gs.earthabides-第80章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　clean　symmetrical　arc。　The　thong　itself　cut　strai…ht　across　between　the　points　of　the　arc。　Stick　and　cord；　joined；　had　suddenly　bee　something　new。　
　　He　looked　at　the　bow；　and　knew　that　creative　force　had　again　returned　to　the　world。　He　could　have　gone　to　any　sporting…goods　store；　and　picked　out　a　much　better　bow…a　sixfoot　toy　for　archery。　But　he　had　not　done　so。　He　had　made　himself　a　bow　from　the　wood　itself　carved　with　the　simplest　of　implements；　and　a　string　from　the　hide　of　a　new…killed　calf。　
　　He　plucked　at　the　thong。　It　scarcely　twanged；　but　it　gave　forth　a　satisfactory　dull　throbbing　vibration。　He　considered　that　his　work　for　the　day　was　finished。　He　unstrung　the　bow。　
　　The　next　day；　for　an　arrow；　he　cut　himself　a　straight　branch　of　a　pine　tree。　The　soft　green　wood　cut　easily；　and　he　had　shaped　the　arrow　and　notched　it　in　half　an　hour。　When　he　had　finished　it；　he　called　for　the　children。　Walt　and　Josey　came；　and　Weston　with　them。　〃Let's　see　how　she　works；〃　Ish　said。　
　　He　drew　the　arrow　back；　and　loosed　it。　Unfeathered；　it　flew　with　a　wobbly　flight；　but　he　had　pointed　it　at　a　high　angle；　and　it　covered　fifty　feet　before　it　struck；　by　chance；　pointing　upward　from　the　ground。　
　　Instantly　he　knew　that　he　had　won　success。　The　three　children　had　never　seen　anything　like　this　before；　and　they　stood　wide…eyed　for　a　moment；　then　with　shouts　they　broke　into　a　run；　and　went　to　retrieve　the　arrow。　Ish　shot　it　for　them；　again　and　again。　
　　At　last　came　the　inevitable　request　for　which　Ish　had　been　waiting。　
　　〃Let　me　try　it；　Daddy；〃　said　Walt。　
　　Walt's　first　shot　wobbled　a　bare　twenty　feet；　but　he　was　pleased。　Then　Josey　tried　it；　and　then　Weston。　
　　Before　dinner…time；　every　child　in　The　Tribe　was　busy　at　work　whittling　on　a　bow　of　his　own。　
　　Everything　worked　even　better　than　Ish　had　dared　to　hope。　Within　a　week　the　air　around　the　houses　seemed　to　be　full　of　badly　shot　arrows。　Mothers　began　to　worry　about　lost　eyesight；　and　two　children　came　in　crying　after　having　received　arrows　in　various　parts　of　their　anatomies。　But　since　the　arrows　were　headless　and　shot　from　weak　bows；　no　real　harm　resulted。　
　　Rules　had　to　be　established。　〃You　mustn't　shoot　in　the　direction　of　anyone。　You　mustn't　shoot　close　to　the　houses。〃　
　　petition　developed。　Having　learned　the　trick　from　the　older　boys　who　shot　from　rifles；　children　began　to　hold　contests　against　a　mark。　They　experimented　with　different　lengths　and　types　of　bows。　When　Josey　plained　that　Walt　always　beat　her　at　shooting；　Ish　subtly　made　the　suggestion　that　she　might　try　fixing　some　quail　pinions　to　the　butt…end　of　her　arrow。　She　did　so；　and　beat　Walt；　and　then　suddenly　all　the　arrows　had　quail　pinions　at　one　end；　and　they　were　flying　farther　and　truer。　Even　the　older　boys　became　interested；　and　some　of　them　made　bows　although　they　were　allowed　to　use　rifles。　But　archery　still　continued　to　flourish　chiefly　among　the　ones　who　were　too　young　for　rifles。　
　　Ish　bided　his　time。　The　early　rains　had　sprouted　the　grass　seed；　and　now　the　land　was　green。　At　evening　the　sun　set　behind　the　hills　to　the　south　of　the　Golden　Gate。　
　　Walt　and　Weston；　the　twelve…year…olds；　were　now　deep　in　some　kind　of　boyish　plot。　They　worked　hard　with　bows　and　arrows；　shaping　and　perfecting　them。　They　were　gone　long　hours　during　the　day。　
　　Then　one　day　toward　evening　Ish　heard　the　sound　of　excited　boys'　feet　running　up　the　steps　outside。　Walt　and　Weston　burst　into　the　room。　
　　〃Look　Daddy；〃　Walt　cried；　and　he　held　up　for　Ish　the　pathetic…looking　body　of　a　big　rabbit　pierced　through　the　side　with　a　headless　wooden　arrow。　
　　〃Look！〃　Walt　cried　again。　〃I　hid　behind　a　bush；　and　waited　till　he　hopped　up　close　to　me；　and　then　I　shot　him　right　through。〃　
　　Ish；　as　he　looked；　felt　a　sympathy　and　pity　for　the　poor　dangling　body；　even　though　he　knew　that　it　was　a　symbol　of　his　triumph。　Too　bad；　he　thought；　that　even　creation　must　make　use　of　death　also。　
　　〃That's　fine！〃　he　said。　〃That's　fine；　Walt！　That　was　a　good　shot！〃　
　　
　　Chapter　10
　　Day　after　day　still；　the　sun　set　in　the　cloudless　sky　farther　to　the　south。　Now　it　was　very　close　to　its　turning。　The　clear　weather　still　held。　
　　One　day；　so　suddenly　that　you　might　almost　say　just　at　that　particular　moment　it　happened；　the　children　became　tired　of　playing　with　bows　and　arrows；　and　went　off　on　some　new　enthusiasm。　Ish　did　not　worry。　He　knew　that　after　the　ways　of　children　they　would　e　back　again；　perhaps　at　the　same　time　of　year。　The　making　of　bows　and　the　shooting　of　arrows　would　not　be　forgotten。　During　twenty　years；　during　one　hundred　years　if　need　were；　the　bow　might　remain　a　children's　plaything。　In　the　end；　after　the　ammunition　had　failed；　it　would　still　be　there。　It　was　the　greatest　weapon　that　primitive　man　had　ever　known　and　the　most　difficult　to　invent。　If　he　had　saved　that　for　the　future；　he　had　saved　much。　After　the　rifles　were　useless；　his　great…grandchildren　would　not　have　to　meet　the　bear's　rush　empty…handed　or　starve　in　the　midst　of　the　cattle　herds。　His　great…grandchildren　would　never　know　civilization；　but　at　least　they　would　not　be　groveling　half…apes；　but　would　walk　erect　as　freemen；　bow　in　hand。　Even　if　they　should　no　longer　have　metal　knives；　they　could　still　scrape　out　bows　with　sharp　stones。　
　　He　planned　one　more　experiment；　but　he　was　in　no　hurry。　Now　that　they　had　bows　he　could　make　a　bow…drill　and　teach　the　children　its　use。　Then　after　the　matches　were　exhausted；　The　Tribe　would　still　know　how　to　kindle　fire。　
　　Yet；　as　with　the　children；　his　own　enthusiasm　too　grew　cool　through　the　passing　of　the　weeks。　He　thought　less　upon　his　own　triumph　in　inventing　the　bow　and　tricking　the　children　into　enjoying　it。　He　thought　rather　upon　all　the　disasters　of　the　year。　Joey　was　gone；　and　that　loss　could　never　be　redeemed。　
　　Also　a　kind　of　fresh　innocence　had　faded　from　the　world　when　the　four　of　them　had　written　that　word　upon　their　ballots。　And　also　a　great　confidence　and　trust　had　gone　from　himself　when　he　had　realized　at　last　that　he　must　give　up　his　dream　of　re…establishing　the　ways　of　civilization。　
　　Now　the　sun　was　so　near　the　limit　of　its　southern　course　that　a　day　or　two　would　bring　its　turning。　Everyone　was　making　ready　for　the　holiday；　and　the　carving　of　the　number　in　the　rock　and　the　naming　of　the　year。　This　was　their　great　holiday　of　all；　bining　as　it　did；　both　Christmas　and　New　Years　of　the　Old　Times；　and　yet　including　along　with　those　two　something　of　their　individual　own。　Like　so　much　else　the　holidays　had　suffered　strange　transitions　in　the　passage　of　one　world　to　the　other。　They　still　observed　Thanksgiving　Day　with　a　big　dinner；　but　the　Fourth　of　July　and　all　the　other　patriotic　holidays　had　lapsed。　George；　who　was　a　traditionalist　and　had　been　a　good　union　man；　always　knocked　off　whatever　he　was　doing　and　wore　his　best　clothes　when　he　judged　it　should　be　Labor　Day。　But　no　one　else　celebrated　it　with　him。　Curiously；　or　perhaps　rather　it　was　natural　enough；　the　old　folk…holidays　survived　better　than　those　established　by　law。　The　children　still　celebrated　April　Fool's　Day　and　Halloween　with　great　enthusiasm　and　with　much　of　the　traditional　ceremony；　although　they　had　had　to　learn　such　things　from　their　fathers　and　mothers。　Also　six　weeks　after　the　winter　solstice；　they　talked　about　Ground…squirrel　Day　and　whether　the　squirrel　could　see　his　shadow；　for　there　were　no　ground…hogs　in　this　area　and　they　had　substituted　the　ground…squirrel　instead。　Yet　all　these　were　nothing；　pared　with　their　own　great　festival　when　they　cut　the　number　in　the　rock　and　named　the　year。　
　　Now　Ish　began　to　hear　the　children　discussing　the　matter　and　speculating　upon　what　the　name　would　be。　The　younger　ones　were　saying　that　it　should　be　called　the　Year　of　the　Bow　and　Arrow。　But　the　slightly　older　ones；　who　could　remember　more　vividly　the　whole　year；　said　that　rather　it　should　be　called　the　Year　of　the　Journey。　But　those　who　were　still　older　thought　of　other　things　also；　and　often　they　grew　quiet　and　seemed　embarrassed；　and　Ish　knew　that　they　were　thinking　of　Charlie　and　of　all　the　other　deaths。　Ish　himself　thought　first　of　all　about　Joey；　and　then　of　all　the　changes　of　attitude　which