Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія

           Thefringeoftheherdwassometwohundredyardsdistant,butitsfartherside,inthatillusiveshimmerofhotsurfaceair,seemedmilesaway.Thesheepwerespreadoutroughlyintheshapeofafigureeight,twolargerherdsconnectedbyasmaller,andwereheadedtothesouthward,movingslowly,grazingonthewheatstubbleastheyproceeded.Butthenumberseemedincalculable.Hundredsuponhundredsuponhundredsofgrey,roundedbacks,allexactlyalike,huddled,close-packed,alive,hidtheearthfromsight.Itwasnolongeranaggregateofindividuals.Itwasamass—acompact,solid,slowlymovingmass,huge,withoutform,likeathick-pressedgrowthofmushrooms,spreadingoutinalldirectionsovertheearth.Fromittherearoseavaguemurmur,confused,inarticulate,likethesoundofverydistantsurf,whilealltheairinthevicinitywasheavywiththewarm,ammoniacalodourofthethousandsofcrowdingbodies.

           Allthecoloursofthesceneweresombre—thebrownoftheearth,thefadedyellowofthedeadstubble,thegreyofthemyriadofundulatingbacks.Onlyonthefarsideoftheherd,erect,motionless—asinglenoteofblack,aspeck,adot—theshepherdstood,leaninguponanemptywater-trough,solitary,grave,impressive.

           Forafewmoments,Presleystood,watching.Then,ashestartedtomoveon,acuriousthingoccurred.Atfirst,hethoughthehadheardsomeonecallhisname.Hepaused,listening;therewasnosoundbutthevaguenoiseofthemovingsheep.Then,asthisfirstimpressionpassed,itseemedtohimthathehadbeenbeckonedto.