gs.earthabides-第17章

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　same　time；　being　so　exactly　adapted　to　man；　they　lost　the　capacity　of　existing　upon　any　other　host。　
　　The　overthrow　of　man　was　therefore　their　overthrow。　Feeling　their　world　growing　cold；　they　crawled　off　in　search　of　some　new　warm　world　to　inhabit；　found　none；　and　died。　Billions　perished　most　miserably。　
　　At　the　funeral　of　Homo　sapiens　there　will　be　few　mourners。　Canis　familiaris　as　an　individual　will　perhaps　send　up　a　few　howls；　but　as　a　species；　remembering　all　the　kicks　and　curses；　he　will　soon　be　forted　and　run　off　to　join　his　wild　fellows。　Homo　sapiens；　however；　may　take　fort　from　the　thought　that　at　his　funeral　there　will　be　three　wholly　sincere　mourners。　
　　He　came　to　the　long　bridge　across　the　great　brown　rolling　river；　and　a　truck　was　stalled；　blocking　the　narrow　single　lane　which　led　across　to　Memphis。　
　　Feeling　like　a　bad　boy；　who　is　doing　something　forbidden　and　will　be　punished　for　it；　he　went　against　all　the　traffic　signs；　took　the　narrow　single　lane　on　the　lefthand　side　of　the　railroad　tracks；　and　headed　across　toward　Tennessee　on　the　road　which　should　lead　to　Arkansas。　
　　But　he　met　no　one；　and　before　long　he　came　to　the　Tennessee　side；　and　drove　out　（still　in　the　wrong　direction）　through　the　bridge　approach。　Memphis　was　as；　empty　as　other　cities　had　been；　but　a　south　wind　was　blowing；　and　it　brought　a　fetid　reek　from　what　had　been　the　teeming　districts　around　Beale　Street。　If　this　was　any　indication　of　what　Southern　cities　would　be　like；　Ish　wanted　no　more　of　them。　He　headed　fast　toward　the　country　again。　
　　Before　he　had　gone　far；　however；　the　south　wind　brought　steady　rain。　Since　driving　became　dull　and　wearisome；　and　since　he　was　certainly　in　no　hurry　to　get　anywhere；　he　holed　up　in　a　tourist…court　at　the　edge　of　a　small　town；　the　name　of　which　he　did　not　even　bother　to　ascertain。　The　gas　pressure　was　still　working　at　the　stove　in　the　kitchenette；　and　he　made　the　fresh　eggs　his　chief　dish　for　dinner。　They　were　a　real　treat；　and　yet　he　ended　by　being　in；some　way　still　unsatisfied。　〃I　wonder〃　he　thought；　〃if　I'm　getting　all　the　things　I　should　to　eat。〃　Perhaps　he　should　raid　a　drug　store　for　some　vitamin　tablets。　Later；　he　let　Princess　out　for　a　run；　and　she　suddenly　vanished　into　the　rain　with　a　long　yapping　which　ended　in　a　bay　as　she　struck　on　the　trail　of　some　animal。　He　was　disgusted；　since　he　knew　that　he　might　have　to　wait　up　an　hour　for　her　pleasure　to　return。　She　was　back　sooner；　however；　smelling　woefully　of　a　skunk。　He　shut　her　in　the　garage；　and　she　plained　bitterly　with　her　yapping；　at　the　disgraceful　way　she　was　being　treated。　
　　Ish　went　to　bed；　still　with　the　unsatisfied　feeling。　〃Must　be　suffering　from　shock　more　than　I　realize　consciously；〃　he　thought。　〃Or　else　the　loneliness　is　getting　me；　or　maybe　good　old　sex　is　raising　its　ugly　head。〃　
　　Shock　could　do　strange　things；　he　knew。　He　remembered　hearing　the　story　of　a　man　who　had　seen　his　wife　killed　before　his　eyes　in　an　accident　and　who　had　felt　no　desire　for　months。　
　　He　thought　of　the　Negroes　whom　he　had　seen　that　day。　The　woman…middle…aged；　far　gone　in　pregnancy；　no　beauty　at　any　time…could　scarcely　have　thus　disturbed　him。　When　he　thought　of　the　incident；　his　memories　turned　chiefly　to　the　way　in　which　they　had　found　a　kind　of　security　by　keeping　close　to　the　soil。　Then　Princess　bayed　from　the　garage；　and　he　cursed　her；　and　went　to　sleep。　
　　In　the　morning　he　still　felt　unsatisfied　and　restless。　The　storm　was　not　yet　over；　but　at　the　moment　no　rain　was　falling。　He　decided　not　to　leave；　but　to　take　a　walk　down　the　road。　Before　going　he　looked　into　the　station…wagon；　and　saw　the　rifle　lying　on　the　middle　seat。　He　had　hardly　touched　it　since　leaving　California；　now；　without　any　definite　thought；　he　took　it；　tucked　it　under　his　arm；　and　walked　down　the　road。　
　　Princess　followed　him　a　few　yards；　then　discovered　a　new　trail；　and　in　spite　of　the　last　night's　experience　was　off　upon　it；　vanishing　over　the　hill　in　a　series　of　delighted　yelps　and　bays。　〃Better　luck　this　time！〃　he　called　after　her。　
　　Ish　himself　walked　along　with　no　more　definite　idea　than　to　stretch　his　legs　a　little　or　perhaps　find　a　tree　with　ripe　fruit。　He　was　scarcely　thinking　of　anything　when　he　saw　a　cow　and　a　calf　in　a　field。　There　was　nothing　remarkable　in　that；　he　could　see　a　cow　and　a　calf　in　nearly　any　field　in　Tennessee。　The　remarkable　fact　was　that　now　the　loaded　rifle　was　under　his　arm；　and　suddenly　he　knew　what　must　somewhere　have　been　in　his　mind。　
　　Carefully　resting　the　rifle　on　a　fence…post　he　saw　the　sights　e　clearly　into　line　with　the　redness　of　the　calf's　shoulder。　The　range　was　butcher's　distance。　He　squeezed　the　trigger；　and　the　rifle　spoke　and　kicked　back　against　him。　As　the　sound　died；　he　heard　the　calf　give　a　long　choking　wheeze；　it　stood　with　legs　braced　but　shaky；　a　thin　stream　of　blood　bursting　from　the　nostrils。　Then　it　collapsed　and　fell。　
　　The　cow　had　run　a　few　yards　after　the　shot；　and　now　she　stood　and　turned　uncertainly。　Ish　did　not　know　what　she　might　do　in　the　defense　of　her　calf。　Taking　good　aim　again；　he　put　a　bullet　just　behind　her　shoulder。　He　fired　twice　more；　for　mercy；　as　she　toppled。　
　　He　had　to　walk　back　to　the　cabin　for　the　hunting…knife。　When　he　returned；　he　carried　the　reloaded　rifle。　He　felt　his　own　reaction　as　curious。　Before　this　time　he　had　never　thought　much　about　weapons；　but　now　it　was　as　if　he　had　declared　war　upon　creation　and　should　look　for　retaliation　upon　himself。　Yet；　when　he　came　to　where　the　cow　and　the　calf　were　lying；　and　climbed　over　the　fence；　he　met　no　resistance　or　opposition。　The　calf；　to　his　dismay；　was　still　breathing。　Not　liking　the　job；　he　cut　its　throat。　He　had　never　been　a　hunter；　and　had　never　butchered　an　animal；　so　he　made　a　bad　haggling　job　of　it。　Getting　himself　well　bloodied　in　the　process；　he　managed　to　hack　out　the　liver；　when　he　had　got　it；　he　realized　that　he　had　no　way　to　carry　it；　except　in　his　hand。　He　had　to　lay　the　bloody　mass　back　among　the　entrails　of　the　calf；　and　go　back　again　to　the　cabin　to　get　a　pan。　When　he　returned　to　the　calf；　a　crow　was　already　at　work　upon　the　eyes。　
　　When　he　finally　had　the　liver　safely　at　the　cabin；　he　was　so　covered　with　blood　and　dirt　that　he　had　lost　all　desire　to　eat　it。　He　washed　as　well　as　he　could　at　the　cabin；　and　waited　around　listlessly；　since　the　rain　had　again　begun　to　fall。　Princess　returned；　and　demanded　entrance。　Since　she　had；　by　this　time；　lost　most　of　the　skunk's　smell；　he　admitted　her。　She　was　wet　and　scratched　with　briers；　dirty　and　foot…sore。　She　lay　on　the　floor　putting　herself　into　shape　with　her　tongue；　he　himself　lay　on　the　bed　as　if　spent　by　emotion；　yet　in　some　way　satisfied　at　last。　Outside；　the　rain　fell　steadily；　and　after　an　hour；　for　the　first　time　since　it　all　happened；　Ish　realized　that　he　had　a　new　sensation…he　was　merely　bored。　
　　He　looked　around　at　the　cabin；　and　found　a　six…months…old　magazine；　he　settled　down　to　read　a　story　which　dealt　with　the　old　boy…meets…girl　theme；　taking　its　particular　slant　from　the　problems　winch　arose　to　hinder　true　love　as　the　result　of　a　housing　shortage。　It　was　all　as　far　away；　Ish　concluded；　from　his　present　situation；　as　if　it　had　been　a　story　about　building　the　Pyramids。　In　the　course　of　the　morning；　he　read　three　stories；　but　he　found　the　advertisements　much　more　fascinating。　Not　one　in　ten　of　them　seemed　to　have　any　relation　to　his　present　situation；　because　they　were　not　aimed　at　man；　the　individual；　so　much　as　at　man；　the　member　of　a　group…for　instance；　you　should　avoid　bad　breath；　riot　because　it　might　be　a　symptom　of　approaching　toothache　or　digestive　disfort；　but　because　if　you　had　bad　breath　the　girls　would　not　like　to　dance　with　you　or　your　boy…friend　would　not　propose。　
　　Yet　the　magazine　had　the　good　effect；　at　least；　of　taking　him　out　from　himself　again。　By　noon；　he　was　hungry；　and　when　he　looked　at　the　liver　now　lying　peacefully　in　a　pan；　he　found　that　the　memory　of　the　bloody　and　dying　calf　had　passed　out　of　his　mind。　He　fried　a　fine　succulent　piece　of　it　for　his　lunch；　and　enjoyed　it　greatly。　A　bit　of　fresh　meat；　he　concluded；　was　what　he　had　been　wanting。　He　gave　a　piece　to　Princess；　also。　
　　As　he　sat　quietly