Алая чума
Chapter 5
“Thereislittlemoretotell. Withmytwodogsandmypony,andridingahorseIhadmanagedtocapture,IcrossedtheSanJoaquinandwentontoawonderfulvalleyintheSierrascalledYosemite. InthegreathotelthereIfoundaprodigioussupplyoftinnedprovisions. Thepasturewasabundant,aswasthegame,andtheriverthatranthroughthevalleywasfulloftrout. Iremainedtherethreeyearsinanutterlonelinessthatnonebutamanwhohasoncebeenhighlycivilizedcanunderstand. ThenIcouldstanditnomore. IfeltthatIwasgoingcrazy. Likethedog,IwasasocialanimalandIneededmykind. IreasonedthatsinceIhadsurvivedtheplague,therewasapossibilitythatothershadsurvived. Also,Ireasonedthatafterthreeyearstheplaguegermsmustallbegoneandthelandbecleanagain.
“Withmyhorseanddogsandpony,Isetout. AgainIcrossedtheSanJoaquinValley,themountainsbeyond,andcamedownintoLivermoreValley. Thechangeinthosethreeyearswasamazing. Allthelandhadbeensplendidlytilled,andnowIcouldscarcelyrecognizeit,’suchwastheseaofrankvegetationthathadoverruntheagriculturalhandiworkofman. Yousee,thewheat,thevegetables,andorchardtreeshadalwaysbeencaredforandnursedbyman,sothattheyweresoftandtender. Theweedsandwildbushesandsuchthings,onthecontrary,hadalwaysbeenfoughtbyman,sothattheyweretoughandresistant. Asaresult,whenthehandofmanwasremoved,thewildvegetationsmotheredanddestroyedpracticallyallthedomesticatedvegetation.
