time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第79部分

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e　I　took　the　matter　up　with　her：　Push　on。
　　
　　But　that　would　be　simply　her　gallant　courage；　I　was　the　one　with　experience　both　in　wilderness　trekking　and　in　childbirth　problems。
　　
　　I　studied　those　photomaps　again　without　learning　anything　new。　Somewhere　ahead　the　gorge　opened　out　into　a　broad　river　valley…but　how　far？　I　didn't　know　because　I　didn't　know　where　we　were。　We　had　started　with　an　odometer　on　the　right　rear　wheel　of　the　lead　wagon；　I　had　reset　it　to　zero　at　the　pass…and　it　had　lasted　only　a　day　or　two；　a　rock　or　something　did　it　in。　I　didn't　even　know　how　much　altitude　we　had　managed　to　drop　since　the　pass；　or　how　much　more　we　must　lose　to　get　down。
　　
　　Livestock　。and　equipment：　fair。　We　had　lost　two　mules。　Pretty　Girl　had　wandered　over　the　edge　one　night　and　broken　a　leg；　all　I　could　do　for　her　was　to　put　her　out　of　her　misery。　I　didn't　butcher　her　…　because　we　had　fresh　meat　and　I　could　not　do　it　where　the　other　mules　could　not　see　it；　anyhow。　John　Barleycorn　had　simply　upped　and　died　one　night…orpossibly　lost　to　a　loper；　he　was　partly　eaten　when　we　found　him。　…
　　
　　Three　hens　were　dead　and　two　piglets　failed　to　make　it；　but　the　sow　seemed　willing　to　suckle　the　others。
　　
　　I　had　only　two　spare　wheels　left。　Lose　two　more　and　the　next　broken　wheel　meant　abandoning　one　wagon。
　　
　　It　was　the　wheels　that　made　up　my　mind。
　　
　　（Omitted：　approximately　7；000　words　which　reiterate　difilculties　in　getting　down　the　gorge。）
　　
　　When　we　came　out　on　that　plateau；　we　could　see　the　valley
　　
　　stretching　out　before　us。…
　　
　　A　beautiful　valley；　Miner…va；　wide　and　green　and　lovely…　thousands　and　thousands　of　hectares　of　ideal　farmland。　The　river　from　the　gorge；　tame　now；　meandered　lazily　between　low　banks。　Facing　us；　a　long；　long　way　off；　was　a　high　peak　crowned　with　snow。　Its　snow　line　let　me　guess　how　high　it　was…around　six　thousand　meters；　for　we　had　now　dropped　down　into　subtropics；　and　only　a　very　high　mountain　could　keep　so　much　snow　through　a　long　and　very　hot　summer。
　　
　　That　beautiful　mountain；　that　lush　green　valley；　gave　me…a　feeling　of　d閖？vu。　Then　I　placed　it：　Mount　Hood　in　the　land　of　my　birth　back　on　old　Earth；　as　I　bad　first　seen　it　as　a　young　man。　'But　this　valley；　this　snowcapped　peak；　had　never　before　been　seen　by　men。
　　
　　I　called　out　to　Buck　to　halt　the　march。　〃Dorable；　we're　home。　In　sight　of　it；　somewhere　down　in　that　valley。〃
　　
　　〃'Home；'　〃　she　repeated。　〃Oh；　my　darling！〃
　　
　　〃Doa't　sniffle。〃…
　　
　　〃I　wasn't　sniffling！〃　she　answered；　sniffling。　〃But　I've　got　an　awful　good　cry　saved　up　and　when　I　get　time　to；　I'm　going　to　use　it。〃
　　
　　…　〃All　right；　；dear；〃　I　agreed；　〃when　you　have　time。　Let's　name　that　mountain　'Dora　Mountain。'〃
　　
　　She　looked　thoughtful。　〃No；　that's　not'　its　name。　That's　Mount　Hope。　And　all　this　below　is　Happy　Valley。〃
　　
　　〃Durable　Dora；　you're　incurably　sentimental。〃
　　
　　〃You　should　talk！〃　She　patted　her　belly；　swollen　almost　to　term。　〃That's　Happy　Valley　because　it's　whe're　I'm　going　to　have　this　hungry　little　beast　。　。　and　that's　Mount　Hope　because　it　is。〃
　　
　　Buck　had　e　back　to　the　first　wagon　and　was　waiting　to　find　out　why　we　had　stopped。　〃Buck；〃　I　said；　pointing；　〃that's　home　out　there。　We　made　it。　Home；　boy。　Farm。〃
　　
　　Buck　looked　out　over　the　valley。　〃Ogay。〃
　　
　　…in　his　sleep；　…　Minerva。　Not　lopers；　there　wasn't　a　mark　on　Buck。　Massive　coronary；　I　think；　although　I　didn't　cut　him　open　to　find　out。　He　was　simply　old　and　tired。　Before　we　left；　I　had　tried　to　put　him　to　pasture　with　John　Magee。　But　Buck　didn't　want　that。　We　were　his　family；　Dora　and　Beulah　and　I；　and　he　wanted　to　e　along。　So　I　made　him　mule　boss　and　didn't　work　him…I　mean　I　never　rode　him　and　never　had　him　in　harness。　He　did　work；　as　mule　boss；　and　his　patient　good　judgment　got　us　safely　to　Happy　Valley。　We　would　not　have　made　it　without　him。
　　
　　Maybe　he　could　have　lived　a　few　years　longer　turned　out　to　pasture。　Or　be　might　have　pined　away　frdm　loneliness　soon　after　we　left。　Who's　to　judge？
　　
　　I'　didn't　even　consider　butchering　him；　I　think　Dora　would　have　miscarried　if　I　had　so　much　as　broached　the　idea。　But　it　is　foolish　to　bury　a　mule　when　lopers　and　weather　will　soon　take　care　of　his　carcass。　So　I　buried　him。
　　
　　It　takes　an　hellacious　big　hole　to　bury　a　mule；　if　it　hadn't　been　soft　river…bottom　loam；　I'd　be　there　yet。
　　
　　But　first　I　had　to　deal　with　personnel　problems。　Ken　was　just　junior　to　Beulab　in　the　water　queue　and　was　a　steady；　strong　mule　who　talked　fairly　well。　On　the　other　hand；　Beulah　had　been　Buck's　straw　boss　the　whole　trek…but　I　could　not　recall　a　gang　of　mules　bossed　by　a　mare。　…　…
　　
　　Minerva；　with　H。　sapiens　this　would　not　matter；　at　least　not　today　on　Secundus。　But　with　some　sorts　of　animals　it　does　matter。　A　boss　elephant　is　female。　A　boss　chicken　is　a　cock；　not　a　hen。　A　boss　dog　can　be　either　sex。　In　a　breed　where　sex　controls　the　matter　a　man　had　better　by　a　damn　sight　go　along　with　their　ways。
　　
　　I　decided　to　see　if　Beulah　could　swing　it；　so　I　told　her　to。　line　'em　up　for　harness；　both　as　a　test　and　because　I　wanted　to　move　the　mules　out　of　sight　while　I　buried　Buck…they　were　nervy　and　restless；　the　boss　mule's　death　had　upset　them。　I　don't　know　what　mUles　think　about　death；；　but　they　are　not　indifferent　to　it。
　　
　　She　promptly　got　busy；　and　I　kept　aP　eye　on　Kenny。　He　accepted　…　it；　took　his　usual　place　by　Daisy。　Once　I　had　them
　　
　　…　messed；　Beulah　was　the　only　one　left　over；　three　mules　dead　now。　…
　　
　　I　told　Dora　that　I　wanted　them　moved　a　few　hundred　r…ieters　away。　Would　she　handle　it；　with　Beulah　as　march　boss？　Or　would　she　feel　safer　if　I　did　it？…and　ran　into　a　second　problem：　Dora　wanted　to　be　present　when　I　buried　Buck。　More　than　that…〃Woodrow；　I　can　help　dig。　Buck　was　my　friend；　too；　you　know。〃
　　
　　…　I　said；　〃Dora；　I'll　put　up　with　anything　at　all　from　a　pregnant　woman　except　allowing　her　to　do　something　that　would　hurt　her。〃
　　
　　〃But；　dearest；　I　feel　okay；　physically…it's　just　that　I'm　dreadfully　upset　over　Buck。　So　I　want　to　help。〃
　　
　　〃I　think　you　are　in　good　shape；　too；　and　I　want　you　to　stay　that　way。　You　can　help　best　by　staying　in　the　wagon。　Dora；
　　
　　nil
　　
　　I　haven't　any　way　to　take　care　of　a　…　premature　baby；　and　I　don't　want　to　have　to　bury　a　baby　as　well　as　Buck。〃
　　
　　Her　eyes　widened。　〃You　think　that　would　happen？'
　　
　　〃Sweetheart；　I　don't　know。　I've　known　women　to　hang　Onto　babies　under　unbelievable　hardships。　I've　seen　others　lose　babies　for　no　reason　that　I　could　see。　The　only　rule　I　have　about　it　is：　Don't　take　unnecessary　chances。　This　one　is
　　
　　…　not　nec？ssary。〃　…　…
　　
　　So　once　again　we　replanned　things　to　suit　both　of　us；　though　it　took　an　extra　hour。　I　unshackled　the　second　wagon　and　set　up　the　fence　again；　put　the　four　goats　inside　the　fence；　and　left　Dora　in　that　wagon。　Then　I　drove　the　first　wagon　three　or　four　hundred　meters　away；　unharnessed　the　mules；　and　told　Beulah　to　keep　them　together…and　told　Ken　to　help　her；　and　left　Fritz　to　help　her；　too；　and　took　Lady　Mac　back　with　me　to　watch　for　lopers　or　whatever。　The　visibility　was　good…no　brush；　no　high　grass；　the　place　looked　like　a　tended　park。　But　I　was　going　to　be　down　in　a　hole；　I　didn't　want　something　sneaking　up　on　me　or　on　the　wagon。　〃Lady　Macbeth。　High　sentry。　Up！〃
　　
　　By　agreement　Dd'ra　stayed　in　the　wagon。
　　
　　It　took　all　that　day　to　take　care　of　our　old　friend；　with　a　stop　for　lunch　and　a　few　short　breaks　for　water　and　to　catch　my　breath　in　the　shade　of　the　wagon…breaks　I　shared　with　Lady　Mac；　letting　her　get　down　each　time　I　came　up。　Plus　one　interruption…　It　was　midafternoon　and　I　had　dug　almost　enough　hole
　　
　　when　Lady　Mac　barked　for　me。　I　was　up　qut　of　that　hole　fast；　blaster　in　hand；　expecting　lopers。
　　
　　Just　a　dragon…　I　wasn't　especially　surprised；　Minerva；　the　well…cropped
　　
　　state　of　the　turf；　almost　like　a　lawn；　seemed　to　indicate　dragon　rather　than　prair~e　goat。　Those　dragons　are　not　dangerous　unless　one　happens　to　fall　on　you。　They　are　slow；　stupid；　and　strictly　vegetarian。　Oh；　they're　ugly　enough　to　be　frightening；　they　look　like　six…legged　triceratops。　But　that's　all。　Lopers　left　them　alone　because　biting　armot　is　unrewarding。
　　
　　I　joined　Dora　at　the　wagon。　〃Ever　seen　one；　hon？〃
　　
　　〃Not　up　close。　Goodness；　it's　huge。〃
　　
　　〃It's　a　big　one；　all　right。　But　it　will　probably　turn　away。　I　won't　waste　a　charge　on　it　if　I　don't　have　to。〃
　　
　　But　the　durned　thing　did　not　turn　away。　Minerva；　I　think　it　was　so　stupid　that　it　mistook　the　wagon　for　a　lady　dragon。
　　
　　Or　the　other　way　around；　it　is　hard　to　tell　male　from　female。　But　they　are　definitely　bisexual；　two　thagons　humping　is　a　ren…~arkable　sight。
　　
　　When　it　got　within　a　hundred　meters；　I　let　myself　out　the　fence　and　took　Lady　Mac　along；　as　she　was　quiveringly　eager。　I　doubt　if　she　had　ever　seen　one；　they　were　cleaned　out　around　Top　Dollar　long　before　she　was　whelped。　She　danced　up　to　it；　barking　but　wary。
　　
　　I　hoped　that　Lady　would　cause　it　to　turn　aside；　but　this　misshapen　rhinoceros