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time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第100章

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s loose; and head back。 Fill all your barrels 。at that trickle we crossed earlier today。 After that; don't stop for anything; roll all day from dawn till dark。 You should reach Separation in half the time it took to get us up here。 Okay?〃 …
  
  〃No; sir。〃
  
  Minerva; a few centuries earlier I would have started to boil up at that point。 But I had learned。 It took me about a tenth of …a second to realize that I could not …make her do anything…if I were … gone…and that a promise made under duress won't hold。 〃All right; Dora; tell me why not and what you intend to do instead~ If I don't like it; perhaps we both will start back for Separation。〃
  
  〃Woodrow; while you did not say so; you are asking me to do what I should' do…and 。1 would do!…if I were a widow。〃
  
  I nodded。 〃Yes; that's right。 Dearest; if I'm not back in a week; you're a widow。 No possible doubt。〃
  
  〃I understand that。 I also understand why you are leaving the wagons here; you can't be sure that you can turn them around higher up。〃
  
  〃Yes。 That's probably what happened to earlier parties… reached a place where they couldn't go forward and couldn't turn around 。 …。 then tried one or the other and went over。〃
  
  〃Yes。 But; my husband; you mean to be gone only one day…half a day out; half a day back。 Woodrow; I won't assume that' you are dead…I can't!〃 She looked at me steadily and her eyes filled with tears; but she did not cry。 〃I must see your dear body; I must be certain。 If I am certain; I will go back to Separation as fast and as safely as possible。 And then to~ the Magees as you have told me;' …and have your child and
  
  …bring him up to be as much like his father as possible。 But I must know。〃 … …
  
  〃Dora; Dora! In one week you will know。 No need to look for my bones。〃
  
  〃May 1 finish; sir? If you aren't back tonight; I'm on my own。 At dawn tomorrow I start out on Betty; with another saddle mule following。 At noon I turn back。
  
  〃Perhaps; if I can't find you; I'll find a spot higher up where I can take one wagon and turn it around。 If I find such a spot; I'll move one wagon up and use it as a base and look farther。 I could have missed your track。 Or I might have followed mule tracks…but you aren't on the mule。 Whatever
  
  …it is; I'll search and search again。 Until there's no hope at all! Then 。 。 I will go to Separation as fast ~as mules can get me there。 …
  
  〃But; my darling; if you are alive…maybe with a broken leg but alive…if you still have a knife or even your bare hands; I don't believe that a loper or anything 〃can kill you。 If you are alive; I'll find you。 I will!〃
  
  So I backed down and checked watches with her and agreed on what time I would turn back。 Then Buck and I; with me up on Beulah; set out to scout ahead。
  
  Minerva; at least four parties had tried that pass; none had e back。 I'm certain enough that they each failed from being too eager; not patient enough; unwilling to turn back when the risk was too great。 …
  
  Patience I have learned。 The centuries may not give a man wisdom; but h? acquires patience or he doesn't live through them~ That first morning we found the first spot that was too tight。 Oh; someone had blasted there and probably got around that turn。 But it was too narrow to be safe; so I blasted some more。 Nobody in his right mind takes a wagon into the mountains without dynamite or some such; you can't nibble at solid rock with a toothpick; or even a pickax; without riskmg being still up there when the snows e。
  
  I was not using dynamite。 Oh; anyone with a modicum of
  
  chemistry cati make both dynamite ;and black powder; and planned to do both…later。 What I had with me was a mon
  
  eflicient and more flexible blasting jelly…and not shock…sensitive; perfectly safe in wagon and saddlebag。
  
  I placed that first charge in a crack where I thought ii would do the most good; set the fuse but did not light it then walked both mules back around the bend and exertec rhy histrionic talent to its limit to explain to Buck and BeulaF~ that there was going … to be a loud noise; a ban g!…but ii could not hurt them; so don't worry。 Then I went back; lii the fuse; hurried back to them and was in time to have as ~rm on each neck…watched my watch。 〃Now!〃 I said; and the mountain obliged me with Ka…boom!
  
  Beulah shivered but was steady。 Buck said inquiringly; 〃Paaang?〃
  
  I agreed。 He nodded and went back to cropping leaves。
  
  We three went up and took a look。 Nice and wide now… Not very level; but three tiny blasts took care of that。 〃What do you think; Buck?〃 …
  
  He looked carefully up and down trail。 〃Doo wagon?〃
  
  第41节
  
  〃One wagon。〃
  
  〃Ogay。〃
  
  We explored a little farther; planned the next day's work~ then I turned back at the time promised; was home early。
  
  It took me a week to make a couple of kilometers safe to another little alp; a grassy pocket big enough to turn one wagon around at a time。 Then it took all of a long day to move our wagons; one at a time; to this next base。 Someone had made it that far; I found a broken wagon wheel…salvaged the steel tire and the hub。 It went on that way; day after day; slowly; tediously; and at last we were through the notch and headed…mostly……downhill。
  
  But that was worse; not better。 The river I had been sure was there; by photomaps from space; was far below us; and we still had to go down; down; down; and follow it a long way before we would reach the place where the gorge opened out into valley suitable for homesteading。 More blasting; lots of brush chopping; and sometimes I had to blast trees。。 But the nastiest ' part was rappelling those wagons down the steepest places。 I didn't mind steep places going uphill (which we still encountered); a twelve…mule team can drag a single wagon up any slope they can dig their hooves into。 But downhill…
  
  Certainly those wagons had brakes。 But if the… grade is steep; the wagon slides on its tires…then goes over the edge; mules and all。 …
  
  I couldn't let that happen even once。 Not ever risk letting it happen。 We could lose one wagon and six mules and still go on。 But 1 was not expendable。 (Dora would not be in the wagon。) If that wagon cut loose; my chances of jumping clear would be so…so。 …
  
  If the grade was steep enough to give me even a trace of doubt that I could hold a wagon with its brakes;… we did it the hard way: ;used that expensive imported line to check it down such pitches。 Lead the line out fair and free for running; pass the bitter end three times around a tree stout enough to anchor it; secure。 it to the rear axle…then our four steadiest mules; Ken and Daisy; Beau and Belle;… would take the wagcn down at a slow walk (no driver) following Buck; while I kept tension on the line; paying it out very slowly。
  
  … If terrain permitted; Dora on Betty would take station halfway down to relay orders to Buck。 But I c。uld not permit her to be on the trail itself; if that line parted; t would whip。 So maybe half the time Buck and I worked without liaison; doing it dead 
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