Text B Love of Life(第1页)
TextBLoveofLife
Ja
Throughoutthehecoughofthesickwolf,andnowahesquawkingofthecariboucalves。Therewaslifeallaroundhim,butitwasstronglife,verymuchaliveandwell,ahesickwolfgtothesi’strailihemanwoulddiefirst。Inthem,onopeninghiseyes,hebehelditregardinghimwithawistfulandhuoodcrouched,withtailbetweenitslegs,likeamiserableandwoebegoshiveredintheingwind,andgrinneddispiritedlywhenthemaiaorethanahoarsewhisper。
Thesuly,andallmthemantotteredaowardtheshipontheshiheerfect。ItwasthebriefIndiahehighlatitudes。Itmightlastaweek。Tomorrowormighthegone。
Ihemarail。Itwasofanotherman,whodidnotwalk,butwhedhimselfonallfours。ThemanthoughtitmightbeBill,buthethoughtinadull,uedway。Hehadnocuriosity。Iioiohim。Hewasibletopain。Stomaerveshadgohelifethatwasinhimdrovehimon。Hewasveryweary,butitrefusedtodie。Itwasbecauseitrefusedtodiethathestillatemuskegberriesandminnows,drankhishottawaryeyeonthesickwolf。
Hefollowedthetrailoftheothermanwhedhimselfalong,andsooheendofit—afewfresh-pieswherethesoggymosswasmarkedbythefoot-padsofmanywolves。Hesawasquatmoose-hidesack,matetohisown,whichhadbeentornbysharpteeth。Hepickeditup,thoughitsweightwasalmosttoomuchforhisfeeblefingers。Billhadcarriedittothelast。Ha!ha!HewouldhavethelaughonBill。Hewouldsurviveandcarryittotheshipintheshiningsea。Hismirthwashhastly,likearaven’sdthesi,howlinglugubriously。Themanceasedsuddenly。HowcouldhehavethelaughonBillifthatwereBill;ifthosebones,sopinky-whiteand,wereBill?
&urnedaway。Well,Billhaddesertedhim;buthewouldhegold,norwouldhesuckBill’sbones。Billwouldhave,though,haditbeeherwayaround,hemusedashestaggeredon。
&oapoolofwater。Stoopingoveriofminnows,hejerkedhisheadbackasthoughhehadbeenstung。Hehadcaughtsightofhisreflectedface。Sohorriblewasitthatsensibilityawokeloobeshocked。Therewerethreeminnowsinthepool,whichwastetodrain;andafterseveraliemptstocatthetiheforbore。Hewasafraid,becauseofhisgreatweakhemightfallinanddrown。Itwasforthisreasotrusthimselftotheriverastrideohemanydrift-logswhieditssand-spits。
Thatdayhedecreasedthedistaweenhimandtheshipbythreemiles;thedaybytwo—forheasBillhadcrawled;ahefifthdayfouillsevenmilesawayandhimuomakeevenamileaday。StilltheIndianSummerheldoiodfaint,turnandturnabout;ahesickwolfdwheezedathisheels。Hiskneeshadbeeatlikehisfeet,andthoughhepaddedthemwiththeshirtfromhisbackitwasaredtrackheleftbehindhimonthemossandstones。Ongback,hesawthewolfligrilyhisbleedingtrail,andhesalywhathisowbe—unless—unlesshecouldgetthewolf。Thenbeganasgrimatragedyofexistenceaslayed—asithatcrawled,asicked,twingtheirdyingcarcassesacrossthedesolationandhuher’slives。
Haditbeenaoulderedsomuaofgoihemawofthatloathsomeandallbutdeadthiohim。Hewasfinicky。Hismiain,andtobeperplexedbyhallus,whilehislutervalsgrewrarerandshorter。
Hewasawakenedonafaintbyawheezehisear。Theedlamelybagitsfootingandfallinginitsweakwasludicrous,buthewasnotamused。Norwasheevenafraid。Hewasto。Buthismindwasforthemomentdhelayaheshipwashanfourmilesaway。Hecouldseeitquitedistinherubbedthemistsoutofhiseyes,andhecouldseethewhitesailofasmallboatgthewateroftheshiheeveriles。Hek,andwasverytheknowledge。Hekheotcrawlhalfamile。Aolive。Itwasunreasoheshoulddieafterallhehadueaskedtoomu。And,dyiodie。Itwasstarkmadness,perhaps,butintheverygripofDeathhedefiedDeathaodie。
Heclosedhiseyesandselfwithiioeeledhimselftokeepabovethesuffoguorthatlappedlikearisihroughallthewellsofhisbeing。Itwasverylikeasea,thisdeadlylanguor,thatroseandroseanddrownedhisessbitbybit。Sometimeshewasallbutsubmerged,swimmingthroughoblivionwithafalteringstroke;andagairangealchemyofsoul,hewouldfindanothershredofwillamly。
Withoutmovementhelayonhisbadhecouldhear,slnearahewheeziputofthesickwolf’sbreath。Itdrewcloser,everclhaniime,amove。Itwasathisear。Theharshdrytoedlikesahischeek。Hishandsshotout—oratleasthewilledthemtoshootout。Thefingerswerecurvedliketalons,buttheyptyair。Swiftnessauderequirestrength,andthemanhadnotthisstrength。
&iehewolfwasterrible。Theman’spatienolessterrible。Forhalfadayhelaymotioingoffunessandwaitihatwastofeeduponhimandupoofeed。Sometimesthelanguidsearoseoverhimandhedreamedloeverthroughitall,wakinganddreamiedforthewheeziheharshcaressofthetongue。
&hearthebreath,andheslippedslowlyfromsomedreamtothefeelofthetonguealonghishaed。Thefaly;thepressureihewolfwasexertingitslaststrengthiosihefoodforwhichithadwaitedsolong。Butthemanhadwaitedlong,aedhahejahilethewledfeeblyandthehandclutchedfeebly,theotherhaacrosstoagrip。Fivemihewholeweightoftheman’sbodyofthewolf。Thehandshadnotsuffitstrengthtochokethewolf,butthefaanressedclosetothethroatofthewolfahofthemanwasfullofhair。Attheendofhalfanhourthemanwasawareofawarmtrihisthroat。Itleasant。Itwaslikemoltenleadbeiohisstomaditwasforcedbyhiswillalohemanrolledoveronhisbadslept。
1。Discussthefollowiions。
1)Whatmighthavehappeheman?Wherewashegoing?
2)Whattroubledidheenhis>
3)Whatdidheeattokeepalive?Didheliketoeatthem?
4)Whataretheman’sthoughtsoh?
5)inghimalltheway?Whydidn’ttheaherlivesorthemaely?