第41章 热爱生活 (1)（1/1）

LoveofLife

杰克·伦敦/JackLondon

Theanhadfallentothecreekandhadspraedhisankle.

Hecalledtohisfriend，“Isay，Bill，waitthere.I’vespraedyankle.”

Therewasnoanswer.Billhaddisappearedthedapfog.AlthoughitwasstillAugt，theadianwildernessyldandlonelytheweaklightoftheafternoonsun.Everywherewasthedullskyle.Thehillswerealllow-lyg.Therewerenotrees.Therewasnothgbutdesotionthatseothean’sheart.

“Bill！”hecalledaga，“Bill！”Therewasnoanswer.

Theanrosetohisfeet，shakgasifhehadafever.Hefoughtagastthefearhisheart.Hefoundhisgunwherehehaddroppeditthewater.Theuedhiswayslowly.Thegunwasnoweless，forhehadnoaunitionforit，buthedidnotleaveit.

Heshiftedhispacktohisleftshouldersoastofavorhisrightankleandhurriedtotheofahill.Frotherehesawabroadvalley，eptyoflife.

Thebottoofthevalleywassoftandsy.Hephedon，trygtofollowthetracksofhispanion.

Thoughhewasnowalone，hewasnotlost.Fartheralongheknewwheretofdthetrail.Hewouldfollowituntilitcatotheriver，wheretheyhadlefttheiroe，weighteddownwithrocks.Uheoewasacacheofaunitionforhiseptygun，fishhooksandles，andasall.Hewouldalsofdsoflour，ban，andbeans—notuch，fortheyhadtakenostoftheirfoodwiththeoriptothenorthuntrylookgfold.

HeknewBillwouldwaitforhithere；thentheywouldpaddledowntherivertoaHudsonBayypost，wheretherewouldbewarshelterandplentyoffood.

Thesewerethethoughtsoftheanashelipedalongthetrail.ThenhebegantothkthatperhapsBillhaddesertedhi.Theanhadenforodays，andnowwastheaddedfearofstarvation.Hehadspedafewtistoeatsowildberries，buttheywereostlyseedsandbitter.Hishungercreasedbythehour.

Alreadythesunhadslippedbeyondthehorizon.Suddenlyhestruckhistoeonarockyledgeandfell.Heystillforsotiwithoutovent.Thenheslippedoutofhispackstrapsanddraggedhiselftoasittgposition.Itwasnotyetdark，andthelgergilighthegatheredsooss.Whenhehadagood-sizedpile，hebuiltafireaasallpailofwateroverthefiretoboil.

Heunedhispack，andthefirstthghedidwastounthisatches.Thereweresixty-seveedthethreetistoakesure.Hedividedthetothreesallpacks，gtheoilpaper，puttgonebunchhiseptytobaopouch，anotherbunchthesidebandofhishat，andthethirdbunderhisshirtonhischest.Hewasafraidthatifhefelltothewateraga，allofhisatcheswouldbeewetandeless.

Hedriedhisfootgearbythefire.Thewetoasshadbeencuttopieces.Thesockswerewornthroughpces，andhisanklehadswollentothesizeofhisknee.Hetorealongstripfrooneofhisbsandboundtheaightly.Hetoreotherstripsandboundtheabouthisfeetforfooear.Hewasld，andhekhattherewouldsoohedangerofsnowandfrost.Afterthewaterheated，hedranksoofit；thenhewoundhiswatch，andcrawledbeeenhisbs.Hesleptlikeadeadan.

Atsixo’clockheawoke，lygonhisback.Hegazedstraightuptothegrayskyandkhathewashungry.Asherolledoveronhiselbow，heheardaloudsnortandsawacariboulookgathistrangely.Theanialwasnotorethanfiftyfeetaway，andstantlytheanhadthoughtsofacaribousteakfrygoverafire.Hereachedforhiseptygun，aid，andpulledthetrigger.Theanialstheclickoftheeptygunandranaway.

Theancursedandgroanedaloudashedraggedhiselftohisfeet.Slowlyherolledhispacktogether.Helookedattheoose-hidebagthathecarriedhispack.Itwasextraweight，andhebegantowonderwhatvaeitsshadnow.However，herolledittogetherwithhispadstartedout.

Thepahisanklewasterrific，butitwasnoworsethanthathiseptystoach.Thehungerhadbeefrightful.Inalittlewhilehecauponavalleywheresobirdsroseonwhirrggs，“Ker...ker...ker，”theycriedastheyflewaway.Hethrewstonesbutheuldnothitaone.Hepcedhispathegroundandbegantostalkthebirdslikeacat.

Thesharprockscutthroughhispantslegstillhiskneeswerescratchedandbleedg，buthewasnotawareofhishurtsashishungerwassogreat.Hecursedthebirdsandockedthewiththeirowncry.