LoveofLife
傑克·倫敦/JackLondon
Themanhadfallenintothecreekandhadsprainedhisankle.
Hecalledtohisfriend,「Isay,Bill,waitthere.I』vesprainedmyankle.」
Therewasnoanswer.Billhaddisappearedinthedampfog.AlthoughitwasstillAugust,theCanadianwildernesslaycoldandlonelyintheweaklightoftheafternoonsun.Everywherewasthedullskyline.Thehillswerealllow-lying.Therewerenotrees.Therewasnothingbutdesolationthatsentfearintotheman』sheart.
「Bill!」hecalledagain,「Bill!」Therewasnoanswer.
Themanrosetohisfeet,shakingasifhehadafever.Hefoughtagainstthefearinhisheart.Hefoundhisgunwherehehaddroppeditinthewater.Thenhecontinuedhiswayslowly.Thegunwasnowuseless,forhehadnoammunitionforit,buthedidnotleaveit.
Heshiftedhispacktohisleftshouldersoastofavorhisrightankleandhurriedtothetopofahill.Fromtherehesawabroadvalley,emptyoflife.
Thebottomofthevalleywassoftandswampy.Hepushedon,tryingtofollowthetracksofhiscompanion.
Thoughhewasnowalone,hewasnotlost.Fartheralongheknewwheretofindthetrail.Hewouldfollowituntilitcametotheriver,wheretheyhadlefttheircanoe,weighteddownwithrocks.Underthecanoewasacacheofammunitionforhisemptygun,fishhooksandlines,andasmallnet.Hewouldalsofindsomeflour,bacon,andbeans—notmuch,fortheyhadtakenmostoftheirfoodwiththemontheirtripintothenorthcountrylookingforgold.
HeknewBillwouldwaitforhimthere;thentheywouldpaddledowntherivertoaHudsonBayCompanypost,wheretherewouldbewarmshelterandplentyoffood.
Thesewerethethoughtsofthemanashelimpedalongthetrail.ThenhebegantothinkthatperhapsBillhaddesertedhim.Themanhadnoteatenfortwodays,andnowwastheaddedfearofstarvation.Hehadstoppedafewtimestoeatsomewildberries,buttheyweremostlyseedsandbitter.Hishungerincreasedbythehour.
Alreadythesunhadslippedbeyondthehorizon.Suddenlyhestruckhistoeonarockyledgeandfell.Helaystillforsometimewithoutmovement.Thenheslippedoutofhispackstrapsanddraggedhimselftoasittingposition.Itwasnotyetdark,andinthelingeringtwilighthegatheredsomemoss.Whenhehadagood-sizedpile,hebuiltafireandsetasmallpailofwateroverthefiretoboil.
Heunwrappedhispack,andthefirstthinghedidwastocounthismatches.Thereweresixty-seven.Hecountedthemthreetimestomakesure.Hedividedthemintothreesmallpacks,wrappingtheminoilpaper,puttingonebunchinhisemptytobaccopouch,anotherbunchintheinsidebandofhishat,andthethirdbunchunderhisshirtonhischest.Hewasafraidthatifhefellintothewateragain,allofhismatcheswouldbecomewetanduseless.
Hedriedhisfootgearbythefire.Thewetmoccasinshadbeencuttopieces.Thesockswerewornthroughinplaces,andhisanklehadswollentothesizeofhisknee.Hetorealongstripfromoneofhisblanketsandboundtheankletightly.Hetoreotherstripsandboundthemabouthisfeetforfootwear.Hewascold,andheknewthattherewouldsoonbethedangerofsnowandfrost.Afterthewaterheated,hedranksomeofit;thenhewoundhiswatch,andcrawledbetweenhisblankets.Hesleptlikeadeadman.
Atsixo』clockheawoke,lyingonhisback.Hegazedstraightupintothegrayskyandknewthathewashungry.Asherolledoveronhiselbow,heheardaloudsnortandsawacariboulookingathimstrangely.Theanimalwasnotmorethanfiftyfeetaway,andinstantlythemanhadthoughtsofacaribousteakfryingoverafire.Hereachedforhisemptygun,aimed,andpulledthetrigger.Theanimalsnortedattheclickoftheemptygunandranaway.
Themancursedandgroanedaloudashedraggedhimselftohisfeet.Slowlyherolledhispacktogether.Helookedatthemoose-hidebagthathecarriedinhispack.Itwasextraweight,andhebegantowonderwhatvalueitscontentshadnow.However,herolledittogetherwithhispaceandstartedout.
Thepaininhisanklewasterrific,butitwasnoworsethanthatinhisemptystomach.Thehungerhadbecomefrightful.Inalittlewhilehecameuponavalleywheresomebirdsroseonwhirringwings,「Kerkerker,」theycriedastheyflewaway.Hethrewstonesbuthecouldnothitaone.Heplacedhispackonthegroundandbegantostalkthebirdslikeacat.
Thesharprockscutthroughhispantslegstillhiskneeswerescratchedandbleeding,buthewasnotawareofhishurtsashishungerwassogreat.Hecursedthebirdsandmockedthemwiththeirowncry.