登陆注册
5421300000041

第41章

Luckily for us it was winter. We shouldn't have lasted six hours at this time of year. As it was, the sun was hot against the shale and the little stones of those cussed hills. We plodded along until late afternoon, toiling up one hill and down another, only to repeat immediately. Towards sundown we made the second bay, where we plunged into the sea, clothes and all, and were greatly refreshed. I suppose a man absorbs a good deal that way.

Anyhow, it always seemed to help.

We were now pretty hungry, and, as we walked along the shore, we began to look for turtles or shellfish, or anything else that might come handy. There was nothing. Schwartz wanted to stop for a night's rest, but Denton and I knew better than that.

"Look here, Schwartz," said Denton, "you don't realise you're entered against time in this race--and that you're a damn fool to carry all that weight in your clothes."So we dragged along all night.

It was weird enough, I can tell you. The moon shone cold and white over that dead, dry country. Hot whiffs rose from the baked stones and hillsides. Shadows lay under the stones like animals crouching. When we came to the edge of a silvery hill we dropped off into pitchy blackness. There we stumbled over boulders for a minute or so, and began to climb the steep shale on the other side. This was fearful work. The top seemed always miles away. By morning we didn't seem to have made much of anywhere. The same old hollow-looking mountains with the sharp edges stuck up in about the same old places.

We had got over being very hungry, and, though we were pretty dry, we didn't really suffer yet from thirst. About this time Denton ran across some fishhook cactus, which we cut up and chewed. They have a sticky wet sort of inside, which doesn't quench your thirst any, but helps to keep you from drying up and blowing away.

All that day we plugged along as per usual. It was main hard work, and we got to that state where things are disagreeable, but mechanical. Strange to say, Schwartz kept in the lead. It seemed to me at the time that he was using more energy than the occasion called for--just as man runs faster before he comes to the giving-out point. However, the hours went by, and he didn't seem to get any more tired than the rest of us.

We kept a sharp lookout for anything to eat, but there was nothing but lizards and horned toads. Later we'd have been glad of them, but by that time we'd got out of their district. Night came. Just at sundown we took another wallow in the surf, and chewed some more fishhook cactus. When the moon came up we went on.

I'm not going to tell you how dead beat we got. We were pretty tough and strong, for all of us had been used to hard living, but after the third day without anything to eat and no water to drink, it came to be pretty hard going. It got to the point where we had to have some REASON for getting out besides just keeping alive. A man would sometimes rather die than keep alive, anyway, if it came only to that. But I know I made up my mind Iwas going to get out so I could smash up that Anderson, and Ireckon Denton had the same idea. Schwartz didn't say anything, but he pumped on ahead of us, his back bent over, and his clothes sagging and bulging with the gold he carried.

We used to travel all night, because it was cool, and rest an hour or two at noon. That is all the rest we did get. I don't know how fast we went; I'd got beyond that. We must have crawled along mighty slow, though, after our first strength gave out.

The way I used to do was to collect myself with an effort, look around for my bearings, pick out a landmark a little distance off, and forget everything but it. Then I'd plod along, knowing nothing but the sand and shale and slope under my feet, until I'd reached that landmark. Then I'd clear my mind and pick out another.

But I couldn't shut out the figure of Schwartz that way. He used to walk along just ahead of my shoulder. His face was all twisted up, but I remember thinking at the time it looked more as if he was worried in his mind than like bodily suffering. The weight of the gold in his clothes bent his shoulders over.

As we went on the country gradually got to be more mountainous, and, as we were steadily growing weaker, it did seem things were piling up on us. The eighth day we ran out of the fishhook cactus, and, being on a high promontory, were out of touch with the sea. For the first time my tongue began to swell a little.

The cactus had kept me from that before. Denton must have been in the same fix, for he looked at me and raised one eyebrow kind of humorous.

Schwartz was having a good deal of difficulty to navigate. Iwill say for him that he had done well, but now I could see that his strength was going on him in spite of himself. He knew it, all right, for when we rested that day he took all the gold coins and spread them in a row, and counted them, and put them back in his pocket, and then all of a sudden snatched out two handfuls and threw them as far as he could.

"Too heavy," he muttered, but that was all he could bring himself to throw away.

All that night we wandered high in the air. I guess we tried to keep a general direction, but I don't know. Anyway, along late, but before moonrise--she was now on the wane--I came to, and found myself looking over the edge of a twenty-foot drop. Right below me I made out a faint glimmer of white earth in the starlight. Somehow it reminded me of a little trail I used to know under a big rock back in Texas.

同类推荐
  • 六十种曲蕉帕记

    六十种曲蕉帕记

    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。
  • 信佛功德经

    信佛功德经

    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。
  • 率性篇

    率性篇

    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。
  • 修真十书盘山语录

    修真十书盘山语录

    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。
  • 十三日备尝记

    十三日备尝记

    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
  • 蛇

    在睡着的时候,我再次被噩梦惊醒:神秘的丛林深处,狂乱的杀人巨蟒如影相随。我拼命奔跑,却双腿僵硬,迈不开步,巨大的蟒蛇毫不费力地将我紧紧缠住,越缠越紧,我听到了自己血管破裂的声音……我满心的怨恨在恐惧之后被激发了出来。凭什么,凭什么它和它的同类这样纠缠我,让我寝食难安。我要亲手杀了它。我剧烈地喘着气,我不知道是恨林天明还是恨那些蛇,我只有一个念头,杀死那些蛇,让它们不再纠缠我,杀死那些蛇,让林天明泡不成药酒。恐惧和怨恨使我一阵接一阵地昏眩。
  • 明目至宝

    明目至宝

    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。
  • 废材兄弟:狂野少年

    废材兄弟:狂野少年

    林公子是一个出身下层的孩子,不过一向来都志向远大,并且决然不服从命运的安排。他一方面反抗着不公平的命运,一方面不停地修炼魂力术,幸运地得到了魂力术秘籍里面的最上乘功法《新月真经》,却不知不觉之间为他带来了杀身之祸。特别是存身之地龙炎城的小霸王龙傲天,狗仗人势,欺负弱小,与林公子之间上演一场励志之战。后败于林公子手上。此时女神祝若依姑娘出现,但祝若依的爹爹是苍穹大陆的族长,一开始并不看好他们的交往,处处阻挠,而且决不允许当然女儿与门户不匹配的林公子来往。但两个年青人始终心心相印,经过重重苦难之后,终于修炼成了正果,从此一飞冲天,与祝若依姑娘一起上演一曲绝世之恋。
  • 医妃不治相思

    医妃不治相思

    一封书信,两句道别,留下了洛暝晗孤身一人。自此她开始走上了行医的道路,立志要成为一个悬壶济世的医者。洛暝晗行医有两条准则:一是医症医病不医心,二是医人医物不医己。她我行我素,飘洒脱俗,不愿被任何事物束缚牵绊。从不违背自己的意愿,凭借着高超的医术,过着自由自在的生活。可奈何再平静祥和的生活也会被人硬生生的闯入,洛暝晗似乎还没反应过来,就已经情深难却。她知道,一旦对一个人有了牵挂,那整颗心都会随着他的喜怒哀乐悸动,他的一举一动会无时不刻的牵动她的情绪,浸入她的灵魂。“我洛暝晗的人生,只要能平平淡淡的度过就很幸福了。”所以,在那个对她穷追不舍,处处针锋相对的帝王威胁到了她潇洒自如的生活时,她逃了,逃的越远越好,没想到结果却是独留下那个不可一世的帝王对她相思蚀骨。在又一次被捉回后,他强硬的拉过她的手腕拥她入怀,用宽阔的胸膛用力搂紧她纤细的身躯,耳鬓厮磨,他说:“朕说过了,朕需要爱妃妙手回春,医朕的心病。”“可臣妾也说过了,即便臣妾是再世华佗,也不治相思。”
  • 精灵大师系统

    精灵大师系统

    金!木!水!火!土!风!雨!雷!电!时间与空间!掌握了各式各样力量的精灵们啊!成为我的伙伴!或者武器吧!让我能够在这风云激荡的诸天万界成为一名真正的强者!世界进行曲:赛尔号→数码宝贝→洛克王国→
  • 故事会(2016年4月下)

    故事会(2016年4月下)

    《故事会》是上海文艺出版社编辑出版的仅有114个页码、32开本的杂志,是中国最通俗的民间文学小本杂志。《故事会》创刊于1963年,是中国的老牌刊物之一。先后获得两届中国期刊的最高奖——国家期刊奖。1998年,它在世界综合类期刊中发行量排名第5。
  • 庶女重生

    庶女重生

    湛武二十三年,叶氏一门男子全部处斩,女子贬为贱籍,充入青楼叶府庶出四小姐三年来不知跑了多少次,终没逃过开门接客的命运那晚,叶繁锦以一支惊鸿舞惊艳全场,成为毫无争议的头牌那晚,是她祭奠自己的最后一支舞那晚,当利刃被反手刺入自己体内的时候,一切终于结束再次醒来,她重生在湛武二十年,改变叶府命运的那天她不再是懦弱的庶女,她要改变悲惨的命运,活出自己的幸福奕王:“一个出身卑微的庶女竟然死都不愿嫁,简直不知好歹!”离王:“她为什么怕我?难道她知道我的一切?知道这些都是伪装?这样的女人,如若不能收为已用,那便只能——杀!”片段一:封玄奕疾步向她走来,宽袍大袖几乎要舞出朵花来,他狠狠地抓住她的皓腕,不顾礼教,质问她:“叶繁锦,本王看上你是你的福气,为何不嫁?”她淡定如昔,敛眸恭谨说道:“繁锦只渴平凡生活,不欲高攀!”嘴上如是说着,心中却不屑地想,你以为你是谁?想让我嫁我就嫁?片段二:封玄离立于她面前,月牙白的袍子衬得他越发温润如玉,逆光下,他的眼看不真切,他嗓音极低,似是缓声吟诗,叹道:“叶繁锦,要么嫁我,要么死,你选其一罢!”叶繁锦黛眉微挑,珠唇轻启,绵软中带着铮铮之音,“离王总问繁锦,为何惧您?如同离王刚刚说的这句话,繁锦惧离王的手段,对于繁锦来讲,嫁给您同死也差不了多少,您还是现在赐死繁锦罢!”封玄离刚刚的云淡风清瞬间变为阴鸷狠戾,咬牙道:“你…”
  • 成都姑娘(全集)

    成都姑娘(全集)

    本书为新都市情感长篇,分上下两部,讲述一对成都姑娘陶氏姐妹,他们之间的爱恨情仇。上部《雏菊逃亡》以九寨沟旅游为线索展开,在风景如画的山水间发生的故事。下部《亚白领的歌声》则以白领一组的生活工作为背景,讲述那些新结识朋友们的故事,作品表现的那些小人物悲欢离合的生活经历,就如同昨日发生在身边,亲切而发人深省。本书为第一届海峡两岸网络原创文学大赛入围作品。
  • 重返十六岁

    重返十六岁

    前世的张芊芊认为自己是幸福的,虽然有过一场不太愉快的早恋。然后她重生了。当然,一开始,她是痛恨着重生大神的,并且天真的以为,只要一切按照原来的生活轨迹,就能找回未来的幸福。然而到最后她才发现重生大神用心良苦。
  • 三月李明府后亭泛舟

    三月李明府后亭泛舟

    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。