gs.earthabides-第58节

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　　Ish　figured　out　quickly　that　it　might　have　been　the　Wabash。　Floods　of　twenty…two　years；　or…more　likely…just　one　great　flood；　had　swept　away　the　bridges。　After　exploring　southward　and　finding　no　passage；　the　boys　had　had　to　go　northward　to　Highway　6　again；　which　more　or　less　followed　a　height　of　land。　
　　The　progress　eastward　had　bee　more　and　more　laborious。　Floods；　windstorms；　and　frost　had　transformed　the　once　open　and　smooth　highways　into　rough　lines　of　concrete　chunks　strewn　with　gravel　from　washouts；　overgrown　with　vegetation；　and　crisscrossed　with　fallen　tree…trunks。　Sometimes　the　jeep　could　push　through　the　bushes　or　detour　the　tree…trunks。　But　often　the　boys　had　had　to　make　a　passageway　with　ax　or　shovel；　and　the　constant　work　wore　them　down。　Also　the　loneliness　began　to　oppress　them。　
　　〃There　was　a　cold　day　with　a　north　wind；〃　Dick　confessed；　〃and　we　were　afraid。　We　remembered　what　you　used　to　tell　us　about　snow；　and　we　thought　we　might　never　get　home。〃　
　　Somewhere；　probably　near　Toledo；　they　had　turned　back。　At　turning　back；　a　kind　of　panic　came　upon　them。　At　the　same　time　heavy　rains　began　to　fall；　and　the　roads　were　often　flooded。　They　had　the　fear　that　some　of　the　bridges　over　the　larger　rivers　might　be　carried　away；　leaving　them　cut　off　from　their　own　people。　They　had　not　tried　to　go　south；　as　Ish　had　wished；　but　had　back…tracked　along　their　own　trail；　gradually　being　reassured　by　their　ability　to　get　back　to　places　that　they　had　seen　already。　On　their　return　home；　therefore；　they　had　learned　little　that　they　had　not　learned　on　the　way　east。　
　　Ish　did　not　blame　them　at　all。　In　fact；　he　thought　that　they　had　acted　with　great　determination　and　intelligence。　He　blamed　himself；　if　anyone…for　sending　the　boys　toward　Chicago　and　New　York；　the　great　cities　of　the　Old　Times。　He　might　have　done　better　to　have　chosen　some　southern　route　toward　Houston　and　New　Orleans；　instead　of　a　route　into　the　inhospitable　country　of　northern　winters。　And　yet；　east　of　Houston　at　least；　floods　would　have　been　more　severe　and　growth　of　vegetation　much　more　rapid　than　farther　north。　Because　of　the　climate；　Arkansas　and　Louisiana　would　have　reverted　to　impassable　wilderness　much　sooner　than　Iowa　and　Illinois。　
　　The　children　were　dancing　and　shouting　around　the　bonfire。　Was　there　a　kind　of　wild　primitiveness　in　the　scene；　or　was　that　merely　his　imagining？　Perhaps　any　children　would　have　done　the　same。　Evie；　who　of　course　was　mentally　a　child；　was　dancing　with　them。　Her　blond　hair　streamed　spectacularly　behind　her。　
　　Ish　sat；　looking　on；　and　thinking。　Well；　the　chief　result　of　the　expedition　was　not　the　discovery　that　the　country　was　returning　to　the　wilderness。　Anybody　would　have　known　that！　The　important　thing　was　the　making　of　contact　with　two　other　munities。　That　is；　if　you　could　call　it　contact；　when　the　other　munities　were　fighting　off　all　advances　from　strangers。　Was　that　from　mere　blind　prejudice；　or　was　it　from　some　deep　instinct　of　self…preservation？　
　　Yet；　at　least；　to　know　that　there　were　people　in　Los　Angeles　and　near　Albuquerque…growing　munities…took　away　a　little　of　that　basic　feeling　of　loneliness。　
　　Two　little　groups　of　people；　discovered　on　a　single　trip；　going　and　ing　by　the　same　road！　At　that　rate；　there　should　be　several　dozen　in　the　area　of　the　whole　United　States。　He　remembered　the　Negroes　whom　he　had　seen　in　Arkansas；　long　ago。　In　that　rich　country　of　easy　winters；　there　was　no　reason　in　the　world　why　those　three　should　not　have　survived　and　bee　a　nucleus　to　which　others；　either　black　or　white；　could　attach　themselves。　Yet　that　munity　in　its　ways　of　life　and　thought　would　be　vastly　different　from　the　one　in　New　Mexico　and　from　either　of　the　two　in　California。　This　divergence　opened　vast　questions　for　the　distant　future。　
　　But　this　was　no　time　to　be　carrying　philosophical　speculation　far　into　the　future。　The　dancing　and　shouting　of　the　children　around　the　fire　had　bee　even　more　bacchanalian。　In　the　excitement　the　older　boys；　even　some　of　the　married　ones；　were　joining　the　revel。　They　were　playing　crack…the…whip；　an　the　more　exciting　because　the　one　who　was　thrown　off　the　end　of　the　whip　had　to　dodge　the　fire。　Suddenly　Ish　felt　himself　stiffen。　Charlie　was　playing！　In　the　line；　linked　between　Dick　and　Evie；　he　was　swinging　the　whip。　The　children　were　obviously　delighted　to　have　a　grown…up；　especially　this　stranger；　playing　with　them。　
　　Ish　tried　to　argue　down　his　resentment。　Why　not？　Why　shouldn't　one　of　the　older　ones　play　that　way？　Me…I'm　just　as　bad　as　those　people　in　Los　Angeles　and　Albuquerque；　not　wanting　to　accept　the　stranger！　Yet　I　don't　think　I'd　have　minded；　if　Charlie　had　been　a　different　kind　of　person。　
　　But；　try　as　he　could；　Ish　felt　himself　unable　to　stifle　some　deep…seated　sense　of　dislike。　He　began　to　revise　his　estimate　of　the　importance　of　the　boys'　trip。　However　important　the　discovery　of　the　other　munities　could　be　for　the　distant　future；　the　immediate　problem　was　Charlie。　
　　By　now　it　was　getting　late。　and　mothers　were　gathering　their　children。　But　after　the　celebration　was　over；　most　of　the　older　ones　went　home　with　Ish　and　Em；　to　hear　still　more　from　the　two　boys　and　from　Charlie。　
　　〃Sit　here；〃　said　Ezra　to　Charlie；　pointing　to　the　big　chair　in　front　of　the　fireplace。　It　was　a　place　of　honor；　and　fort　too；　and　Ish　thought　how　characteristic　that　was　of　Ezra；　to　sense　the　human　relationship　so　quickly。　He　himself；　though　he　was　host；　had　not　thought　of　it；　and　so　had　not　been　able　to　make　Charlie　feel　really　wele。　And　then　he　wondered；　in　quick　reaction；　whether　he　really　wanted　to　make　Charlie　feel　at　home。　
　　It　was　a　chilly　evening；　and　Ezra　called　for　a　fire。　The　boys　brought　some　wood；　and　before　long　the　sticks　were　blazing　cheerily。　The　room　grew　fortably　warm。　
　　They　talked；　Ezra　leading　the　conversation；　as　usual。　Charlie　asked　if　he　might　have　a　drink。　Jack　brought　him　a　bottle　of　brandy　and　a　glass。　He　drank　steadily；　but　with　the　habitual　drinker's　slow　absorption。　He　gave　no　sign　of　either　excitement　or　drunkenness。　
　　〃I'm　still　chilly；〃　said　Ezra。　
　　〃You're　not　getting　sick；　are　you？〃　said　Em。　
　　Ish　himself　felt　a　little　chill　of　uneasiness。　Sickness　was　so　unmon　with　them　that　any　occurrence　of　it　was　a　matter　of　note。　
　　〃Don't　know；〃　said　Ezra。　〃If　this　was　the　Old　Times；　I'd　think　I　was　getting　a　cold。　Of　course；　it　can't　be　that　now。〃　
　　They　piled　more　wood　on　the　fire；　and　the　room　grew　so　unfortable　to　Ish　that　he　took　off　his　sweater　and　sat　in　his　shirt　sleeves。　Then　Charlie　took　off　his　coat　also；　and　unbuttoned　his　vest；　but　did　not　take　it　off。　
　　George　fortably　settled　down　into　his　end　of　the　davenport；　and　went　to　sleep。　His　absence　did　not　make　much　difference　in　the　conversation。　Charlie　continued　his　work　on　the　bottle　of　brandy；　but　still　it　made　no　difference　to　him　except　that　from　the　heat　of　the　fire　and　from　the　brandy；　his　forehead　was　greasy　with　perspiration。　
　　Ish　could　tell　now　that　Ezra　was　swinging　the　conversation　around；　this　way　and　that；　to　get　more　information　about　Charlie's　background。　But　finesse　seemed　not　to　be　required；　for　Charlie　talked　frankly　enough　whenever　the　subject　came　close　to　him。　
　　〃So　after　she　croaked…〃　he　said。　〃That　was　after　we'd　lived　together　for　quite　a　few　years；　ten　or　twelve；　I　guess。　Well；　after　my　woman　died；　I　didn't　want　to　stay　there　no　more；　not　around　that　place。　So；　when　your　boys　came　along；　and　I　liked　them；　I　picked　up　and　came。〃　
　　As　Charlie　talked；　Ish　began　to　feel　himself　swinging　in　the　other　direction　again。　The　boys　liked　Charlie　immensely；　and　they　had　been　with　him　for　some　time　already。　There　was　strength　in　Charlie；　and　charm　also。　Perhaps　he　would　be　a　good　man　to　add　to　the　munity。　He　noticed　now　that　whole　beads　of　sweat　were　standing　out　on　Charlie's　forehead。　
　　〃Charlie；〃　he　said；　〃you'd　better　take　that　vest　off　and　be　fortable。〃　Charlie　started；　but　did　not　say　anything。　
　　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Ezra　said。　〃I　don't　know　what's　wrong　with　me。　Maybe　I'd　better　go　home；　get　to　bed。〃　But　he　made　no　move　to　go。　
　　〃Surely　you　can't　be　getting　a　cold；　Ez；〃　said　Em。　〃There's　never　been　a　cold！〃　
　　They　persuaded　Charlie　to　move；　himself　and　his　brandy　bottle；　to　a　place　farther　from　the　fire；　but　he　kept　his　vest　on。　
　　Charlie　sat　there；　and　the　two　house…dogs　came　nuzzling　around　him。　Obviously；　even　the　dogs　were　interested　in　the　stranger；　he　must　mean　a　lot　of　new　smells。　But　they　sensed　that　the　stranger　had　been　received。　Although　at　first　they　were　merely　neutral；　soon　they　relaxed　fortably　under　Charlie's　pulling　of　their　ears　and　scratching　of　their　backs。　Their　tails　wagged。　
　　Ish；　always　realizing　that　people　were　likely　to　baffle　him；　felt　himself　swing　back　and　forth。　Now　he　sensed　both　power　and　charm　in　Charlie；　and　felt　almost　warm　toward　him。　And　then　the　very　sense　of　power　and　charm　caused　him　to　react；　perhaps　with　fear　for　his　own　position　as　a　dominant　force　in　the　munity；　and　he　felt　Charlie　only　as　a　thing　of　evil。　
　　At　last　George　woke　from　his　nap；　stretched　his　big　body　and　rose；　saying　that　it　was　time　for　him　to　get　home　to　bed。　The　others　made　ready　to　go　with　him。　Ish　kn