gs.earthabides-第3部分

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ought　to　himself；　〃I　suppose　nobody　bothers　ever　to　turn　that　out。　They　have　so　much　electricity　that　they　don't　need　to　economize。〃　
　　He　considered　going　across　the　bridge　to　the　power…house；　just　to　see　somebody　and　allay　the　strange　fears　which　he　had　begun　to　feel。　But　the　sight　and　sound　of　everything　running　normally　were　reassuring；　signs　that　after　all　the　power…house　was　working　as　usual；　even　though　he　saw　no　people。　There　was　nothing　remarkable　about　not　seeing　people。　The　process　was　so　nearly　automatic　that　only　a　few　men　were　employed　there；　and　they　kept　indoors　mostly。　
　　Just　as　he　was　leaving　the　power…house　behind；　a　large　collie　ran　out　from　behind　one　of　the　buildings。　From　the　other　side　of　the　creek；　it　barked　loudly　and　violently　at　Ish。　It　ran　back　and　forth　excitedly。　
　　〃Fool　dog！〃　he　thought。　〃What's　it　so　excited　about？　Is　it　trying　to　tell　me　not　to　steal　the　power…house？〃　People　certainly　tended　to　overestimate　the　intelligence　of　dogs！　
　　Rounding　the　curve；　he　left　the　sound　of　barking　behind。　But　the　sight　of　the　dog　had　been　another　evidence　of　normality。　Ish　began　to　whistle　contentedly。　It　was　ten　miles　now　until　he　came　to　the　first　town；　a　little　place　called　Hutsonville。　
　　Consider　the　case　of　Captain　Maclear's　rat。　This　interesting　rodent　inhabited　Christmas　Island；　a　small　bit　of　tropical　verdure　some　two　hundred　miles　south　of　Java。　The　species　was　first　described　for　science　in　1887；　the　skull　being　noted　as　large　and　strongly　built；　with　beaded　supra…orbital　edges　and　the　anterior　edge　of　the　zygomatic　plate　projecting　forward　conspicuously。　
　　A　naturalist　observed　the　rats　as　populating　the　island　〃in　swarms；　〃　feeding　upon　fruit　and　young　shoots。　To　the　rats　the　island　was　as　a　whole　world；　an　earthly　paradise。　The　observer　noted：　〃They　seem　to　breed　all　the　year　round。〃　Yet　such　was　the　luxuriance　of　the　tropical　growth　that　the　rats　had　not　attained　such　numbers　as　to　provide　petition　among　members　of　the　species。　The　individual　rats　were　extremely　well　nourished；　and　even　unduly　fat。　
　　In　1903　some　new　disease　sprang　up。　Because　of　their　crowding　and　also　probably　because　of　the　softened　condition　of　the　individuals；　the　rats　proved　universally　susceptible；　and　soon　were　dying　by　thousands。　In　spite　of　great　numbers；　in　spite　of　an　abundant　supply　of　food；　in　spite　of　a　very　rapid　breeding　rate；　the　species　is　extinct。　
　　He　came　over　the　rise；　and　saw　Hutsonville　a　mile　away。　Just　as　he　started　to　slide　down　the　grade；　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　he　caught　sight　of　something　which　turned　him　inwardly　cold。　Automatically　he　tramped　hard　on　the　brake。　He　walked　back；　scarcely　believing　that　he　had　really　seen　it。　Just　there　at　the　side　of　the　road；　in　full　view；　lay　the　body　of　a　fully　clothed　man；　ants　were　crawling　over　the　face。　The　body　must　have　lain　there　a　day　or　two　at　least。　Why　had　it　not　been　seen？　He　did　not　look　closely　or　long；　obviously　the　thing　to　do　was　to　get　into　Hutsonville；　and　tell　the　Coroner　as　soon　as　possible。　He　hurried　back　to　the　car。　
　　Yet　as　he　started　again；　he　had　a　deep　feeling　inside　him　somewhere；　strangely；　that　this　was　not　a　case　for　the　Coroner；　and　that　possibly　there　would　even　be　no　Coroner。　He　had　seen　no　one　at　the　Johnson's　or　at　the　power…house；　and　he　had　not　met　a　single　car　on　the　road。　The　only　things　that　seemed　real　from　all　the　old　life　had　been　the　light　burning　at　the　power…house　and　the　quiet　hum　of　the　great　generators　at　their　work。　
　　Then；　as　he　came　to　the　first　houses；　he　suddenly　breathed　more　easily；　for　there　on　a　vacant　lot　a　hen　was　quietly　scratching　in　the　dust；　a　half…dozen　chicks　beside　her；　and　a　little　farther　on；　a　black…and…white　cat　wandered　across　the　sidewalk　as　unconcernedly　as　it　would　have　done　upon　any　other　June　day。　
　　The　heat　of　the　afternoon　lay　heavy　on　the　street；　and　he　saw　no　one。　〃Bad　as　a　Mexican　town；〃　he　thought；　〃everyone　taking　a　siesta。〃　Then　suddenly　he　realized　that　he　had　said　it　as　a　man　whistles　to　keep　up　his　courage。　He　came　to　the　business　center；　stopped　the　car　by　the　curb；　and　got　out。　There　was　nobody。　
　　He　tried　the　door　of　a　little　restaurant。　It　was　open。　He　went　in。　
　　〃Hi！〃　he　yelled。　
　　Nobody　came。　Not　even　an　echo　spoke　back　to　reassure　him。　
　　The　door　of　the　bank　was　locked；　although　the　hour　was　well　before　closing　time；　and　he　was　sure　（the　more　he　thought　of　it）　that　the　day　must　be　Tuesday　or　Wednesday　or　possibly　Thursday。　〃What　am　I　anyway？〃　he　thought。　〃Rip　van　Winkle？〃　Even　so；　Rip　van　Winkle；　though　he　had　slept　twenty　years；　had　e　back　to　a　village　that　was　still　full　of　people。　
　　The　door　of　the　hardware　store　beyond　the　bank　was　open。　
　　He　went　in；　and　again　he　called；　and　again　there　was　not　even　an　echo　ing　back　for　answer。　He　looked　in　at　the　bakery；　this　time　there　was　only　a　tiny　noise　such　as　a　scuttling　mouse　could　make。　
　　Had　the　people　all　gone　to　a　baseball　game？　Even　so；　they　would　have　closed　the　stores。　He　went　back　to　his　car；　got　into　the　seat；　and　looked　around。　Was　he　himself　delirious；　still　lying　on　his　bunk；　really？　He　was　half　inclined　merely　to　drive　on；　panic　was　rising　up　inside　him。　Now　he　noticed　that　several　cars　were　parked　along　the　street；　just　as　they　might　be　on　any　not　too　busy　afternoon。　He　could　not　merely　drive　on；　he　decided；　because　he　must　report　the　dead　man。　So　he　pushed　upon　the　horn…rig；　and　the　great　blatant　squawk　resounded　obscenely　along　the　deserted　street　through　the　quiet　of　the　afternoon。　He　blew　twice；　waited；　and　blew　twice　again。　Again　and　again；　in　…rising　panic；　he　pressed　down。　As　he　pressed；　he　looked　around；　hoping　to　see　somebody　e　popping　out　from　a　door　or　at　least　a　head　at　a　window。　He　paused；　and　again　there　was　only　silence；　except　that　somewhere　far　off　he　heard　the　strident　cackling　of　a　hen。　〃Must　have　scared　an　egg　out　of　her！〃　he　thought。　
　　A　fat　dog　came　waddling　around　the　er　and　down　the　sidewalk；　the　kind　of　dog　you　see　along　Main　Street　in　any　small　town。　Ish　got　out　of　the　car；　and　confronted　the　dog。　〃You　haven't　been　missing　any　meals；　anyway；〃　he　said。　（Then　he　had　a　sudden　feeling　of　tightness　in　die　throat　when　he　thought　of　things　the　dog　might　be　eating。）　The　dog　was　not　friendly；　it　skirted　him；　keeping　distance；　then　it　went　on　down　the　street。　He　made　no　effort　to　call　it　closer　or　to　follow　it；　after　all；　the　dog　could　not　tell　him。　
　　I　could　play　detective　by　going　into　some　of　these　stores　and　looking　around；〃　he　thought。　Then　he　had　a　better　idea。　
　　Across　the　street　was　a　little　pool…room　where　he　had　often　stopped　to　buy　a　newspaper。　He　went　over　to　it。　The　door　was　locked。　He　looked　through　the　window；　and　saw　newspapers　in　the　rack。　He　stared　hard　against　the　reflection　of　the　light　in　the　window；　and　suddenly　he　saw　that　there　were　headlines　as　large　as　for　Pearl　Harbor。　He　read：　
　　CRISIS　ACUTE
　　What　crisis？　With　sudden　determination　he　strode　back　to　the　car；　and　picked　up　the　hammer。　A　moment　later　he　stood　with　the　heavy　head　poised　in　front　of　the　door。　
　　Then　suddenly　all　the　restraints　of　habit　stopped　him。　Civilization　moved　in；　and　held　his　arm；　almost　physically。　You　couldn't　do　this！　You　didn't　break　into　a　store　this　way…you；　a　law…abiding　citizen！　He　glanced　up　and　down　the　street；　as　if　a　policeman　or　a　posse　might　be　bearing　down　upon　him。　
　　But　the　empty　street　brought　him　back　again；　and　panic　overbore　the　restraints。　〃Hell；〃　he　thought；　I　can　pay　for　the　door　if　I　have　to！〃　
　　With　a　wild　feeling　of　burning　his　bridges；　of　leaving　civilization　behind；　he　swung　the　heavy　hammer…head　with　all　his　force　against　the　door…lock。　The　wood　splintered；　the　door　flew　open；　he　stepped　in。　
　　His　first　shock　came　when　he　picked　up　the　newspaper。　The　Chronicle；　the　one　he　remembered；　was　thick…twenty　or　thirty　pages　at　least。　The　newspaper　he　picked　up　was　like　a　little　country　weekly；　a　single　folded　sheet。　It　was　dated　Wednesday　of　the　preceding　week。　
　　The　headlines　told　him　what　was　most　essential。　The　United　States　from　coast　to　coast　was　overwhelmed　by　the　attack　of　some　new　and　unknown　disease　of　unparalleled　rapidity　of　spread；　and　fatality。　Estima