smoke bellew(史沫克·贝罗)-第18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！
lodged amongst the brush by spring freshets； waited the match。 By the
time she reached his side； the first flames and flickers of an assured fire
were rising。
〃Sit down！〃 he commanded。
She obediently sat down in the snow。 He slipped his pack from his
back； and spread a blanket for her feet。
From above came the voices of the stampeders who followed them。
〃Let Shorty stake；〃 she urged
〃Go on； Shorty；〃 Smoke said； as he attacked her moccasins； already
stiff with ice。 〃Pace off a thousand feet and place the two centre… stakes。
We can fix the corner…stakes afterwards。〃
With his knife Smoke cut away the lacings and leather of the
moccasins。 So stiff were they with ice that they snapped and crackled
under the hacking and sawing。 The Siwash socks and heavy woollen
stockings were sheaths of ice。 It was as if her feet and calves were
encased in corrugated iron。
〃How are your feet？〃 he asked； as he worked。
63
… Page 64…
Smoke Bellew
〃Pretty numb。 I can't move nor feel my toes。 But it will be all right。
The fire is burning beautifully。 Watch out you don't freeze your own
hands。 They must be numb now from the way you're fumbling。〃
He slipped his mittens on； and for nearly a minute smashed the open
hands savagely against his sides。 When he felt the blood…prickles； he
pulled off the mittens and ripped and tore and sawed and hacked at the
frozen garments。 The white skin of one foot appeared； then that of the
other； to be exposed to the bite of seventy below zero； which is the
equivalent of one hundred and two below freezing。
Then came the rubbing with snow； carried on with an intensity of cruel
fierceness； till she squirmed and shrank and moved her toes； and joyously
complained of the hurt。
He half…dragged her； and she half…lifted herself； nearer to the fire。 He
placed her feet on the blanket close to the flesh…saving flames。
〃You'll have to take care of them for a while；〃 he said。
She could now safely remove her mittens and manipulate her own feet；
with the wisdom of the initiated； being watchful that the heat of the fire
was absorbed slowly。 While she did this； he attacked his hands。 The
snow did not melt nor moisten。 Its light crystals were like so much sand。
Slowly the stings and pangs of circulation came back into the chilled flesh。
Then he tended the fire； unstrapped the light pack from her back； and got
out a complete change of foot… gear。
Shorty returned along the creek…bed and climbed the bank to them。
〃I sure staked a full thousan' feet；〃 he proclaimed。 〃Number twenty…
seven and number twenty…eight； though I'd only got the upper stake of
twenty…seven； when I met the first geezer of the bunch behind。 He just
straight declared I wasn't goin' to stake twenty… eight。 An' I told
him 。 。 。 。〃
〃Yes； yes；〃 Joy cried。 〃What did you tell him？〃
〃Well； I told him straight that if he didn't back up plum five hundred
feet I'd sure punch his frozen nose into ice…cream an' chocolate eclaires。
He backed up； an' I've got in the centre…stakes of two full an' honest five…
hundred…foot claims。 He staked next； and I guess by now the bunch has
Squaw Creek located to head…waters an' down the other side。 Ourn is
64
… Page 65…
Smoke Bellew
safe。 It's too dark to see now； but we can put out the corner…stakes in the
mornin'。〃
III。
When they awoke； they found a change had taken place during the
night。 So warm was it； that Shorty and Smoke； still in their mutual
blankets； estimated the temperature at no more than twenty below。 The
cold snap had broken。 On top their blankets lay six inches of frost
crystals。
〃Good morning！ how's your feet？〃 was Smoke's greeting across the
ashes of the fire to where Joy Gastell； carefully shaking aside the snow；
was sitting up in her sleeping furs。
Shorty built the fire and quarried ice from the creek； while Smoke
cooked breakfast。 Daylight came on as they finished the meal。
〃You go an' fix them corner…stakes； Smoke；〃 Shorty said。 〃There's a
gravel under where I chopped ice for the coffee； an' I'm goin' to melt water
and wash a pan of that same gravel for luck。〃
Smoke departed； axe in hand； to blaze the stakes。 Starting from the
down…stream centre…stake of 'twenty…seven；' he headed at right angles
across the narrow valley towards its rim。 He proceeded methodically；
almost automatically； for his mind was alive with recollections of the night
before。 He felt； somehow； that he had won to empery over the delicate
lines and firm muscles of those feet and ankles he had rubbed with snow；
and this empery seemed to extend to all women。 In dim and fiery ways a
feeling of possession mastered him。 It seemed that all that was necessary
was for him to walk up to this Joy Gastell； take her hand in his； and say
〃Come。〃
It was in this mood that he discovered something that made him forget
empery over the white feet of woman。 At the valley rim he blazed no
corner…stake。 He did not reach the valley rim； but； instead； he found
himself confronted by another stream。 He lined up with his eye a blasted
willow tree and a big and recognizable spruce。 He returned to the stream
where were the centre stakes。 He followed the bed of the creek around a
65
… Page 66…
Smoke Bellew
wide horseshoe bend through the flat； and found that the two creeks were
the same creek。 Next； he floundered twice through the snow from valley
rim to valley rim； running the first line from the lower stake of 'twenty…
seven；' the second from the upper stake of 'twenty…eight；' and he found that
THE UPPER STAKE OF THE LATTER WAS LOWER THAN THE
LOWER STAKE OF THE FORMER。 In the gray twilight and half…
darkness Shorty had located their two claims on the horseshoe。
Smoke plodded back to the little camp。 Shorty； at the end of washing
a pan of gravel； exploded at sight of him。
〃We got it！〃 Shorty cried； holding out the pan。 〃Look at it！ A nasty
mess of gold。 Two hundred right there if it's a cent。 She runs rich from
the top of the wash…gravel。 I've churned around placers some； but I never
got butter like what's in this pan。〃
Smoke cast an incurious glance at the coarse gold； poured himself a
cup of coffee at the fire； and sat down。 Joy sensed something wrong and
looked at him with eagerly solicitous eyes。 Shorty； however； was
disgruntled by his partner's lack of delight in the discovery。
〃Why don't you kick in an' get excited？〃 he demanded。 〃We got our
pile right here； unless you're stickin' up your nose at two…hundred… dollar
pans。〃
Smoke took a swallow of coffee before replying。
〃Shorty； why are our two claims here like the Panama Canal？〃
〃What's the answer？〃
〃Well； the eastern entrance of the Panama Canal is west of the western
entrance； that's all。〃
〃Go on；〃 Shorty said。 〃I ain't seen the joke yet。〃
〃In short； Shorty； you staked our two claims on a big horseshoe bend。〃
Shorty set the gold pan down in the snow and stood up。
〃Go on；〃 he repeated。
〃The upper stake of twenty…eight is ten feet below the lower stake of
twenty…seven。〃
〃You mean we ain't got nothin'； Smoke？〃
〃Worse than that； we've got ten feet less than nothing。〃
Shorty departed down the bank on the run。 Five minutes later he
66
… Page 67…
Smoke Bellew
returned。 In response to Joy's look； he nodded。 Without speech；
