第11章思念里的流浪狗（1）
预知未来的狗
GimtheW
佚名Anonymous
In1925，SamVanArsdale，proprietoroftheRuffHotelinMarshall，Missouri，purEerpuppyinLouisiana。Thepuppywassideredtheleastpromisierandwassoldatathrorice。Thedogwasnothiolookatashehadusuallybigpawsandanungainlyappearance。SamdeJim。
Jimgrewtobeafine。Thedogwassmartandgood-natured，andSamleasedwithhis&quain"。
Oneday，whenJimwasthreeyearsold，heandSamwerewalkingthroughthewoods。Theweatherwashot，andSamsaidtoJim，"e，boy，let'sgoaleunderahickorytree。"
Thereesoftreesinthewoods，butJimranstraightovertoahickorytree。Samrised。Nodoubtitwasjusta，SamsaidtoJim，"Showmeablackoaktree。"WhenJimrabladputhisrightpaworee，Samwasamazed。This'tpossiblybetrue。
"Showmewal;hesaid，andJimraotheandputhispawonit。Samuedwitheverythihinkof—astump，hazelbushes，acedartree，evenatin。Jimcorretifiedthemall。Samcouldhardlybelievetheevidenceofhisowneyes。Howcouldadogdosugs？
Samweoldhispened。
Shesaidflatly，"SamVanArsdale，youtellme，butdon'tgotellinga;Sampersuadedhisaothewoods，whereJimputoperformance。Sheshookherheadi—Sam'scrazystorywastrue！
&hefewdays，Sam'thelptellinghisfriendsaroundtownwhathissmartdogiledathimilyandmovedoffprettyfast。
Onemandidlisten，althoughofcoursehetical。Sam，notigthatthemanhadparkedhisthestreetafewyardsaway，toldJimtoshowthemanwhichcarwashis。Jimwentstraighttothedputhisfrontpawonit。
&hermaheliseplatenumberofhiscar。Samwroteitdoieceofpaperandputthepaperonthesidewalk。HetoldJimtoidehouthesitation，Jimwalkedtothequestion。
Afterislikethese，Jim'sreputationspreadlikewildfirearouown。Soonhewasdemhispowersielforamazedcrowdsofuptoahuatime。ThereseemedtobenolimittowhatJimcoulddo。Whenpeoplewereinthelobby，hecoulddetermiroomheyothehotel，ittifypetotheclothestheywore，thecoloroftheirhair—ihefactthatdhttobed—theirprofession，and，ihemilitary，theirrank。
&heskepticssaid，SamwassecretlysignalingtoJim。AlthoughnoneofSam'sfriendsandassociatesquestioegrity，knowinghimtobeaplain-speakingmanwhowouldn'tdreamofdegothers，onewomathistheory。Shehadthecleverideatowriteaninstruinshorthand；whichSamdidand。WhenSamshowedJimthepaperonwhistruwaswritten，andtoldhimtodowhateveritsaid，Jimweoaman。Thewoma;He'sdoingit！"Thensheexplaiheinstruwas，"Showusthemanwithrolledsocks。"
Jim'sreputationspreadfarbeyoownofMarshall。Neersandmagazinesfromalloverthetryseocoverthestory。Theywentaway，likeeveryoneelse，amazed。JimbeastheW。
Jim'sfeatsarousedstifidmedicalcuriosity。HewasexamierinariansatMissouriStateUy，whosaidthattherewasnothingunusualaboutJim—physically，hewasjustlikeaheycouldofferionforhisunytalent。
Oneday，somefriendspersuadedSamtotestJimfurther。Couldhepossiblypredictthefuture？SamtookaheKehatyearhewrotedowhehorsesonpiecesofpaperthathethenlaidonthefloor。HeaskedJimtoselectthehorsethatwouldwin。Jimputhispawoheslipsofpaper，utinalockedsafeuherace。ItturhatJimhadpickedthewiedhissuccessthefollowingyear，andsoonforsevensuccessiveyears。
SamwasnotagamblingmaedtoprofitfromJim'sabilitiestoforetellthefuture。HereylettersandtelegramsrequestingJim'spredisofwinninghorses。SomepeopleofferedtosplittheprofitswithSam。ButSamneverwavered。edinaluParamountforJimtoworkinmoviesforayear。Likethemodestmidwesternerhewas，Samsaidhedidn'treallyhemoneyanddidn'twanttoercializeJim。
Astimepassed，theboweenSamandJimgrew。Sam'sloveforJimwasthatofamanfreatestfriend。Andthedog'sabilitytodoanythingSamaskedwasjustoofJim'sdeepdevotiontowardsSam。Sowheheageoftwelvein1937，Samwasdevastated。AhewholetownofMarshallwasstuheloss。JimwasburiedintheRidgeParkCemetery，wherehissmallwhiteheadstonereads：JimtheW。
萨姆·范·阿斯代尔是密苏里州马歇尔镇拉夫旅馆的老板。1925年，他从路易斯安那州买回了一只英国塞特小猎狗。他被认为是这窝小狗中最没前途的一只，并且几乎是以白送的价格卖的。这只小狗看上去毫无特别之处，像大多数狗一样，有着一双大爪子和一张丑陋的嘴脸。萨姆决定叫他“吉姆”。
吉姆渐渐成为萨姆的亲密伙伴，他机灵、温顺，萨姆对这个“便宜货”很满意。
吉姆3岁的一天，他们路过一片林地。天气闷热，萨姆对吉姆说：“过来，小家伙！我们到一棵山核桃树下休息一会儿。”
林子中长有许多不同品种的树，吉姆却径直朝一棵山核桃树跑去。萨姆不禁有些惊讶，他想，一定是巧合。他一时来了兴致，对吉姆说：“告诉我哪棵是黑橡树？”吉姆跑到最近的那棵黑橡树前，并把前爪搭在树上，萨姆大为吃惊，他简直不敢相信这是真的。