"Look at you, dad, all taken up with thatsand fox again. " She pouted as she approached." We haven't set eyes on a man for over sixmonths. I've almost forgotten what one lookslike. Let's go to the center, dad. "
"A man? Well, you silly girl, just look atyour dad if you want to know what one lookslike. "
"You? No, dad, you and I don't count.Men might have sprouted wings and an extrahead nowadays, for all we know.” Her eyesgazed into the distant east with longing, and shesighed softly. "The dunes are stuffy and hemmedin. I'd love to go to the center and watch the成了沙漠的幫凶、、 老沙頭氣得七竅生煙， 下夾子，掘鼠洞，從場部弄來耗子藥放，結果老鼠沒見死，倒毒死了自己養的幾隻雞。後來，不知怎麼搞的，野鼠突然減少了，消失了。他納悶，有一天扛著砂槍在佗子．裏轉遊，在紛亂的鼠跡中發現了一行獸類的腳印。他順著這行腳印尋過去，很快在一叢沙蓬下發現了一隻毛色火紅火紅的野獸。這是一隻小沙孤，瘸著一條腿。看來它是在外邊被什麼大野獸咬傷後躲進這荒無人煙的沙沱子裏養傷的。小沙狐衝他猜猜地吠叫起來。他下意識地端起了槍，旋即又放下了。一個新的發現使他心猛跳了一下。那隻小沙孤的嘴裏叼著一隻野鼠！它的窩邊還殘留著好多野鼠的腿腳尾巴等物。他明白了，隨即悄悄收起槍退走了。他暗暗高興沙佗裏來了這樣一位客人 比自己能對付野鼠的專家，沙漠植物的衛士。後來聽縣林業局一位技術員說一隻狐狸一年能逮三千隻野鼠時，他更敬重起這過去自己一直沒有好感的獸類來。他在沙柳叢裏為這隻受傷的小狐狸搭了一個草窩。從此小沙孤長住下來了，傷好後有時走出去幾個月半people going in and out of the cinema and see afilm. "
"Silly girl!" Sandy shook his head helplesslyand bent to his work again, unable to satisfy hisdaughter's longings. "The smell will lead youhere, sweetie. I haven't seen you for months,old lady. Have you dropped your litter yet? I'mworried about you. " After he had placed the ratson the track he squinted long at the line of foot-prints.
A few years before, the dunes had beenplagued by rats that made holes everywhere anddarted around under your feet. The stretches ofcarefully cultivated plants withered as their rootswere eaten by the rats, which, like the desert,did their part to bring calamity to man. The oldman had been mad with rage. He had laid traps,dug up rat holes and put down poison. Yet in-stead of killing the rats he had poisoned his hens.Later he had discovered to his surprise that therats were decreasing and disappearing. He hadbeen bewildered. One day, when he was walkingaround with a gun, he had spotted animal foot-prints jumbled together with traces of rats. Fol-lowing the footprints, he had soon discovered a年，最終還是跑回來。不知是因為畏俱外邊世界的兩條腿的獵手，還是回避四條腿的野獸，它把沙佗子當成安樂窩和休息的後方，跟他一樣喜歡和迷戀沙佗子。他和它之間有了一種默契，誰也不傷害誰，在這荒漠深處一起生活，相安無事，在漫長的孤寂中成了互相的慰藉。現在，這隻沙狐跟他一樣老了。最近它又懷了一窩患子，不知躲進沙佗裏哪處秘密洞穴去了。他不能去尋訪，下患的母獸最護息，他隻能逮些野鼠扔在它常走的小徑上。