time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)- 第102部分

　　
　　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　paid　no　attention；　it　lumbered　slowly　along；　straight　for　the　wagon。　So　I　tickled　it　with　my　needle　gun　between　where　it　should　have　had　lips；　to　get　its　attention。　It　stopped；　astounded　I　think；　and　opened　its　mouth　wide。　That　was　what　I　needed；　as　I　did　not　want　to　waste　maximum　power　blasting　through　that　armored　hide。　So…　Blaster　at　minimum；　right　into　its　mouth：　Scratch　one　dragon。
　　
　　It　stood　there　a　moment；　then　slowly　collapsed。　I　called　Lady　and　went　back　to　the　fence。　Dora　was　waiting。　〃May　I　go　look　at　it？〃
　　
　　I　glanced　at　the　Sun。　〃Sweetheart；　I'm　going　to　be　pushed　to　take　care　of　Buck　before　dark；　then　fetch　the　mules　back　and　move　us　on　a　way。　Unless　you　are　willing　to　bivouac　with　the　grave　on　one　side　and　a　dead　dragon　on　the　other？〃
　　
　　She　did　not　insist；　and　I　got　back　to　work。　In　another　hour　I　had　it　deep…　enough　and　wide　enough…got　out　block…andtackle；　a　triple　purchase；　secured　it　to　the　rear　axle；　tied　Buck's　hind　feet　together；　hooked　over　the　tie　and　took　up　the　slack。
　　
　　Dora　had　e　out　with　me。　〃Just　a　moment；　dear。〃　She　stopped　to　pat　Buck's　neck；　then　leaned　down　and　kissed　his　forehead。　〃All　right；　Woodrow。　Now。〃
　　
　　…　I　heaved　on　the　line。　For　a　moment　I　thought　the　wagon　would　move　despite　the　brakes　being　locked。　Then　Buck　started　to　slide；　and　fell　into　his　grave。　I　shook　the　hook　loose；　then　backfilled　fast；　closing　in　twenty　minutes　a　hole　it　had　taken　me　most　of　the　day　to　dig。　Dora　waited。
　　
　　I　finished。　〃Up　into　the　wagon；　Dorable；　that's　it。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　I　wish　I　knew　something　to　say。　Do　you？〃
　　
　　I　thought　about　it。　I　had　heard　a　thousand　burial　services；　most　of　them　I　did　not　like。　So　I　made　up　one。　〃Whatever　God　there　be；　please　take　care　of　this　fin？　person。　He　always　did　his　best。　Amen。〃
　　
　　（Omitted）　…
　　
　　…even　those　first　years　weren't　too　hard；　as　Happy　Valley
　　
　　would　grow　anything；　two　and　three　crops　a　year。　But　we　should　have　named　it　〃Dragon　Valley。〃
　　
　　Lopers　were　bad　enough；　especially　the　small　lopers　that　hunted　in　packs　which　we　found　on　that　side　of　Rampart　Range。　But　those　damned　dragons！　They　almost　drove　me　out　of　my　skull。　When　you've　lost　the　same　potato　patch　four　times　running；　it　begins　to　wear。
　　
　　…　Lopers　I　could　poison　and　did。　I　could　trap　them；　too；　if　I　changed　style　every　time。　Or　I　could　put　out　bait　at　night　and　sit　quietly　and　get　most　of　a　pack；　silently；　with　a　needle　gun。　I　could　do　lots　of　things　and　did；　and　the　mules　learned　to　cope　with　them；　too；　sleeping　closer　together　at　night　and　always　with　one　on　watch；　like…　quail　or　baboon。　Whenever　I　heard　the　bellow　that　meant　〃Loper！〃　I　always　came　awake　fast　and　tried　to　join　the　fun…but　the　mules　rarely　left　me　any；　they　not　only　could　stomp　them；　but　they　could　outrun　them　and　get　some　or　all　of　a　pack　that　tried　to　escape。　We
　　
　　…lost　three　mules　and　six　goats　to　lopers；　but　the　lopers　got　the
　　
　　…news　and　started　giving　us　a　wide　berth。
　　
　　But　those