the faith of men-第17节

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

declined　to　let　him　have　more　than　a　second　thousand；　his　talk

became　incoherent；　concerning　itself　chiefly　with　the　price　of　dogs

and　dog…food；　and　such　things　as　snowshoes　and　moccasins　and　winter

trails。　　They　let　him　have　fifteen　hundred；　which　was　more　than　the

cottage　warranted；　and　breathed　easier　when　he　scrawled　his

signature　and　passed　out　the　door。



Two　weeks　later　he　went　over　Chilkoot　with　three　dog　sleds　of　five

dogs　each。　　One　team　he　drove；　the　two　Indians　with　him　driving　the

others。　　At　Lake　Marsh　they　broke　out　the　cache　and　loaded　up。　　But

there　was　no　trail。　　He　was　the　first　in　over　the　ice；　and　to　him

fell　the　task　of　packing　the　snow　and　hammering　away　through　the

rough　river　jams。　　Behind　him　he　often　observed　a　camp…fire　smoke

trickling　thinly　up　through　the　quiet　air；　and　he　wondered　why　the

people　did　not　overtake　him。　　For　he　was　a　stranger　to　the　land　and

did　not　understand。　　Nor　could　he　understand　his　Indians　when　they

tried　to　explain。　　This　they　conceived　to　be　a　hardship；　but　when

they　balked　and　refused　to　break　camp　of　mornings；　he　drove　them　to

their　work　at　pistol　point。



When　he　slipped　through　an　ice　bridge　near　the　White　Horse　and

froze　his　foot；　tender　yet　and　oversensitive　from　the　previous

freezing；　the　Indians　looked　for　him　to　lie　up。　　But　he　sacrificed

a　blanket；　and；　with　his　foot　incased　in　an　enormous　moccasin；　big

as　a　water…bucket；　continued　to　take　his　regular　turn　with　the

front　sled。　　Here　was　the　cruellest　work；　and　they　respected　him；

though　on　the　side　they　rapped　their　foreheads　with　their　knuckles

and　significantly　shook　their　heads。　　One　night　they　tried　to　run

away；　but　the　zip…zip　of　his　bullets　in　the　snow　brought　them　back；

snarling　but　convinced。　　Whereupon；　being　only　savage　Chilkat　men；

they　put　their　heads　together　to　kill　him；　but　he　slept　like　a　cat；

and；　waking　or　sleeping；　the　chance　never　came。　　Often　they　tried

to　tell　him　the　import　of　the　smoke　wreath　in　the　rear；　but　he

could　not　comprehend　and　grew　suspicious　of　them。　　And　when　they

sulked　or　shirked；　he　was　quick　to　let　drive　at　them　between　the

eyes；　and　quick　to　cool　their　heated　souls　with　sight　of　his　ready

revolver。



And　so　it　wentwith　mutinous　men；　wild　dogs；　and　a　trail　that

broke　the　heart。　　He　fought　the　men　to　stay　with　him；　fought　the

dogs　to　keep　them　away　from　the　eggs；　fought　the　ice；　the　cold；　and

the　pain　of　his　foot；　which　would　not　heal。　　As　fast　as　the　young

tissue　renewed；　it　was　bitten　and　scared　by　the　frost；　so　that　a

running　sore　developed；　into　which　he　could　almost　shove　his　fist。

In　the　mornings；　when　he　first　put　his　weight　upon　it；　his　head

went　dizzy；　and　he　was　near　to　fainting　from　the　pain；　but　later　on

in　the　day　it　usually　grew　numb；　to　recommence　when　he　crawled　into

his　blankets　and　tried　to　sleep。　　Yet　he；　who　had　been　a　clerk　and

sat　at　a　desk　all　his　days；　toiled　till　the　Indians　were　exhausted；

and　even　out…worked　the　dogs。　　How　hard　he　worked；　how　much　he

suffered；　he　did　not　know。　　Being　a　man　of　the　one　idea；　now　that

the　idea　had　come；　it　mastered　him。　　In　the　foreground　of　his

consciousness　was　Dawson；　in　the　background　his　thousand　dozen

eggs；　and　midway　between　the　two　his　ego　fluttered；　striving　always

to　draw　them　together　to　a　glittering　golden　point。　　This　golden

point　was　the　five　thousand　dollars；　the　consummation　of　the　idea

and　the　point　of　departure　for　whatever　new　idea　might　present

itself。　　For　the　rest；　he　was　a　mere　automaton。　　He　was　unaware　of

other　things；　seeing　them　as　through　a　glass　darkly；　and　giving

them　no　thought。　　The　work　of　his　hands　he　did　with　machine…like

wisdom；　likewise　the　work　of　his　head。　　So　the　look　on　his　face

grew　very　tense；　till　even　the　Indians　were　afraid　of　it；　and

marvelled　at　the　strange　white　man　who　had　made　them　slaves　and

forced　them　to　toil　with　such　foolishness。



Then　came　a　snap　on　Lake　Le　Barge；　when　the　cold　of　outer　space

smote　the　tip　of　the　planet；　and　the　force　ranged　sixty　and　odd

degrees　below　zero。　　Here；　labouring　with　open　mouth　that　he　might

breathe　more　freely；　he　chilled　his　lungs；　and　for　the　rest　of　the

trip　he　was　troubled　with　a　dry；　hacking　cough；　especially

irritable　in　smoke　of　camp　or　under　stress　of　undue　exertion。　　On

the　Thirty　Mile　river　he　found　much　open　water；　spanned　by

precarious　ice　bridges　and　fringed　with　narrow　rim　ice；　tricky　and

uncertain。　　The　rim　ice　was　impossible　to　reckon　on；　and　he　dared

it　without　reckoning；　falling　back　on　his　revolver　when　his　drivers

demurred。　　But　on　the　ice　bridges；　covered　with　snow　though　they

were；　precautions　could　be　taken。　　These　they　crossed　on　their

snowshoes；　with　long　poles；　held　crosswise　in　their　hands；　to　which

to　cling　in　case　of　accident。　　Once　over；　the　dogs　were　called　to

follow。　　And　on　such　a　bridge；　where　the　absence　of　the　centre　ice

was　masked　by　the　snow；　one　of　the　Indians　met　his　end。　　He　went

through　as　quickly　and　neatly　as　a　knife　through　thin　cream；　and

the　current　swept　him　from　view　down　under　the　stream　ice。



That　night　his　mate　fled　away　through　the　pale　moonlight；　Rasmunsen

futilely　puncturing　the　silence　with　his　revolvera　thing　that　he

handled　with　more　celerity　than　cleverness。　　Thirty…six　hours　later

the　Indian　made　a　police　camp　on　the　Big　Salmon。



〃Umumum　funny　manswhat　you　call？top　um　head　all　loose；〃　the

interpreter　explained　to　the　puzzled　captain。　　〃Eh？　　Yep；　clazy；

much　clazy　mans。　　Eggs；　eggs；　all　a　time　eggssavvy？　　Come　bime…

by。〃



It　was　several　days　before　Rasmunsen　arrived；　the　three　sleds

lashed　together；　and　all　the　dogs　in　a　single　team。　　It　was

awkward；　and　where　the　going　was　bad　he　was　compelled　to　back…trip

it　sled　by　sled；　though　he　managed　most　of　the　time；　through

herculean　efforts；　to　bring　all　along　on　the　one　haul。　　He　did　not

seem　moved　when　the　captain　of　police　told　him　his　man　was　hitting

the　high　places　for　Dawson；　and　was　by　that　time；　probably；　half…

way　between　Selkirk　and　Stewart。　　Nor　did　he　appear　interested　when

informed　that　the　police　had　broken　the　trail　as　far　as　Pelly；　for

he　had　attained　to　a　fatalistic　acceptance　of　all　natural

dispensations；　good　or　ill。　　But　when　they　told　him　that　Dawson　was

in　the　bitter　clutch　of　famine；　he　smiled；　threw　the　harness　on　his

dogs；　and　pulled　out。



But　it　was　at　his　next　halt　that　the　mystery　of　the　smoke　was

explained。　　With　the　word　at　Big　Salmon　that　the　trail　was　broken

to　Pelly；　there　was　no　longer　any　need　for　the　smoke　wreath　to

linger　in　his　wake；　and　Rasmunsen；　crouching　over　lonely　fire；　saw

a　motley　string　of　sleds　go　by。　　First　came　the　courier　and　the

half…breed　who　had　hauled　him　out　from　Bennett；　then　mail…carriers

for　Circle　City；　two　sleds　of　them；　and　a　mixed　following　of

ingoing　Klondikers。　　Dogs　and　men　were　fresh　and　fat；　while

Rasmunsen　and　his　brutes　were　jaded　and　worn　down　to　the　skin　and

bone。　　They　of　the　smoke　wreath　had　travelled　one　day　in　three；

resting　and　reserving　their　strength　for　the　dash　to　come　when

broken　trail　was　met　with；　while　each　day　he　had　plunged　and

floundered　forward；　breaking　the　spirit　of　his　dogs　and　robbing

them　of　their　mettle。



As　for　himself；　he　was　unbreakable。　　They　thanked　him　kindly　for

his　efforts　in　their　behalf；　those　fat；　fresh　men；thanked　him

kindly；　with　broad　grins　and　ribald　laughter；　and　now；　when　he

understood；　he　made　no　answer。　　Nor　did　he　cherish　silent

bitterness。　　It　was　immaterial。　　The　ideathe　fact　behind　the

ideawas　not　changed。　　Here　he　was　and　his　thousand　dozen；　there

was　Dawson；　the　problem　was　unaltered。



At　the　Little　Salmon；　being　short　of　dog　food；　the　dogs　got　into

his　grub；　and　from　there　to　Selkirk　he　lived　on　beanscoarse；

brown　beans；　big　beans；　grossly　nutritive；　which　griped　his　stomach

and　doubled　him　up　at　two…hour　intervals。　　But　the　Factor　at

Selkirk　had　a　notice　on　the　door　of　the　Post　to　the　effect　that　no

steamer　had　been　up　the　Yukon　for　two　years；　and　in　consequence

grub　was　beyond　price。　　He　offered　to　swap　flour；　however；　at　the

rate　of　a　cupful　of　each　egg；　but　Rasmunsen　shook　his　head　and　hit

the　trail。　　Below　the　Post　he　managed　to　buy　frozen　horse　hide　for

the　dogs；　the　horses　having　been　slain　by　the　Chilkat　cattle　men；

and　the　scraps　and　offal　preserved　by　the　Indians。　　He　tackled　the

hide　himself；　but　the　hair　worked　into　the　bean　sores　of　his　mouth；

and　was　beyond　endurance。



Here　at　Selkirk　he　met　the　forerunners　of　the　hungry　exodus　of

Dawson；　and　from　there　on　they　crept　over　the　trail；　a　dismal

throng。　　〃No　grub！〃　was　the　song　they　sang。　　〃No　grub；　and　had　to

go。〃　　〃Everybody　holding　candles　for　a　rise　in　the　spring。〃　　〃Flour

dollar　'n　a　half　a　pound；　and　no　sellers。〃



〃Eggs？〃　one　of　them　answered。　　〃Dollar　apiece；　but　there　ain't

none。〃



Rasmunsen　made　a　rapid　calculation。　　〃Twelve　thousan