登陆注册
5255300000007

第7章 LOVE OF LIFE(7)

He followed the trail of the other man who dragged himself along, and soon came to the end of it - a few fresh-picked bones where the soggy moss was marked by the foot-pads of many wolves. He saw a squat moose-hide sack, mate to his own, which had been torn by sharp teeth. He picked it up, though its weight was almost too much for his feeble fingers. Bill had carried it to the last. Ha! ha! He would have the laugh on Bill. He would survive and carry it to the ship in the shining sea. His mirth was hoarse and ghastly, like a raven's croak, and the sick wolf joined him, howling lugubriously. The man ceased suddenly. How could he have the laugh on Bill if that were Bill; if those bones, so pinky-white and clean, were Bill?

He turned away. Well, Bill had deserted him; but he would not take the gold, nor would he suck Bill's bones. Bill would have, though, had it been the other way around, he mused as he staggered on.

He came to a pool of water. Stooping over in quest of minnows, he jerked his head back as though he had been stung. He had caught sight of his reflected face. So horrible was it that sensibility awoke long enough to be shocked. There were three minnows in the pool, which was too large to drain; and after several ineffectual attempts to catch them in the tin bucket he forbore. He was afraid, because of his great weakness, that he might fall in and drown. It was for this reason that he did not trust himself to the river astride one of the many drift-logs which lined its sand- spits.

That day he decreased the distance between him and the ship by three miles; the next day by two - for he was crawling now as Bill had crawled; and the end of the fifth day found the ship still seven miles away and him unable to make even a mile a day. Still the Indian Summer held on, and he continued to crawl and faint, turn and turn about; and ever the sick wolf coughed and wheezed at his heels. His knees had become raw meat like his feet, and though he padded them with the shirt from his back it was a red track he left behind him on the moss and stones. Once, glancing back, he saw the wolf licking hungrily his bleeding trail, and he saw sharply what his own end might be - unless - unless he could get the wolf. Then began as grim a tragedy of existence as was ever played - a sick man that crawled, a sick wolf that limped, two creatures dragging their dying carcasses across the desolation and hunting each other's lives.

Had it been a well wolf, it would not have mattered so much to the man; but the thought of going to feed the maw of that loathsome and all but dead thing was repugnant to him. He was finicky. His mind had begun to wander again, and to be perplexed by hallucinations, while his lucid intervals grew rarer and shorter.

He was awakened once from a faint by a wheeze close in his ear.

The wolf leaped lamely back, losing its footing and falling in its weakness. It was ludicrous, but he was not amused. Nor was he even afraid. He was too far gone for that. But his mind was for the moment clear, and he lay and considered. The ship was no more than four miles away. He could see it quite distinctly when he rubbed the mists out of his eyes, and he could see the white sail of a small boat cutting the water of the shining sea. But he could never crawl those four miles. He knew that, and was very calm in the knowledge. He knew that he could not crawl half a mile. And yet he wanted to live. It was unreasonable that he should die after all he had undergone. Fate asked too much of him. And, dying, he declined to die. It was stark madness, perhaps, but in the very grip of Death he defied Death and refused to die.

He closed his eyes and composed himself with infinite precaution.

He steeled himself to keep above the suffocating languor that lapped like a rising tide through all the wells of his being. It was very like a sea, this deadly languor, that rose and rose and drowned his consciousness bit by bit. Sometimes he was all but submerged, swimming through oblivion with a faltering stroke; and again, by some strange alchemy of soul, he would find another shred of will and strike out more strongly.

同类推荐
  • Christian Science

    Christian Science

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 史书占毕

    史书占毕

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 夜宿黑灶溪

    夜宿黑灶溪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 牛郎织女传

    牛郎织女传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上方天尊说真元通仙道经

    上方天尊说真元通仙道经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 吴承恩捉妖记(第二部)

    吴承恩捉妖记(第二部)

    继超度白骨、封印卷帘后,吴承恩加入镇邪司,成为新任“奎木狼”。半年后,他收到李大小姐李棠邀请,和师兄青玄同去李家参加百妖大会(水陆大会)——狮驼国青狮白象做局欲捧三弟上位,金翅大鹏却只想和小白龙吴承恩做朋友;天蓬独战群雄,势要为嫦娥报仇、为齐天平冤,但最终倒在孙悟空操控的吴承恩笔下;牛魔王低调做妖,奈何红孩儿斩断父子情误入李家;青玄封印松动,齐天再现;李晋错失猴妖,大战难成;袁天罡死而复生,李天王宝塔压阵,袁守诚手握因果……这一幅百妖画卷,且看吴承恩如何落笔成书、流传千年。
  • 穿越之山野田间尽悠然

    穿越之山野田间尽悠然

    原来穿越是这样的,真的会有这样穷的日子,真的会有极品的亲戚,真的会有爱我的亲人,真的会有穿越女的福利……家里穷困又怎样?不会种田又怎样?只要有爱着我的父母,我就要利用我的福利,空手在这世间打下我的天下,让爱我的人丰衣足食,再不受饥寒交迫,再不让别人欺辱~!我只想要过上富足安定的生活呀,我只想和亲人相亲相爱不离不弃,这个暧昧的眼神是要闹哪样,我还小呢,哥!情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 录外经等目录

    录外经等目录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一品邪妃爷本红妆

    一品邪妃爷本红妆

    【逍遥自在】人人都说龙家有三少,大少是练武奇才,二少是经商人才,三少是纨绔劣才,却不知三少其实是红妆女儿身。她行为开放,据说不爱女子爱男子,惹的京城官家子弟人人自危,深怕被看上掳回去。【风华无双】他是名扬天下的王爷,虽有一双废腿,却如同谪仙一般高高在上让人膜拜。她无意惹他,却不知自己已经带回了一只大尾巴狼。【一只披着狼皮的羊遇上一只披着羊皮的狼】“王爷,授受不亲。”她浅笑嫣然,甩开身上的魔爪。“无妨,本王不嫌弃。”他风轻云淡,面不改色的继续靠近。她欲哭无泪,咬咬牙狠道:“王爷,其实我喜欢女人…”“没事,你会喜欢男人的…”【最后结局】当龙家三少和谪仙王爷的喜讯传出,惊呆了众人的眼球,而龙家三少其实是女儿身的消息抛出,更是震惊了一群人。她靠在他身上笑的花枝乱颤,随后转过头挑起他的下颚:“王爷,小爷我有喜了!”【开头是欢笑滴,内容是精彩滴,结局是温馨滴,美男那是多多滴】
  • 转身遇见爱

    转身遇见爱

    在大街上,帅哥看上一美女,变走过去问:“美女,你有男朋友吗?”美女警惕的看着帅哥,说道:“有了。”“那介意换一个不?”“介意。”“介不介意多一个男朋友?”“不介意。”且看穷小子如何让追到美女的。本书以A签,可以放心收藏。
  • 大灾难未解之谜

    大灾难未解之谜

    大灾难给人类的生产和生活带来了不同程度的损害,破坏了以劳动为媒介的人与自然之间以及与之相关的人与人之间的关系,破坏了人类生存的和谐条件。灾害都具有消极的或破坏的作用。所以说,自然灾害是人与自然矛盾的一种表现形式,具有自然和社会两重属性,是人类过去、现在乃至将来所面对的最严峻的挑战之一。
  • 世界500强企业顶尖营销模式

    世界500强企业顶尖营销模式

    本书中列举了麦当劳的情感营销、伊莱克斯的亲情化营销、花旗银行的直复营销、马自达汽车的“文化营销”模式、宜家的品牌体验营销等成功鲜活的事例,其背后隐藏着可探寻的营销模式和规律。500强用的营销模式对于眼下的企业不无借鉴之处。惟有出奇制胜的营销模式才能弥补企业竞争优势的不足。营销模式是一个复杂的问题,很难说哪种模式是最好的,但最佳的一定是投入产出比最高的那种方式。成功的企业必然有成功的独特之处,这也许是成功的企业文化,也许是成功的管理理念,也许是成功的产品等。
  • 寒毒王妃

    寒毒王妃

    这年头,穿越不奇怪,说白了,那是赶流行。只是穿越得太没天理,居然被一刚进门的小三给害得穿越了。早上进门,下午杀人。她发誓,这辈子跟小三界的人势不两立。而且还穿了一不受宠的王妃身上,不受宠也就算了,还中有寒毒,终年忍受冰寒之苦。话说他不是小鱼儿大哥的小仙女,也不是赵敏大姐的张无忌。怎么这种事会碰上她呢?想当初她可是个万能健康宝宝,说白了她就是流年不利倒大霉了。*风澈夜:“玉清颜,本王告诉你,好好的做你的王妃。想让本王拿正眼瞧你,你就再等八辈子吧。”某人不耐烦的掏掏耳朵,朝旁边的某个下人招呼了下,“你,过来。”立马就上来一人听候吩咐。“你给我大声的告诉某位王爷,就说老娘我也瞧不上他。”
  • 白话华严经 (套装全6册)

    白话华严经 (套装全6册)

    《华严经》描绘了富丽庄严的成佛境界,是诸佛最圆满的展现,也是每一个生命的觉性奋斗史。《白话华严经 (套装全6册)》兼具文言之韵味与白话之易懂,接引读者进入般若经典的殿堂,开启圆满自在的人生。《白话华严经 (套装全6册)》让你跨越文字隔阂,参与菩萨波澜壮阔的生命史诗!
  • 我的歌唱人生

    我的歌唱人生

    当陈子书站在百万人舞台上,台下皆是呼唤着他名字的粉丝,他回望过去那时的自己。原来,不知不觉中,他已经彻底改变了自己的生活,成为了一位大娱乐家。