Джек Лондон (Jack London)Charles Livingston Bull
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Title: Love of Life
and Other Stories
Author: Jack London
Release Date: April 13, 2007 [eBook #710]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOVE OF LIFE***
Love of Life, by Jack London
Transcribed from the 1913 Macmillan and Co. edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org
LOVE OF LIFE and other stories
by
JACK LONDON
author of “the call of the wild,” “people
of the abyss,” etc., etc.
New York
published for
THE REVIEW OF REVIEWS COMPANY
by the macmillan company
London: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd.
1913
All rights reserved
Copyright, 1906,
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.
Set up and electrotyped. Published September, 1907. Reprinted December, 1907; December, 1911. October, 1913.
LOVE OF LIFE
“This out of all will remain—
They have lived and have tossed:
So much of the game will be gain,
Though the gold of the dice has been lost.”
They limped painfully down the bank, and once the foremost of the two men staggered among the rough-strewn rocks. They were tired and weak, and their faces had the drawn expression of patience which comes of hardship long endured. They were heavily burdened with blanket packs which were strapped to their shoulders. Head-straps, passing across the forehead, helped support these packs. Each man carried a rifle. They walked in a stooped posture, the shoulders well forward, the head still farther forward, the eyes bent upon the ground.
“I wish we had just about two of them cartridges that’s layin’ in that cache of ourn,” said the second man.
His voice was utterly and drearily expressionless. He spoke without enthusiasm; and the first man, limping into the milky stream that foamed over the rocks, vouchsafed no reply.
The other man followed at his heels. They did not remove their foot-gear, though the water was icy cold—so cold that their ankles ached and their feet went numb. In places the water dashed against their knees, and both men staggered for footing.
The man who followed slipped on a smooth boulder, nearly fell, but recovered himself with a violent effort, at the same time uttering a sharp exclamation of pain. He seemed faint and dizzy and put out his free hand while he reeled, as though seeking support against the air. When he had steadied himself he stepped forward, but reeled again and nearly fell. Then he stood still and looked at the other man, who had never turned his head.