gs.earthabides-第79部分

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ey　could　once　more　begin　a　slow　advance。　
　　Again　he　pounded　heavily　on　the　edge　of　the　step。　Another　chunk　of　the　granite　fell　off。　He　looked　at　it　gloomily。　He　had　just　decided　not　to　worry；　and　here　he　was；　hard　at　it　again。　What　could　he　know　about　what　would　be　happening　three　or　four　generations　from　now？　He　got　up　and　started　to　walk　home。　He　was　quieter　now。　
　　〃Yes；〃　he　thought；　again　shaping　words；　〃a　leopard　can't　change　its　spots；　and　I'll　always　be　a　worrier；　even　though　I've　lived　with　Em　for　twenty…two　years。　I　look　before　and　after。　Relax！　Yes；　I　should　relax　a　little。　What　I　have　been　trying　to　do…that　has　failed。　I'll　admit　it。　Just　the　same；　I'm　certain　I'll　never　stop　trying　a　little。　Now；　perhaps；　if　I　try　for　something　less；　I　may　in　the　end　attain　something　more。〃　
　　
　　Chapter　10
　　By　the　time　he　had　finished　the　long　walk　up　the　hill　to　the　houses；　his　vague　plans　had　shaped　themselves；　but　he　would　have　to　wait　until　morning　to　begin。　
　　That　night；　however；　an　autumn　storm　began；　and　he　awoke　in　the　morning　to　a　world　of　low…lying　cloud　and　steady　dropping。　He　felt　surprise；　for　with　all　the　recent　troubles　he　had　failed　to　realize　that　time　was　slipping　away。　Now；　however；　when　he　thought　of　the　matter；　he　remembered　that　the　sun　had　been　setting　well　toward　the　south　and　that　the　month；　if　one　could　still　think　in　such　terms；　would　be　November。　The　rain　interfered　with　the　immediate　fulfillment　of　his　plans；　but　there　was　plenty　of　time；　and　he　could　mature　his　ideas　with　thought。　
　　So　pletely　had　his　attitudes　changed　within　the　last　day　that　the　sounds　of　the　assembling　children；　that　morning；　came　to　him　as　a　shock。　〃Of　course！〃　he　thought。　〃They　are　expecting　to　have　school　again。〃　
　　He　went　downstairs　to　meet　with　them。　They　were　all　there…all　except　Joey；　and　two　younger　ones。　He　looked　into　their　faces；　as　they　sat　on　chairs　wriggling；　or　squatted　more　fortably　on　the　floor。　They　were　looking　back　at　him；　he　imagined；　with　more　alertness　than　usual。　Joey　was　gone；　and　they　must　be　wondering　how　this　would　affect　school。　Yet　the　change；　he　knew；　must　be　only　temporary；　and　behind　this　alertness　must　lurk　still　that　basic　lack　of　interest　against　which　he　had　already　struggled。　
　　He　let　his　glance　run　over　the　little　group；　pausing　individually　upon　each　face。　They　were　fine　children；　not　really　stupid；　but　they　lacked　the　flair。　No；　there　was　not　one！　He　made　his　decision；　and　he　felt　no　pain　in　it。　
　　〃School　is　dismissed；〃　he　said。　
　　There　was　a　momentary　look　almost　as　of　consternation　in　all　the　faces；　and　then　he　saw　that　they　were　suddenly　pleased；　although　they　were　making　some　effort　not　to　show　their　pleasure。　
　　〃School　is　dismissed！〃　he　repeated；　feeling　that　he　was　being　dramatic　about　it　in　spite　of　himself。　〃There　will　be　no　more　school…ever！〃　
　　Again　he　saw　a　look　of　consternation　e　into　the　faces；　and　this　time　no　pleasure　showed　afterwards。　They　stirred　uneasily　in　their　seats。　Some　of　them　got　up　to　go。　But　they　knew　that　something　had　happened；　something　deeper　than　their　minds　could　grasp。　
　　They　went　out　slowly　and　quietly。　During　as　much　as　a　minute　after　they　had　gone　out　into　the　dripping　of　the　rain；　there　was　silence。　Then　he　heard　them　suddenly　shout；　and　they　were　children　again。　School　had　been　a　passing　incident。　Probably　they　would　never　think　of　it　again；　certainly　they　would　never　regret　it。　For　a　moment　Ish　felt　a　heaviness　within　him。　〃Joey；　Joey！〃　he　thought。　But　he　had　no　regret　for　what　he　had　just　done；　and　he　knew　that　he　had　made　the　right　decision。　〃School　is　dismissed！〃　he　thought。　〃School　dismissed！〃　And　he　remembered　suddenly　that　he　had　sat　in　this　same　room　many　years　before；　and　watched　the　electric　lights　fade　out。　
　　Three　days　of　rain　gave　him　plenty　of　time　to　think　things　over　and　mature　all　his　plans。　At　last　a　morning　dawned　with　blue　sky　and　a　chilly　wind　from　the　north。　The　sun　came　out；　the　vegetation　dried。　Now　was　the　time。　
　　He　hunted　through　the　deserted　and　overgrown　gardens。　This　had　never　been　an　area　where　citrus　fruits　were　grown　mercially；　but　lemons　had　produced　well　enough；　and　here　and　there　someone　had　nursed　a　lemon　tree　in　his　garden。　That　wood；　he　remembered；　was　suitable。　Of　course　he　could　have　read　any　number　of　books；　but　his　approach　had　changed。　He　would　read　no　books　on　this　matter。　He　could　do　well　enough　by　himself。　
　　Two　blocks　up　the　street　there　had　once　been　a　large　and　showy　garden。　There　he　found　a　lemon　tree。　It　was　still　living；　although　nearly　crowded　out　by　the　growth　of　two　pines　…Moreover；　it　had　suffered　badly　in　a　frost　of　some　years　previous。　Never　having　been　pruned　after　the　frost；　the　tree　was　only　a　wreck　of　itself。　Long　suckers　had　shot　up　from　its　base　after　the　frost；　and　some　of　these　again　had　died。　
　　Avoiding　the　long　thorns；　Ish　pressed　his　way　into　the　tangle；　found　a　suitable　shoot；　and　took　out　his　pocket…knife。　The　shoot　at　its　base　was　nearly　as　big　as　his　thumb。　The　dead　lemon　wood　was　almost　as　hard　as　bone；　but　after　a　while　he　whittled　it　through　with　his　knife　and　pulled　it　out　from　the　tangle。　The　shoot　was　seven　feet　long；　straight　for　four　feet　before　other　branches　had　begun　to　interfere　and　it　had　grown　crooked。　At　his　shaking；　it　was　stiff；　but　when　he　leaned　against　it；　it　bent　and　straightened　sharply　as　he　released　the　pressure。　It　would　suffice。　
　　〃Yes；〃　he　thought　a　little　bitterly；　〃it　will　be　good　enough　for　all　my　needs。〃　
　　He　carried　the　lemon…shoot　back　to　the　house；　and　sat　on　the　porch；　in　the　sun；　whittling。　First　he　cut　off　the　crooked　end　of　the　shoot　so　that　he　had　four　feet　of　straight　wood　remaining。　
　　Then　he　stripped　off　the　dead　bark；　and　began　to　taper　the　shoot　at　both　ends。　The　work　was　very　slow；　and　he　paused　frequently　to　sharpen　the　knife　on　a　whetstone。　The　white　tough…grained　wood　seemed　to　turn　the　edge　after　ouly　a　few　strokes。　
　　Walt　and　Josey　had　been　off　playing　with　the　other　children；　but　at　lunch…time　they　came　back。　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　Josey　asked　him。　
　　〃I'm　getting　ready　to　play　a　game；〃　Ish　answered　her。　He　would　not　make　the　mistake；　he　had　decided；　of　trying　to　tie　this　up　with　anything　practical；　as　he　had　with　the　school。　Here　he　would　try　to　harness　that　love　of　play　which　seemed　so　deep…seated　in　the　human　race。　
　　After　lunch　the　children　must　have　carried　the　word　around。　In　the　afternoon　George　came　over。　
　　〃Why　don't　you　e　to　my　place。〃　George　said；　〃and　use　a　vise　and　my　spoke…shave？　You　could　work　a　lot　faster。〃　
　　Ish　thanked　him；　but　continued　to　work　with　the　knife；　even　though　his　hand　was　getting　sore。　Nevertheless　he　thought　that　he　would　do　all　this　work　with　the　simplest　implements。　
　　By　the　end　of　the　afternoon　his　hand　was　beginning　to　blister　where　he　held　the　knife；　but　he　judged　that　the　work　was　done。　A　four…foot　length　of　the　lemon…shoot　was　now　symmetrically　tapered　toward　both　ends。　He　set　one　end　of　it　against　the　ground；　pressed　it　to　a　half　circle；　and　felt　it　spring　back　sharply　into　straightness。　Satisfied；　he　cut　notches　close　to　each　end；　and　gladly　put　the　knife　away。　
　　The　next　morning　he　continued　the　work。　There　was　plenty　of　stout　string　available；　and　he　considered　taking　some　nylon　fish　line　and　braiding　it　into　the　proper　size。　
　　〃No；〃　he　thought；　〃I'll　work　from　things　they　can　always　get　for　themselves。〃　
　　He　found　the　skin　of　a　recently　killed　calf。　From　it　he　cut　a　long　thong　of　rawhide。　The　work　went　slowly；　but　he　had　plenty　of　time。　He　shaved　the　hair　from　the　strip；　and　shaved　the　strip　itself　until　it　was　no　larger　than　a　small　cord。　Then　he　braided　three　strips　together　to　make　a　heavy　cord；　and　estimating　the　proper　length；　he　tied　each　end　into　a　little　loop。　
　　He　held　the　lemon…shoot　in　one　hand　and　the　braided　thong　in　the　other；　and　looked　at　them。　Either　by　itself　amounted　to　little。　Then；　bending　the　shoot；　he　hooked　the　loops　of　the　thong　into　the　notches　at　the　ends　of　the　shoot；　and　the　two　became　one。　Since　the　thong　was　shorter；　the　tapered　shoot　now　bent　in　a　clean　symmetrical　arc。　The　thong　itself　cut　strai…ht　across　between　the　points　of　the　arc。　Stick　an