Спрут: Калифорнийская история

           There,underthesunandunderthespecklesssheenofthesky,thewooingoftheTitanbegan,thevastprimalpassion,thetwoworld-forces,theelementalMaleandFemale,lockedinacolossalembrace,atgrapplesinthethroesofaninfinitedesire,atonceterribleanddivine,knowingnolaw,untamed,savage,natural,sublime.

           FromtimetotimetheganginwhichVanameeworkedhaltedonthesignalfromforemanoroverseer.Thehorsescametoastandstill,thevagueclamouroftheworklapsedaway.Thentheminutespassed.Thewholeworkhungsuspended.Allupanddownthelineonedemandedwhathadhappened.Thedivisionsuperintendentgallopedpast,perplexedandanxious.Forthemoment,oneoftheploughswasoutoforder,abolthadslipped,aleverrefusedtowork,oramachinehadbecomeimmobilisedinheavyground,orahorsehadlamedhimself.Once,even,towardnoon,anentireploughwastakenoutoftheline,sooutofgearthatamessengerhadtobesenttothedivisionforgetosummonthemachinist.

           Annixterhaddisappeared.Hehadriddenfartherontotheotherdivisionsofhisranch,towatchtheworkinprogressthere.Attwelveo’clock,accordingtohisorders,allthedivisionsuperintendentsputthemselvesincommunicationwithhimbymeansofthetelephonewiresthatconnectedeachofthedivisionhouses,reportingtheconditionofthework,thenumberofacrescovered,theprospectsofeachploughtraversingitsdailyaverageoftwentymiles.