小说园

第5章 lve f life（第2页）

Inoneareahewalkedalongacreek，lookingforfish。Inaoolhefoundasmallone。Hediedhisarmintothewaterutohisshoulder，butthefishgotaway。Thenhereachedforitwithbothhands，stirringuthemudatthebottom。Inhisexcitementhefellin，wettinghimselftothewaist。Sincehecouldnolongerseethefish，hehadtowaituntilthewatercleared。

Whenhetriedagain，thewaterbecamemuddy。Thenhetookhistinailandbegantobailtheool。Hebailedwildlyatfirst，andsomeofthewaterranbackintotheool。Thenheworkedmorecarefully，thoughhisheartwasoundinginhischestandhishandswereshaking。Attheendofhalfanhourtheoolwasnearlydry。Buttherewasnofish。Ithadescaedbetweentherocksintoalargerool。

Defeatedinhiseffort，themansatdownuonthewetearth。Atfirsthecriedsoftlytohimself。Thenhecriedloudlyinhishoelesscondition。

Hebuiltafireandwarmedhimselfanddranksomehotwater。Hisblanketswerewetandcold，andhisanklewasstillainful，buthisworstsufferingcamefromhishunger。Hetriedtoslee，buthedreamedoffoodandmanygoodthingstoeat。

Heawokecoldandsick。Therewasnosun。Theairabouthimgrewwhitewhilehemadeafireandboiledsomewater。Itwaswetsnow，halfrain，andtheflakesmeltedquicklyandutouthisfire。

Bythistimehehadbecomehunger-mad。Hefeltthroughthesnowandulledusomegrassroots。Hechewedtherootsbuttheyweretastelessorbitter。

Hehadnofirethatnightbecausehecouldn&aos;tfindanydrywood，sohecrawledunderhisblankettosleethebrokensleeofhunger。Thesnowturnedintoacoldrain。Hefeltitonhisfaceduringthenight。

Latethenextmorningthesunbrokethroughthegraymist。Thenthemanrealizedhewaslost。Heturnednorthwardtocorrecthiscourse，hoingtofindtheriverandthecanoe。ThenhewonderedwhathadhaenedtoBill。

Thoughhishungerainswerenoworse，herealizedhewasgettingweaker。Hehadtostofrequentlytorest。Histonguefeltdryandlarge，andhismouthhadabittertaste。Hisheartgavehimagreatdealoftrouble。Hecouldfeelitsthum，thum，thum;andtheainfulbeatschokedhimandmadehimfeelfaint。

Inthemiddleofthedayhecaughttwosmallfishinaoolbyusinghisail。Heatethefishraw，butthehungerainwasnowdullandlifeless。Hisstomachhadgonetoslee。

Inthemorninghecaughtthreemoresmallfish，eatingtwoofthemandsavingoneforhisbreakfast。Anothernightassed。Inthemorninghetiedmorestrisoftheblanketaroundhisfeet，andthenheuntiedthestringofthemoose-hideouch。Fromitsoenmouthouredayellowstreamofcoarsegolddustandnuggets。Heknewhemustlightenhisload。Hehardlyhadthestrengthtocarrythelastremainingblanket。Heroughlydividedthegoldintohalves。Heouredhalfofthegoldintoaieceofblanketandrolleditintoasmallackage，whichhehidinarockledge。

Thenhewalkedon，barelyabletolaceonefootaheadoftheother。

Hefacedanotherdayofcoldfog。Halfofhislastblankethadgonetowrahisfeet。Hewasnowtooweaktocarryhissmallack。Againhedividedthegold，thistimebysillinghalfofitontheground。Intheafternoonhethrewtherestofitaway。Thereremainedonlythehalfblanket，thetinail，hisknife，andtherifle。

Heushedonforanhourbeforehefellintoafaint。Arousedbyanoise，hecouldnotbelievehiseyes。Beforehimstoodahorse。Ahorse!Rubbinghiseyes，hesuddenlyrealizedhewaslookingatagreatbrownbear。

Themanbroughthisgunhalfwaytohisshoulderbeforeheremembereditwasnotloaded。Helowereditanddrewhishuntingknife，wonderingifthebearwouldattack。Themandrewhimselfutohisfullheight，staredatthebearandwaited。Thebearadvancedafewstesandthenstoed。Themanknewifheran，thebearwouldrunafterhim。Withallhismightthemanswungtheknifeandgrowledlikeananimal。Thebeardidnotunderstandthemysteriouscreatureandwalkedaway。Themanulledhimselftogetherandwenton，afraidnowinanewway。Therewerewolves。Nowandagainthewolves，inacksoftwoandthree，crossedhisath。Theystayedclearoftheman，foritwaseasiertohuntthecaribou。

Inthelateafternoonhecameuonthebonesofacariboucalf。Hesatonthemossandgatheredthebonesintoahea，andthenhechewedthemwithhisbareteeth，tryingtogetamouthfuloftherawmeat。Thenheoundedthebonesbetweenrocks，beatingthemintoaulandswallowedit。Inhishastehealmostbrokesomeofhisfingers，yethedidnotmindthehurt。

Thencamefrightfuldaysofsnowandrain。Thewilltolivecarriedhimon。Itwasthelifeinhim，unwillingtodie，thatdrovehimon。Bythistimehehadbecomenumbtoain。Halfalive，hewalked，hestumbled，hecrawleduntilhecametoariver。HisdullsensestoldhimitwasnotthesameriverwhereheandBillhadlefttheircanoe。Hefollowedthecourseoftheriverdownstream。Hedidn&aos;tknowwherehewas-itdidn&aos;tmattermuchanyway。Buthestillhadthewilltolive，andheushedon。

Heawokeonemorning，lyingonhisbackonarockyledge。Inaainfuleffort，herolledoveronhisside。Belowhimhecouldseethattheriverflowedouttothesea。Hewasnotexcitedaboutthatfact，andthenhesawsomethingthathewassurewasatrickofthemind。Maybe，afterall，itwasadream-ashilyingatanchor。Heclosedhiseyesandthenoenedthem。Theshiwasstillthere。Themancouldnotbelieveit。

Thenthemanheardanoisebehindhim-ahalf-chokinggasorcough。Hecouldseenothingnearathand。Againcamethestrangenoises，andoutlinedagainsttherockstwentyfeetawaywasthegrayheadofawolf。Theanimalhadbloodshoteyes。Itseemedsick。Itwasnolongerabletohuntwiththeacks。Itevenfeareditsownkind，butnowitstalkedtheman，waitingforhimtodie。

Themanlookedagaintowardthesea。Hedecidedtheshiwasreal。Itwasatleastfivemilesaway，butthemanhadthewilltolive。Henolongerfeltthehunger。Hislastblanketwasgone，andhehadlosttherifle。

Thoughextremelyweak，hewascalm。Heriedoffhisantslegstothekneesandboundthemtohisfeet。Hismovementswereslow，buthewasdetermined。Hestillhadsomematchesandthetinail。Hewarmedsomewateranddrankit。Nowhefeltslightlybetter，andhewasabletostand。Hewalkedtowardtheshiuntilhisweaknessovercamehim。Thenhecrawledonallfourslikeananimal。

Inthelateafternoonhesawanemtymoose-hidesacklikehis。HerecognizeditandknewitwasBill&aos;s。Ahundredyardsfartherwerethebonesofahumanskeleton。Themandidnotneedtoguess。Billhadalmostmadeit!

Finallythemanlayquietinslee。Twoorthreetimesduringthenightthesickwolfhadcomeclosetotheman，bareditsteeth，andsniffedinhunger，butthemanflunghisarmsoutandscaredthewolfaway。

Thefirstraysofdaylightbroughtthemantolife。Hewasnolongerabletostand，sohebegantocrawltowardtheshi。Hecouldseeitnow-lyingbeyondthebreakers。Hiskneesandarmswererawandbleeding，butthemanketmoving，afootatatime，untilhereachedthebeach，wherehelayquietly-unabletomoveafootfarther。Hedreamedoffood，cleanclothing，andwarmsunshine，andthenhebegantocrawlagain。

TheshiwastheBedford，onceawhalingvessel。Onboardwerethemembersofascientificexedition。Someofthememberssawastrangeobjectcrawlingalongthebeachtowardthewater。Theywereunabletoidentifytheobject，andbeingscientificmen，theyclimbedintoashi&aos;sboatandwentashoretosee。Andtheysawsomethingthatwashardlyaliveandcouldhardlybecalledahumanbeing。Itmovedalongthegroundlikeawormandmadeheadwayaterhastwentyfeetanhour。

ThemanwasbroughtaboardtheBedford，givenfood，andcaredforbyadoctor。

Inafewdayshewasabletosituinhisbunk。Withtearsstreamingdownhischeeks，hetoldhowhehadalmostlosthislifeinthewilds。ThenhebegantotalkstrangelyofhisfamilyinsunnysouthernCalifornia，andofahomeamongtheorangetreesandtheflowers。