the faith of men-第15节

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

eggs；　surely　there　was　room　and　to　spare　for　whatever　else　he　might

happen　to　possess。　　So　she　thought；　but　she　said　nothing。　　She　knew

David　Rasmunsen　too　well　to　say　anything。



〃Doubling　the　time　because　of　chance　delays；　I　should　make　the　trip

in　two　months。　　Think　of　it；　Alma！　　Four　thousand　in　two　months！

Beats　the　paltry　hundred　a　month　I'm　getting　now。　　Why；　we'll　build

further　out　where　we'll　have　more　space；　gas　in　every　room；　and　a

view；　and　the　rent　of　the　cottage'll　pay　taxes；　insurance；　and

water；　and　leave　something　over。　　And　then　there's　always　the

chance　of　my　striking　it　and　coming　out　a　millionaire。　　Now　tell

me；　Alma；　don't　you　think　I'm　very　moderate？〃



And　Alma　could　hardly　think　otherwise。　　Besides；　had　not　her　own

cousin；though　a　remote　and　distant　one　to　be　sure；　the　black

sheep；　the　harum…scarum；　the　ne'er…do…well；had　not　he　come　down

out　of　that　weird　North　country　with　a　hundred　thousand　in　yellow

dust；　to　say　nothing　of　a　half…ownership　in　the　hole　from　which　it

came？



David　Rasmunsen's　grocer　was　surprised　when　he　found　him　weighing

eggs　in　the　scales　at　the　end　of　the　counter；　and　Rasmunsen　himself

was　more　surprised　when　he　found　that　a　dozen　eggs　weighed　a　pound

and　a　halffifteen　hundred　pounds　for　his　thousand　dozen！　　There

would　be　no　weight　left　for　his　clothes；　blankets；　and　cooking

utensils；　to　say　nothing　of　the　grub　he　must　necessarily　consume　by

the　way。　　His　calculations　were　all　thrown　out；　and　he　was　just

proceeding　to　recast　them　when　he　hit　upon　the　idea　of　weighing

small　eggs。　　〃For　whether　they　be　large　or　small；　a　dozen　eggs　is　a

dozen　eggs；〃　he　observed　sagely　to　himself；　and　a　dozen　small　ones

he　found　to　weigh　but　a　pound　and　a　quarter。　　Thereat　the　city　of

San　Francisco　was　overrun　by　anxious…eyed　emissaries；　and

commission　houses　and　dairy　associations　were　startled　by　a　sudden

demand　for　eggs　running　not　more　than　twenty　ounces　to　the　dozen。



Rasmunsen　mortgaged　the　little　cottage　for　a　thousand　dollars；

arranged　for　his　wife　to　make　a　prolonged　stay　among　her　own

people；　threw　up　his　job；　and　started　North。　　To　keep　within　his

schedule　he　compromised　on　a　second…class　passage；　which；　because

of　the　rush；　was　worse　than　steerage；　and　in　the　late　summer；　a

pale　and　wabbly　man；　he　disembarked　with　his　eggs　on　the　Dyea

beach。　　But　it　did　not　take　him　long　to　recover　his　land　legs　and

appetite。　　His　first　interview　with　the　Chilkoot　packers

straightened　him　up　and　stiffened　his　backbone。　　Forty　cents　a

pound　they　demanded　for　the　twenty…eight…mile　portage；　and　while　he

caught　his　breath　and　swallowed；　the　price　went　up　to　forty…three。

Fifteen　husky　Indians　put　the　straps　on　his　packs　at　forty…five；

but　took　them　off　at　an　offer　of　forty…seven　from　a　Skaguay　Croesus

in　dirty　shirt　and　ragged　overalls　who　had　lost　his　horses　on　the

White　Pass　trail　and　was　now　making　a　last　desperate　drive　at　the

country　by　way　of　Chilkoot。



But　Rasmunsen　was　clean　grit；　and　at　fifty　cents　found　takers；　who；

two　days　later；　set　his　eggs　down　intact　at　Linderman。　　But　fifty

cents　a　pound　is　a　thousand　dollars　a　ton；　and　his　fifteen　hundred

pounds　had　exhausted　his　emergency　fund　and　left　him　stranded　at

the　Tantalus　point　where　each　day　he　saw　the　fresh…whipsawed　boats

departing　for　Dawson。　　Further；　a　great　anxiety　brooded　over　the

camp　where　the　boats　were　built。　　Men　worked　frantically；　early　and

late；　at　the　height　of　their　endurance；　caulking；　nailing；　and

pitching　in　a　frenzy　of　haste　for　which　adequate　explanation　was

not　far　to　seek。　　Each　day　the　snow…line　crept　farther　down　the

bleak；　rock…shouldered　peaks；　and　gale　followed　gale；　with　sleet

and　slush　and　snow；　and　in　the　eddies　and　quiet　places　young　ice

formed　and　thickened　through　the　fleeting　hours。　　And　each　morn；

toil…stiffened　men　turned　wan　faces　across　the　lake　to　see　if　the

freeze…up　had　come。　　For　the　freeze…up　heralded　the　death　of　their

hopethe　hope　that　they　would　be　floating　down　the　swift　river　ere

navigation　closed　on　the　chain　of　lakes。



To　harrow　Rasmunsen's　soul　further；　he　discovered　three　competitors

in　the　egg　business。　　It　was　true　that　one；　a　little　German；　had

gone　broke　and　was　himself　forlornly　back…tripping　the　last　pack　of

the　portage；　but　the　other　two　had　boats　nearly　completed；　and　were

daily　supplicating　the　god　of　merchants　and　traders　to　stay　the

iron　hand　of　winter　for　just　another　day。　　But　the　iron　hand　closed

down　over　the　land。　　Men　were　being　frozen　in　the　blizzard　which

swept　Chilkoot；　and　Rasmunsen　frosted　his　toes　ere　he　was　aware。

He　found　a　chance　to　go　passenger　with　his　freight　in　a　boat　just

shoving　off　through　the　rubble；　but　two　hundred　hard　cash；　was

required；　and　he　had　no　money。



〃Ay　tank　you　yust　wait　one　leedle　w'ile；〃　said　the　Swedish　boat…

builder；　who　had　struck　his　Klondike　right　there　and　was　wise

enough　to　know　it〃one　leedle　w'ile　und　I　make　you　a　tam　fine

skiff　boat；　sure　Pete。〃



With　this　unpledged　word　to　go　on；　Rasmunsen　hit　the　back　trail　to

Crater　Lake；　where　he　fell　in　with　two　press　correspondents　whose

tangled　baggage　was　strewn　from　Stone　House；　over　across　the　Pass；

and　as　far　as　Happy　Camp。



〃Yes；〃　he　said　with　consequence。　　〃I've　a　thousand　dozen　eggs　at

Linderman；　and　my　boat's　just　about　got　the　last　seam　caulked。

Consider　myself　in　luck　to　get　it。　　Boats　are　at　a　premium；　you

know；　and　none　to　be　had。〃



Whereupon　and　almost　with　bodily　violence　the　correspondents

clamoured　to　go　with　him；　fluttered　greenbacks　before　his　eyes；　and

spilled　yellow　twenties　from　hand　to　hand。　　He　could　not　hear　of

it；　but　they　over…persuaded　him；　and　he　reluctantly　consented　to

take　them　at　three　hundred　apiece。　　Also　they　pressed　upon　him　the

passage　money　in　advance。　　And　while　they　wrote　to　their　respective

journals　concerning　the　Good　Samaritan　with　the　thousand　dozen

eggs；　the　Good　Samaritan　was　hurrying　back　to　the　Swede　at

Linderman。



〃Here；　you！　　Gimme　that　boat！〃　was　his　salutation；　his　hand

jingling　the　correspondents'　gold　pieces　and　his　eyes　hungrily　bent

upon　the　finished　craft。



The　Swede　regarded　him　stolidly　and　shook　his　head。



〃How　much　is　the　other　fellow　paying？　　Three　hundred？　　Well；　here's

four。　　Take　it。〃



He　tried　to　press　it　upon　him；　but　the　man　backed　away。



〃Ay　tank　not。　　Ay　say　him　get　der　skiff　boat。　　You　yust　wait〃



'Here's　six　hundred。　　Last　call。　　Take　it　or　leave　it。　　Tell　'm

it's　a　mistake。'



The　Swede　wavered。　　〃Ay　tank　yes；〃　he　finally　said；　and　the　last

Rasmunsen　saw　of　him　his　vocabulary　was　going　to　wreck　in　a　vain

effort　to　explain　the　mistake　to　the　other　fellows。



The　German　slipped　and　broke　his　ankle　on　the　steep　hogback　above

Deep　Lake；　sold　out　his　stock　for　a　dollar　a　dozen；　and　with　the

proceeds　hired　Indian　packers　to　carry　him　back　to　Dyea。　　But　on

the　morning　Rasmunsen　shoved　off　with　his　correspondents；　his　two

rivals　followed　suit。



'How　many　you　got？〃　one　of　them；　a　lean　little　New　Englander；

called　out。



〃One　thousand　dozen；〃　Rasmunsen　answered　proudly。



〃Huh！　　I'll　go　you　even　stakes　I　beat　you　in　with　my　eight

hundred。〃



The　correspondents　offered　to　lend　him　the　money；　but　Rasmunsen

declined；　and　the　Yankee　closed　with　the　remaining　rival；　a　brawny

son　of　the　sea　and　sailor　of　ships　and　things；　who　promised　to　show

them　all　a　wrinkle　or　two　when　it　came　to　cracking　on。　　And　crack

on　he　did；　with　a　large　tarpaulin　square…sail　which　pressed　the　bow

half　under　at　every　jump。　　He　was　the　first　to　run　out　of

Linderman；　but；　disdaining　the　portage；　piled　his　loaded　boat　on

the　rocks　in　the　boiling　rapids。　　Rasmunsen　and　the　Yankee；　who

likewise　had　two　passengers；　portaged　across　on　their　backs　and

then　lined　their　empty　boats　down　through　the　bad　water　to　Bennett。



Bennett　was　a　twenty…five…mile　lake；　narrow　and　deep；　a　funnel

between　the　mountains　through　which　storms　ever　romped。　　Rasmunsen

camped　on　the　sand…pit　at　its　head；　where　were　many　men　and　boats

bound　north　in　the　teeth　of　the　Arctic　winter。　　He　awoke　in　the

morning　to　find　a　piping　gale　from　the　south；　which　caught　the

chill　from　the　whited　peaks　and　glacial　valleys　and　blew　as　cold　as

north　wind　ever　blew。　　But　it　was　fair；　and　he　also　found　the

Yankee　staggering　past　the　first　bold　headland　with　all　sail　set。

Boat　after　boat　was　getting　under　way；　and　the　correspondents　fell

to　with　enthusiasm。



〃We'll　catch　him　before　Cariboo　Crossing；〃　they　assured　Rasmunsen；

as　they　ran　up　the　sail　and　the　Alma　took　the　first　icy　spray　over

her　bow。



Now　Rasmunsen　all　his　life　had　been　prone　to　cowardice　on　water；

but　he　clung　to　the　kicking　steering…oar　with　set　face　and

determined　jaw。　　His　thousand　dozen　were　there　in　the　boat　before

his　eyes；　safely　secured　beneath　the　correspondents'　baggage；　and

somehow；　befo