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第21章 他有一个温暖的家h2（第1页）

waslyinginthreeinchesofwater。WhenItouchedhim，hedidn’tmove。Ithoughthewasdead。Iutmyhandsaroundhischestandhoistedhimtohisfeet。Hestoodunsteadilyintheuddle，hisheadhunglikeaweightattheendofhisneck。Halfhisbodywascoveredwithmange。Hisfloyearswerejusthairlessiecesoffleshdottedwithoensores。

“comeon。”Isaid，hoingIwouldn’thavetocarryhisinfectedcarcasstoshelter。Histailwaggedonceandheloddedweaklyafterme。Iledhimtoanalcovenexttothebar，wherehelayonthecoldcementandclosedhiseyes。

AblockawayIcouldseethelightsofalatenightconveniencestore。Itwasstilloen。IboughtthreecansofAloandstuffedthemintomyleathercoat。IwaswetanduglyandtheclerklookedrelievedasIleft。Therace-tyeexhaustsonmyoldHarleyDavidsonrattledthewindowsinthebarasIrodebacktothebar。

Thebarmaidoenedthecansformeandsaidthedog’snamewasShe。ShetoldmehewasaboutayearoldandthathisownerhadgonetoGermanyandlefthimonthestreet。Heateallthreecansofdogfoodwithanawe-insiringsinglenessofurose。Iwantedtoethim，buthesmelledlikedeathandlookedevenworse。“Goodluck。”Isaid。Thengotonmybikeandrodeaway。

ThenextdayIgotajobdrivingadumtruckforasmallavingcomany。AsIhauledaloadofgravelthroughthecenteroftown，IsawShestandingonthesidewalknearthebar。IyelledtohimandthoughtIsawhistailwag。Hisreactionmademefeelgood。

AfterworkIboughtthreemorecansofAloandacheeseburger。MynewfriendandIatedinnertogetheronthesidewalk。Hefinishedhisfirst。

Thenextnight，whenIbroughthisfood，hewelcomedmewithwildenthusiasm。Nowandthen，hismalnourishedlegsbuckledandhefelltotheavement。Otherhumanshaddesertedhimandmistreatedhim，butnowhehadafriendandhisareciationwasmorethanobvious。

Ididn’tseehimthenextdayasIhauledloadafterloaduthemainstreetastthebar。Iwonderedifsomeonehadtakenhimhome。

AfterworkIarkedmyblackHarleyonthestreetandwalkeddownthesidewalklookingforhim。IwasafraidofwhatIwouldfind。Hewaslyingonhissideinanalleynearby。Histonguehungoutinthedirtandonlythetiofhistailmovedwhenhesawme。

Thelocalveterinarianwasstillathisoffice，soIborrowedaickutruckfrommyemloyerandloadedthelimmongrelintothecab。“Isthisyourdog”thevetaskedaftercheckingtheitifulsecimenthatlayhellesslyonhisexaminingtable。

“No，”Isaid，“he’sjustastray。”

“He’sgotthebeginningsofdistemer，”thevetsaidsadly，“Ifhedoesn’thaveahome，thekindestthingwecandoisuthimoutofhismisery。”

Iutmyhandonthedog’sshoulder。Hismangytailthumedweaklyagainstthestainlesssteeltable。Isighedloudly。“He’sgotahome。”Isaid。

Forthenextthreenightsandtwodays，thedog—InamedhimShe—layonhissideinmyaartment。MyroommateandIsenthoursuttingwaterinhismouthandtryingtogethimtoswallowafewscrambledeggs。Hecouldn’tdoit，butwheneverItouchedhim，histailwaggedslightlyattheveryti。

Atabout10：00a。m。onthethirdday，Iwenthometooentheaartmentforthetelehoneinstaller。AsIsteedthroughthedoor，Iwasnearlyflattenedbyajuming，wigglingmassofeuhoricmutt。Shehadrecovered。

Withtime，themangystarvingdogthatnearlydiedinmylivingroomgrewintoaneighty-oundblockofsolidmuscle，withamassivechestandasuerthickcoatofshinyblackfur。Manytimes，whenlonelinessandderessionhavenearlygottenthebestofme，ShehasreturnedmyfavorbyshoweringmewithhisunbridledfriendshiuntilIhadnochoicebuttosmileandtrademymelancholyforafastgameoffetch-the-stick。

WhenIlookback，IcanseethatSheandImetatthelowointofbothofourlives。Butwearen’tlonelydriftersanymore。I’dsaywe’vebothcomehome。