gs.earthabides-第58章

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　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　and　cord；　joined；　had　suddenly　bee　something　new。　
　　He　looked　at　the　bow；　and　knew　that　creative　force　had　again　returned　to　the　world。　He　could　have　gone　to　any　sporting…goods　store；　and　picked　out　a　much　better　bow…a　sixfoot　toy　for　archery。　But　he　had　not　done　so。　He　had　made　himself　a　bow　from　the　wood　itself　carved　with　the　simplest　of　implements；　and　a　string　from　the　hide　of　a　new…killed　calf。　
　　He　plucked　at　the　thong。　It　scarcely　twanged；　but　it　gave　forth　a　satisfactory　dull　throbbing　vibration。　He　considered　that　his　work　for　the　day　was　finished。　He　unstrung　the　bow。　
　　The　next　day；　for　an　arrow；　he　cut　himself　a　straight　branch　of　a　pine　tree。　The　soft　green　wood　cut　easily；　and　he　had　shaped　the　arrow　and　notched　it　in　half　an　hour。　When　he　had　finished　it；　he　called　for　the　children。　Walt　and　Josey　came；　and　Weston　with　them。　〃Let's　see　how　she　works；〃　Ish　said。　
　　He　drew　the　arrow　back；　and　loosed　it。　Unfeathered；　it　flew　with　a　wobbly　flight；　but　he　had　pointed　it　at　a　high　angle；　and　it　covered　fifty　feet　before　it　struck；　by　chance；　pointing　upward　from　the　ground。　
　　Instantly　he　knew　that　he　had　won　success。　The　three　children　had　never　seen　anything　like　this　before；　and　they　stood　wide…eyed　for　a　moment；　then　with　shouts　they　broke　into　a　run；　and　went　to　retrieve　the　arrow。　Ish　shot　it　for　them；　again　and　again。　
　　At　last　came　the　inevitable　request　for　which　Ish　had　been　waiting。　
　　〃Let　me　try　it；　Daddy；〃　said　Walt。　
　　Walt's　first　shot　wobbled　a　bare　twenty　feet；　but　he　was　pleased。　Then　Josey　tried　it；　and　then　Weston。　
　　Before　dinner…time；　every　child　in　The　Tribe　was　busy　at　work　whittling　on　a　bow　of　his　own。　
　　Everything　worked　even　better　than　Ish　had　dared　to　hope。　Within　a　week　the　air　around　the　houses　seemed　to　be　full　of　badly　shot　arrows。　Mothers　began　to　worry　about　lost　eyesight；　and　two　children　came　in　crying　after　having　received　arrows　in　various　parts　of　their　anatomies。　But　since　the　arrows　were　headless　and　shot　from　weak　bows；　no　real　harm　resulted。　
　　Rules　had　to　be　established。　〃You　mustn't　shoot　in　the　direction　of　anyone。　You　mustn't　shoot　close　to　the　houses。〃　
　　petition　developed。　Having　learned　the　trick　from　the　older　boys　who　shot　from　rifles；　children　began　to　hold　contests　against　a　mark。　They　experimented　with　different　lengths　and　types　of　bows。　When　Josey　plained　that　Walt　always　beat　her　at　shooting；　Ish　subtly　made　the　suggestion　that　she　might　try　fixing　some　quail　pinions　to　the　butt…end　of　her　arrow。　She　did　so；　and　beat　Walt；　and　then　suddenly　all　the　arrows　had　quail　pinions　at　one　end；　and　they　were　flying　farther　and　truer。　Even　the　older　boys　became　interested；　and　some　of　them　made　bows　although　they　were　allowed　to　use　rifles。　But　archery　still　continued　to　flourish　chiefly　among　the　ones　who　were　too　young　for　rifles。　
　　Ish　bided　his　time。　The　early　rains　had　sprouted　the　grass　seed；　and　now　the　land　was　green。　At　evening　the　sun　set　behind　the　hills　to　the　south　of　the　Golden　Gate。　
　　Walt　and　Weston；　the　twelve…year…olds；　were　now　deep　in　some　kind　of　boyish　plot。　They　worked　hard　with　bows　and　arrows；　shaping　and　perfecting　them。　They　were　gone　long　hours　during　the　day。　
　　Then　one　day　toward　evening　Ish　heard　the　sound　of　excited　boys'　feet　running　up　the　steps　outside。　Walt　and　Weston　burst　into　the　room。　
　　〃Look　Daddy；〃　Walt　cried；　and　he　held　up　for　Ish　the　pathetic…looking　body　of　a　big　rabbit　pierced　through　the　side　with　a　headless　wooden　arrow。　
　　〃Look！〃　Walt　cried　again。　〃I　hid　behind　a　bush；　and　waited　till　he　hopped　up　close　to　me；　and　then　I　shot　him　right　through。〃　
　　Ish；　as　he　looked；　felt　a　sympathy　and　pity　for　the　poor　dangling　body；　even　though　he　knew　that　it　was　a　symbol　of　his　triumph。　Too　bad；　he　thought；　that　even　creation　must　make　use　of　death　also。　
　　〃That's　fine！〃　he　said。　〃That's　fine；　Walt！　That　was　a　good　shot！〃　
　　
　　Chapter　10
　　Day　after　day　still；　the　sun　set　in　the　cloudless　sky　farther　to　the　south。　Now　it　was　very　close　to　its　turning。　The　clear　weather　still　held。　
　　One　day；　so　suddenly　that　you　might　almost　say　just　at　that　particular　moment　it　happened；　the　children　became　tired　of　playing　with　bows　and　arrows；　and　went　off　on　some　new　enthusiasm。　Ish　did　not　worry。　He　knew　that　after　the　ways　of　children　they　would　e　back　again；　perhaps　at　the　same　time　of　year。　The　making　of　bows　and　the　shooting　of　arrows　would　not　be　forgotten。　During　twenty　years；　during　one　hundred　years　if　need　were；　the　bow　might　remain　a　children's　plaything。　In　the　end；　after　the　ammunition　had　failed；　it　would　still　be　there。　It　was　the　greatest　weapon　that　primitive　man　had　ever　known　and　the　most　difficult　to　invent。　If　he　had　saved　that　for　the　future；　he　had　saved　much。　After　the　rifles　were　useless；　his　great…grandchildren　would　not　have　to　meet　the　bear's　rush　empty…handed　or　starve　in　the　midst　of　the　cattle　herds。　His　great…grandchildren　would　never　know　civilization；　but　at　least　they　would　not　be　groveling　half…apes；　but　would　walk　erect　as　freemen；　bow　in　hand。　Even　if　they　should　no　longer　have　metal　knives；　they　could　still　scrape　out　bows　with　sharp　stones。　
　　He　planned　one　more　experiment；　but　he　was　in　no　hurry。　Now　that　they　had　bows　he　could　make　a　bow…drill　and　teach　the　children　its　use。　Then　after　the　matches　were　exhausted；　The　Tribe　would　still　know　how　to　kindle　fire。　
　　Yet；　as　with　the　children；　his　own　enthusiasm　too　grew　cool　through　the　passing　of　the　weeks。　He　thought　less　upon　his　own　triumph　in　inventing　the　bow　and　tricking　the　children　into　enjoying　it。　He　thought　rather　upon　all　the　disasters　of　the　year。　Joey　was　gone；　and　that　loss　could　never　be　redeemed。　
　　Also　a　kind　of　fresh　innocence　had　faded　from　the　world　when　the　four　of　them　had　written　that　word　upon　their　ballots。　And　also　a　great　confidence　and　trust　had　gone　from　himself　when　he　had　realized　at　last　that　he　must　give　up　his　dream　of　re…establishing　the　ways　of　civilization。　
　　Now　the　sun　was　so　near　the　limit　of　its　southern　course　that　a