小说园

鲨口脱险 the jaw f a hark（第1页）

佚名

Anonymous

ExcetforthesealsbobbingtheirblackbeadsinandoutofthegreenPacifcwaters，brothersEricandNickLarsenseemedtohavetheoceantothemselves。

Dressedinwetsuits，glovesontheirhands，theystraddledtheirrockingsurfboardsunderabrilliantbluesky。TherewasasoutherlyfowtotheoceanthiscoolMondaymorning，July1，1991。Four-footwavesweresweeingintoanarrow，desertedbeach，oneofthemanycovesonthecoastlinenorthofCaliforniasMontereyBay。

Sometimeafter8a。m。，50-year-oldNickointedhisboardtowardtheshoreabout150yardsaway。“Imgoingtothetrucktowarmu。”hesaid。

“Illstayalittlelonger。”Ericcalledafterhim。

Untiltenweeksearlier，ErichadbeenasoftwareengineerforaSiliconValleycomanywritingrogramsforafiber-oticdatanetworkfortheroosedNASAsacestation。Buthefoundtheacetooslowandwantedtobeoutdoors。

Sowhenthecomanybeganlayingoffemloyee，the32-year-oldtoldmanagementhedtakealeaveofabsence。

Atsix-foot-oneand175ounds，Ericwasalwaysinshae。Nowhebroughthimselftoeakfitness，running，swimming，bicycling，surfngandcanoeing。

Awaitingthebreakofagoodwave，Ericgazedseaward。Thenhenoticedaswirlingturbulencecloseby。Theressomethingreallybigdownthere，hethought。

Inthatinstant，hefeltaowerfulclamonhisleftleg。Gainginhorror，hesawtwowiderowsofwhite，triangularteeth，baredtothegums，bitingthroughfesh。Thightoshin，hislegwascaughtinthejawsofagreatwhitesharkatleast15feetlong。

Prythemloose！Inlightning-fastrefex，Ericshothisglovedlefthandtothetoofthemonsterssnout，hisrighttothebottom。Heushedmightilyagainstthejaws，whilethesharktugged。

Atthatmoment，thejawsoened，andEricjerkedhislegfree。Hekickedawayfromthehulkingattacker，armsstilloutstretched。Toolate，hetriedtoullthemin。

Lunging，tailthrashing，thesharksankitsteethdeeintoEricsleftarmfromelbowtowristandcruncheddownontheboneoftherightforearm。Hishands，untouched，groedinsidethehugecavityofthemouth。

Ericwasafraid，butnotterrifed。Hisengineer‘smindfocusedonthejaw。Pullingandtuggingdeserately，hefelthisrightarmmoveagainsttheteeth。Afierceull，andhetoreitout。Attack！Hithim！Bunchinghisrightfst，hesmashedtheshark’sgray-whitebellyinahammerblow。Thehidefeltfat，muscular，buttheressurecameoffhisleftarmandheyankeditclear。

Hewasundertheshark，awayfromitsjaws。Thenhisbodywasjerkedviolently。Thesharkhadsnaggedthesix-footnylonleashattachingEric‘srightankletothesurfboard。I’mallchewedu，hethoughtwildly，andnowthis。

Forseveralseconds，hewastowedthroughthewaterfeetfirstatdizzyingseed。Then，abrutly，hewasfoundering。Theleashwasbroken，thesharknowhereinsight。

Hekickedtothesurfaceandguledair。Hissurfboardwasfloatingonlyafewfeetaway，andheswunghimselfaboard，bellydown。

OverthewavecrestsEriccaughtaglimseoftheshorelineandaddledforit。Relax，hecoachedhimself。Itsnotoveryet。Conserveyourenergy。

Hesettledintoarhythmicace，buteachstrokeofhisarmsleftascarlettrail。Anxiously，hescannedtheoceanforadorsalfn。Thesharkwasouttheresomewhere。Tofndhim，ithadonlytofollowtheblood。

Ericwantedtogofaster，butdarednot。Theharderheaddled，thefasterhisheartoundedandthemorehisbloodlost。Halfwaytoshore，helookedbehind，andhiseyesfxedonawaverushingathim。Headu，handsguiding，hecaughtitscrestandrodeittoshore。Atleasthecantgetmehere。

Awoozyfeelingcameoverhimashesatthereandinsectedtherawuloftissueundertheshredsofhiswetsuit。Downhisleftlegandalonghisarmswerewoundsthatgaedtothebone。Fromthedeelacerationabovetheknee，hejudgedthatthesharkhadmangledthemuscle。Bloodsurtedfromacutinthecrookofhisleftarm。Thesharkhadseveredanartery。Hehadescaeditsjaws，butnowhecouldbleedtodeathinminutes。

Heclamedthegashfirmlywithhisrighthand，andthrustthearmabovehishead。Bloodmusthavebeensoutingoutofthearmsincetheattack。Alreadythelosswasmakinghimfaint。

Ifheassedoutwithhishandnolongersealingthewound，lifewouldbleedoutofhim。Ericsmindraced，lsthistheend?

Hehadbeenintightsotsmanytimes。Alwayshehadulledthrough。Thekeywasemotionalcontrol，nevertobesofrightenedthathecouldnotthinkandact。Life‘stoogood。l’mtooyoungtodieonthisdeath。

Hehadtogetaroundtheheadlandwherehecouldbeenseen。Clamberingtohisfeet，armstillclenched，hestaggereduthebeach。“Suckitu，Eric，”hetoldhimselfaloud。“Hike！”

Ericunderstoodwhatwashaeningtohisbody。WhileingraduateschoolinMontanahehadsenttwoyearsasaski-atrolvolunteerandhadearnedacertificateinadvancedfrstaid。Theskillhadservedhimthroughnearlyadozenrescues。

After50yards，heslumedonhisbackside。Heneededtouthislegsu，getmorebloodtohisvitalorgans，buttherewasnotime。Herested30secondsandstumbledon。

Twicemorehedroedtothesandinahalf-faint，Hefeltthebloodulsingunderhishand，readytosout。“Gettough！”hecommanded，tighteninghisgri。

Ahead，300feetaway，wasaclusteroffourbeachhouses。Hestumbledtowardthem。Thenhecouldgonofurtherhehadtositdown。Bloodooledinthesandaroundhim。“Helme！”hecried。

Inasmallcottageattheedgeofthebeach，16-year-oldBenBurdetteheardsomeoneyelling。Steingoutside，hesawamanlyingonthesand。“Hel！”cameashout。“Ivebeenattackedbyashark。Call911。”

Bensawthemansuraisedarmswerecoveredinblood。Turningonhisheeds，hesrintedforthehouse。

Inside，Bensmother，Michele，heardhersonatthehone。“onthebeach，bittenbyashark，looksrettybad……”

Sherantothebeach。Thefguresrawledtherewasstillcryingout。Shegasedatthegoreofhislegsandarms。Kneelingathisside，shesawhislisweregray。“Imloosingit，”hesaid。“Youhavetostothebleeding。Myleftarm。Theresaressureointunderneath，unearthearmit。Holdontight。”

Michelesankherfngersintothemainbrachialarteryofthearm。

Secondslater，Benwasonthescenewithtowels。FollowingEric‘sinstruction，heusedthemtoelevatethewoundedman’sfeet。Thenheracedofftoflagdowntherescueunits。MicheleavoidedlookingatEricswoundsandketaskinghimquestionstokeehimawake。

Intenminutesorso，theywerejoinedbyaregisterednurse，whowasalsocatainofthevolunteerrescuesquadinnearbyDavenort，arescueteamfromtheCaliforniaDeartmentofForestryandNickLarsen。Hehadbeenleaningagainstthetruck，justafewhundredyardsaway，susectingnothing。

“Itsgoodtohaveyouhere。”saidEricasNickgriedhishand。