gs.earthabides-第24部分

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　　Panic　struck　at　him。　He　started　to　run。　But　after　a　few　yards　he　realized　that　running　would　be　of　no　use　and　only　an　invitation。　He　stilled　his　panic；　gathered　up　a　few　stones；　and　selected　a　fallen　branch　to　serve　for　a　club。　He　continued　to　walk　toward　the　car。　The　baying　came　closer；　then　suddenly　it　stopped；　and　he　knew　that　the　dogs　must　have　sighted　him。　He　hoped　that　the　long…ingrained　respect　for　mankind　had　survived；　but　also　he　suddenly　began　to　wonder　what　had　happened　to　the　old　man　and　the　other　people　whom　he　had　once　seen　in　this　region。　Now　one　of　the　dogs；　an　ugly　black　mongrel；　came　out　on　the　road　right　in　front　of　him。　Fifty　yards　off；　it　stopped；　sat　down；　and　looked　at　him。　As　he　drew　closer；　he　raised　his　arm；　and　made　a　gesture　of　throwing　a　stone。　By　age…old　reaction　the　dog　jumped　up。　It　loped　to　the　side　of　the　road；　and　disappeared　into　the　bushes。　Ish　could　hear　movement　elsewhere　in　the　brush；　as　if　the　dogs　were　circling　about。　Princess　was　behaving　in　her　usual　irritating　and　uncertain　fashion。　Now　she　cringed；　tail　between　legs；　brushing　against　him。　Again　she　made　short　provocative　dashes　with　loud　barks；　this　direction　and　that；　as　if　challenging　one　and　all　to　bat　with　her　and　her　man。　
　　Now　he　could　see　the　car　far　ahead；　he　walked　steadily；　husbanding　his　stones；　looking　backward　only　now　and　then；　depending　upon　Princess　to　give　warning；　if　a　sudden　attack　should　e　from　behind。　He　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　Dane　standing　in　a　gap　between　bushes；　a　magnificent　dog；　heavy　as　a　man。　With　a　loud　yap　Princess　made　a　suicidal　dash　at　the　great　。　He　sprang　toward　her；　and　at　the　same　time　the　collie　dashed　out　of　the　bushes　on　the　left。　But　Princess　doubled　with　the　agility　of　a　rabbit；　and　the　two　larger　dogs　collided　in　their　rush；　and　caromed　off　each　other；　snarling。　Princess　came　back　again　to　brush　against　his　legs；　her　tail　drooping。　Now　the　Dalmatian　crossed　into　the　road　ahead　and　stood　there；　red　tongue　lolling　out。　Ish　continued　his　steady　pace。　The　Dalmatian　was　the　least　fiercesome　looking　of　the　dogs；　and　Ish　felt　that　he　might　brave　that　one。　A　handsome　collar　still　circled　the　spotted　neck；　a　metal　dogtag　dangling　from　it。　Uneasily；　Ish　saw　that　it　was　thin；　with　ribs　showing；　and　yet　did　not　look　in　too　bad　condition。　Evidently　on　rabbits　or　calves　or　on　whatever　the　pack　might　run　down　or　find　as　carrion；　the　dogs　were　managing　to　get　along。　He　hoped　that　they　had　not　yet　been　driven　into　cannibalism；　…and　that　their　interest　in　Princess　might　be　somewhat　playful…not　to　mention　their　interest　in　a　stray　man。　At　twenty　feet　distance；　without　slacking　his　steady　pace；　Ish　raised　his　arm；　threatening。　The　Dalmatian　suddenly　dropped　tail　between　legs；　and　slunk　off。　The　car　was　close　now；　and　Ish　relaxed。　
　　He　got　to　the　car；　opened　the　door　for　Princess　to　jump　in；　and　stilling　a　last…moment　panicky　impulse　to　scramble；。　he　himself　stepped　in　behind　her　with　dignity。　As　the　door　clicked　shut；　he　had　an　immediate　feeling　of　safety。　He　let　his　hand　close　fortably　around　the　solid　handle　of　the　hammer　which　lay　at　his　feet。　He　felt　sick　with　the　reaction。　
　　Looking　out　from　the　car；　he　saw　only　the　handsome　Dalmatian；　sitting　at　the　side　of　the　road。　Now　being　safe；　Ish　felt　his　attitude　quickly　changing。　Actually　the　dogs　had　done　him　no　harm；　and　indeed　had　not　really　even　threatened　him。　During　a　few　minutes　he　had　thought　of　them　as　wild　creatures　thirsting　for　his　blood。　Now；　they　seemed　a　little　pitiful；　as　if　they　might　merely　have　been　seeking　the　panionship　of　a　man　because　of　what　they　remembered　long　ago…of　food　laid　out　in　dishes；　of　crackling　logs　in　the　fireplace；　of　a　patting　hand　and　a　soothing　voice。　As　he　drove　away；　he　wished　them　no　bad　luck；　but　rather　hoped　that　they　would　manage　occasionally　to　snap　up　a　rabbit　or　pull　down　a　calf。　
　　The　next　morning　the　whole　matter　had　even　a　more　ic　aspect　when　he　became　aware　of　Princess's　changed　condition。　Not　wanting　any　puppies；　he　shut　her　in　the　basement。　
　　Yet　he　could　not　be　sure；　and　he　decided　if　there　was　one　way　rather　than　another　by　which　he　did　not　care　to　die；　it　was　to　be　torn　to　pieces　by　the　teeth　of　dogs。　After　that　he　made　it　a　rule　always　to　walk　in　the　hills　with　a　pistol　strapped　at　his　belt；　or　else　with　his　rifle　or　shot…gun。。。。　
　　Two　days　later　the　problem　of　dogs　had　e　to　seem　a　petty　one　pared　with　the　problem　of　ants。　They　had　already　troubled　him；　but　now　they　seemed　to　arrive　from　all　directions　at　once　and　to。　cover　everything。　Even　in　the　old　days；　he　could　remember　that　constant　battle…his　mother's　cry　of　dismay　at　finding　a　line　of　them　in　the　kitchen；　his　father's　irritation；　and　the　constant　debate　about　whether　they　should　summon　the　ant…man　or　try　to　handle　the　situation　themselves。　But　now　the　ants　were　a　hundred　times　worse　than　ever　before。　No　longer　did　ardent　householders　bat　them　in　the　houses；　and　even　wage　offensive　war　against　them　in　their　own　strongholds。　Now　after　a　few　months　their　powers　mg　had　brought　their　numbers　to　climactic　proportions。　Probably；　also；　they　had　found　great　supplies　of　food　somewhere。　
　　They　streamed　everywhere。　Ish　was　sorry　not　to　be　a　good　enough　entomologist　to　ascertain　what　really　was　happening　and　to　work　out　the　history　of　this　overpowering　increase。　But　in　spite　of　some　investigations；　he　never　even　discovered　for　certain　whether　the　ants　were　spreading　outward　from　some　great　center　of　development　or　whether　they　were　breeding　equally　all　over　the　city。　
　　Their　scouts　ranged　everywhere。　Suddenly　he　had　to　bee　a　furiously　meticulous　housekeeper；　for　the　slightest　scrap　of　food　or　even　a　dead　fly　brought　an　immediate　stream　of　ants　an　inch　wide；　overwhelming　the　insignificant　prey　which　had　attracted　them。　He　found　them　wandering　upon　Princess's　coat　like　fleas；　although　apparently　they　did　not　bite。　He　found　them　in　his　own　clothes。　Once　in　the　early　morning　he　awoke　with　a　horrible　dream　because　a　stream　of　ants　was　pouring　across　his　own　cheek；　bent　to　some　goal　which　he　never　discovered。　
　　Actually　the　house　was　only　alien　ground　into　which　they　made　raids。　Their　real　strength　lay　outside。　Their　hills　seemed　now　to　be　everywhere。　He　could　not　overturn　a　clod　without　having　ants　swarm　out　by　thousands　from　burrows　that　pierced　the　earth。　They　must　be　annihilating　all　the　other　insects；　he　thought；　destroying　their　means　of　subsistence　even　if　not　killing　them。　He　got　bottles　of　ant…poison　and　DDT　spray　from　the　drug　store；　and　tried　to　make　the　house　into　a　hostile　island；　but　the　pressure　of　numbers　was　so　great　from　the　outside　that　they　streamed　across　his　spray。　Doubtless　all　the　trespassers　inevitably　died；　but　the　death　of　even　millions　of　individuals　would　not　affect　such　numbers　appreciably。　He　tried　to　estimate　how　many　ants　must　be　living　on　this　one　city　lot；　but　he　came　out　with　an　unbelievable　answer　in　billions。　Had　they　no　natural　enemies？　Had　they　broken　all　limits　Of　control？　With　the　removal　of　man　were　they　now　destined　to　inherit　the　earth？　
　　Yet；　after　all；　they　were　only　the　little　hustling　ants　which　had　irritated　and　plagued　California　housewives。　Making　some　investigations；　he　found　that　actually　the　range　of　the　plague　did　not　extend　appreciably　beyond　the　limits　of　the　city。　In　some　way；　like　dogs　and　cats　and　rats；　these　ants　had　e　to　be　domestic　animals　dependent　upon　the　activities　of　man。　This　gave　him　a　certain　hope。　If　he　had　only　been　seeking　his　ease；　he　would　have　left　the　city；　but　he　preferred；　even　at　the　cost　of　some　disfort；　to　watch　what　was　happening。　
　　Then　one　morning　he　realized　suddenly　that　he　had　not　noticed　any　ants。　He　looked　around　carefully；　but　he　could　not　see　any　of　their　scouts。　He　dropped　a　bit　of　food　on　the　floor；　then　went　away　about　some　other　business　for　a　few　minutes。　When　he　returned　to　the　scene　of　his　experiment；　the　food　lay　there　without　an　ant　upon　it。　Curious；　realizing　that　something　had　happened；　he　went　outside。　He　turned　over　a　clod　of　dirt；　and　no　ants　swarmed　from　their　holes。　He　hunted　carefully。　Here　and　there　he　discovered　a　few　stragglers　wandering　about　aimlessly；　but　they　were　so　few　that　he　could　have　counted　them　indi