the faith of men-第14节

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exceedingly；　and　held　on　to　Bidwell　for　support　as　he　asked　…



〃They　ban　all　right；　them　men；　you　tank　so？〃



〃Sure；〃　Bidwell　answered　heartily。　　〃Known　'em　for　years。　　Old　sour

doughs。　　When　they　sell　a　claim；　they　sell　a　claim。　　They　ain't　no

air…dealers。〃



〃Ay　tank　Ay　buy；〃　Ans　Handerson　announced；　tottering　back　to　the

two　men。



But　by　now　he　was　dreaming　deeply；　and　he　proclaimed　he　would　have

the　whole　claim　or　nothing。　　This　was　the　cause　of　great　pain　to

Hootchinoo　Bill。　　He　orated　grandly　against　the　〃hawgishness〃　of

chechaquos　and　Swedes；　albeit　he　dozed　between　periods；　his　voice

dying　away　to　a　gurgle；　and　his　head　sinking　forward　on　his　breast。

But　whenever　roused　by　a　nudge　from　Kink　or　Bidwell；　he　never

failed　to　explode　another　volley　of　abuse　and　insult。



Ans　Handerson　was　calm　under　it　all。　　Each　insult　added　to　the

value　of　the　claim。　　Such　unamiable　reluctance　to　sell　advertised

but　one　thing　to　him；　and　he　was　aware　of　a　great　relief　when

Hootchinoo　Bill　sank　snoring　to　the　floor；　and　he　was　free　to　turn

his　attention　to　his　less　intractable　partner。



Kink　Mitchell　was　persuadable；　though　a　poor　mathematician。　　He

wept　dolefully；　but　was　willing　to　sell　a　half…interest　for　two

hundred　and　fifty　dollars　or　the　whole　claim　for　seven　hundred　and

fifty。　　Ans　Handerson　and　Bidwell　laboured　to　clear　away　his

erroneous　ideas　concerning　fractions；　but　their　labour　was　vain。

He　spilled　tears　and　regrets　all　over　the　bar　and　on　their

shoulders；　which　tears；　however；　did　not　wash　away　his　opinion；

that　if　one　half　was　worth　two　hundred　and　fifty；　two　halves　were

worth　three　times　as　much。



In　the　end；and　even　Bidwell　retained　no　more　than　hazy

recollections　of　how　the　night　terminated；a　bill　of　sale　was

drawn　up；　wherein　Bill　Rader　and　Charles　Mitchell　yielded　up　all

right　and　title　to　the　claim　known　as　24　ELDORADO；　the　same　being

the　name　the　creek　had　received　from　some　optimistic　chechaquo。



When　Kink　had　signed；　it　took　the　united　efforts　of　the　three　to

arouse　Bill。　　Pen　in　hand；　he　swayed　long　over　the　document；　and；

each　time　he　rocked　back　and　forth；　in　Ans　Handerson's　eyes　flashed

and　faded　a　wondrous　golden　vision。　　When　the　precious　signature

was　at　last　appended　and　the　dust　paid　over；　he　breathed　a　great

sigh；　and　sank　to　sleep　under　a　table；　where　he　dreamed　immortally

until　morning。



But　the　day　was　chill　and　grey。　　He　felt　bad。　　His　first　act；

unconscious　and　automatic；　was　to　feel　for　his　sack。　　Its　lightness

startled　him。　　Then；　slowly；　memories　of　the　night　thronged　into

his　brain。　　Rough　voices　disturbed　him。　　He　opened　his　eyes　and

peered　out　from　under　the　table。　　A　couple　of　early　risers；　or；

rather；　men　who　had　been　out　on　trail　all　night；　were　vociferating

their　opinions　concerning　the　utter　and　loathsome　worthlessness　of

Eldorado　Creek。　　He　grew　frightened；　felt　in　his　pocket；　and　found

the　deed　to　24　ELDORADO。



Ten　minutes　later　Hootchinoo　Bill　and　Kink　Mitchell　were　roused

from　their　blankets　by　a　wild…eyed　Swede　that　strove　to　force　upon

them　an　ink…scrawled　and　very　blotty　piece　of　paper。



〃Ay　tank　Ay　take　my　money　back；〃　he　gibbered。　　〃Ay　tank　Ay　take　my

money　back。〃



Tears　were　in　his　eyes　and　throat。　　They　ran　down　his　cheeks　as　he

knelt　before　them　and　pleaded　and　implored。　　But　Bill　and　Kink　did

not　laugh。　　They　might　have　been　harder　hearted。



〃First　time　I　ever　hear　a　man　squeal　over　a　minin'　deal；〃　Bill

said。　　〃An'　I　make　free　to　say　'tis　too　onusual　for　me　to　savvy。〃



〃Same　here；〃　Kink　Mitchell　remarked。　　〃Minin'　deals　is　like　horse…

tradin'。〃



They　were　honest　in　their　wonderment。　　They　could　not　conceive　of

themselves　raising　a　wail　over　a　business　transaction；　so　they

could　not　understand　it　in　another　man。



〃The　poor；　ornery　chechaquo；〃　murmured　Hootchinoo　Bill；　as　they

watched　the　sorrowing　Swede　disappear　up　the　trail。



〃But　this　ain't　Too　Much　Gold；〃　Kink　Mitchell　said　cheerfully。



And　ere　the　day　was　out　they　purchased　flour　and　bacon　at

exorbitant　prices　with　Ans　Handerson's　dust　and　crossed　over　the

divide　in　the　direction　of　the　creeks　that　lie　between　Klondike　and

Indian　River。



Three　months　later　they　came　back　over　the　divide　in　the　midst　of　a

snow…storm　and　dropped　down　the　trail　to　24　ELDORADO。　　It　merely

chanced　that　the　trail　led　them　that　way。　　They　were　not　looking

for　the　claim。　　Nor　could　they　see　much　through　the　driving　white

till　they　set　foot　upon　the　claim　itself。　　And　then　the　air

lightened；　and　they　beheld　a　dump；　capped　by　a　windlass　that　a　man

was　turning。　　They　saw　him　draw　a　bucket　of　gravel　from　the　hole

and　tilt　it　on　the　edge　of　the　dump。　　Likewise　they　saw　another；

man；　strangely　familiar；　filling　a　pan　with　the　fresh　gravel。　　His

hands　were　large；　his　hair　wets　pale　yellow。　　But　before　they

reached　him；　he　turned　with　the　pan　and　fled　toward　a　cabin。　　He

wore　no　hat；　and　the　snow　falling　down　his　neck　accounted　for　his

haste。　　Bill　and　Kink　ran　after　him；　and　came　upon　him　in　the

cabin；　kneeling　by　the　stove　and　washing　the　pan　of　gravel　in　a　tub

of　water。



He　was　too　deeply　engaged　to　notice　more　than　that　somebody　had

entered　the　cabin。　　They　stood　at　his　shoulder　and　looked　on。　　He

imparted　to　the　pan　a　deft　circular　motion；　pausing　once　or　twice

to　rake　out　the　larger　particles　of　gravel　with　his　fingers。　　The

water　was　muddy；　and；　with　the　pan　buried　in　it；　they　could　see

nothing　of　its　contents。　　Suddenly　he　lifted　the　pan　clear　and　sent

the　water　out　of　it　with　a　flirt。　　A　mass　of　yellow；　like　butter　in

a　churn；　showed　across　the　bottom。



Hootchinoo　Bill　swallowed。　　Never　in　his　life　had　he　dreamed　of　so

rich　a　test…pan。



〃Kind　of　thick；　my　friend；〃　he　said　huskily。　　〃How　much　might　you

reckon　that…all　to　be？〃



Ans　Handerson　did　not　look　up　as　he　replied；　〃Ay　tank　fafty

ounces。〃



〃You　must　be　scrumptious　rich；　then；　eh？〃



Still　Ans　Handerson　kept　his　head　down；　absorbed　in　putting　in　the

fine　touches　which　wash　out　the　last　particles　of　dross；　though　he

answered；　〃Ay　tank　Ay　ban　wort'　five　hundred　t'ousand　dollar。〃



〃Gosh！〃　said　Hootchinoo　Bill；　and　he　said　it　reverently。



〃Yes；　Bill；　gosh！〃　said　Kink　Mitchell；　and　they　went　out　softly　and

closed　the　door。







THE　ONE　THOUSAND　DOZEN







David　Rasmunsen　was　a　hustler；　and；　like　many　a　greater　man；　a　man

of　the　one　idea。　　Wherefore；　when　the　clarion　call　of　the　North

rang　on　his　ear；　he　conceived　an　adventure　in　eggs　and　bent　all　his

energy　to　its　achievement。　　He　figured　briefly　and　to　the　point；

and　the　adventure　became　iridescent…hued；　splendid。　　That　eggs

would　sell　at　Dawson　for　five　dollars　a　dozen　was　a　safe　working

premise。　　Whence　it　was　incontrovertible　that　one　thousand　dozen

would　bring；　in　the　Golden　Metropolis；　five　thousand　dollars。



On　the　other　hand；　expense　was　to　be　considered；　and　he　considered

it　well；　for　he　was　a　careful　man；　keenly　practical；　with　a　hard

head　and　a　heart　that　imagination　never　warmed。　　At　fifteen　cents　a

dozen；　the　initial　cost　of　his　thousand　dozen　would　be　one　hundred

and　fifty　dollars；　a　mere　bagatelle　in　face　of　the　enormous　profit。

And　suppose；　just　suppose；　to　be　wildly　extravagant　for　once；　that

transportation　for　himself　and　eggs　should　run　up　eight　hundred　and

fifty　more；　he　would　still　have　four　thousand　clear　cash　and　clean

when　the　last　egg　was　disposed　of　and　the　last　dust　had　rippled

into　his　sack



〃You　see；　Alma；〃he　figured　it　over　with　his　wife；　the　cosy

dining…room　submerged　in　a　sea　of　maps；　government　surveys；　guide…

books；　and　Alaskan　itineraries；〃you　see；　expenses　don't　really

begin　till　you　make　Dyeafifty　dollars'll　cover　it　with　a　first…

class　passage　thrown　in。　　Now　from　Dyea　to　Lake　Linderman；　Indian

packers　take　your　goods　over　for　twelve　cents　a　pound；　twelve

dollars　a　hundred；　or　one　hundred　and　twenty　dollars　a　thousand。

Say　I　have　fifteen　hundred　pounds；　it'll　cost　one　hundred　and

eighty　dollarscall　it　two　hundred　and　be　safe。　　I　am　creditably

informed　by　a　Klondiker　just　come　out　that　I　can　buy　a　boat　for

three　hundred。　　But　the　same　man　says　I'm　sure　to　get　a　couple　of

passengers　for　one　hundred　and　fifty　each；　which　will　give　me　the

boat　for　nothing；　and；　further；　they　can　help　me　manage　it。　　And　。

。　。　that's　all；　I　put　my　eggs　ashore　from　the　boat　at　Dawson。　　Now

let　me　see　how　much　is　that？〃



〃Fifty　dollars　from　San　Francisco　to　Dyea；　two　hundred　from　Dyea　to

Linderman；　passengers　pay　for　the　boattwo　hundred　and　fifty　all

told；〃　she　summed　up　swiftly。



〃And　a　hundred　for　my　clothes　and　personal　outfit；〃　he　went　on

happily；　〃that　leaves　a　margin　of　five　hundred　for　emergencies。

And　what　possible　emergencies　can　arise？〃



Alma　shrugged　her　shoulders　and　elevated　her　brows。　　If　that　vast

Northland　was　capable　of　swallowing　up　a　man　and　a　thousand　dozen

eggs；　surely　there　was　ro