gs.earthabides-第26章

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　　In　the　spring　of　the　second　year；　Ish　planted　his　first　garden。　He　had　never　liked　gardening；　and　that　probably　explained　why；　in　spite　of　good　resolutions　and　two　half…hearted　attempts；　he　had　not　grown　anything　during　the　first。　year。　Nevertheless；　as　he　turned　over　the　dark　moist　soil　with　the　spade；　he　felt　a　deep　satisfaction　at　being　in　touch　again　with　primeval　things。　
　　That　was　about　all　the　satisfaction　he　got　from　the　garden。　To　begin　with；　the　seed　（he　had　had　a　hard　time　to　find　any　at　all　because　of　the　ravages　of　the　rats）　was　several　years　old；　and　much　of　it　failed　to　sprout。　Snails　and　slugs　soon　moved　in；　but　by　scattering　a　box　of　Snale…Killa　he　eliminated　them；　and　felt　triumphant。　Then；　just　as　the　lettuce　was　making　a　good　growth；　a　buck　jumped　the　fence　and　wrought　havoc。　Ish　put　another　layer　on　the　top　of　the　fence。　Next；　some　rabbits　burrowed　beneath…more　destruction；　and　more　work！　One　evening　he　heard　crashing　noises　and　rushed　out　just　in　tinie　to　scare　off　a　predatory　cow　on　the　point　of　smashing　a　way　through　the　fence。　More　work！　
　　By　this　time　he　was　waking　up　at　night　with　thoughts　of　ravening　deer；　rabbits；　and　cattle　prowling　around　his　fence　and　ogling　his　lettuces　with　eyes　that　gleamed　like　tigers'　eyes。　
　　Then；　in　June；　the　insects　arrived。　He　sprayed　poison　until　he　was　afraid　he　would　not　dare　eat　the　lettuce　even　if　any　lived　to　be　harvested。　
　　The　crows　were　the　last　to　find　the　garden；　but　when　they　arrived　in　July　their　numbers　made　up　for　their　late　arrival。　He　stood　guard；　and　shot　some　of　them。　But　they　seemed　to　post　sentries　and　swoop　down　as　soon　as　his　back　was　turned；　and　he　could　not　watch　during　all　the　daylight　hours。　His　scarecrows　and　dangling　mirrors　kept　them　off　for　a　day；　but　after　that　they　lost　their　fear。　In　the　end　he　actually　erected　a　shelter　of　fly…screen　over　the　few　rows　of　garden　which　seemed　worth　saving；　and　he　harvested　a　little　lettuce；　along　with　some　scrawny　tomatoes　and　onions。　But　he　conscientiously　let　some　of　the　plants　go　to　seed；　and　saved　the　fresh　seed　for　the　future。　
　　He　was　as　thoroughly　discouraged　as　any　amateur　gardener　had　ever　been。　It　was　one　thing　apparently　to　grow　vegetables　when　thousands　of　others　were　doing　the　same；　and　quite　another　when　yours　was　the　only　plot　and　so　from　miles　around　every　vegetable…hungry　animal　and　bird　and　mollusk　and　insect　came　galloping　or　flying　or　oozing　or　hopping；　and　apparently　sending　out　by　signals　to　its　fellows　the　universal　shout；　〃Let's　eat！〃　
　　Toward　the　end　of　summer　the　second　baby　was　born。　They　called　her　Mary；　just　as　they　had　decided　finally　to　call　the　first　one　John；　so　that　the　old　names　would　not　vanish　from　the　earth。　
　　When　the　new　baby　was　only　a　few　weeks　old；　there　was　another　memorable　event。　
　　This　was　the　way　of　it。。。。　In　those　first　years　though　Ish　and　Em　stayed　contentedly　close　at　home；　they　now　and　then　had　visits　from　wanderers　who　had　seen　the　smoke　on　San　Lupo　Drive　and　headed　for　it；　sometimes　in　cars；　more　often　on　foot。　These　people；　with　one　exception；　seemed　to　be　suffering　from　shock。　They　were　bees　who　had　lost　the　hive；　sheep　without　a　flock。　By　now；　Ish　concluded；　the　ones　who　had　made　a　good　adjustment　must　already　have　settled　down。　（Besides；　no　matter　whether　the　wanderer　was　a　man　or　a　woman；　the　old　problem　of　three's…a…crowd　reared　up。）　So　Ish　and　Em　were　glad　when　one　of　these　restless　and　unhappy　people　decided　to　continue　wandering。　
　　The　exception　was　Ezra。　Ish　always　remembered　how　Ezra　came　strolling　along　the　street　that　hot　September　day；　his　face　florid；　his　half…bald　head　even　redder；　his　jaw　narrow　and　pinched；　his　bad　teeth　showing　suddenly　when　he　saw　Ish　and　stopped　and　smiled。　
　　〃Hi…ya；　boy！〃　he　had　said；　and　though　the　words　were　American；　still　behind　them　somewhere　was　the　ghost　of　a　North…of…England　accent。　
　　He　stayed　until　after　the　first　rains。　He　was　always　pleasant；　even　when　his　teeth　were　growling。　He　had　that　miexpressibly　great　gift　of　making　people　feel　fortable。　The　babies　always　smiled　for　Ezra。　Ish　and　Em　would　have　urged　him　to　stay　permanently；　but　they　feared　the　triangle…situation；　even　when　the　outsider　was　as　easygoing　and　perceptive　as　Ezra。　So　one　day　when　he　seemed　restless　they　sent　him　off；　telling　him　jokingly　to　find　himself　a　pretty　girl　and　then　e　back　and　join　them。　They　were　sad　after　he　had　gone。　
　　At　the　time　of　his　leaving　the　sun　was　again　far　to　the　south。　So；　when　they　went　to　the　flat　rock　and　cut　the　numeral　2；　Ezra　was　still　in　their　minds；　though　he　was　gone　and　they　did　not　expect　to　see　him　again。　He　would　have　been；　they　thought；　a　good　helper；　a　good　person　to　have　around。　To　his　memory　they　called　it　the　Year　of　Ezra。　
　　The　Year　3　was　the　Year　of　the　Fires。　Just　after　mid…summer　the　smoke　suddenly　drifted　over　everything；　and　it　stayed；　lighter　and　heavier；　through　three　months。　The　babies　sometimes　woke　up　coughing　and　choking；　their　eyes　watering。　
　　Ish　could　realize　what　was　happening。　The　western　forests　were　no　longer　primeval　woodlands　of　big　trees　through　which　a　fire　could　sweep　and　do　little　damage。　On　the　contrary；　because　of　logging　and　man…caused　fires；　the　forests　consisted　mostly　of　thick　and　highly　inflammable　second…growth；　made　all　the　worse　by　slash…piles　and　brush…fields。　Man　had　produced　this　kind　of　forest；　and　it　was　dependent　upon　him；　surviving　only　because　of　his　vigorous　efforts　at　fire…suppression。　Now　the　hoses　lay　neatly　coiled　and　the　bull…dozers　reddened　with　rust；　and　in　this　summer；　a　very　dry　one；　over；　all　northern　California；　and　doubtless　in　Oregon　and　Washington　too；　the　lightning…set　fires　were　raging　unbatted　through　the　tangled　second…growth　and　blazing　up　in　the　tinder…dry　slash…piles。　One　horrible　week　they　even　saw　the　fires　burning　brightly　in　the　night；　all　along　the　north　side　of　the　Bay；　sweeping　the　slopes　of　the　mountain　from　bottom　to　top；　and　dying　out　only　when　there　was　nothing　left　to　burn。　The　broad　arms　of　the　Bay　fortunately　kept　the　fire　on　the　north　side；　and　there　were　no　lightning　storms　on　the　south　side　to　start　new　fires。　When　it　was　all　over；　Ish　believed　that　there　must　be　very　few　forests　left　unburned　in　California；　and　centuries　would　be　required　to　grow　them　again。　
　　In　this　year　also　Ish　really　settled　down　to　reading…another　sign　that　he　was　finally　adjusting　to　the　situation。　He　got　his　books　from　the　City　Library；　and　kept　the　million　volumes　of　the　University　as　a　great　reserve　to　be　tapped　when　the　time　was　ripe。　Although　he　often　thought　that　he　should　use　his　reading　to　make　himself　skillful　in　such　fields　as　medicine　and　agriculture　and　mechanics；　he　found　that　what　he　actually　wanted　to　read　was　the　story　of　mankind。　He　plunged　through　innumerable　volumes　of　anthropology　and　history；　and　went　on　into　philosophy；　particularly　the　philosophy　of　history。　He　mad　novels　and　poems　and　plays；　which　also　were　the　story　of　mankind。　
　　Sometimes　in　the　evening；　when　he　was　reading　and　Em　was　knitting；　and　the　babies　were　asleep　upstairs　and　Princess　was　lying　lazily　in　front　of　the　fire…sometimes　then　Ish　would　look　up　and　think　that　his　father　and　mother　had　passed　many　evenings　in　just　the　same　way。　But　then　he　would　see　the　gasoline　lamp　and　turn　his　eyes　up　to　the　dead　electriclight　bulbs　in　the　ceiling…fixture。　
　　The　Year　4　was　the　Year　of　the　ing。。。。　One　day　in　early　spring；　about　noon；　Princess　leaped　up　barking　wildly　and　dashed　for　the　street；　and　then　they　heard　a　car…horn　tooting。　Ezra　had　been　gone　for　more　than　a　year；　and　they　had　stopped　thinking　about　him。　But　there　he　was…in　a　jalopylooking　car；　overflowing　with　people　and　household　goods。　Ish　couldn't　help　thinking　of　an　Okie　outfit　arriving　in　California　in　the　Old　Times。　
　　Besides　Ezra；　there　crawled　out　of　the　car　a　woman　of　about　thirty…five；　a　younger　woman；　a　frightened…looking　half…grown　girl；　and　a　little　boy。　Ezra　introduced　the　older　woman　as　Molly；　and　the　younger　as　Jean；　and　after　each　name　he　added　calmly　and　without　embarrassment；　〃My　wife。〃　
　　Ish　suffered　only　mild　shock　at　the　fact　of　bigamy。　He　had　been　through　a　great　many　experiences　already；　and　he　reacted　quickly　to　realize　that　plurality　of　wives　had　been　an　accepted　part　of　many　great　civilizations　in　the　past　and　might　well　be　again　in　the　future。　It　was　certainly　a　practical　situation　when　there　were　two　women　available　and　only　one　man；　especially　when　the　man　was　like　Ezra；　able　to　live　fortably　with　people　under　all　sorts　of　conditions。　
　　The　little　boy　was　Ralph；　Molly's　son。　He　had　been　bom　only　a　few　weeks　before　the　Great　Disaster；　and　had　presumably　either　inherited　immunity　or　absorbed　it　through　his　mother's　milk。　This　was　the　only　case；　so　far　as　they　knew；　of　two　members　of　the　same　family　surviving。　The　half…grown　girl　they　called　Evie；　but　nobody　really　knew　her　right　name。　Ezra　had　found　her　living　in　squalor　and　solitude；　opening　cans　to　find　what　she　needed；　grubbing　for　worms　and　snails。　She　must　have　been　five　or　six　years　old　at　the　time　of　theGreat　Disaster。　Whether　she　had　always　been　half…witted；　or　whether　the　shock　of　death　and　solitude　had　rendered　her　so；　no　one　knew。　She　cowered　and　whimpered；　and　even　Ezra　could　win　a　smile　from　her　only　now　and　then。　She　knew　a　few　words；　and　after　they　had　been　kind　to　her　for　a　long　time；　she　gradually　came　to　talk　more；　but　she　never　grew　normal。　
　　Later　in　the　same　year　Ish　and　Ezra　went　off　together　for　a　few　days　in　Ish's　old　station…wagon。　The　trip　was　not　a　pleasant　one；　they　had　tire…trouble　and　engine…trouble；　and　the　roads　were　rough。　Nevertheless　they　acplished　what　they　had　set　out　to　do。　
　　They　located　George　and　Maurine；　whom　Ezra　had　found　on　one　of　his　wanderings。　George　was　a　big　shambling　fellow；　gray　around　the　temples；　good…natured；　uncertain　in　speech　but　deft　in　his　trade；　which　was　carpentry。　（〃Too　bad！〃　thought　Ish。　〃A　mechanic　or　a　farmer　would　have　been　better　for　us！〃）　Maurine　was　his　female　counterpart；　except　that　she　was　some　ten　years　younger；　around　forty　probably。　She　loved　housekeeping　as　George　loved　carpentry。　As　for　their　mental　processes；　you　might　call　George　dull；　but　you　would　have　to　call　Maurine　stupid。　
　　Privately　Ish　and　Ezra　discussed　George　and　Maurine；　and　decided　that　they　were　good　solid　people；　fortable　to　have　around；　more　a　source　of　strength　than　of　weakness。　（It　was　a　little；　Ish　thought　wryly；　like　deciding　whether　you　would　give　someone　a　bid　to　your　fraternity；　and　when　there　were　so　few　to　choose　from；　you　couldn't　be　too　choosy。）　In　the　end　George　and　Maurine　came　along　back　in　the　station…wagon。　
　　Ish　and　Maurine　found　that　they　had　one　experience　in　mon。　As　a　little　girl　in　South　Dakota；　she　had　been　bitten　by　a　rattlesnake。　
　　Toward　the　end　of　this　year　Em　bore　her　second　son；　whom　they　named　Roger。　So　by　that　time　the　people　living　on　San　Lupo　Drive　numbered　seven　adults；　andfour　children；　and　Evie　besides。　About　then　they　began；　at　first　as　a　joke；　to　talk　of　themselves　as　The　Tribe。　
　　The　Year　5　supplied　no　very　startling　occurrence。　Both　Molly　and　Jean　had　babies；　and　Ezra　was　as　pleased　as　a　two…time　father　should　be。　In　the　end　they　called　it　the　Year　of