ch.nativetongue-第63章

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　which　included　fox；　opossum　and　rabbit…Skink's　road…kill　bounty　from　the　night　before。
　Joe　Winder　was　in　a　lousy　mood；　too。　The　sight　of　Carrie's　burned…out　trailer　haunted　him。　The　fax　machine；　the　Amazing　Kingdom　stationery；　his　stereo…all　lost。　Neil　Young；　melting　in　the　flames。　Helpless；　helpless；　helpless；　helpless。
　Skink　said；　〃It's　time　to　get　organized。　Those　damn　John　Deeres　are　back。〃　He　looked　at　Winder。　〃Now　they've　got　cops　on　the　site。〃
　〃What　can　we　blow　up　next？〃　Molly　asked。　Skink　shook　his　head。　〃Let's　try　to　be　more　imaginative。〃
　〃All　the　building　permits　are　in　Kingsbury's　name；〃　Winder　noted。　〃If　he　goes　down；　the　project　goes　under。〃
　Carrie　wondered　what　Joe　meant　by　〃goes　down。〃
　〃You　mean；　if　he　dies？〃
　〃Or　gets　bankrupt；〃　Winder　said。
　〃Or　lost；〃　added　Skink；　glancing　up　from　his　mosquito　census。
　Danny　Pogue　elbowed　Bud　Schwartz；　who　kept　his　silence。　He　had　spoken　again　to　the　butcher　in　Queens；　who　had　relayed　an　offer　from　unnamed　friends　of　the　Zubonis：　fifty　thousand　for　the　whereabouts　of　Frankie　King。　Naturally　Bud　Schwartz　had　agreed　to　the　deal；　now；　sitting　in　the　wilderness　among　these　idealistic　crusaders；　he　felt　slightly　guilty。　Maybe　he　should've　ratted　on　Kingsbury　for　free。
　〃Mr。　X　had　a　terrible　run　of　luck　the　last　few　days；〃　Carrie　was　saying；　〃thanks　to　Joe。〃
　Skink　got　up　to　check　the　campfire。　He　said；　〃It's　time　for　a　full…court　press。〃
　〃Each　day　is　precious；〃　agreed　Molly　McNamara。　She　dabbed　her　forehead　with　a　linen　handkerchief。　〃I　think　we　should　move　against　Mr。　Kingsbury　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　Bud　Schwartz　crumpled　a　soda　can。　〃Why　don't　we　hold　off　a　week　or　so？〃
　〃No。〃　Skink　offered　him　a　shank　of　opossum　on　a　long…handled　fork。　He　said；　〃Every　hour　that　passes；　we　lose　more　of　the　island。〃
　〃Kingsbury's　got　worse　problems　than　all　of　us　put　together；〃　said　Bud　Schwartz。　〃If　we　can　just　lay　back　a　few　days。〃
　Joe　Winder　urged　him　to　elaborate。
　〃Tell　him；　Bud；　go　on！〃　Danny　Pogue　was　nearly　bursting。
　〃I　wish　I　could。〃
　Skink　fingered　the　silvery　tendrils　of　his　beard。　Towering　over　the　burglar；　he　said；　〃Son；　I'm　not　fond　of　surprises。〃
　〃This　is　serious　shit。〃　Bud　Schwartz　was　pleading。　〃You　gotta　understand…heavy　people　from　up　North。〃
　Wiping　the　condensation　from　her　eyeglasses；　Molly　said；　〃Bud；　what　on　earth　are　you　talking　about？〃
　Winder　leaned　toward　Carrie　and　whispered：　〃This　is　getting　interesting。〃
　〃No　damn　surprises；〃　Skink　repeated　balefully。　〃We　act　in　confluence；　you　understand？〃
　Reluctantly　Bud　Schwartz　took　a　bite　of　fried　opossum。　He　scowled　as　the　warm　juices　dripped　down　his　chin。
　〃Is　that　blood？〃　asked　Danny　Pogue。
　Skink　nodded　and　said；　〃Nature's　gravy。〃
　Suddenly　he　turned　his　face　to　the　sky；　peered　toward　the　lemon　sun　and　cursed　vehemently。　Then　he　was　gone；　running　barefoot　into　the　bright　tangles　of　the　hammock。
　The　others　looked　at　one　another　in　utter　puzzlement。
　Joe　Winder　was　the　first　to　stand。　〃When　in　Rome；〃　he　said；　reaching　for　Carrie's　hand。
　
　Humanity's　encroachment　had　obliterated　the　Florida　panther　so　thoroughly　that　numerals　were　assigned　to　each　of　the　few　surviving　specimens。　In　a　desperate　attempt　to　save　the　species；　the　Game　and　Fresh　Water　mission　had　embarked　on　a　program　of　monitoring　the　far…roaming　panthers　and　tracking　their　movements　by　radio　telemetry。　Over　a　period　of　years　most　of　the　cats　were　treed；　tranquilized　and　fitted　with　durable　plastic　collars　that　emitted　a　regular　electronic　signal　on　a　frequency　of　150　megahertz。　The　signals　could　be　followed　by　rangers　on　the　ground　or；　when　the　animal　was　deep　in　the　swamp；　by　air。　Using　this　system；　biologists　were　able　to　map　the　territories　traveled　by　individual　cats；　chart　their　mating　habits　and　even　locate　new　litters　of　kittens。　Because　the　battery…operated　collars　were　activated　by　motion；　it　was　also　possible　for　rangers　to　know　when　a　numbered　panther　was　sick　or　even　dead；　if　a　radio　collar　was　inert　for　more　than　a　few　hours；　it　automatically　began　sending　a　distress　signal。
　No　such　alarm　was　transmitted　if　an　animal　became　abnormally　active；　but　the　rangers　were　expected　to　notice　any　strange　behavior　and　react　accordingly。　For　instance；　a　panther　that　was　spending　too　much　time　near　populated　areas　was　usually　captured　and　relocated　for　its　own　safety；　the　cats　had　a　long　and　dismal　record　of　careless　prowling　along　busy　highways。
　Sergeant　Mark　Dyerson　had　retrieved　too　many　dead　panthers　that　had　been　struck　by　trucks　and　automobiles。　Recently　the　ranger　had　bee　certain　that　if　something　wasn't　done　soon；　Panther　17　would　end　up　the　same　way。　The　Game　and　Fish　files　indicated　that　the　animal　was　a　seven…year…old　male　whose　original　range　stretched　from　Homestead　south　to　Everglades　National　Park；　and　west　all　the　way　to　Card　Sound。　Because　this　area　was　crisscrossed　by　high…speed　roads；　the　rangers　paid　special　attention　to　the　travels　of　Number　17。
　For　months　the　cat　had　seemed　content　to　hunker　in　the　deep　upland　hammocks　of　North　Key　Largo；　which　made　sense；　considering　the　dicey　crossing　to　the　mainland。　But　Sergeant　Dyerson　had　grown　concerned　when；　two　weeks　earlier；　radio　readings　on　Number　17　began　to　show　extraordinary；　almost　unbelievable　movement。　Intermittent　flyovers　had　pinpointed　the　cat　variously　at　Florida　City；　North　Key　Largo；　Homestead；　Naranja　and　South　Miami…although　Sergeant　Dyerson　believed　the　latter　coordinates　were　a　mistake；　probably　a　malfunction　of　the　radio　tracking　unit。　South　Miami　was　simply　an　impossible　destination；　not　only　was　it　well　out　of　the　panther's　range；　but　the　animal　would　have　had　to　travel　at　a　speed　of　sixty…five　miles　an　hour　to　be　there　when　the　telemetry　said　it　was。　Unlike　the　cheetah；　panthers　prefer　loping　to　racing。　The　only　way　Number　17　could　go　that　far；　Sergeant　Dyerson　joked　to　his　pilot；　is　if　it　took　a　bus。
　Even　omitting　South　Miami　from　the　readings；　the　cat's　travels　were　inexplicably　erratic。　The　rangers　were　concerned　at　the　frequency　with　which　Number　17　crossed　Card　Sound　between　Key　Largo　and　the　mainland。　The　only　two　possible　routes…by　water　or　the　long　bridge…were　each　fraught　with　hazards。　It　was　Sergeant　Dyerson's　hope　that　Number　17　chose　to　swim　the　bay　rather　than　risk　the　run　over　the　steep　concrete　span；　where　the　animal　stood　an　excellent　chance　of　getting　creamed　by　a　speeding　car。
　On　July　29；　the　ranger　took　up　the　twin　Piper　to　search　for　the　wandering　panther。　The　homing　signal　didn't　e　to　life　until　the　plane　passed　low　over　a　trailer　park　on　the　outskirts　of　Homestead。　It　was　not　a　safe　place　for　humans；　much　less　wild　animals；　and　the　panther's　presence　worried　Sergeant　Dyerson。　Though　the　tawny　cats　were　seldom　visible　from　the　Piper；　the　ranger　half…expected　to　see　Number　17　limping　down　the　center　lane　of　U。S。　Highway　1。
　Later　that　afternoon；　Sergeant　Dyerson　went　up　again；　this　time　he　marked　the　strongest　signal　in　thick　cover　near　Steamboat　Creek；　on　North　Key　Largo。　The　ranger　couldn't　believe　it…twenty…nine　miles　in　one　day！　This　cat　was　either　manic；　or　chained　to　the　bumper　of　a　Greyhound。
　When　Sergeant　Dyerson　landed　in　Naples；　he　asked　an　electrician　to　double…check　the　antenna　and　receiver　of　the　telemetry　unit。　Every　ponent　tested　perfectly。
　That　night；　the　ranger　phoned　his　supervisor　in　Tallahassee　and　reviewed　the　recent　radio　data　on　Number　17。　The　supervisor　agreed　that　he'd　never　heard　of　a　panther　moving　such　a　great　distance；　so　fast。
　〃Send　me　a　capture　team　as　soon　as　possible；〃　Sergeant　Dyerson　said。　〃I'm　gonna　dart　this　sonofabitch　and　find　out　what's　what。〃
　The　twin　Piper　made　three　dives　over　the　campsite。　Joe　Winder　and　Carrie　Lanier　watched　from　the　bank　of　Steamboat　Creek。
　〃Game　and　Fish；〃　Winder　said；　〃just　what　we　need。〃
　〃What　do　we　do？〃　Carrie　asked。
　〃Follow　the　water。〃
　They　didn't　get　far。　A　tall　uniformed　man　materialized　at　the　edge　of　the　tree　line。　He　carried　an　odd　small…bore　rifle　that　looked　like　a　toy。　When　he　motioned　to　Joe　and　Carrie；　they　obediently　followed　him　through　the　hammock　out　to　the　road。　Molly　McNamara　and　the　two　burglars　already　had　been　rounded　up；　another　ranger；　with　a　clipboard；　was　quest