the red one-第14节

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

〃Like　Argus　of　the　Ancient　Times；〃　and　told　them　of　the　great

emigration　across　the　Plains　in　Forty…nine。



〃My　goodness；　the　first　cheerful　and　hearty…like　camp　since　we　hit

the　beach；〃　Big　Bill　remarked　as　he　knocked　out　his　pipe　and　began

pulling　off　his　shoes　for　bed。



〃Kind　of　made　things　easy；　boys；　eh？〃　　Tarwater　queried　genially。



All　nodded。　　〃Well；　then；　I　got　a　proposition；　boys。　　You　can　take

it　or　leave　it；　but　just　listen　kindly　to　it。　　You're　in　a　hurry　to

get　in　before　the　freeze…up。　　Half　the　time　is　wasted　over　the

cooking　by　one　of　you　that　he　might　be　puttin'　in　packin'　outfit。

If　I　do　the　cookin'　for　you；　you　all'll　get　on　that　much　faster。

Also；　the　cookin'　'll　be　better；　and　that'll　make　you　pack　better。

And　I　can　pack　quite　a　bit　myself　in　between　times；　quite　a　bit；

yes；　sir；　quite　a　bit。〃



Big　Bill　and　Anson　were　just　beginning　to　nod　their　heads　in

agreement；　when　Charles　stopped　them。



〃What　do　you　expect　of　us　in　return？〃　he　demanded　of　the　old　man。



〃Oh；　I　leave　it　up　to　the　boys。〃



〃That　ain't　business；〃　Charles　reprimanded　sharply。　　〃You　made　the

proposition。　　Now　finish　it。〃



〃Well；　it's　this　way　…　〃



〃You　expect　us　to　feed　you　all　winter；　eh？〃　Charles　interrupted。



〃No；　siree；　I　don't。　　All　I　reckon　is　a　passage　to　Klondike　in　your

boat　would　be　mighty　square　of　you。〃



〃You　haven't　an　ounce　of　grub；　old　man。　　You'll　starve　to　death

when　you　get　there。〃



〃I've　been　feedin'　some　long　time　pretty　successful；〃　Old　Tarwater

replied；　a　whimsical　light　in　his　eyes。　　〃I'm　seventy；　and　ain't

starved　to　death　never　yet。〃



〃Will　you　sign　a　paper　to　the　effect　that　you　shift　for　yourself　as

soon　as　you　get　to　Dawson？〃　the　business　one　demanded。



〃Oh；　sure；〃　was　the　response。



Again　Charles　checked　his　two　partners'　expressions　of　satisfaction

with　the　arrangement。



〃One　other　thing；　old　man。　　We're　a　party　of　four；　and　we　all　have

a　vote　on　questions　like　this。　　Young　Liverpool　is　ahead　with　the

main　outfit。　　He's　got　a　say　so；　and　he　isn't　here　to　say　it。〃



〃What　kind　of　a　party　might　he　be？〃　Tarwater　inquired。



〃He's　a　rough…neck　sailor；　and　he's　got　a　quick；　bad　temper。〃



〃Some　turbulent；〃　Anson　contributed。



〃And　the　way　he　can　cuss　is　simply　God…awful；〃　Big　Bill　testified。



〃But　he's　square；〃　Big　Bill　added。



Anson　nodded　heartily　to　this　appraisal。



〃Well；　boys；〃　Tarwater　summed　up；　〃I　set　out　for　Californy　and　I

got　there。　　And　I'm　going　to　get　to　Klondike。　　Ain't　a　thing　can

stop　me；　ain't　a　thing。　　I'm　going　to　get　three　hundred　thousand

outa　the　ground；　too。　　Ain't　a　thing　can　stop　me；　ain't　a　thing；

because　I　just　naturally　need　the　money。　　I　don't　mind　a　bad　temper

so　long's　the　boy　is　square。　　I'll　take　my　chance；　an'　I'll　work

along　with　you　till　we　catch　up　with　him。　　Then；　if　he　says　no　to

the　proposition；　I　reckon　I'll　lose。　　But　somehow　I　just　can't　see

'm　sayin'　no；　because　that'd　mean　too　close　up　to　freeze…up　and　too

late　for　me　to　find　another　chance　like　this。　　And；　as　I'm　sure

going　to　get　to　Klondike；　it's　just　plumb　impossible　for　him　to　say

no。〃



Old　John　Tarwater　became　a　striking　figure　on　a　trail　unusually

replete　with　striking　figures。　　With　thousands　of　men；　each　back…

tripping　half　a　ton　of　outfit；　retracing　every　mile　of　the　trail

twenty　times；　all　came　to　know　him　and　to　hail　him　as　〃Father

Christmas。〃　　And；　as　he　worked；　ever　he　raised　his　chant　with　his

age…falsetto　voice。　　None　of　the　three　men　he　had　joined　could

complain　about　his　work。　　True；　his　joints　were　stiff　…　he　admitted

to　a　trifle　of　rheumatism。　　He　moved　slowly；　and　seemed　to　creak

and　crackle　when　he　moved；　but　he　kept　on　moving。　　Last　into　the

blankets　at　night；　he　was　first　out　in　the　morning；　so　that　the

other　three　had　hot　coffee　before　their　one　before…breakfast　pack。

And；　between　breakfast　and　dinner　and　between　dinner　and　supper；　he

always　managed　to　back…trip　for　several　packs　himself。　　Sixty

pounds　was　the　limit　of　his　burden；　however。　　He　could　manage

seventy…five；　but　he　could　not　keep　it　up。　　Once；　he　tried　ninety；

but　collapsed　on　the　trail　and　was　seriously　shaky　for　a　couple　of

days　afterward。



Work！　　On　a　trail　where　hard…working　men　learned　for　the　first　time

what　work　was；　no　man　worked　harder　in　proportion　to　his　strength

than　Old　Tarwater。　　Driven　desperately　on　by　the　near…thrust　of

winter；　and　lured　madly　on　by　the　dream　of　gold；　they　worked　to

their　last　ounce　of　strength　and　fell　by　the　way。　　Others；　when

failure　made　certain；　blew　out　their　brains。　　Some　went　mad；　and

still　others；　under　the　irk　of　the　man…destroying　strain；　broke

partnerships　and　dissolved　life…time　friendships　with　fellows　just

as　good　as　themselves　and　just　as　strained　and　mad。



Work！　　Old　Tarwater　could　shame　them　all；　despite　his　creaking　and

crackling　and　the　nasty　hacking　cough　he　had　developed。　　Early　and

late；　on　trail　or　in　camp　beside　the　trail　he　was　ever　in　evidence；

ever　busy　at　something；　ever　responsive　to　the　hail　of　〃Father

Christmas。〃　　Weary　back…trippers　would　rest　their　packs　on　a　log　or

rock　alongside　of　where　he　rested　his；　and　would　say：　　〃Sing　us

that　song　of　yourn；　dad；　about　Forty…Nine。〃　　And；　when　he　had

wheezingly　complied；　they　would　arise　under　their　loads；　remark

that　it　was　real　heartening；　and　hit　the　forward　trail　again。



〃If　ever　a　man　worked　his　passage　and　earned　it；〃　Big　Bill　confided

to　his　two　partners；　〃that　man's　our　old　Skeezicks。〃



〃You　bet；〃　Anson　confirmed。　　〃He's　a　valuable　addition　to　the

party；　and　I；　for　one；　ain't　at　all　disagreeable　to　the　notion　of

making　him　a　regular　partner　…　〃



〃None　of　that！〃　Charles　Crayton　cut　in。　　〃When　we　get　to　Dawson

we're　quit　of　him　…　that's　the　agreement。　　We'd　only　have　to　bury

him　if　we　let　him　stay　on　with　us。　　Besides；　there's　going　to　be　a

famine；　and　every　ounce　of　grub'll　count。　　Remember；　we're　feeding

him　out　of　our　own　supply　all　the　way　in。　　And　if　we　run　short　in

the　pinch　next　year；　you'll　know　the　reason。　　Steamboats　can't　get

up　grub　to　Dawson　till　the　middle　of　June；　and　that's　nine　months

away。〃



〃Well；　you　put　as　much　money　and　outfit　in　as　the　rest　of　us；〃　Big

Bill　conceded；　〃and　you've　a　say　according。〃



〃And　I'm　going　to　have　my　say；〃　Charles　asserted　with　increasing

irritability。　　〃And　it's　lucky　for　you　with　your　fool　sentiments

that　you've　got　somebody　to　think　ahead　for　you；　else　you'd　all

starve　to　death。　　I　tell　you　that　famine's　coming。　　I've　been

studying　the　situation。　　Flour　will　be　two　dollars　a　pound；　or　ten；

and　no　sellers。　　You　mark　my　words。〃



Across　the　rubble…covered　flats；　up　the　dark　canyon　to　Sheep　Camp；

past　the　over…hanging　and　ever…threatening　glaciers　to　the　Scales；

and　from　the　Scales　up　the　steep　pitches　of　ice…scoured　rock　where

packers　climbed　with　hands　and　feet；　Old　Tarwater　camp…cooked　and

packed　and　sang。　　He　blew　across　Chilcoot　Pass；　above　timberline；

in　the　first　swirl　of　autumn　snow。　　Those　below；　without　firewood；

on　the　bitter　rim　of　Crater　Lake；　heard　from　the　driving　obscurity

above　them　a　weird　voice　chanting：





〃Like　Argus　of　the　ancient　times；

We　leave　this　modern　Greece；

Tum…tum；　tum…tum；　tum；　tum；　tum…tum；

To　shear　the　Golden　Fleece。〃





And　out　of　the　snow　flurries　they　saw　appear　a　tall；　gaunt　form；

with　whiskers　of　flying　white　that　blended　with　the　storm；　bending

under　a　sixty…pound　pack　of　camp　dunnage。



〃Father　Christmas！〃　was　the　hail。　　And　then：　　〃Three　rousing　cheers

for　Father　Christmas！〃



Two　miles　beyond　Crater　Lake　lay　Happy　Camp　…　so　named　because　here

was　found　the　uppermost　fringe　of　the　timber　line；　where　men　might

warm　themselves　by　fire　again。　　Scarcely　could　it　be　called　timber；

for　it　was　a　dwarf　rock…spruce　that　never　raised　its　loftiest

branches　higher　than　a　foot　above　the　moss；　and　that　twisted　and

grovelled　like　a　pig…vegetable　under　the　moss。　　Here；　on　the　trail

leading　into　Happy　Camp；　in　the　first　sunshine　of　half　a　dozen

days；　Old　Tarwater　rested　his　pack　against　a　huge　boulder　and

caught　his　breath。　　Around　this　boulder　the　trail　passed；　laden　men

toiling　slowly　forward　and　men　with　empty　pack…straps　limping

rapidly　back　for　fresh　loads。　　Twice　Old　Tarwater　essayed　to　rise

and　go　on；　and　each　time；　warned　by　his　shakiness；　sank　back　to

recover　more　strength。　　From　around　the　boulder　he　heard　voices　in

greeting；　recognized　Charles　Crayton's　voice；　and　realized　that　at

last　they　had　met　up　with　Young　Liverpool。　　Quickly；　Charles

plunged　into　business；　and　Tarwater　heard　with　great　distinctness

every　word　of　Charles'　unflattering　description　of　him　and　the

proposition　to　give　him　passage　to　Dawson。



〃A　dam　fool　proposition；〃　was　Liverpool's　judgment；　when　Charles

had　concluded。　　〃An　old　granddad　of　seventy！　　If　he's　on　his　last

legs；