現在距離不倫瑞克還有20英裏，年輕人都聚集到車右邊靠窗子的座位，等著大橡樹的出現。緊張的氣氛頓時籠罩了整個車廂。溫哥沒有勇氣望窗外，緊繃著臉，盡量掩飾自己內心的不安，他像驚1 之鳥一樣，做好了失望的心理準備。
還有10英裏，5英裏了突然，所有的年輕人都從座位上站了起來，尖叫著，呼喊著，歡呼雀躍不已，隻有溫哥例外。
溫哥木訥地坐在那裏，望著橡樹。樹上掛滿了黃手帕——20條，30條，或許足有數百條。這棵樹像麵旗幟一樣，站在那兒，ó 風招展，似乎在歡ó 他的歸來。在那些年輕人的歡呼聲中，這位剛出獄的人從座位上站了起來，走到車門，準備下車回家了。
暖暖的河流
Warm River
厄斯金·考德威爾 / Erskine Caldwell
The driver stopped at the suspended footbridge and pointed out to me the house across the river. I paid him the quarter fare for the ride from the station two miles away and stepped from the car. After he had gone I was alone with the chill night and the star-pointed lights twinkling in the valley and the broad green river flowing warm below me. All around me the mountains rose like black clouds in the night， and only by looking straight heavenward could I see anything of the dim after glow of sunset.
The creaking footbridge swayed with the rhythm of my stride and the momentum of its swing soon overcame my pace. Only by walking faster and faster could I cling to the pendulum as it swung in its wide arc over the river. When at last I could see the other side， where the mountain came down abruptly and slid under the warm water， I gripped my handbag tighter and ran with all my might.
Even then， even after my feet had crunched upon the gravel path， I was afraid. I knew that by day I might walk the bridge without fear； but at night， in a strange country， with dark mountains towering all around me and a broad green river flowing beneath me， I could not keep my hands from trembling and my heart from pounding against my chest，