gs.earthabides-第69部分

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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　they　were　very　long　because　the　flames　were　bearing　down　upon　them。　
　　〃Where　shall　we　go；　Ish？〃　one　of　them　asked。　Ish　felt　that　this　was　a　strange　question　for　anyone　to　ask　of　him；　who　was　only　an　old　man　and　would　scarcely　know　what　to　do　as　well　as　the　young　ones　would。　Then　he　remembered　that　they　sometimes　asked　him　which　direction　they　should　take　for　their　hunting。　When　he　did　not　answer；　they　pinched　him。　He　did　not　like　to　be　pinched；　and　so　he　thought　hard　now；　as　to　which　way　they　should　go。　The　young　men　themselves；　he　realized；　could　outrun　the　fire；　but　he　himself　would　not　be　strong　enough。　So　he　thought　more　intensely　than　he　had　thought　for　a　long　time；　both　because　he　wished　to　save　his　own　life　and　the　lives　of　the　young　men；　and　also　because　he　was　afraid　that　they　would　pinch　him。　Thinking　so　intently；　he　remembered　the　bare　flat　rock　where　they　had　carved　the　numerals　of　the　years　in　the　time　long　ago。　Round　this　flat　rock　were　other　high　rocks　where　nothing　grew；　and　in　the　spaces　among　these　rocks　they　could　find　shelter　because　nothing　was　there　to　burn。　
　　〃Let　us　go　to　the　rocks！〃　he　said　then；　being　sure　that　they　would　know　what　rocks　he　meant。　
　　Even　though　the　young　men　helped　him；　Ish　was　very　tired　when　they　got　to　the　safety　of　the　rocks。　Once　they　were　there；　however；　he　lay　quietly；　panting　and　recovering　his　strength。　The　fire　was　soon　burning　all　around；　but　among　the　rocks　they　were　not　in　danger。　There　was　an　overhang　to　the　one　rock；　and　another　tall　rock　close　by；　so　that　they　were　almost　in　a　cave。　
　　As　he　lay　there；　Ish　dozed　off　with　his　weariness；　or　perhaps　it　was　more　as　if　he　had　fainted；　because　his　old　heart　was　pounding　wildly　after　the　dash　ahead　of　the　flames。　But　after　a　while　he　came　to　himself；　and　lay　there　quietly；　and　his　mind　seemed　closer　than　it　had　been　for　a　long　time。　
　　Yes；　he　thought；　it　is　now　the　dry　autumn；　and　the　time　of　bad　fires　because　of　dry　north　winds。　And　this　is　the　autumn　following　that　summer　when　I　first　came　to　know　Jack；　and　talked　to　him　about　the　arrowheads。　Since　then　Jack　has　been　the　one　who　has　chiefly　taken　care　of　me；　as　The　Tribe　at　its　meeting　has　undoubtedly　ordered　him　to　do。　After　all；　I　am　very　important。　I　am　a　god。　No；　I　am　not　a　god。　But　perhaps　I　am　the　mouth…piece　of　a　god。　No；　I　know　that　I　am　not　that　either。　But　at　least　they　give　me　care；　and　I　have　fort；　because　I　am　the　last　American。　
　　Then　again；　since　he　was　exhausted　from　his　flight　in　front　of　the　flames；　he　fell　asleep；　or　perhaps　fainted。　
　　After　a　while　he　came　to　himself　once　more。　He　could　not　have　been　unconscious　for　very　long；　for　he　heard　the　flames　still　crackling。　When　he　opened　his　eyes；　all　he　could　see　was　the　grayness　of　the　rock…overhang　above　him；　and　he　realized　that　he　must　be　lying　on　his　back。　He　heard　little　noises　of　scuffling　and　the　playful　growls　of　a　dog。　
　　But　now　with　this　return　to　consciousness　his　mind　seemed　even　clearer　than　before；　so　clear　indeed　that　he　was　startled　at　first；　and　then　a　little　frightened。　For　he　seemed　to　know　all　the　past　and　all　the　future　too；　as　well　as　what　was　actually　present。　
　　〃This　second　world…it　has　gone　too。〃　The　thoughts　flickered　through　his　mind。　〃I　saw　the　great　world　go。　Now　this　little　world；　my　second　world；　is　going。　It　is　going　by　fire。　This　fire　that　we　have　known　so　long…fire　that　warms　us；　fire　that　destroys　us。　They　used　to　say　that　because　of　the　bombs　we　would　go　back　and　live　in　caves。　Well；　here　is　a　cave…but　we　have　not　marched　by　the　road　that　anyone　imagined。　I　survived　the　loss　of　that；　my　great　world；　but　I　shall　not　outlast　the　destruction　of　this；　my　little　world。　I　am　an　old　man　now；　and　also　my　mind　is　too　clear。　I　know。　This　is　near　the　end。　From　the　cave　we　came；　and　to　the　cave　we　return。〃　
　　Just　as　his　mind　had　grown　clearer；　so　also　his　sight　seemed　clearer　than　usual。　After　a　while；　feeling　stronger；　he　sat　up；　and　then　he　could　see　all　the　others。　At　first　he　was　surprised　because　there　were　not　only　three　young　men　but　also　two　dogs。　He　did　not　remember　having　seen　the　dogs　before。　They　were　ordinary　dogs　of　the　kind　used　for　hunting…not　large；　long　haired；　mostly　black　with　some　white　on　them；　a　kind　of　sheep　dog；　he　supposed　they　would　have　been　called　in　the　Old　Times。　They　were　intelligent　dogs；　and　even　well…mannered。　They　lay　quietly　now　in　the　cave…like　overhang　of　the　rocks；　and　did　not　make　any　excitement　of　barking。　
　　Then　Ish　looked　at　the　young　men。　Since　now；　all　at　once；　he　seemed　to　see　the　past　and　the　future　as　well　as　the　present；　he　could　look　more　clearly　at　the　young　men　for　the　mixture　of　the　past；　present　and　future　that　they　really　were。　Their　clothing　was　like　Jack's。　They　had　soft；　well…fashioned　moccasin…like　footgear　of　deer…hide；　they　also　wore　blue　jeans　with　bright　copper　rivets　in　them。　Above　their　waists　they　had　only　the　tawny　lion…skins　with　the　dangling　paws　and　the　claws　still　attached。　Each　one　of　them　had　his　bow　and　quiver　Of　arrows；　and　each　wore　a　knife　at　his　belt；　although　they　could　not　make　knives。　One　of　them　had　a　spear　with　a　shaft　as　tall　as　himself；　and　extending　above　the　shaft；　a　spear…head。　When　Ish　looked　at　it　more　carefully；　he　saw　that　it　was　really　an　old　butcher…knife　with　an　eighteen…inch　blade。　The　blade　had　been　socketed　into　the　end　of　the　spear…shaft；　and　since　the　blade　was　very　sharp…pointed；　this　was　a　formidable　weapon　for　the　close　fighting。　
　　Then　at　last　Ish　looked　at　the　faces　of　the　young　men；　and　he　saw　that　they　were　different　from　the　faces　of　the　men　of　long　ago。　These　faces　were　young；　but　also　they　were　calm；　and　they　seemed　to　bear　on　them　few　lines　of　strain　and　worry　and　fear。　
　　〃See！〃　said　one　of　them。　and　he　was　nodding　in　the　direction　of　Ish。　〃See…he　is　better　now！　He　is　looking　around。〃　Ish　realized　that　the　voice　was　kindly；　and　he　felt　a　great　love　for　the　young　man　even　though　a　little　while　ago　he　had　been　afraid　that　that　particular　one　would　be　the　first　to　pinch　him。　
　　Something　else　that　was　strange　also；　Ish　thought　now；　was　that　after　all　these　years　the　young　men　still　talked　a