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。 That night he slept again in a bed； helping himself to a place in the best tourist…court in Kingman。
The cattle； the horses； the asses…through thousands of centuries they lived their own lives； and went their own ways in forest and steppe and desert。 Then man grew strong； and for a while he used the cattle； and the horses； and the asses； for other ends。 But after that was finished； they went their own ways again。
Fastened with their stanchions in the long barns； the dairy cattle bawled thirstily for a while and then lay still。 Penned in their paddocks； the long…limbed thoroughbreds died slowly。
But on the ranges； the white…faced Herefords looked out for themselves； and even on the farms； the cattle broke through the fences and wandered fireely。 So too； on the ranges； with the horses and the asses。。。。
The asses seek the desert； as in the ancient days。 They sniff the dry east wind； and gallop on the dusty lake beds； and step daintily on the boulder…strewn hills； with their hard mouths they… eat the thorny bushes。 Their panions are the big…horn sheep。
The horses take the dry open plains。 They eat the green grass of spring； and the grass…seed of summer； and the dry grass of autumn； and in the winter； shaggy…coated； they paw the snow； for the dry grass beneath it。 With them the herds of the pronghorn pasture。
The cattle seek the greener lands and the forests。 In the copses the cows hide the new…born calves until they canfollow the mothers。 The bison are their panions； and their rivals。 The great bulls battle mightily； and in the end； perhaps； the heavier bulls will prevail； and the bison move out over all their old domain。 Then the cattle may be pushed deeper intothe woodland and there find their haven。
Electric power had failed at Kingman； but the water was still running。 The stove in the kitchenette at the tourist…court was supplied from a tank of liquefied gas； and the pressure was at normal。 Since there was no electric refrigeration； he could have neither eggs； nor butter； nor milk。 But he took his time； and after a raid on a store prepared an excellent break…； fast…canned grapefruit； canned sausages； flapjacks； syrup。 He made a large pot of coffee； and had it with sugar and canned milk。 Princess enjoyed her usual can of horsemeat。 After breakfast； to get gasoline； he took the hammer and a cold chisel； and plugged a hole in the tank of a truck。 Setting a five…gallon can beneath the spurt of gasoline； he filled it； and then transferred the gasoline to his own tank。
There were dead bodies in the town； but in the dry Arizona heat they had mummified instead of decaying； and though they were not pretty to look at； they made no assault upon the nostrils。
Beyond Kingman he soon came to where the pact little pifion pines stood evenly spaced across dry rolling country。 Except for the highway； man had left little mark anywhere。 No telephone line followed the road； and often there were no fences…just the rangeland stretching off on both sides； green because of the summer rains； dotted with the little trees。 Actually； he knew that overgrazing had changed the grass and shrubs over all this country； and that with man gone there would now be more changes。 Perhaps； with the slaughter…houses no longer at work； the cattle would bee more numerous than ever； before their predators could increase sufficiently to control their numbers； they might eat the grass to the roots and start gullies and change the whole face of the country。 No； just as likely； he reconsidered； hoof…and…mouth disease would work in across the now open Mexican border； and cattle might almost disappear。 Or perhaps he underestimated the rapidity at which wolves and mountain…lions would multiply。 All he held fairly certain was that in twenty…five or fifty years some kind of moderately stable situation would result and that the land then would steadily get to look more and more like what it had been before the white men came。
On the first two days； he had felt the fear； on the third； he had speeded wildly in reaction。 But today； again in reaction； he felt a great calm and restfulness。 The quiet of everything impressed him。 In spite of having spent so much time in the mountains； he had just taken it for granted that mountains were quiet； and had not realized how much of the noise in the world was man…caused。 There had been many definitions of Man； he would make another： 〃The noise…producing animal。〃 Now there was only the nearly imperceptible murmur of his own engine。 He had no need to blow the horn。 There were no back…firing trucks； no snorting trains； no pounding planes overhead。 In the little town no whistles blew or bells rang or radios blared or people talked。 Even if it was the peace of death； still that was a kind of peace。
He drove slowly； though not from fear。 When he wished； he stopped to look at something。 At every halt he made it a game to discover what he could hear。 Often； after he had turned off the engine； he heard nothing at all； even in a town。 Sometimes there was the chirp of a bird or the faint humming of an insect； sometimes the wind made a little rustling。 Once he heard with a sense of relief the muffled pounding of a far…off thunderstorm。
By that time it was afternoon； and he had e into a higher country of tall pines with a snow…capped peak looming up to the north。 At Williams a shiny strean…dined train stood in the stationyard； just as the engineer had left it； he saw no one。 At Flagstaff； much of the town had been burned； he saw no one。
Just beyond Flagstaff he came around a bend of the road and some distance ahead saw two crows leave something in the road and flap heavily away。 He feared a little to e up and see what they had been eating； but it was only a sheep。 The body lay fight upon the concrete of the highway； a red smear of blood showing from the torn throat。 When he looked around； he saw that there were other bodies of sheep lying close to the road； and on both sides he could see still more。 He walked a little way off the road； and counted twenty…six。
Dogs or coyotes？ He could not tell； but he could easily reconstruct the scene…the harried sheep driven across the meadow； those on the outside pulled down or separated from those who clung closely toward the center of the flock。
Soon afterwards； out of whim； he turned in at the little Toad which led toward Walnut Canyon National Monument。 He came to the neatly built Superintendent's house which looked down into the deep canyon with its ruined houses of the Cliff Dwellers。 There was an hour's daylight left； and he found a grim amusement in walking around the narrow path； looking at what was left of those houses of that old people。 He came back； and slept the night in the house at the lip of the canyon。 Already there had been a summer thunderstorm； and a little water had run under the door。 Since no one had cleaned it up； it had lain in a pool there and damaged the floor。 Other rains would e； year by year； their effect would increase until after a while the neat house at the lip of the canyon would fall into ruins； and be not much different from those old houses sheltering along the cliffs。 Here the ruin of one civilization would pile up on the ruin of another。
For a while the flocks； too； will remain。 Even though the killers kill merely in the rage of the blood…lust； nevertheless millions of sheep are not to be wiped out in a day； or in a month； and thousands of new…born lambs will be dropped。 What are fifty or one hundred slain out of millions？ Yet not without reason； as symbol of a perishing people； men have said 〃sheep without a shepherd。〃 In the end they will vanish。。。。
They wander helplessly in the blizzards of the winter； and in the summer they stray far from water and are too stupid to find their way back； they are caught in the springfloods； and the bodies wash down by the hundreds； they stampede stupidly over cliffs； and lie in corrupting masses in the depths of the ravines； and always there are more of the killers…the dogs run wild； the wolves and coyotes； the mountain…lions； the bears。 After a while； the great flocks are broken into a few frightened scurrying fragments； in the end； there will be no more sheep。
Thousands of years ago they accepted the protection of the shepherd and lost their agility and sense of independence。 Now； when the shepherd has gone； they too must go。
On the next day he was crossing the wide high plains of the continental divide。 This was rich sheep country； and again he saw more bodies where coyotes had harried the flocks。 Once； on a far…off hillside； he saw what seemed to be scattered sheep running wildly； but he could not be sure。
Again； however； he saw an even stranger sight； in the rich meadow along a stream； he saw a flock of sheep grazing peacefully。 He looked around； half expecting to see the wagon and the sheepherder himself…； but instead； he saw only two dogs。 The shepherd was gone； but by long habit the dogs were continuing their task； keeping the sheep together； maintaining them in the good pasture along the water of the stream； doubtless fighting off the marauders that came sniffing in the night。 He stopped the car and watched； keeping Princess bes