large/506/short_stories_009_64kb_mp3/love_of_life_london_jwt_64kb_126
large/506/short_stories_009_64kb_mp3/love_of_life_london_jwt_64kb
English
506
It was noticed that the man was getting fat. He grew stouter with each day. The scientific men shook their heads and theorized. They limited the man at his meals, but still his girth increased and he swelled prodigiously under his shirt. The sailors grinned. They knew. IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE MAN WAS GETTING FAT HE GREW STOUTER WITH EACH DAY THE SCIENTIFIC MEN SHOOK THEIR HEADS AND THEORIZED THEN LIMITED THE MAN AT HIS MEALS BUT STILL HIS GIRTH INCREASED AND HE SWELLED PRODIGIOUSLY UNDER HIS SHIRT THE SAILORS GRINNED THEY KNEW
rsistent, and it writhed and twisted and went ahead perhaps a score of feet an hour. * * * * * Three weeks afterward the man lay in a bunk on the whale-ship _Bedford_, and with tears streaming down his wasted cheeks told who he was and what he had undergone. He also babbled incoherently of his mother, of sunny Southern California, and a home among the orange groves and flowers. The days were not many after that when he sat at table with the scientific men and ship's officers. He gloated over the spectacle of so much food, watching it anxiously as it went into the mouths of others. With the disappearance of each mouthful an expression of deep regret came into his eyes. He was quite sane, yet he hated those men at mealtime. He was haunted by a fear that the food would not last. He inquired of the cook, the cabin-boy, the captain, concerning the food stores. They reassured him countless times; but he could not believe them, and pried cunningly about the lazarette to see with his own eyes. S WERE INEFFECTUAL BUT IT WAS PERSISTENT AND IT WRITHED AND TWISTED AND WENT AHEAD PERHAPS A SCORE OF FEET AN HOUR THREE WEEKS AFTERWARD THE MAN LAY IN A BUNK ON THE WHALE SHIP BEDFORD AND WITH TEARS STREAMING DOWN HIS WASTED CHEEKS TOLD WHO HE WAS AND WHAT HE HAD UNDERGONE HE ALSO BABBLED INCOHERENTLY OF HIS MOTHER OF SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND A HOME AMONG THE ORANGE GROVES AND FLOWERS THE DAYS WERE NOT MANY AFTER THAT WHEN HE SAT AT TABLE WITH THE SCIENTIFIC MEN AND SHIP'S OFFICERS HE GLOATED OVER THE SPECTACLE OF SO MUCH FOOD WATCHING IT ANXIOUSLY AS IT WENT INTO THE MOUTHS OF OTHERS WITH THE DISAPPEARANCE OF EACH MOUTHFUL AN EXPRESSION OF DEEP REGRET CAME INTO HIS EYES HE WAS QUITE SANE YET HE HATED THOSE MEN AT MEAL TIME HE WAS HAUNTED BY A FEAR THAT THE FOOD WOULD NOT LAST HE INQUIRED OF THE COOK THE CABIN BOY THE CAPTAIN CONCERNING THE FOOD STORES THEY REASSURED HIM COUNTLESS TIMES BUT HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THEM AND PRIED CUNNINGLY ABOUT THE LAZARETTE TO SEE WITH HIS OWN EYES
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