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第5章 Love of Life（第1页）

第5章LoveofLife

Ja

Themanhadfallenintothedhadsprainedhisankle。

&ohisfriend，"Isay，Bill，waitthere。I'vesprainedmya;

Therewasnoanswer。Billhaddisappearedinthedampfog。AlthoughitwasstillAugust，thewildernesslaydloheweaklightoftheafternoonsuhedullskylihehillswerealllow-lying。Therewereherewasnothiiofearintotheman'sheart。

"Bill!"hecalledagain。"Bill!"There>

Themaohisfeet，shakingasifhehadafever。Hefoughtagainstthefeari。Hefoundhisgunwherehehaddroppeditiheinuedhiswayslowly。Thegunwasnowuseless，forhehadnoammunitionforit，buthedid。

&edhispacktohisleftshouldersoasthtankleahetopofahill。Fromtherehesawabroadvalley，emptyoflife。

&omofthevalleyy。Hepushedtofollowthetrapanion。

Thoughhewasnowalolost。Fartheraloofirail。Hewouldfollowituntilitcametotheriver，wheretheyhadlefttheiroe，weighteddownwithrodertheoewasaunitionforhisemptygun，fishhooksandlines，andasmall。Hewouldalsofindsomeflour，badbeans-notmuch，fortheyhadtakenmostoftheirfoodwiththemoripihtrylold。

Hekneaitforhimthere;thentheywouldpaddledowoaHudsonBaypanypost，wheretherewouldbewarmshelterayoffood。

&hethoughtsofthemanashelimpedalohehinkthatperhapsBillhaddesertedhim。Themanhadwodays，andnowwastheaddedfearofstarvatiooppedafewtimestoeatsomewildberries，buttheyweremostlyseedsandbitter。Hishuhehour。

&hesunhadslippedbeyondthehorizoruckhisteaillforsometimewithoutmovement。Thenheslippedoutofhispackstrapsanddraggedhimselftoasittingposition。Itwasdark，andintheliwilighthegatheredsomemoss。Whenhehadagood-sizedpile，hebuiltafireaasmallpailofwateroverthefiretoboil。

Heunedhispadthefirstthinghedidwastoatches。Thereweresixty-seveedthemthreetimestomakesure。Hedividedthemintothreesmallpacks，ingthemiingonebunhisemptytobaccopouotherbuntheinsidebandofhishat，ahirdbunderhisshirto。Hewasafraidthatifhefellieragain，allofhismatewetanduseless。

Hedriedhisfootgearbythefire。Thewetmoshadbeencuttopieces。Thesockswerewhinpladhisanklehadswollentothesizeofhiskstripfromoneofhisblasandbouightly。Hetoreotherstripsandbouhisfeetforfootwear。Hewasdhekherewouldsoohedangerofsnowandfrost。Afterthewaterheated，hedrahenhewoundhiswatdcrawledbetweenhisblalikeadeadman。

Atsixo'clockheawoke，lyingonhisback。Hegazedstraightupintothegrayskyahewashungry。Asherolledoveronhiselbow，heheardaloudsnortandsawacariboulookingathimstraheanimalwashaaway，andinstantlythemanhadthoughtsofacaribousteakfryingoverafire。Hereaptygun，aimed，arigger。Theanimalsheptygunandrana>

Themandgroanedaloudashedraggedhimselftohisfeet。Slowlyherolledhispacktogether。Helookedatthemoose-hidebagthathehispack。Itwasextraweight，aowovalueitstshadnow。However，herolledittogetherwithhispadstartedout。

Thepaininhisaerrific，butitwashatiomagerhadbeefrightful。Inalittlewhileheavalleywheresomebirdsrs，"Ker。。。ker。。。ker，"theycriedastheyflewaway。Hethrewstoheothitaone。Heplacedhispathegroualkthebirdslikeacat。

Thesharprockscutthroughhispaillhiskdbleediawareofhishurtsashishungerwassogreat。Hecursedthebirdsahemwiththeirowncry。

Asthedayworeooavalleywheregamelentiful。Aherdoftassedbywithinrifleralikeruhem，butheknewsueffortwouldbesenseless。Oncehesawafoxwithabirdinitsmouth。Hecalledloudly，hopingthtethebird;butthefox，leapingawayinfright，didnotdropthebird。

Hewaswearyandofte-toliedo，buthewasdrivenonbyhishunger。Hesearchedlittlepsandduguptheearthwithhisfingernailsfhhekherfrogsnorwormslivedthatfarnorth。

Inoneareahewalkedalongacreek，lookingforfish。Inapoolhefoundasmallone。Hedippedhisarmieruptohisshoulder，butthefishgotaway。Thenhereachedforitwithbothhands，stirrihebottom。Ihefelliihewaist。Sinceheolohefish，hehadtowaituercleared。

&riedagaierbecamemuddy。Theookhistinpailaobailthepool。Hebailedwildlyatfirst，ahewaterranbatothepool。Thenheworkedmorecarefully，thoughhisheartoundingiandhishandswereshaking。Attheendofhalfanhourthepoolwasnearlydry。Buttherewasnofish。Ithadescapedbetweentheroterpool。

&edihemansatdowh。Atfirsthecriedsoftlytohimself。Thenhecriedloudlyinhishopeless。