gs.earthabides-第72部分

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laughed　at　him　as　if　he　really　were　a　child；　good…naturedly。　
　　Ish　did　not　mind。　He　had　what　he　wanted。　It　was　a　scarlet　flower…a　geranium；　which　had　adapted　itself　to　the　new　life　and　lived　through　these　years。　It　was　not　the　flower　but　the　color；　Ish　realized；　that　had　given　him　that　sudden　pang　and　made　him　cry　out。　There　was　not　enough　red　in　the　world　anymore。　Being　old；　he　could　remember　a　world　in　which　dyes　and　lights　flamed　with　scarlet　and　vermilion。　But　now　the　world　had　sunk　back　into　a　quiet　harmony　of　blues　and　greens　and　browns…and　reds　no　longer　blazed　everywhere。　
　　But　as　he　jogged　along　pickaback；　he　lost　the　sense　of　what　was　happening；　and　when　he　came　to　himself　again；　they　were　all　seated　on　the　ground　taking　a　rest；　and　somewhere　he　had　dropped　the　flower。　Now；　as　he　looked　up；　his　eyes　saw　something　a　little　distance　away；　and　when　he　focused；　he　saw　that　it　was　a　road…marker。　It　was　shield…shaped；　and　he　read　U。S。　and　CALIFORNIA；　and　in　large　numerals；　4　and　0。　He　was　so　unused　to　seeing　numerals　that　it　was　a　moment　before　he　could　put　the　two　together　and　form　on　his　tongue　the　word　〃Forty。〃　
　　〃This；　then；〃　he　thought；　〃this　road　which　I　can　barely　make　out　because　of　all　the　things　growing　on　it；　this　is　old　U。S。　40…the　East　Shore　Highway。　It　used　to　be　six　lanes　wide。　We　must　be　heading　toward　the　Bay　Bridge。〃　And　then　again　he　did　not　remember　clearly　anything　more。　
　　There　was　still　another　incident　of　that　morning's　march　which　came　to　him　clearly　out　of　the　dimness　of　the　fog　pressing　in　around　him。　Again　they　had　halted；　but　this　time　they　were　not　sitting。　The　young　man　called　Jack　was　carrying　him　at　this　moment；　and　as　Ish　looked　out　over　Jack's　left　shoulder；　he　saw　the　one　with　the　spear　right　in　front　of　them；　one　on　each　side；　stood　the　two　other　young　men；　each　with　his　bow　half…drawn　and　an　arrow　nocked　ready　on　the　string。　The　two　dogs　crouched　at　heel；　and　they　were　growling　deeply。　Then；　looking　farther　on；　Ish　saw　a　huge　mountain…lion　in　the　path。　
　　The　lion　crouched；　threatening；　on　one　side。　And　on　the　other　side；　the　men　and　dogs　stood　their　ground。　Thus　they　remained　for　perhaps　a　dozen　breaths。　
　　Then　the　one　with　the　spear　said；　〃He　is　not　going　to　spring。〃　He　spoke　quietly　and　in　a　matter…of…fact　voice。　
　　〃Shall　I　shoot？〃　said　one　of　the　others。　
　　〃Don't　be　a　fool！〃　said　the　one　with　the　spear；　calmly。　
　　They　all　went　back　a　little　way；　and　made　a　detour　off　to　the　right；　making　the　dogs　keep　close　at　heel；　so　that　they　would　not　rush　off　and　alarm　or　disturb　the　lion。　In　this　way　they　went　around　the　lion；　leaving　him　possession　of　the　direct　way；　but　avoiding　trouble。　Ish　wondered　greatly　about　all　this。　As　far　as　he　could　see　the　men　were　not　afraid　of　the　beast　but　were　merely　avoiding　trouble；　and　on　the　other　hand　the　beast　did　not　seem　to　be　afraid　of　the　men。　Perhaps　it　was　because　there　were　no　more　rifles　being　used；　or　perhaps　it　was　because　there　were　so　few　men　that　a　lion　rarely　saw　one　and　could　not　realize　how　dangerous　these　not　very　dangerous…looking　creatures　could　be。　Or　perhaps；　if　the　young　men　had　not　been　encumbered　with　a　helpless　old　one；　they　might　have　attacked。　
　　Yet　certainly　he　could　not　help　thinking　that　the　men　had　lost　that　old　dominance　and　the　arrogance　with　which　they　had　once　viewed　the　animals；　and　were　now　acting　more　or　less　as　equals　with　them。　He　felt　that　this　was　too　bad；　and　yet　the　young　men　were　going　along　just　as　unconcerned　as　ever；　cracking　their　little　jokes　and　not　feeling　that　they　had　been　at　all　humiliated　by　having　to　detour　the　lion；　any　more　than　if　they　had　had　to　detour　around　a　fallen　tree…trunk　or　a　ruined　building。　
　　When　he　next　began　to　pay　attention；　they　were　approaching　the　bridge。　Ish　became　interested；　and　again　he　wished　that　he　could　tell　the　young　men　something　of　the　Old　Times；　of　what　the　bridge　used　to　be　like　when　traffic　was　pouring　across　it　in　both　directions　and　all　six　lanes　were　so　full　of　whizzing　cars　that　you　could　not　have　run　from　one　side　to　the　other　and　remained　alive。　
　　Now；　however；　as　they　slowly　walked　up　the　long　approach　and　came　to　the　first　span　on　the　East　Bay　side；　Ish　could　see　that　the　bridge　as　a　whole；　though　rust…covered；　was　still　intact。　The　pavement；　however；　was　badly　gone　to　pieces；　and　whole　sections　of　the　highway　sagged　a　little；　and　some　of　the　towers　were　noticeably　out　of　line。　
　　At　one　place　they　had　to　walk　for　a　few　feet　across　a　single　girder　which　offered　the　only　passageway。　Looking　down　from　the　young　man's　back；　Ish　could　see　clear　down　to　where　the　waves　were　slushing　back　and　forth；　and　he　noticed　that　the　metal　of　the　bridge；　where　salt　water　had　splashed　on　it　for　all　these　years；　was　deeply　corroded；　and　sagging　and　breaking。　
　　This　is　the　road　that　no　man　finishes　traveling。　This　is　the　river　so　long　that　no　vovager　finds　the　sea。　This　is　the　path　winding　among　the　hills；　and　still　winding。　This　is　the　bridge　that　no　man　crosses　wholly…lucky　is　he　who　through　the　mists　and　rain　clouds　sees；　or　even　believes　he　dimly　sees；　the　farther　shore。　
　　After　that；　Ish　was　not　sure　of　anything　again　until　at　last　he　realized　that　he　was　sitting　on　something　hard　and　leaning　against　something　hard；　and　that　his　feet　were　very　cold。　Next　he　knew　that　somebody　was　chafing　his　hands；　and　then　slowly　he　came　into　consciousness。　
　　He　found　that　he　was　sitting　on　the　pavement　at　the　edge　of　the　bridge；　propped　against　the　railing。　The　first　thing　that　he　really　noticed　was　his　hammer　on　the　pavement　in　front　of　him；　the　handle　pointing　stiffly　in　the　air。　On　each　side　of　him；　a　young　man　was　chafing　one　of　his　hands；　as　if　trying　to　get　some　blood　back　into　them。　The　other　two　young　men　were　near　also；　and　they　all　seemed　greatly　disturbed。　
　　Ish　realized　that　his　feet　and　even　his　lower　legs　were　cold；　or　perhaps　they　had　really　lost　all　feeling　in　a　kind　of　cold　that　might　be　called　deathly。　He　knew　then；　his　mind　again　being　clearer；　that　he　had　not　been　merely　passing　through　one　of　his　lapses　of　old　age　but　that　he　must　actually　have　suffered　some　kind　of　seizure…a　stroke　or　a　heart　attack…and　that　the　others　were　frightened。　
　　He　saw　Jack　moving　his　lips　as　if　he　were　talking；　and　yet　making　no　noise。　A　strange　thing　to　do！　The　lips　moved　more　and　more　vigorously；　as　if　Jack　were　shouting。　Then　Ish　realized　that　he　himself　was　not　hearing。　This　thought　did　not　pain　him；　but　rather　pleased　him；　because　he　knew　that　he　would　now　not　have　the　world　press　in　upon　him；　as　it　must　always　upon　a　man　who　can　hear。　
　　The　others　began　talking；　that　is；　moving　their　lips　in　the　same　way；　and　Ish　saw　that　they　were　trying　definitely；　even　desperately；　to　tell　him　something。　He　shook　his　head；　puzzled。　Then　he　tried　to　tell　them　that　he　could　not　hear；　but　he　realized　that　he　did　not　have　control　over　his　speech。　This　disturbed　him；　for　he　realized　that　it　would　be　a　nuisance　to　live　in　the　world　when　he　could　not　municate　by　talking　and　when　nobody　could　understand　what　he　wrote。　
　　The　young　men　had　been　very　respectful　and　friendly　all　day。　But　now　they　became　irritated。　They　gesticulated；　and　Ish　could　see　they　were　insistent　that　he　should　do　something；　and　were　even　frightened　that　he　might　not　be　able　to　do　it。　They　made　gestures　toward　the　hammer；　but　Ish　did　not　feel　it　worthwhile　to　try　very　hard　to　understand。　
　　Soon；　however；　the　young　men　were　even　more　insistent；　and　then　they　began　to　pinch　him。　Ish　felt　the　pain　because　his　body　was　still　sensitive；　and　he　cried　out；　and　tears　even　came　to　his　eyes；　though　he　was　ashamed　of　that；　and　felt　that　it　was　not　fitting　for　the　last　American。　
　　〃It　is　a　strange　thing；〃　he　thought；　〃to　be　an　old　god。　They　worship　you；　and　yet　they　mistreat　you。　If　you　do　not　want　to　do　what　they　wish；　they　make　you。　It　is　not　fair。〃　
　　Then；　by　thinking　hard　and　by　watching　their　gestures；　he　thought　that　they　wanted　him　to　indicate　one　of　them　to　whom　the　hammer　should　be　given。　The　hammer　had　been　Ish's　own　for　a　long　time；　and　no　one　had　ever　suggested　that　he　should　give　it　to　anyone　else；　but　he　did　not　care；　besides　he　wished　them　to　stop　pinching　him。　He　could　still　move　his　arms；　and　so　with　a　gesture　he　indicated　that　the　young　man　called　Jack　should　have　the　hammer。　
　　Jack　picked　up　the　hammer；　and　stood　with　it　dangling　from　his　right　hand。　The　other　three　then　drew　off　a　little；　and　Ish　felt　within　himself　a　strange　pang　of　sorrow　for　the　young　man　to　whom　the　hammer　had　descended。　
　　But　at　least　they　all　seemed　to　be　relieved；　now　that　the　inheritance　of　the　hammer　was　settled；　and　they　did　not　bother　Ish　any　more。　
　　He　rested　there　quietly　then；　as　if　he　had　done　all　in　this　world　that　he　needed　to　do；　and　had　made　his　peace。　He　was　dying　on　the　bridge；　and　he　knew　it　now。　Many　others；　he　remembered；　had　died　on　that　bridge。　He　might　have　died　there　many　years　before　in　some　mere　crash　of　automobiles。　Now　he　had　lived　clear　out　of　his　own　world；　and　still　he　was　dying　there。　One　way　or　another；　he　now　was　contented。　He　half…remembered　a　line　which　he　had　read　in　some　book　at　some　time　during　all　those　years　when　he　had　read　so　many　books。　〃Men　go　and　e。。。〃　But　that　was　trite　and　meaningless　without　its　other　half。　
　　He　looked　now　at　the　others；　although　there　was　a　little　mist　before　his　eyes　and　he　could　not　see　very　well。　Yet　he　noticed　the　two　dogs　lying　quietly；　and　the　four　young　men…three　of　them　apart　from　the　other　one　now…who　squatted　on　the　bridge　in　a　half　circle　around　him；　watching。　They　were　very　young　in　age；　at　least　by　parison　with　him；　and　in　the　cycle　of　mankind　they　were　many　thousands　of　years　younger　than　he。　He　was　the　last　of　the　old；　they　were　the　first　of　the　new。　But　whether　the　new　would　follow　the　course　which　the　old　had　followed；　that　he　did　not　know；　and　now　at　last　he　was　almost　certain　that　he　did　not　even　desire　that　the　cycle　should　be　repeated。　He　suddenly　thought　of　all　that　had　gone　to　build　civilization…of　slavery　and　conquest　and　war　and　oppression。　
　　But　now　he　looked　beyond　the　young　men；　toward　the　bridge　itself。　Now　that　he　would　soon　be　dead；　he　felt　himself　more　a　panion　of