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od aim again； he put a bullet just behind her shoulder。 He fired twice more； for mercy； as she toppled。
He had to walk back to the cabin for the hunting…knife。 When he returned； he carried the reloaded rifle。 He felt his own reaction as curious。 Before this time he had never thought much about weapons； but now it was as if he had declared war upon creation and should look for retaliation upon himself。 Yet； when he came to where the cow and the calf were lying； and climbed over the fence； he met no resistance or opposition。 The calf； to his dismay； was still breathing。 Not liking the job； he cut its throat。 He had never been a hunter； and had never butchered an animal； so he made a bad haggling job of it。 Getting himself well bloodied in the process； he managed to hack out the liver； when he had got it； he realized that he had no way to carry it； except in his hand。 He had to lay the bloody mass back among the entrails of the calf； and go back again to the cabin to get a pan。 When he returned to the calf； a crow was already at work upon the eyes。
When he finally had the liver safely at the cabin； he was so covered with blood and dirt that he had lost all desire to eat it。 He washed as well as he could at the cabin； and waited around listlessly； since the rain had again begun to fall。 Princess returned； and demanded entrance。 Since she had； by this time； lost most of the skunk's smell； he admitted her。 She was wet and scratched with briers； dirty and foot…sore。 She lay on the floor putting herself into shape with her tongue； he himself lay on the bed as if spent by emotion； yet in some way satisfied at last。 Outside； the rain fell steadily； and after an hour； for the first time since it all happened； Ish realized that he had a new sensation…he was merely bored。
He looked around at the cabin； and found a six…months…old magazine； he settled down to read a story which dealt with the old boy…meets…girl theme； taking its particular slant from the problems winch arose to hinder true love as the result of a housing shortage。 It was all as far away； Ish concluded； from his present situation； as if it had been a story about building the Pyramids。 In the course of the morning； he read three stories； but he found the advertisements much more fascinating。 Not one in ten of them seemed to have any relation to his present situation； because they were not aimed at man； the individual； so much as at man； the member of a group…for instance； you should avoid bad breath； riot because it might be a symptom of approaching toothache or digestive disfort； but because if you had bad breath the girls would not like to dance with you or your boy…friend would not propose。
Yet the magazine had the good effect； at least； of taking him out from himself again。 By noon； he was hungry； and when he looked at the liver now lying peacefully in a pan； he found that the memory of the bloody and dying calf had passed out of his mind。 He fried a fine succulent piece of it for his lunch； and enjoyed it greatly。 A bit of fresh meat； he concluded； was what he had been wanting。 He gave a piece to Princess； also。
As he sat quietly after lunch； he had a new feeling of satisfaction and release。 To shoot a calf was certainly no feat of sportsmanship； and it was not getting very close toward the production of one's own food。 Yet it was a little closer to reality than the opening of a can。 He seemed to have moved one step away from a mere scavenging existence； and to be getting a little closer to the state in which the three Negroes were living。 To put it that an act of destruction had been an act of creation might seem a paradox； but he felt of it as something of that sort。
A fence was a fact； and a fence was also a symbol。 Between the herds and the crops； the fence stood as a fact； but between the rye and the oats； it was only a symbol； for the rye and the oats did not mingle of themselves。 Because offences the land was cut into chunks and blocks。 The pasture changed to the plowed land sharply at the fence； and on the other side of the plowed land； at the line of the fence； went the highway； and beyond the highway was the orchard； and then another fence with the lawns and the house beyond it； and again at a fence； the barnyard。 Once the fences are broken both in fact and in symbol； then there are no more blocks and chunks of land and sharp changes； but all is hazy and wavy； and fades from one into the other； as it was in the beginning。
After that； he lost track of the time still more。 He did not travel far in any day because there was much rain； and the roads were not as smooth and straight as they had been in the West。 Moreover he had lost his sense of hurry。 He worked northeastward through the hills of Kentucky； then struck the Ohio River bottomland； and went on into Pennsylvania。
He foraged more for himself。 He gathered green from the weed…grown corn…patches。 There were ripe berries and fruit。 Now and then in a garden he found a head or two of lettuce which had not been rumed by worms。 Frequently； he pulled up carrots； and ate them raw； since he was very fond of raw carrots。 He shot a young pig。 He used the shotgun to bag two partridges。 Again； with Princess shut in the car and protesting loudly； he spent a happy two hours slowly stalking a flock of turkeys which always scurried off just before he was within range。 At last； however； he managed to get close enough to knock over a gobbler。 Some weeks ago it must have been a tame turkey； but now it had gone wild； and from constant necessity of dodging foxes and wild cats had bee almost as wary as if it had lived all its life in the woods。
Between rains the weather was warm； and when he felt like it； he stripped and swain in some likely looking stream。 Since the water from faucets began to seem stale； he drank from springs and wells although by now； he judged； even the larger rivers should be free of sewage and factory refuse。
He became used to the look of the towns； and could generally tell whether they were entirely empty or whether by searching he might somewhere find a survivor or two。 The liquor…stores were often looted。 The other buildings usually undisturbed； although occasionally there had been tampering with the banks…people apparently still putting trust in money。 In the streets there would be an occasional pig or dog； less often； a cat。
Even in this once more thickly inhabited part of the country he saw paratively few bodies； and there was less stench of death than he had feared。 Most of the farms and many of the smaller towns apparently had been left deserted when their last inhabitants withdrew to larger centers for medical care or else fled into the hills； hoping to escape infection。 On the outskirts of every larger town he saw the piled…up dirt where the bulldozers had worked even in the last days。 At the end； necessarily； many bodies must have been left unburied； but these were usually in the areas around hospitals which had been concentration…points。 At the warning of his nose he avoided such spots or drove rapidly past them。
The surviving people； he found； were generally singles； occasionally couples。 They were anchored firmly in their own p