large/506/short_stories_009_64kb_mp3/love_of_life_london_jwt_64kb_56
large/506/short_stories_009_64kb_mp3/love_of_life_london_jwt_64kb
English
506
The bottom of the valley was soggy with water, which the thick moss held, spongelike, close to the surface. This water squirted out from under his feet at every step, and each time he lifted a foot the action culminated in a sucking sound as the wet moss reluctantly released its grip. He picked his way from muskeg to muskeg, and followed the other man's footsteps along and across the rocky ledges which thrust like islets through the sea of moss. THE BOTTOM OF THE VALLEY WAS SOGGY WITH WATER WHICH THE THICK MOSS HELD SPONGE LIKE CLOSE TO THE SURFACE THIS WATER SQUIRTED OUT FROM UNDER HIS FEET AT EVERY STEP AND EACH TIME HE LIFTED A FOOT THE ACTION CULMINATED IN A SUCKING SOUND AS THE WET MOSS RELUCTANTLY RELEASED ITS GRIP HE PICKED HIS WAY FROM MUSKEG TO MUSKEG AND FOLLOWED THE OTHER MAN'S FOOTSTEPS ALONG AND ACROSS THE ROCKY LEDGES WHICH THRUST LIKE ISLETS THROUGH THE SEA OF MOSS
cowered in the midst of the milky water, as though the vastness were pressing in upon him with overwhelming force, brutally crushing him with its complacent awfulness. He began to shake as with an ague-fit, till the gun fell from his hand with a splash. This served to rouse him. He fought with his fear and pulled himself together, groping in the water and recovering the weapon. He hitched his pack farther over on his left shoulder, so as to take a portion of its weight from off the injured ankle. Then he proceeded, slowly and carefully, wincing with pain, to the bank. He did not stop. With a desperation that was madness, unmindful of the pain, he hurried up the slope to the crest of the hill over which his comrade had disappeared--more grotesque and comical by far than that limping, jerking comrade. But at the crest he saw a shallow valley, empty of life. He fought with his fear again, overcame it, hitched the pack still farther over on his left shoulder, and lurched on down the slope. ISPERED ONCE AND TWICE BILL HE COWERED IN THE MIDST OF THE MILKY WATER AS THOUGH THE VASTNESS WERE PRESSING IN UPON HIM WITH OVERWHELMING FORCE BRUTALLY CRUSHING HIM WITH ITS COMPLACENT AWFULNESS HE BEGAN TO SHAKE AS WITH A NEGRO FIT TILL THE GUN FELL FROM HIS HAND WITH A SPLASH THIS SERVED TO ROUSE HIM HE FOUGHT WITH HIS FEAR AND PULLED HIMSELF TOGETHER GROPING IN THE WATER AND RECOVERING THE WEAPON HE HITCHED HIS PACK FARTHER OVER ON HIS LEFT SHOULDER SO AS TO TAKE A PORTION OF ITS WEIGHT OFF THE INJURED ANKLE THEN HE PROCEEDED SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY WINCING WITH PAIN TO THE BANK HE DID NOT STOP WITH A DESPERATION THAT WAS MADNESS UNMINDFUL OF THE PAIN HE HURRIED UP THE SLOPE TO THE CREST OF THE HILL OVER WHICH HIS COMRADE HAD DISAPPEARED MORE GROTESQUE AND COMICAL BY FAR THAN THAT LIMPING JERKING COMRADE BUT AT THE CREST HE SAW A SHALLOW VALLEY EMPTY OF LIFE HE FOUGHT WITH HIS FEAR AGAIN OVERCAME IT HITCHED THE PACK STILL FARTHER OVER ON HIS LEFT SHOULDER AND LURCHED ON DOWN THE SLOPE
large/506/short_stories_009_64kb_mp3/love_of_life_london_jwt_64kb
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download/librilight/large/506/short_stories_009_64kb_mp3/love_of_life_london_jwt_64kb.flac