More often he’d simply pace and finally skulk off to his tree stump, perhaps to worry alone.

　　Becky’s first day of school was sad for Ralph. After the bus left, he refused to return to the yard. Instead, he lay by the side of the road and waited.

　　When Becky returned, he limped and tottered in wild, joyous circles around her. This welcoming ritual persisted throughout her school years.

　　Although Ralph seemed happy on the ranch, he disappeared into the surrounding deserts and mountains for several weeks during the spring mating season, leaving us to worry about his safety. This was calving season, and fellow ranchers watched for coyotes, cougars, wild dogs and, of course, the lone wolf. But Ralph was lucky.

　　During Ralph’s twelve years on our ranch, his habits remained unchanged. Always keeping his distance, he tolerated other pets and endured the activities of our busy family, but his love for Becky never wavered.

　　Then the spring came when our neighbor told us he’d shot and killed a she-wolf and grazed her mate, who had been running with her. Sure enough, Ralph returned home with another bullet wound. Becky, nearly fifteen years old now, sat with Ralph’s head resting on her lap. He, too, must have been about fifteen and was gray with age. As Bill removed the bullet, my memory raced back through the years. Once again I saw a chubby three-year-old girl stroking the head of a huge black wolf and heard a small voice murmuring, “It’s all right, boy. Don’t be afraid. That’s my mama, and she loves you, too.”

　　Although the wound wasn’t serious, this time Ralph didn’t get well. Precious pounds fell away. The once luxurious fur turned dull and dry, and his trips to the yard in search of Becky’s companionship ceased. All day long he rested quietly. But when night fell, old and stiff as he was, he disappeared into the desert and surrounding hills. By dawn his food was gone. The morning came when we found him dead. The yellow eyes were closed.

　　Stretched out in front of the oak stump, he appeared but a shadow of the proud beast he once had been. A lump in my throat choked me as I watched Becky stroke his shaggy neck, tears streaming down her face. “I’ll miss him so,” she cried.

　　Then as I covered him with a blanket a strange rustling sound from inside the stump startled us. Becky looked inside. Two tiny yellow eyes peered back and puppy fangs glinted in the semidarkness. Ralph’s pup!

　　Had a dying instinct told him his motherless offspring would be safe here, as he had been, with those who loved him? Hot tears spilled on baby fur as Becky gathered the trembling bundle in her arms.

　　“It’s all right, little ... Ralphie,” she murmured. “Don’t be afraid. That’s my mom, and she loves you, too.”

　　哥哥姐姐都去上学以后，对我们三岁的女儿贝基来说，农场就成为一个寂寞的地方了。她渴望伙伴。牛马太大了，她无法抱在怀里。农业机械对这么小的孩子也太危险。我们答应给她买个宠物，不过同时，“虚构”的宠物每天都会出现。

　　我刚洗完午饭的盘子，纱窗门就砰地被撞开，贝基跑了进来，兴奋地满脸通红。“妈妈!”她叫着，“快来看看我的新狗狗!我已经喂他两次水了，他都快渴死了!”

　　我叹息了一声，又是一只贝基虚构的小狗。

　　“来呀，妈妈。”她使劲拖着我的牛仔裤，棕色的眼睛里透出乞求的眼神。“他一直在叫——他还不会走路呢!”

　　“不会走路?”这倒是一个预想不到的变化。她以前编造的狗狗都会做令人惊异的事情。其中一只会在鼻尖上平稳地顶着一个球不让它掉下来，另一只挖洞穿越了地球，从另一端掉到星球上去了，还有一只在能在钢丝上跳舞。怎么突然有了一只不会走路的狗狗呢?

　　“好吧，宝贝。”我说。还来不及跟上她呢，贝基就已经消失在豆科灌木丛中了。

　　“你在哪儿啊?”我喊道。

　　“就在橡树桩这儿。快点呀妈妈!”

　　我拨开带刺的枝叶，抬手遮住亚利桑那州的太阳。突然一种麻木的寒战擢紧了我。她就在那儿，蹲坐在脚后跟上，脚尖陷进沙子里，紧抱在腿上的明明是一只狼的脑袋!脑袋下面是巨大的黑色肩膀。身体的其他部位完全隐藏在一颗倒下的橡树的中空的树桩中。

　　“贝基，”我觉得嘴里发干，“不要动。”我走近一些。淡黄色的眼睛眯起来了，黑色的嘴唇绷紧了，露出两排两寸长的犬牙。突然，狼有些战栗。牙齿噼啪作响，喉咙里发出令人怜悯的哀鸣。

　　“没关系，宝贝，”贝基轻柔地安慰他。“不要害怕，那是我的妈妈，她也爱你。”

　　接着令人难以置信的事情发生了。当她的小手抚摸那颗硕大而毛发粗浓的脑袋时，我听到从树根深处传来狼尾巴的轻微撞击声，砰，砰，砰!这个动物到底怎么了?我感到奇怪。为何他站不起来?我不知道，也不敢再朝前迈一步。

　　我瞟了一眼空空的盛水的碗，我立刻想起了上周在从一个漏管子中咬破粗麻布挣扎着要到达水边的经历着最后痛苦的患狂犬病的五只臭鼬。是的!狂犬病!全国都张贴了这种警告标志，贝基不也说过 “他快渴死了” 吗?我必须让贝基离开。

　　“宝贝，”我的喉咙变紧了，“把他的头放下，到妈妈这儿来。我们得去求助。”

　　贝基很不情愿地站起来，又在狼的鼻子上亲了一下，才慢慢走进我的怀抱中。悲哀的黄眼睛跟随着她。接着它的脑袋就堕落到了地上。看到贝基安全地回到了我的怀抱，我赶紧向牲口棚跑去。我们的牧牛工布赖恩正要备马去北方牧场查看小母牛。“布赖恩!快来。贝基在洼地附近的橡树桩发现了一匹狼!我想它一定染上了狂犬病。”

　　“我马上去，”他说。我赶紧回到屋里，希望贝基能快点午睡。我不想让她看到布赖恩从简易住处中出来，我知道他有枪。

　　“但我想给狗狗喝水，”她哭起来。我吻了吻她，给她一些填充玩具让她玩。

　　“宝贝儿，现在让妈妈和布赖恩去照料他。”我说。片刻之后，我又来到橡树桩那里。

　　布赖恩站在那里看了一会这个野兽。“这确实是墨西哥大灰狼。”他补充互说，“而且是个大个。”

　　狼发出哀叫声。接着我们都闻到了坏疽的味道。“哟!不是狂犬病，”布赖恩说。“但他肯定受了重伤。你觉得我结束他的痛苦不是最好的吗?”

　　我马上就要说出“是的”，这时贝基从灌木丛中出现了。“布赖恩会把他治好的，是吗妈妈?”她把狼脑袋又拖到自己的腿上，把脸埋进粗糙而缺乏光亮的毛皮中。这次不仅我一个人听到了大灰狼尾巴的砰砰声。