gs.earthabides-第2部分
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inner now； but a reddish flush showed through the sun…tan of his cheeks。 His big blue eyes were blood…shot； and stared back at him wildly with the glare of fever。 His light brown hair； unruly always； now stuck out in all directions； pleting the mirror…portrait of a very sick young man。
He got back into his bunk； feeling no great sense of fear although now he more than half expected that he was dying。 Soon a violent chill struck him； from that he passed into a fever。 The lamp burned steadily on the table； and he could see around the cabin。 The hammer which he had dropped on the floor still stood there； handle pointed stiffly upwards； precariously balanced。 Being right before his eyes； the hammer occupied an unduly large part of his consciousness…he thought about it a little disorderedly； as if he were making his will； an old…fashioned will in which he described the chattels he was leaving。 〃One hammer； called a single…jack； weight of head four pounds； handle one foot long； slightly cracked； injured by exposure to weather； head of hammer somewhat rusted； still serviceable。〃 He had been extraordinarily pleased when he had found the hammer； appreciating that actual link with the past。 It had been used by some miner in the old days when rock…drills were driven home in a low tunnel with a man swinging a hammer in one hand； four pounds was about the weight a man could handle in that way； and it was called a single…jack because it was managed one…handedly。 He thought； feverishly； that he might even include a picture of the hammer as an illustration in his thesis。
Most of those hours of darkness he passed in little better than a nightmare； racked by coughing； choking frequently； shaking with the chill and then burning with the fever。 A pink measles…like rash broke out on him。
At daybreak he felt himself again sinking into a deep sleep。
〃It has never happened！〃 cannot be construed to mean； 〃It can never happen！〃…as well say； 〃Because I have never broken my leg； my leg is unbreakable；〃 or 〃Because I've never died； I am immortal。〃 One thinks first of some great plague of insects…locusts or grasshoppers…when the species suddenly increases out of all proportion； and then just as dramatically sinks to a tiny fraction of what it has recently been。 The higher animals also fluctuate。 The lernmings work upon their cycle。 The snowshoe…rabbits build up through a period of years until they reach a climax when they seem to be everywhere； then with dramatic suddenness their pestilence falls upon them。 Some zoologists have even suggested a biological law： that the number of individuals in a species never remains constant； but always rises and falls…the higher the animal and the slower its breeding…rate； the longer its period of fluctuation。
During most of the nineteenth century the African buffalo was a mon creature on the veldt。 It was a powerful beast with few natural enemies； and if its census could have been taken by decades； it would have proved to be increasing steadily。 Then toward the century's end it reached its climax； and was suddenly struck by a plague of rinderpest。 Afterwards the buffalo was almost a curiosity； extinct in many parts of its range。 In the last fifty years it has again slowly built up its numbers。
As for man； there is little reason to think that he can in the long run escape the fate of other creatures； and if there is a biological law of flux and reflux； his situation is now a highly perilous one。 During ten thousand years his numbers have been on the upgrade in spite of wars； pestilences； and famines。 This increase in population has bee more and more rapid。 Biologically； man has for too long a time been rolling an uninterrupted run of sevens。
When he awoke in the middle of the morning； he felt a sudden sense of pleasure。 He had feared he would be sicker than ever； but he felt much better。 He was not choking any more； and also his hand felt cooler。 The swelling had gone down。 On the preceding day he had felt so bad； from whatever other trouble had struck him； that he had had no time to think about the hand。 Now both the hand and the illness seemed better； as if the one had stopped the other and they had both receded。 By noon he was feeling clear…headed and not even particularly weak。
He ate some lunch； and decided that he could make it down to Johnson's。 He did not bother to pack up everything。 He took his precious notebooks and his camera。 At the last moment also； as if by some kind of pulsion； he picked up the hammer； carried it to the car； and threw it in on the floor by his feet。 He drove off slowly； using his right hand as little as possible。
At Johnson's everything was quiet。 He let the car roll to a stop at the gasoline…pump。 Nobody came out to fill his tank； but that was not peculiar；； because the Johnson pump； like so many in the mountains； was tended on a haphazard basis。 He blew the horn； and waited again。 After another minute he got out； and went up the rickety steps which led to the room serving as an informal store where campers could pick up cigarettes and canned goods。 He went in； but there was nobody there。
He had a certain sense of surprise。 As often； when he had been by himself for a while； he was not exactly sure what day it might be。 Wednesday； he thought。 But it might be Tuesday or Thursday。 Yet he was certain that it was somewhere in the middle of the week； not a Sunday。 On a Sunday； or even for a whole weekend； the Johnsons might possibly shut up the store and go somewhere on a trip of their own。 They were easygoing and did not believe too strongly in letting business interfere with pleasure。 Yet they were really dependent to a large extent upon the sales which the store made during the fishing season； they could hardly afford to go away very long。 And if they had gone on a vacation； they would have locked the door。 Still you never could tell about these mountain people。 The incident might even be worth a paragraph in his thesis。 In any case； his tank was nearly empty。 The pump was unlocked； and so he helped himself to ten gallons of gas and with difficulty scrawled a check which he left on the counter along with a note： 〃Found you all away。 Took 10 gal。 Ish。〃
As he drove down the road； he had suddenly a slight sense of uneasiness…the Johnsons gone on a weekday； the door unlocked； no fishermen； a car going by in the night； and （most of all） those men who had run away when they had seen another man lying sick in his bunk in a lonely mountain cabin。 Yet the day was bright； and his hand was not paining him much； moreover； he seemed to be cured of that other strange infection； if it was something else and not the snake…bite。 He felt almost back to normal again。 Now the road wound down restfully between open groves of pine trees along a little rushing stream。 By the time he came to Black Creek Power…house； he felt normal in his mind again also。
At the power…house everything looked as usual。 He heard the whir of the big generators； and saw the streams of foaming water still bursting out from beneath。 A light was burning on the bridge。 He thought to himself； 〃I suppose nobody bothers ever to turn that out。 They have so much electricity that they don't need to economize。〃
He considered going across the bridge to the power…house； just to see somebody and allay the strange fears which he had begun to feel。 But the sight and sound of everything running normally were reassuring； signs that after all the power…house was working as usual； even though he saw no people。 There was nothing remarkable about not seeing people。 The process was so nearly automatic that only a few men were employed there； and they kept indoors mostly。
Just as he was leaving the power…house behind； a large collie ran out from behind one of the buildings。 From the other side of the creek； it barked loudly and violently at Ish。 It ran back and forth excitedly。
〃Fool dog！〃 he thought。 〃What's it so excited about？ Is it trying to tell me not to steal the power…house？〃 People certainly tended to overestimate the intelligence of dogs！
Rounding the curve； he left the sound of barking behind。 But the sight of the dog had been another evidence of normality。 Ish began to whistle contentedly。 It was ten miles now until he came to the first town； a little place called Hutsonville。
Consider the case of Captain Maclear's rat。 This interesting rodent inhabited Christmas Island； a small bit of tropical verdure some two hundred miles south of Java。 The species was first described for science in 1887； the skull being noted as large and strongly built； with beaded supra…orbital edges and the anterior edge of the zygomatic plate projecting forward conspicuously。
A naturalist observed the rats as populating the island 〃in swarms； 〃 feeding upon fruit and young shoots。 To the rats the island was as a whole world； an earthly paradise。 The observer noted： 〃They seem to breed all the year round。〃 Yet such was the luxuriance of the tropical growth that the rats had not attained such numbers as to provide petition among members of the species。 The individual rats were extremely well nourished； and even unduly fat。
In 1903 some new disease sprang up。 Because of their
