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第13节

the red one-第13节

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them。〃



John Tarwater did look; but his eyes strayed to other photographs

on the highly sensational front page。



〃And look at the photys of them nuggets they brought down;〃 he

said。  〃I know gold。  Didn't I gopher twenty thousand outa the

Merced?  And wouldn't it a…ben a hundred thousand if that

cloudburst hadn't busted my wing…dam?  Now if I was only in the

Klondike … 〃



〃Crazy as a loon;〃 William sneered in open aside to the rest。



〃A nice way to talk to your father;〃 Old Man Tarwater censured

mildly。  〃My father'd have walloped the tar out of me with a

single…tree if I'd spoke to him that way。〃



〃But you ARE crazy; father … 〃 William began。



〃Reckon you're right; son。  And that's where my father wasn't

crazy。  He'd a…done it。〃



〃The old man's been reading some of them magazine articles about

men who succeeded after forty;〃 Annie jibed。



〃And why not; daughter?〃 he asked。  〃And why can't a man succeed

after he's seventy?  I was only seventy this year。  And mebbe I

could succeed if only I could get to the Klondike … 〃



〃Which you ain't going to get to;〃 Mary shut him off。



〃Oh; well; then;〃 he sighed; 〃seein's I ain't; I might just as well

go to bed。〃



He stood up; tall; gaunt; great…boned and gnarled; a splendid ruin

of a man。  His ragged hair and whiskers were not grey but snowy

white; as were the tufts of hair that stood out on the backs of his

huge bony fingers。  He moved toward the door; opened it; sighed;

and paused with a backward look。



〃Just the same;〃 he murmured plaintively; 〃the bottoms of my feet

is itching something terrible。〃



Long before the family stirred next morning; his horses fed and

harnessed by lantern light; breakfast cooked and eaten by lamp

fight; Old Man Tarwater was off and away down Tarwater Valley on

the road to Kelterville。  Two things were unusual about this usual

trip which he had made a thousand and forty times since taking the

mail contract。  He did not drive to Kelterville; but turned off on

the main road south to Santa Rosa。  Even more remarkable than this

was the paper…wrapped parcel between his feet。  It contained his

one decent black suit; which Mary had been long reluctant to see

him wear any more; not because it was shabby; but because; as he

guessed what was at the back of her mind; it was decent enough to

bury him in。



And at Santa Rosa; in a second…hand clothes shop; he sold the suit

outright for two dollars and a half。  From the same obliging

shopman he received four dollars for the wedding ring of his long…

dead wife。  The span of horses and the wagon he disposed of for

seventy…five dollars; although twenty…five was all he received down

in cash。  Chancing to meet Alton Granger on the street; to whom

never before had he mentioned the ten dollars loaned him in '74; he

reminded Alton Granger of the little affair; and was promptly paid。

Also; of all unbelievable men to be in funds; he so found the town

drunkard for whom he had bought many a drink in the old and palmy

days。  And from him John Tarwater borrowed a dollar。  Finally; he

took the afternoon train to San Francisco。



A dozen days later; carrying a half…empty canvas sack of blankets

and old clothes; he landed on the beach of Dyea in the thick of the

great Klondike Rush。  The beach was screaming bedlam。  Ten thousand

tons of outfit lay heaped and scattered; and twice ten thousand men

struggled with it and clamoured about it。  Freight; by Indian…back;

over Chilcoot to Lake Linderman; had jumped from sixteen to thirty

cents a pound; which latter was a rate of six hundred dollars a

ton。  And the sub…arctic winter gloomed near at hand。  All knew it;

and all knew that of the twenty thousand of them very few would get

across the passes; leaving the rest to winter and wait for the late

spring thaw。



Such the beach old John Tarwater stepped upon; and straight across

the beach and up the trail toward Chilcoot he headed; cackling his

ancient chant; a very Grandfather Argus himself; with no outfit

worry in the world; for he did not possess any outfit。  That night

he slept on the flats; five miles above Dyea; at the head of canoe

navigation。  Here the Dyea River became a rushing mountain torrent;

plunging out of a dark canyon from the glaciers that fed it far

above。



And here; early next morning; he beheld a little man weighing no

more than a hundred; staggering along a foot…log under all of a

hundred pounds of flour strapped on his back。  Also; he beheld the

little man stumble off the log and fall face…downward in a quiet

eddy where the water was two feet deep and proceed quietly to

drown。  It was no desire of his to take death so easily; but the

flour on his back weighed as much as he and would not let him up。



〃Thank you; old man;〃 he said to Tarwater; when the latter had

dragged him up into the air and ashore。



While he unlaced his shoes and ran the water out; they had further

talk。  Next; he fished out a ten…dollar gold…piece and offered it

to his rescuer。



Old Tarwater shook his head and shivered; for the ice…water had wet

him to his knees。



〃But I reckon I wouldn't object to settin' down to a friendly meal

with you。〃



〃Ain't had breakfast?〃 the little man; who was past forty and who

had said his name was Anson; queried with a glance frankly curious。



〃Nary bite;〃 John Tarwater answered。



〃Where's your outfit?  Ahead?〃



〃Nary outfit。〃



〃Expect to buy your grub on the Inside?〃



〃Nary a dollar to buy it with; friend。  Which ain't so important as

a warm bite of breakfast right now。〃



In Anson's camp; a quarter of a mile on; Tarwater found a slender;

red…whiskered young man of thirty cursing over a fire of wet willow

wood。  Introduced as Charles; he transferred his scowl and wrath to

Tarwater; who; genially oblivious; devoted himself to the fire;

took advantage of the chill morning breeze to create a draught

which the other had left stupidly blocked by stones; and soon

developed less smoke and more flame。  The third member of the

party; Bill Wilson; or Big Bill as they called him; came in with a

hundred…and…forty…pound pack; and what Tarwater esteemed to be a

very rotten breakfast was dished out by Charles。  The mush was half

cooked and mostly burnt; the bacon was charred carbon; and the

coffee was unspeakable。



Immediately the meal was wolfed down the three partners took their

empty pack…straps and headed down trail to where the remainder of

their outfit lay at the last camp a mile away。  And old Tarwater

became busy。  He washed the dishes; foraged dry wood; mended a

broken pack…strap; put an edge on the butcher…knife and camp…axe;

and repacked the picks and shovels into a more carryable parcel。



What had impressed him during the brief breakfast was the sort of

awe in which Anson and Big Bill stood of Charles。  Once; during the

morning; while Anson took a breathing spell after bringing in

another hundred…pound pack; Tarwater delicately hinted his

impression。



〃You see; it's this way;〃 Anson said。  〃We've divided our

leadership。  We've got specialities。  Now I'm a carpenter。  When we

get to Lake Linderman; and the trees are chopped and whipsawed into

planks; I'll boss the building of the boat。  Big Bill is a logger

and miner。  So he'll boss getting out the logs and all mining

operations。  Most of our outfit's ahead。  We went broke paying the

Indians to pack that much of it to the top of Chilcoot。  Our last

partner is up there with it; moving it along by himself down the

other side。  His name's Liverpool; and he's a sailor。  So; when the

boat's built; he's the boss of the outfit to navigate the lakes and

rapids to Klondike。



〃And Charles … this Mr。 Crayton … what might his speciality be?〃

Tarwater asked。



〃He's the business man。  When it comes to business and organization

he's boss。〃



〃Hum;〃 Tarwater pondered。  〃Very lucky to get such a bunch of

specialities into one outfit。〃



〃More than luck;〃 Anson agreed。  〃It was all accident; too。  Each

of us started alone。  We met on the steamer coming up from San

Francisco; and formed the party。 … Well; I got to be goin'。

Charles is liable to get kicking because I ain't packin' my share'

just the same; you can't expect a hundred…pound man to pack as much

as a hundred…and…sixty…pounder。〃



〃Stick around and cook us something for dinner;〃 Charles; on his

next load in and noting the effects of the old man's handiness;

told Tarwater。



And Tarwater cooked a dinner that was a dinner; washed the dishes;

had real pork and beans for supper; and bread baked in a frying…pan

that was so delectable than the three partners nearly foundered

themselves on it。  Supper dishes washed; he cut shavings and

kindling for a quick and certain breakfast fire; showed Anson a

trick with foot…gear that was invaluable to any hiker; sang his

〃Like Argus of the Ancient Times;〃 and tol

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