现在距离不伦瑞克还有20英里，年轻人都聚集到车右边靠窗子的座位，等着大橡树的出现。紧张的气氛顿时笼罩了整个车厢。温哥没有勇气望窗外，紧绷着脸，尽量掩饰自己内心的不安，他像惊1 之鸟一样，做好了失望的心理准备。
还有10英里，5英里了突然，所有的年轻人都从座位上站了起来，尖叫着，呼喊着，欢呼雀跃不已，只有温哥例外。
温哥木讷地坐在那里，望着橡树。树上挂满了黄手帕——20条，30条，或许足有数百条。这棵树像面旗帜一样，站在那儿，ó 风招展，似乎在欢ó 他的归来。在那些年轻人的欢呼声中，这位刚出狱的人从座位上站了起来，走到车门，准备下车回家了。
暖暖的河流
Warm River
厄斯金·考德威尔 / 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，