LoveofLife
杰克·伦敦/JackLondon
Theanhadfallentothecreekandhadspraedhisankle.
Hecalledtohisfriend，“Isay，Bill，waitthere.I’vespraedyankle.”
Therewasnoanswer.Billhaddisappearedthedapfog.AlthoughitwasstillAugt，theadianwildernessyldandlonelytheweaklightoftheafternoonsun.Everywherewasthedullskyle.Thehillswerealllow-lyg.Therewerenotrees.Therewasnothgbutdesotionthatseothean’sheart.
“Bill！”hecalledaga，“Bill！”Therewasnoanswer.
Theanrosetohisfeet，shakgasifhehadafever.Hefoughtagastthefearhisheart.Hefoundhisgunwherehehaddroppeditthewater.Theuedhiswayslowly.Thegunwasnoweless，forhehadnoaunitionforit，buthedidnotleaveit.
Heshiftedhispacktohisleftshouldersoastofavorhisrightankleandhurriedtotheofahill.Frotherehesawabroadvalley，eptyoflife.
Thebottoofthevalleywassoftandsy.Hephedon，trygtofollowthetracksofhispanion.
Thoughhewasnowalone，hewasnotlost.Fartheralongheknewwheretofdthetrail.Hewouldfollowituntilitcatotheriver，wheretheyhadlefttheiroe，weighteddownwithrocks.Uheoewasacacheofaunitionforhiseptygun，fishhooksandles，andasall.Hewouldalsofdsoflour，ban，andbeans—notuch，fortheyhadtakenostoftheirfoodwiththeoriptothenorthuntrylookgfold.
HeknewBillwouldwaitforhithere；thentheywouldpaddledowntherivertoaHudsonBayypost，wheretherewouldbewarshelterandplentyoffood.
Thesewerethethoughtsoftheanashelipedalongthetrail.ThenhebegantothkthatperhapsBillhaddesertedhi.Theanhadenforodays，andnowwastheaddedfearofstarvation.Hehadspedafewtistoeatsowildberries，buttheywereostlyseedsandbitter.Hishungercreasedbythehour.
Alreadythesunhadslippedbeyondthehorizon.Suddenlyhestruckhistoeonarockyledgeandfell.Heystillforsotiwithoutovent.Thenheslippedoutofhispackstrapsanddraggedhiselftoasittgposition.Itwasnotyetdark，andthelgergilighthegatheredsooss.Whenhehadagood-sizedpile，hebuiltafireaasallpailofwateroverthefiretoboil.
Heunedhispack，andthefirstthghedidwastounthisatches.Thereweresixty-seveedthethreetistoakesure.Hedividedthetothreesallpacks，gtheoilpaper，puttgonebunchhiseptytobaopouch，anotherbunchthesidebandofhishat，andthethirdbunderhisshirtonhischest.Hewasafraidthatifhefelltothewateraga，allofhisatcheswouldbeewetandeless.
Hedriedhisfootgearbythefire.Thewetoasshadbeencuttopieces.Thesockswerewornthroughpces，andhisanklehadswollentothesizeofhisknee.Hetorealongstripfrooneofhisbsandboundtheaightly.Hetoreotherstripsandboundtheabouthisfeetforfooear.Hewasld，andhekhattherewouldsoohedangerofsnowandfrost.Afterthewaterheated，hedranksoofit；thenhewoundhiswatch，andcrawledbeeenhisbs.Hesleptlikeadeadan.
Atsixo’clockheawoke，lygonhisback.Hegazedstraightuptothegrayskyandkhathewashungry.Asherolledoveronhiselbow，heheardaloudsnortandsawacariboulookgathistrangely.Theanialwasnotorethanfiftyfeetaway，andstantlytheanhadthoughtsofacaribousteakfrygoverafire.Hereachedforhiseptygun，aid，andpulledthetrigger.Theanialstheclickoftheeptygunandranaway.
Theancursedandgroanedaloudashedraggedhiselftohisfeet.Slowlyherolledhispacktogether.Helookedattheoose-hidebagthathecarriedhispack.Itwasextraweight，andhebegantowonderwhatvaeitsshadnow.However，herolledittogetherwithhispadstartedout.
Thepahisanklewasterrific，butitwasnoworsethanthathiseptystoach.Thehungerhadbeefrightful.Inalittlewhilehecauponavalleywheresobirdsroseonwhirrggs，“Ker...ker...ker，”theycriedastheyflewaway.Hethrewstonesbutheuldnothitaone.Hepcedhispathegroundandbegantostalkthebirdslikeacat.
Thesharprockscutthroughhispantslegstillhiskneeswerescratchedandbleedg，buthewasnotawareofhishurtsashishungerwassogreat.Hecursedthebirdsandockedthewiththeirowncry.