large/506/short_stories_009_64kb_mp3/love_of_life_london_jwt_64kb_61
large/506/short_stories_009_64kb_mp3/love_of_life_london_jwt_64kb
English
506
The sharp ears were not pricked so sharply as he had seen them on other wolves; the eyes were bleared and bloodshot, the head seemed to droop limply and forlornly. The animal blinked continually in the sunshine. It seemed sick. As he looked it snuffled and coughed again. THE SHARP EARS WERE NOT PRICKED SO SHARPLY AS HE HAD SEEN THEM ON OTHER WOLVES THE EYES WERE BLEARED AND BLOODSHOT THE HEAD SEEMED TO DROOP LIMPLY AND FORLORNLY THE ANIMAL BLINKED CONTINUALLY IN THE SUNSHINE IT SEEMED SICK AS HE LOOKED IT SNUFFLED AND COUGHED AGAIN
Slowly, deliberately, without excitement or more than the most casual interest, he followed the course of the strange stream toward the sky-line and saw it emptying into a bright and shining sea. He was still unexcited. Most unusual, he thought, a vision or a mirage--more likely a vision, a trick of his disordered mind. He was confirmed in this by sight of a ship lying at anchor in the midst of the shining sea. He closed his eyes for a while, then opened them. Strange how the vision persisted! Yet not strange. He knew there were no seas or ships in the heart of the barren lands, just as he had known there was no cartridge in the empty rifle. He heard a snuffle behind him--a half-choking gasp or cough. Very slowly, because of his exceeding weakness and stiffness, he rolled over on his other side. He could see nothing near at hand, but he waited patiently. Again came the snuffle and cough, and outlined between two jagged rocks not a score of feet away he made out the gray head of a wolf.  HILLS HE HAD YET ENCOUNTERED SLOWLY DELIBERATELY WITHOUT EXCITEMENT OR MORE THAN THE MOST CASUAL INTEREST HE FOLLOWED THE COURSE OF THE STRANGE STREAM TOWARD THE SKY LINE AND SAW IT EMPTYING INTO A BRIGHT AND SHINING SEA HE WAS STILL UNEXCITED MOST UNUSUAL HE THOUGHT A VISION OR A MIRAGE MOST LIKELY A VISION A TRICK OF HIS DISORDERED MIND HE WAS CONFIRMED IN THIS BY SIGHT OF A SHIP LYING AT ANCHOR IN THE MIDST OF THE SHINING SEA HE CLOSED HIS EYES FOR A WHILE THEN OPENED THEM STRANGE HOW THE VISION PERSISTED YET NOT STRANGE HE KNEW THERE WERE NO SEAS OR SHIPS IN THE HEART OF THE BARREN LANDS JUST AS HE HAD KNOWN THERE WAS NO CARTRIDGE IN THE EMPTY RIFLE HE HEARD A SNUFFLE BEHIND HIM A HALF CHOKING GASP OR COUGH VERY SLOWLY BECAUSE OF HIS EXCEEDING WEAKNESS AND STIFFNESS HE ROLLED OVER ON HIS OTHER SIDE HE COULD SEE NOTHING NEAR AT HAND BUT HE WAITED PATIENTLY AGAIN CAME THE SNUFFLE AND COUGH AND OUTLINE BETWEEN TWO JAGGED ROCKS NOT A SCORE FEET AWAY HE MADE OUT THE GRAY HEAD OF A WOLF
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