the faith of men-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

somehow；　before　his　eyes　were　the　little　cottage　and　the　mortgage

for　a　thousand　dollars。



It　was　bitter　cold。　　Now　and　again　he　hauled　in　the　steering…sweep

and　put　out　a　fresh　one　while　his　passengers　chopped　the　ice　from

the　blade。　　Wherever　the　spray　struck；　it　turned　instantly　to

frost；　and　the　dipping　boom　of　the　spritsail　was　quickly　fringed

with　icicles。　　The　Alma　strained　and　hammered　through　the　big　seas

till　the　seams　and　butts　began　to　spread；　but　in　lieu　of　bailing

the　correspondents　chopped　ice　and　flung　it　overboard。　　There　was

no　let…up。　　The　mad　race　with　winter　was　on；　and　the　boats　tore

along　in　a　desperate　string。



〃W…w…we　can't　stop　to　save　our　souls！〃　one　of　the　correspondents

chattered；　from　cold；　not　fright。



〃That's　right！　　Keep　her　down　the　middle；　old　man！〃　the　other

encouraged。



Rasmunsen　replied　with　an　idiotic　grin。　　The　iron…bound　shores　were

in　a　lather　of　foam；　and　even　down　the　middle　the　only　hope　was　to

keep　running　away　from　the　big　seas。　　To　lower　sail　was　to　be

overtaken　and　swamped。　　Time　and　again　they　passed　boats　pounding

among　the　rocks；　and　once　they　saw　one　on　the　edge　of　the　breakers

about　to　strike。　　A　little　craft　behind　them；　with　two　men；　jibed

over　and　turned　bottom　up。



〃W…w…watch　out；　old　man；〃　cried　he　of　the　chattering　teeth。



Rasmunsen　grinned　and　tightened　his　aching　grip　on　the　sweep。

Scores　of　times　had　the　send　of　the　sea　caught　the　big　square　stern

of　the　Alma　and　thrown　her　off　from　dead　before　it　till　the　after

leach　of　the　spritsail　fluttered　hollowly；　and　each　time；　and　only

with　all　his　strength；　had　he　forced　her　back。　　His　grin　by　then

had　become　fixed；　and　it　disturbed　the　correspondents　to　look　at

him。



They　roared　down　past　an　isolated　rock　a　hundred　yards　from　shore。

From　its　wave…drenched　top　a　man　shrieked　wildly；　for　the　instant

cutting　the　storm　with　his　voice。　　But　the　next　instant　the　Alma

was　by；　and　the　rock　growing　a　black　speck　in　the　troubled　froth。



〃That　settles　the　Yankee！　　Where's　the　sailor？〃　shouted　one　of　his

passengers。



Rasmunsen　shot　a　glance　over　his　shoulder　at　a　black　square…sail。

He　had　seen　it　leap　up　out　of　the　grey　to　windward；　and　for　an

hour；　off　and　on；　had　been　watching　it　grow。　　The　sailor　had

evidently　repaired　damages　and　was　making　up　for　lost　time。



〃Look　at　him　come！〃



Both　passengers　stopped　chopping　ice　to　watch。　　Twenty　miles　of

Bennett　were　behind　themroom　and　to　spare　for　the　sea　to　toss　up

its　mountains　toward　the　sky。　　Sinking　and　soaring　like　a　storm…

god；　the　sailor　drove　by　them。　　The　huge　sail　seemed　to　grip　the

boat　from　the　crests　of　the　waves；　to　tear　it　bodily　out　of　the

water；　and　fling　it　crashing　and　smothering　down　into　the　yawning

troughs。



〃The　sea'll　never　catch　him！〃



〃But　he'll　r…r…run　her　nose　under！〃



Even　as　they　spoke；　the　black　tarpaulin　swooped　from　sight　behind　a

big　comber。　　The　next　wave　rolled　over　the　spot；　and　the　next；　but

the　boat　did　not　reappear。　　The　Alma　rushed　by　the　place。　　A　little

riffraff　of　oats　and　boxes　was　seen。　　An　arm　thrust　up　and　a　shaggy

head　broke　surface　a　score　of　yards　away。



For　a　time　there　was　silence。　　As　the　end　of　the　lake　came　in

sight；　the　waves　began　to　leap　aboard　with　such　steady　recurrence

that　the　correspondents　no　longer　chopped　ice　but　flung　the　water

out　with　buckets。　　Even　this　would　not　do；　and；　after　a　shouted

conference　with　Rasmunsen；　they　attacked　the　baggage。　　Flour；

bacon；　beans；　blankets；　cooking…stove；　ropes；　odds　and　ends；

everything　they　could　get　hands　on；　flew　overboard。　　The　boat

acknowledged　it　at　once；　taking　less　water　and　rising　more

buoyantly。



〃That'll　do！〃　Rasmunsen　called　sternly；　as　they　applied　themselves

to　the　top　layer　of　eggs。



〃The　h…hell　it　will！〃　answered　the　shivering　one；　savagely。　　With

the　exception　of　their　notes；　films；　and　cameras；　they　had

sacrificed　their　outfit。　　He　bent　over；　laid　hold　of　an　egg…box；

and　began　to　worry　it　out　from　under　the　lashing。



〃Drop　it！　　Drop　it；　I　say！〃



Rasmunsen　had　managed　to　draw　his　revolver；　and　with　the　crook　of

his　arm　over　the　sweep　head；　was　taking　aim。　　The　correspondent

stood　up　on　the　thwart；　balancing　back　and　forth；　his　face　twisted

with　menace　and　speechless　anger。



〃My　God！〃



So　cried　his　brother　correspondent；　hurling　himself；　face　downward；

into　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　　The　Alma；　under　the　divided　attention

of　Rasmunsen；　had　been　caught　by　a　great　mass　of　water　and　whirled

around。　　The　after　leach　hollowed；　the　sail　emptied　and　jibed；　and

the　boom；　sweeping　with　terrific　force　across　the　boat；　carried　the

angry　correspondent　overboard　with　a　broken　back。　　Mast　and　sail

had　gone　over　the　side　as　well。　　A　drenching　sea　followed；　as　the

boat　lost　headway；　and　Rasmunsen　sprang　to　the　bailing　bucket



Several　boats　hurtled　past　them　in　the　next　half…hour；small

boats；　boats　of　their　own　size；　boats　afraid；　unable　to　do　aught

but　run　madly　on。　　Then　a　ten…ton　barge；　at　imminent　risk　of

destruction；　lowered　sail　to　windward　and　lumbered　down　upon　them。



〃Keep　off！　　Keep　off！〃　Rasmunsen　screamed。



But　his　low　gunwale　ground　against　the　heavy　craft；　and　the

remaining　correspondent　clambered　aboard。　　Rasmunsen　was　over　the

eggs　like　a　cat　and　in　the　bow　of　the　Alma；　striving　with　numb

fingers　to　bend　the　hauling…lines　together。



〃Come　on！〃　a　red…whiskered　man　yelled　at　him。



〃I've　a　thousand　dozen　eggs　here；〃　he　shouted　back。　　〃Gimme　a　tow！

I'll　pay　you！〃



〃Come　on！〃　they　howled　in　chorus。



A　big　whitecap　broke　just　beyond；　washing　over　the　barge　and

leaving　the　Alma　half　swamped。　　The　men　cast　off；　cursing　him　as

they　ran　up　their　sail。　　Rasmunsen　cursed　back　and　fell　to　bailing。

The　mast　and　sail；　like　a　sea　anchor；　still　fast　by　the　halyards；

held　the　boat　head　on　to　wind　and　sea　and　gave　him　a　chance　to

fight　the　water　out。



Three　hours　later；　numbed；　exhausted；　blathering　like　a　lunatic；

but　still　bailing；　he　went　ashore　on　an　ice…strewn　beach　near

Cariboo　Crossing。　　Two　men；　a　government　courier　and　a　half…breed

voyageur；　dragged　him　out　of　the　surf；　saved　his　cargo；　and　beached

the　Alma。　　They　were　paddling　out　of　the　country　in　a　Peterborough；

and　gave　him　shelter　for　the　night　in　their　storm…bound　camp。　　Next

morning　they　departed；　but　he　elected　to　stay　by　his　eggs。　　And

thereafter　the　name　and　fame　of　the　man　with　the　thousand　dozen

eggs　began　to　spread　through　the　land。　　Gold…seekers　who　made　in

before　the　freeze…up　carried　the　news　of　his　coming。　　Grizzled　old…

timers　of　Forty　Mile　and　Circle　City；　sour　doughs　with　leathern

jaws　and　bean…calloused　stomachs；　called　up　dream　memories　of

chickens　and　green　things　at　mention　of　his　name。　　Dyea　and　Skaguay

took　an　interest　in　his　being；　and　questioned　his　progress　from

every　man　who　came　over　the　passes；　while　Dawsongolden；

omeletless　Dawsonfretted　and　worried；　and　way…laid　every　chance

arrival　for　word　of　him。



But　of　this　Rasmunsen　knew　nothing。　　The　day　after　the　wreck　he

patched　up　the　Alma　and　pulled　out。　　A　cruel　east　wind　blew　in　his

teeth　from　Tagish；　but　he　got　the　oars　over　the　side　and　bucked

manfully　into　it；　though　half　the　time　he　was　drifting　backward　and

chopping　ice　from　the　blades。　　According　to　the　custom　of　the

country；　he　was　driven　ashore　at　Windy　Arm；　three　times　on　Tagish

saw　him　swamped　and　beached；　and　Lake　Marsh　held　him　at　the　freeze…

up。　　The　Alma　was　crushed　in　the　jamming　of　the　floes；　but　the　eggs

were　intact。　　These　he　back…tripped　two　miles　across　the　ice　to　the

shore；　where　he　built　a　cache；　which　stood　for　years　after　and　was

pointed　out　by　men　who　knew。



Half　a　thousand　frozen　miles　stretched　between　him　and　Dawson；　and

the　waterway　was　closed。　　But　Rasmunsen；　with　a　peculiar　tense　look

in　his　face；　struck　back　up　the　lakes　on　foot。　　What　he　suffered　on

that　lone　trip；　with　nought　but　a　single　blanket；　an　axe；　and　a

handful　of　beans；　is　not　given　to　ordinary　mortals　to　know。　　Only

the　Arctic　adventurer　may　understand。　　Suffice　that　he　was　caught

in　a　blizzard　on　Chilkoot　and　left　two　of　his　toes　with　the　surgeon

at　Sheep　Camp。　　Yet　he　stood　on　his　feet　and　washed　dishes　in　the

scullery　of　the　PAWONA　to　the　Puget　Sound；　and　from　there　passed

coal　on　a　P。　S。　boat　to　San　Francisco。



It　was　a　haggard；　unkempt　man　who　limped　across　the　shining　office

floor　to　raise　a　second　mortgage　from　the　bank　people。　　His　hollow

cheeks　betrayed　themselves　through　the　scraggy　beard；　and　his　eyes

seemed　to　have　retired　into　deep　caverns　where　they　burned　with

cold　fires。　　His　hands　were　grained　from　exposure　and　hard　work；

and　the　nails　were　rimmed　with　tight…packed　dirt　and　coal…dust。　　He

spoke　vaguely　of　eggs　and　ice…packs；　winds　and　tides；　but　when　they

declined　to　let　him　have　more　than　a　second　thousand