gs.earthabides-第6部分

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r　a　few　other　survivors？　What　would　it　all　amount　to？　It　would　be　different　if　one　could　pick　half　a　dozen　friends　for　fellow…survivors；　but　this　way　they　would　probably　be　dull　and　stupid　people；　or　even　vicious　ones。　He　looked　out　and　saw　still　the　great　sign　flashing　far　off。　Drink…blackness。　Drink…blackness。　Drink。　And　again　he　wondered　how　long　it　would　keep　flashing　while　there　were　no　more　vending…machines　or　salesmen　offering　whatever　it　was　one　was　to　drink；　and　from　that　he　thought　back　to　some　of　the　other　things　he　had　seen　that　day；　wondering　what　would　happen　to　the　coyote　that　he　had　seen　loping　along　the　highway；　and　what　would　happen　to　the　cattle　and　horses　standing　by　the　watering…trough　beneath　the　slowly　revolving　spokes　of　the　windmill。　How　long　indeed　would　the　windmill　still　revolve　and　pump　its　water　from　the　depths　of　the　earth？　
　　Then　suddenly　he　gave　a　quick　start；　and　he　realized　that　he　had　again　a　will　to　five！　At　least；　if　he　could　be　no　more　a　participant；　he　would　be　a　spectator；　and　a　spectator　trained　to　observe　what　was　happening。　Even　though　the　curtain　had　been　rung　down　on　man；　here　was　the　opening　of　the　greatest　of　all　dramas　for　a　student　such　as　he。　During　thousands　of　years　man　had　impressed　himself　upon　the　world。　Now　man　was　gone；　certainly　for　a　while；　perhaps　forever。　Even　if　some　survivors　were　left；　they　would　be　a　long　time　in　again　obtaining　supremacy。　What　would　happen　to　the　world　and　its　creatures　without　man？　That　he　was　left　to　see！　
　　
　　Chapter　2
　　Yet；　after　he　was　in　bed；　no　sleep　came　to　him。　As　the　chilly　arms　of　the　summer　fog　lapped　around　the　house　in　the　darkness；　he　felt　first　loneliness；　and　then　fear；　and　finally　panic。　He　rose　from　his　bed。　Wrapping　himself　in　a　bathrobe；　he　sat　before　the　radio；　frantically　searching　the　bands。　But　he　heard　only；　far…off；　the　rasp　and　crackle　of　static；　and　there　was　no　one。　
　　With　a　sudden　thought　he　tried　the　telephone。　As　he　lifted　the　receiver；　he　heard　the　low　hum　of　the　clear　wire。　He　dialed　desperately　a　number…any　number！　On　some　distant　house　he　heard　the　telephone　ring；　ring　again。　He　waited；　thinking　of　the　sound　echoing　through　empty　rooms。　After　it　had　rung　ten　times；　he　hung　up。　He　tried　a　second　number；　and　a　thirdand　then　no　others。　
　　Working　with　a　new　thought；　he　rigged　up　a　light　with　a　reflector；　and　standing　on　the　front　porch；　high　above　the　city；　he　sent　the　flashes　into　the　night…short…short…short；　long…long…long；　short…short…short…the　old　call　of　the　SOS；　which　had　gone　out　so　often　from　despairing　men。　But　there　was　no　reply　from　all　the　expanse　of　the　city。　After　a　while　he　realized　that　with　all　the　street…lights　still　burning　there　was　too　much　illumination；　his　own　petty　flashing　would　hardly　be　noticeable。　
　　So　he　went　into　the　house　again。　The　foggy　night　sent　a　chill　into　him。　He　turned　on　the　thermostat；　and　in　a　moment　he　heard　the　whir　of　the　oil…burner。　With　electricity　still　working　and　a　full　tank　of　fuel…oil　there　was　no　trouble。　He　sat；　and　after　a　while　turned　out　the　lights　in　the　house；　feeling　in　some　strange　way　that　they　were　too　conspicuous。　He　let　the　fog　and　the　darkness　wrap　him　round　and　conceal　him。　Still　he　felt　the　fear　of　loneliness；　and　as　he　sat　there；　he　laid　the　hammer　close　at　hand；　ready　for　grasping　if　there　should　be　need。　
　　A　horrible　cry　broke　the　darkness！　He　trembled　violently；　and　then　realized　that　it　was　only　the　call　of　a　mating　cat；　the　sort　of　sound　which　in　any　night　one　might　have　heard　now　and　then；　even　on　decorous　San　Lupo　Drive。　The　caterwauling　rose　to　a　climax；　and　then　the　growl　of　a　charging　dog　cut　across　it；　and　the　night　was　silent　again。　
　　For　them　the　world　of　twenty　thousand　years　was　overthrown。　In　the　kennels；　swollen…tongued；　they　lay　dead　of　thirst…pointers；　collies；　poodles；　toy　pekinese；　tall　hounds。　The　luckier　ones；　not　confined；　wandered　loose　through　city　and　countryside；　drinking　at　the　streams；　at　the　fountains；　at　the　gold…fish　ponds；　hunting　here　and　there　for　what　they　might　find　for　eating…scurrying　after　a　hen；　picking　up　a　squirrel　in　the　park。　And　gradually；　the　pangs　of　hunger　breaking　down　the　long　centuries　of　civilization；　they　drew　closer　to　where　the　unburied　corpses　lay。　
　　Now　no　longer　would　Best…of…Breed　go　for　stance；　and　shape　of　head；　and　markings。　Now　Champion　Golden　Lad　of　Piedmont　IV　no　longer　outranked　the　worst　mongrel　of　the　alley。　The　prize；　which　was　life　itself；　would　go　to　the　one　of　keenest　brain；　staunchest　limb；　and　strongest　jaw；　who　could　best　shape　himself　to　meet　the　new　ways　and　who　in　the　old　petition　of　the　wilderness　could　win　the　means　of　life。　
　　Peaches；　the　honey…colored　spaniel；　sat　disconsolate；　growing　weaker　with　hunger；　too　stupid　to　live　by　craft；　too　short…legged　to　live　by　pursuit　of　prey。。。　Spot；　the　children's　mongrel　pet；　had　the　luck　to　find　a　liner　of　kittens　and　kill　them；　not　for　fun　but　for　food　。。。。　Ned；　the　wire…haired　terrier；　who　had　always　enjoyed　being　on　his　own　and　was　by　nature　a　tramp；　managed　to　get　along　fairly　well　。。。。　Bridget；　the　red　setter；　shivered　and　trembled；　and　now　and　then　howled　faintly　with　a　howl　that　was　scarcely　more　than　a　moan；　her　gentle　spirit　found　no　will　to　live　in　a　world　without　master　or　mistress　to　love。　
　　That　morning　he　worked　out　a　plan。　He　felt　sure　that　in　an　urban　district　of　two　million　people　others　must　be　left　alive。　The　solution　was　obvious；　he　must　find　someone；　anyone。　The　problem　was　how　to　make　contact。　
　　First　he　set　out　to　walk　around　the　neighborhood；　in　the　hope　of　discovering　someone　he　knew。　But　around　the　wellknown　houses　he　saw　no　sign　of　people。　The　lawns　were　parched；　the　flowers；　wilting。　
　　Returning　home；　he　passed　through　the　little　park　where　he　had　often　played　as　a　boy；　climbing　the　tall　rocks。　Two　Of　them　leaned　together　at　the　top　to　form　a　kind　of　little　cave；　high　and　narrow。　Ish　had　often　played　at　hiding　there。　It　seemed　a　natural　primitive　refuge…place；　and　he　looked　into　it。　There　was　no　one。　
　　He　walked　on　across　a　broad　surface　of　smooth　rock　that　sloped　with　the　hillside。　It　was　pitted　with　small　round　holes　marking　the　places　where　squaws　had　once　pounded　with　stone　pestles。　
　　〃The　world　of　those　Indians　passed　away；〃　he　thought。　〃And　now　our　world　that　followed　theirs　has　passed　too。　And　am　I　the　only　one？〃　
　　After　reaching　the　house　again；　he　got　into　his　car；　mapping　out　in　his　head　a　route　to　cover　the　city　so　that　few　areas　would　be　left　out　of　the　sound　of　the　horn。　He　drove　along；　hooting　the　horn　about　every　minute　and　then　waiting；　listening　for　some　reply。　As　he　drove；　he　looked　about　curiously；　appraising　what　had　happened。　
　　The　streets　had　an　early…morning　look。　Many　cars　were　parked；　and　there　was　little　disorder。　Fires　were　burning　here　and　there；　as　he　could　see　by　smoke…columns。　An　occasional　body　lay　where　the　man　had　finally　been　overe；　and　near　one　of　them　he　saw　two　dogs。　At　one　street…er；　the　body　of　a　man　was　hanging　from　the　cross…arm　of　a　telephone　pole；　conspicuously　labeled　with　a　placard　Looter。　After　he　had　passed　this　pole；　he　came　to　a　good…sized　business　district；　and　then　he　noticed　indeed　that　there　must　have　been　a　certain　amount　of　disorder。　The　big　window　of　a　liquor…store　was　broken。　
　　As　he　came　to　the　end　of　the　business　district；　he　blew　his　horn　again　in　his　regular　routine；　and　half　a　minute　later　he　started　to　hear　a　faint　honk　from　far　away。　For　a　moment　he　thought　that　his　ears　might　merely　be　tricking　him。　
　　He　honked　again　quickly；　and　immediately　this　time　he　had　a　reply。　His　heart　sank…〃Echo！〃　he　thought。　But　then　he　honked　again；　a　long　and　a　short；　and　as　he　listened　carefully　the　reply　came　merely　one　long。　
　　He　turned；　and　drove　in　the　direction　of　the　sound；　which　he　estimated　must　be　half　a　mile　away。　Having　driven　three　blocks；　he　honked　again　and　waited。　More　to　the　right　this　time！　He　turned。　Twisting　through　the　streets；　he　came　to　a　blind　end；　turned　around；　and　sought　another　way。　He　honked；　and　the　reply　was　closer。　Straight　ahead　this　time　he　went　on；　overshot；　and　heard　the　next　reply　to　the　right　and　behind　him。　He　took　another　turn；　and　came　to　a　small　business　district。　Cars　were　parked　along　the　street；　but　he　saw　no　one。　He　thought　it　strange　that　whoever　was　signaling　back　to　him　did　not　stand　in　the　street　somewhere　and　wave。　He　honked；　and　suddenly　the　reply　was　almost　at　his　elbow。　He　stopped　the　car；　jumped　out；　and　hurried　along　the　sidewalk。　In　the　front　seat　of　a　car　parked　at　the　curb；　he　saw　a　man。　Even　as　he　looked；　the　man　collapsed　and　fell　forward　on　the　wheel。　The　horn；　pressed　down；　emitted　a　long　squawk　as　the　body　slipped　sideways　to　the　seat。　ing　closer；　Ish　smelled　a　reek　of　whiskey。　He　saw　the　man　with　a　long；　straggly　beard；　his　face　bloated　and　red；　obviously　in　the　last　stages　of　passing…out。　Ish　looked　around；　and　saw　that　the　liquor…store　close　by　was　wide　open。　
　　In　sudden　anger；　Ish　shook　the　yielding　body。　The　man　revived　a　little；　opened　his　eyes；　and　emitted　a　kind　of　grunt　which　might　have　meant；　〃What　is　it？〃　Ish　shoved　the　inert　body　to　a　sitting　position；　as　he　did　so；　the　man's　hand　fumbled　for　the　half…empty　bottle　of　whiskey　which　was　propped　in　the　er　of　the　seat。　Ish　grabbed　it；　threw　it　out；　and　heard　it　splinter　on　the　curbing。　He　was　filled　only　with　a　deep　bitter　anger　and　a　sense　of　horrible　irony。　Of　all　the　survivors　whom　he　might　have　found；　here　was　only　a　poor　old　drunk；　good　for　nothing　more　in　this　world；　or　any　other。　Then　as　the　man's　eyes　opened　and　Ish　looked　into　them；　he　felt　suddenly　no　more　anger；　but　only　a　great　deep　pity。　
　　Those　eyes　had　seen　too　much。　There　was　a　fear　in　them　and　a　horror　that　could　never　be　told。　However　gross　the　bloated　body　of　the　drunkard　might　seem…somewhere；　behind　it　all；　lay　a　sensitive　mind；　and　that　mind　had　seen　more　than　it　could　endure。　Escape　and　oblivion　were　all　that　could　remain。　
　　They　sat　there　together　on　the　seat。　The　eyes　of　the　drunken　man　glanced　here　and　there；　hardly　under　control。　Their　tragedy　seemed　to　grow　only　deeper。　The　breath　came　raspingly。　On　sudden　impulse；　Ish　took　the　inert　wrist　and　felt　for　the　pulse。　It　was　weak　and