him；　his　parents　would　certainly　telephone　Johnson's　in　a　few　days　now；　if　they　did　not　hear　anything。　Scrawling　with　his　left　hand；　he　managed　to　get　the　words　onto　paper。　He　signed　merely　Ish。　It　was　too　much　work　to　write　out　his　full　name　of　Isherwood　Williams；　and　everybody　knew　him　by　his　nickname。　。　
　　At　noon；　feeling　himself　like　the　ship…wrecked　mariner　who　from　his　raft　sees　the　steamer　cross　along　the　horizon；　he　heard　the　sound　of　cars；　two　of　them；　ing　up　the　steep　road。　They　approached；　and　then　went　on；　without　stopping。　He　called　to　them；　but　by　now　he　was　weak；　and　his　voice；　he　was　sure；　did　not　carry　the　hundred　yards　to　the　turn…off　where　the　cars　were　passing。　
　　Even　so；　before　dusk　he　struggled　to　his　feet；　and　lighted　the　kerosene　lamp。　He　did　not　want　to　be　left　in　the　dark。　
　　Apprehensively；　he　bent　his　lanky　body　down　to　peer　into　the　little　mirror；　set　too　low　for　him　because　of　the　sloping　roof　of　the　cabin。　His　long　face　was　thin　always；　and　scarcely　seemed　thinner