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NEVERLETAFRIENDDOWNJimHutchison“Comingtothefootballmatchthisafternoon?”BillMcIntoshasked59-year-oldRoyceWeddingastheydrankbeerattheEurekaHotelintheAustraliantownofRainbow.Royceshookhishead.“IpromisedMomI'dburnofftheweedsononeofourfields.”Bill,whowasthinbutstrong,lookingfarlessthanhis79years,peeredoutsideattheheat.Alightbreezewasblowingfromthenorth,makingconditionsperfectfortheburn.ButBillfeltuneasyaboutRoycedoingthejobalone.Thefarmerhadabadlegandwalkedwithgreatdifficulty.Thepairhadbeenbestoffriendsfor30years,eversincethedayswhentheytraveledtogetherfromfarmtofarminsearchofwork.Now,livingalone12mileseastoftown,Billscrapedalivinghuntingfoxesandrabbits.OnceafortnighthewenttotowntobuysuppliesandcatchupwithRoyce,whohelpedruntheWeddingfamily'sfarm.“I'llgiveyouahand,Billsaid.ThepairsetoffinRoyce'scar.Soontheywerebumpingoverasandytracktotheweed-choked120-acrefield.“Fire'stheonlywaytogetridofthisstuff,”saidBillastheytiedanoldtiretothetowbarwitha50-footchain.Soakingthetirewithgasoline,Billputamatchtoitandjumpedinthecar.Drivingslowlyfromthesouthernedgeofthefield,theyworkedtheirwayupwind,leavingalineotburningweedsintheirwake.Halfwayupthefield,andwithoutwarning,thecarpitchedviolentlyforward,plowingintoahiddenbankofsand.Thebreezesuddenlyswungaroundtotheirbacksandbegantogatherstrength.Fannedtowhiteheat,thefirelinesuddenlyburstintoawallofflame,headingdirectlytowardthem.“Let'sgetoutofhere!”Roycesaid.Desperatelyhetriedtobackthecaroutofthesandbank.Butthewheelsonlyspundeeperinthesoftsand.Suddenlythefirewasonthem.Billpushedopenhisdooronlytofindhimselfflungthroughtheairas,witharoar,thegasolinetankexplodedandthecarleaptthreefeetofftheground.WhenitcrashedbackdownRoycefoundhimselfpinnedagainstthesteeringwheel,unabletomove.Thecar'sseatsandroofwerenowonfire.Billlaywherehefell,allthebreathknockedoutofhim.Thefrontofhisshirt,shorts,barearmsandlegsweresoakedinburninggasoline.Thenthesightofthecarinflamesbroughthimuprightwithastart.“Royce!hecried,strugglingtohisfeetandheadingforthecar.Pullingopenthedoor,heseizedRoyce'sarmsthroughthesmoke.“I'mstuck,Roycesaid.“Getyourselfaway!”ThefirebitatBill'sarms,faceandlegs,buthetightenedhisgriponRoyce.“I'mnotleavingyouhere.hesaid.NowBilldughisheelsintothesandandpulledashardashecould.Suddenlyhefellbackward.Roycewasfreeandoutofthecar.AssoonashehaddraggedhimawayhepattedouttheflamesonRoyce'sbodyandonhisownlegsandarmswithhisbarehands.Roycesawasecondexplosionrockthecar,asitwaseatenupbyflames.I'dbeashesnowifBillhadn'tgottenmeout,hethought.Lookingdown,Roycewasshockedbytheextentofhisinjuries.Hisstomachandlefthipwerecoveredindeepburns.Worsestill,hisfingerswereburnedcompletelyoutofshape.Lyingonhisback,Billwasinequallybadshape.Piecesofblackenedfleshandskinhungfromhisforearms,handsandlegs.Billlookedacrossathisfriend.ReadingthedespaircloudingRoyce'sface,Billsaid,“I'llgethelp.Youhangon.”Roycenodded,butashewatchedBillsetoffslowlyacrosstheblackenedfield,hewonderedhowhisfriendwasgoingtowalkalmosttwomilesandgetoverthreefences.AlifetimespentaroundthetoughpeoplewhomaketheirhomeintheAustralianbushhadpermanentlyfixedintoBill'ssoultwoprinciples:nevergiveupnomatterhowbadtheoddsandneverletafrienddown.Now,witheverystepsendingpainpiercingthrougheverypartofhisbody,hedrewonthosetwinpillarsofcharacter.IfIdon'tmakeit,Roycewilldieoutthere,hetoldhimselfoverandover.“What'sthematterwiththatdog?saidVickyWedding,Royce'smom,peeringoutherwindow.Startledbyanoisebehindher,sheturnedtoseeBillleaningagainstthedoor.“DearGod,whathappened?sheexclaimed,grabbingBillashesliddownthedoorframe.“Wegotcaughtinthefire,”hewhispered,barelyabletospeak.“Gethelp.”VickysatBilldown,coveredhiminwettowelstoeasethepainofhisburns,andthenpickedupthephone.Throughoutthebumpy,hour-and-a-halfridetothehospitalinHorsham,neitherofthetwoinjuredmenspokeoftheirpain.“Weshould'vegonetothefootballmatch,Roycesaid,tryingtokeeptheirspiritsup.Billgrinnedweakly.NotlongafterBillfoundhimselfatGovernmentHousebeingpresentedwiththeBraveryMedalforhiscourageousrescue.ButtherealhighlightforBillcamesixmonthsafterthefire,whenRoyce,justoutofhospital,walkedintotheEurekaHotelandboughthimabeer.“Wemadeit,”saidRoyceastheyraisedtheirglasses.“Here'stothebestfriendamancouldhave.”友谊如果我不能挺住的话，我的朋友就会死在那里，老猎手比尔·麦金托什一次又一次告诫自己。决不抛弃朋友吉姆·赫奇森“下午去看足球赛吗?”比尔·麦金托什问59岁的罗伊斯·韦丁。他们两人正在澳大利亚的虹镇尤里卡饭店喝啤酒。罗伊斯摇摇头。“我答应我妈给我家的一块地烧荒。”比尔瘦削而结实，79岁，但看上去远没有那么老。他望着外面的炎热空气。——阵轻风自北向南吹，这条件最适宜烧荒了。不过比尔对罗伊斯独自干这活不放心。这个农夫有条腿不好，行走很费劲。两人曾一起从一个农场走到另一个农场寻些活儿干，迄今已是30年的好朋友了。如尔独自—人住在镇东12英里处，靠打狐狸和野兔勉强过活。他两个星期一次前来小镇购物会会帮着经管自家的农场的罗伊斯。“我帮你一把，”比尔说。两人坐着罗伊斯的车动身了。没多一会儿他们就颠簸在一条沙土路上，朝一块面积120公顷、杂草丛生的田地开去。“火是除去这玩意儿的惟一办法，”比尔说。他们用根50英尺长的链条把一个旧轮胎绑在牵引杆上。比尔在轮胎上浇透汽油，划根火柴一点，便跳进车里。两人从农田的南边缓缓开车逆风而行，所过之处留下一条燃着的草带。开到地当中，车猛地朝前一颠，没等察觉，就陷进了一个被草遮着的沙堆。微风突然转向，朝两人身后吹来，而且越吹越强。火仗风势，烧得炽热，一条火带顿时就变成—道火墙，直扑两人而来。“咱们快离开这儿!”罗伊斯说道。他拼命想把车倒出沙堆。可车轮在软沙里越转陷得越深。火顿时就扑到两人身上。比尔推开车门，却听得一声巨响，油箱爆炸了，车子飞离地面三英尺，他自己则被抛到空中。车子摔回地面后，罗伊斯发现自己被方向盘卡住，动弹不得。这时，车座和车顶也都烧着了。比尔躺在跌落的地方，摔得气都喘不过来。他的衬衣前襟、短裤、光裸的手臂和双腿都浸在燃烧着的汽油里。接着汽车着火了，见此情景他惊坐起来。“罗伊斯!”他边喊边挣扎着站起身来，向汽车冲去。他拉开车门，在烟雾中抓住罗伊斯的手臂。“我给卡住了，”罗伊斯说。“你快走!”(1）火舌舔着比尔的双臂、脸和双腿，但他紧