love of life-第5章

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something　that　was　alive　but　which　could　hardly　be　called　a　man。　　

It　was　blind；　unconscious。　　It　squirmed　along　the　ground　like　some　

monstrous　worm。　　Most　of　its　efforts　were　ineffectual；　but　it　was　

persistent；　and　it　writhed　and　twisted　and　went　ahead　perhaps　a　

score　of　feet　an　hour。





Three　weeks　afterward　the　man　lay　in　a　bunk　on　the　whale…ship　

BEDFORD；　and　with　tears　streaming　down　his　wasted　cheeks　told　who　

he　was　and　what　he　had　undergone。　　He　also　babbled　incoherently　of　

his　mother；　of　sunny　Southern　California；　and　a　home　among　the　

orange　groves　and　flowers。



The　days　were　not　many　after　that　when　he　sat　at　table　with　the　

scientific　men　and　ship's　officers。　　He　gloated　over　the　spectacle　

of　so　much　food；　watching　it　anxiously　as　it　went　into　the　mouths　

of　others。　　With　the　disappearance　of　each　mouthful　an　expression　

of　deep　regret　came　into　his　eyes。　　He　was　quite　sane；　yet　he　hated　

those　men　at　mealtime。　　He　was　haunted　by　a　fear　that　the　food　

would　not　last。　　He　inquired　of　the　cook；　the　cabin…boy；　the　

captain；　concerning　the　food　stores。　　They　reassured　him　countless　

times；　but　he　could　not　believe　them；　and　pried　cunningly　about　the　

lazarette　to　see　with　his　own　eyes。



　It　was　noticed　that　the　man　was　getting　fat。　　He　grew　stouter　with　

each　day。　　The　scientific　men　shook　their　heads　and　theorized。　　

They　limited　the　man　at　his　meals；　but　still　his　girth　increased　

and　he　swelled　prodigiously　under　his　shirt。



The　sailors　grinned。　　They　knew。　　And　when　the　scientific　men　set　a　

watch　on　the　man；　they　knew　too。　　They　saw　him　slouch　for'ard　after　

breakfast；　and；　like　a　mendicant；　with　outstretched　palm；　accost　a　

sailor。　　The　sailor　grinned　and　passed　him　a　fragment　of　sea　

biscuit。　　He　clutched　it　avariciously；　looked　at　it　as　a　miser　

looks　at　gold；　and　thrust　it　into　his　shirt　bosom。　　Similar　were　

the　donations　from　other　grinning　sailors。



The　scientific　men　were　discreet。　　They　let　him　alone。　　But　they　

privily　examined　his　bunk。　　It　was　lined　with　hardtack；　the　

mattress　was　stuffed　with　hardtack；　every　nook　and　cranny　was　

filled　with　hardtack。　　Yet　he　was　sane。　　He　was　taking　precautions　

against　another　possible　famine　…　that　was　all。　　He　would　recover　

from　it；　the　scientific　men　said；　and　he　did；　ere　the　BEDFORD'S　

anchor　rumbled　down　in　San　Francisco　Bay。