gs.earthabides-第76节

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　　〃Young　man；〃　he　said；　〃are　you　happy？〃　The　young　man　named　Jack　looked　startled　at　this　question；　and　he　glanced　in　both　directions　before　answering；　and　then　he　spoke。　
　　〃Yes；　I　am　happy。　Things　are　as　they　are；　and　I　am　part　of　them。〃　
　　Ish　began　to　think　of　what　this　might　mean　and　to　wonder　again　whether　the　words　had　been　spoken　only　in　simplicity　or　whether　there　was　some　deep　philosophy　behind　them；　but　he　could　not　decide。　At　his　trying　to　think；　the　fog　seemed　again　to　move　in　at　the　corners　of　his　brain。　But　still　he　recollected　vaguely　that　the　words…strange　as　they　were…had　a　ring　of　familiarity　about　them。　He　had　not　perhaps　ever　heard　those　exact　words　before；　but　they　were　words　that　someone　whom　he　had　once　known　might　well　have　spoken。　For　in　his　words　the　young　man　had　not　questioned；　but　had　accepted。　Ish　could　not　recall　this　person　exactly；　but　he　remembered　softness　and　warmth；　and　warm　feelings　flowed　through　him。　
　　When　he　came　out　of　his　reverie　and　looked　up　again；　no　one　was　standing　in　front　of　him。　In　fact；　Ish　would　have　been　unable　to　say　surely　whether　the　young　man　named　Jack　had　been　there　that　same　day；　or　whether　this　was　now　some　other　day；　or　perhaps　even　another　summer。　
　　
　　Chapter　2
　　He　awoke　so　early；　one　morning；　that　the　room　was　still　in　half…darkness。　He　lay　quiet　for　a　moment；　wondering　where　he　was；　and　for　a　moment　he　thought　that　he　was　a　small　boy　again　and　had　crawled　into　his　mother's　bed　for　fort　in　the　early　morning。　Then　he　realized　that　it　could　not　be　so；　and　he　thought　that　if　he　stretched　out　his　hand　he　would　find　Em　lying　there　beside　him。　But　that　was　not　so；　either。　Then　he　thought　of　his　young　wife。　But　no；　she　would　not　be　there　either；　for　long　ago　he　had　given　her　to　a　younger　man　because　it　is　right　that　a　woman　should　bear　children　so　that　the　tribe　will　increase　and　the　darkness　draw　farther　back。　So　then　at　last　he　realized　that　he　was　a　very　old　man；　and　was　lying　in　the　bed　by　himself。　Nevertheless；　it　was　the　same　bed　and　the　same　room。　
　　There　was　a　strange　dryness　in　his　throat。　After　a　minute　he　slowly　got　out　of　bed；　and　uncertainly　on　his　old　stiff　legs　he　walked　to　the　bathroom　for　a　drink　of　water。　As　he　went　into　the　bathroom；　he　stretched　out　his　right　hand；　and　flipped　the　electric…light　switch。　It　made　the　familiar　click；　and　suddenly　the　room　was　brilliant　to　his　eyes。　Then　after　a　moment　he　found　himself　in　the　half…darkness　of　dawn　again；　and　he　realized　that　the　electric　light　had　not　flashed　on。　It　had　not　so　flashed　for　years；　and　would　never　again…and　the　familiar　click　had　merely　fooled　his　old　brain；　so　that　for　a　moment　the　room　had　seemed　light。　All　this　did　not　bother　him；　because　it　had　thus　happened　before。　
　　Also；　when　he　turned　the　stiff　faucet…handle　at　the　washbowl；　no　water　gushed　out　merrily。　Then　he　remembered　that　years　ago　the　water　had　ceased　to　run。　
　　He　could　not　get　his　drink　of　water；　but　he　was　not　so　much　thirsty　as　merely　bothered　by　that　dryness　in　the　throat。　
　　After　he　had　swallowed　a　few　times；　he　felt　better。　When　he　stood　by　the　bedside　again；　he　hesitated；　sniffing。　He　could　remember　many　changes　of　smells　through　the　years。　Far　back　there　had　been　the　smell　of　a　great　city。　That　had　given　way　to　the　clean　smell　of　green　things　and　growth。　But　that　also　had　yielded；　and　now　there　was　about　the　old　house　a　smell　of　age　and　decay。　That　smell；　however；　was　familiar　and　was　not　bothering　him。　What　he　was　trying　to　assay　was　a　kind　of　dry　smokiness。　That　dryness；　he　considered；　had　made　him　wake　up　so　early。　But　he　felt　no　fear；　and　crawled　into　bed　again。　
　　A　steady　wind　was　blowing　from　the　north。　It　tossed　the　pine　trees　that　now　grew　closely　around　the　house；　and　the　branches　swished　and　knocked　against　the　windows　and　against　the　walls　of　the　house。　
　　The　noise　kept　him　awake；　and　he　lay　there　listening。　He　wished　that　he　knew　the　time；　but　he　no　longer　kept　a　clock　wound。　Time　in　its　old　sense　of　appointments　to　be　kept　and　things　to　be　done…all　that　had　long　since　ceased　to　exist；　both　because　the　way　of　life　had　changed　and　because　he　himself　was　so　old　as　to　be　almost　out　of　life。　In　certain　ways　he　had　already；　as　it　seemed；　passed　from　time　to　eternity。　
　　Now　he　lay　by　himself　in　the　old　and　half…ruined　house。　The　others　slept　in　other　houses；　or　in　good　weather　lay　in　the　open。　Perhaps　they　felt　that　ghosts　walked　in　this　old　house。　Well；　perhaps！　To　Ish　himself　the　thoughts　of　those　who　had　been　long　dead　were　often　more　immediately　present　than　the　bodies　of　those　now　living。　
　　Though　he　had　no　clock；　the　half…light　told　him　that　the　time　could　not　be　much　before　sunrise。　Perhaps　he　had　slept　as　long　as　an　old　man　needed　to　sleep。　He　would　lie　there；　turning　himself　over　occasionally；　until　the　sun　had　risen；　and　someone…he　hoped　it　would　be　the　young　man　called　Jack…came　to　bring　him　his　breakfast。　There　would　be　a　well…braised　beef　bone　on　which　he　could　suck；　and　some　corn…meal　boiled　into　a　mush。　The　Tribe　took　good　care　of　him；　an　old　man。　They　let　him　have　corn…meal　though　that　was　something　of　a　rarity　with　them。　They　sent　someone　to　carry　his　hammer　and　help　him　outdoors；　so　that　he　could　sit　on　the　hillside　when　there　was　sunshine。　Often　the　one　who　came　to　help　him　was　Jack。　Yes；　they　took　very　good　care　of　him；　even　though　he　was　a　useless　old　man。　Sometimes　they　grew　angry　with　him　and　pinched　him；　but　that　was　only　because　they　thought　he　was　a　god。　
　　The　wind　still　blew；　and　the　branches　brushed　and　slapped　against　the　house。　But　he　had　apparently　not　slept　as　much　as　he　needed　to　sleep；　and　after　a　while　he　drowsed　off；　in　spite　of　the　noises。　
　　The　cuts　in　the　hills　and　the　long　embankments　for　the　roads…they　will　still　show　as　narrow　valleys　and　ridges　even　after　ten　thousand　years　have　passed。　The　great　masses　of　concrete　that　were　the　dams…they　will　remain　like　the　dikes　of　the　granite　itself。　
　　But　the　steel　and　the　wood　will　pass　quickly。　The　three　fires　will　take　them。　
　　Slowest　of　all　is　the　fire　of　rust　that　burns　at　the　steel。　Yet　give　it　some　short　centuries；　and　the　high　trestle　that　spans　the　canyon　will　be　only　a　line　of　red　soil　on　the　slopes　below。　
　　Faster　by　far　is　the　fire　of　decay　that　feeds　on　the　wood。　
　　But　fastest　of　all　is　the　fire　of　the　flames。　
　　Then　suddenly　someone　was　shaking　him　hard。　He　awoke　with　a　great　shock。　As　he　focused　his　old　eyes；　he　saw　that　the　person　who　was　shaking　him　was　the　young　man　named　Jack；　and　that　Jack's　face　was　tense　with　fear。　
　　〃Get　up！　Get　up　quick！〃　Jack　was　saying。　With　the　shock　of　the　sudden　awakening；　Ish's　mind　seemed　clearer　than　before；　and　both　his　body　and　his　mind　reacted　faster。　He　moved　quickly；　pulling　on　some　clothes。　Jack　helped　him。　Smoke　was　heavy　in　the　room　now；　no　longer　a　mere　smell。　Ish　coughed；　and　his　eyes　watered。　He　heard　a　crackle　and　a　dull　roar。　They　went　downstairs　quickly；　and　out　the　front　door；　and　down　the　steps　toward　the　street。　Only　when　he　was　out　of　the　house　did　Ish　realize　how　strongly　the　wind　was　blowing。　Smoke　rolled　before　it；　and　bits　of　burning　leaves　and　bark　swirled　along。　
　　Ish　was　not　surprised。　He　had　known　always　that　this　must　happen　some　time。　Every　year　the　oat…grass　grew　tall；　and　then　ripened　and　dried　where　it　stood。　Every　year　the　bushes　of　the　deserted　gardens　had　grown　more　thick；　and　the　dead　leaves　had　fallen　among　them。　It　was　only　a　question　of　time；　he　had　always　known；　until　some　hunter's　campfire　would　escape　from　him；　and　with　a　strong　wind　driving　it；　the　fire　would　make　a　clean　sweep　on　this　side　of　the　Bay；　as　it　had　on　the　other。　
　　Just　as　they　reached　the　sidewalk；　the　thick　clump　of　underbrush　around　the　next　house　to　the　north　suddenly　went　up　in　a　roar　of　flame　so　that　Ish　shrank　away　from　the　heat。　Jack　began　to　hurry　him　along　the　sidewalk　away　from　the　approaching　fire；　and　just　at　that　moment　Ish　realized　that　he　had　forgotten　something　although　he　could　not　remember　just　what。　
　　They　came　to　two　other　young　men　who　were　standing　there　looking　at　the　approaching　flames。　Then　Ish　remembered。　
　　〃My　hammer！〃　he　cried　out。　〃Where　is　my　hammer？〃　
　　As　soon　as　he　had　cried　out；　he　was　ashamed　of　himself　to　have　made　so　much　fuss　about　a　trifle　in　a　time　of　emergency。　After　all；　the　hammer　was　of　no　importance。　Then　he　was　amazed　to　see　what　a　tremendous　impression　his　words　had　made　upon　the　three　young　men。　They　looked　at　each　other　as　if　they　were　panic…stricken。　Suddenly；　Jack　dashed　back　toward　the　house；　even　though　the　bushes　in　the　garden　itself　were　now　beginning　to　smoke。　
　　〃e　back！　e　back！〃　Ish　called　after　him；　but　his　voice　was　not　very　strong；　and　he　was　half　choking　on　account　of　the　smoke。　
　　This　was　a　terrible　thing；　Ish　was　thinking　to　himself；　that　Jack　should　be　burned　in　the　fire　about　such　a　small　matter　as　a　hammer。　
　　But　then　Jack　came　running　out。　His　lion…skin　cloak　was　singed；　and　he　himself　was　rubbing　at　some　burns　where　sparks　had　fallen　on　him。　But　otherwise　he　was　not　hurt。　The　other　young　men　seemed　strangely　relieved　that　he　was　carrying　the　hammer　in　his　hand。　
　　Obviously；　they　could　not　stay　where　th