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第16节

the red one-第16节

小说: the red one 字数: 每页4000字

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Bennett; before which they ran under a huge sail made by Liverpool。

The heavy weight of outfit gave such ballast that he cracked on as

a daring sailor should when moments counted。  A shift of four

points into the south…west; coming just at the right time as they

entered upon Caribou Crossing; drove them down that connecting link

to lakes Tagish and Marsh。  In stormy sunset and twilight … they

made the dangerous crossing of Great Windy Arm; wherein they beheld

two other boat…loads of gold…rushers capsize and drown。



Charles was for beaching for the night; but Liverpool held on;

steering down Tagish by the sound of the surf on the shoals and by

the occasional shore…fires that advertised wrecked or timid

argonauts。  At four in the morning; he aroused Charles。  Old

Tarwater; shiveringly awake; heard Liverpool order Crayton aft

beside him at the steering…sweep; and also heard the one…sided

conversation。



〃Just listen; friend Charles; and keep your own mouth shut;〃

Liverpool began。  〃I want you to get one thing into your head and

keep it there:  OLD DAD'S GOING BY THE POLICE。  UNDERSTAND? HE'S

GOING BY。  When they examine our outfit; old dad's got a fifth

share in it; savvee?  That'll put us all 'way under what we ought

to have; but we can bluff it through。  Now get this; and get it

hard:  THERE AIN'T GOING TO BE ANY FALL…DOWN ON THIS BLUFF … 〃



〃If you think I'd give away on the old codger … 〃 Charles began

indignantly。



〃You thought that;〃 Liverpool checked him; 〃because I never

mentioned any such thing。  Now … get me and get me hard:  I don't

care what you've been thinking。  It's what you're going to think。

We'll make the police post some time this afternoon; and we've got

to get ready to pull the bluff without a hitch; and a word to the

wise is plenty。〃



〃If you think I've got it in my mind … 〃 Charles began again。



〃Look here;〃 Liverpool shut him off。  〃I don't know what's in your

mind。  I don't want to know。  I want you to know what's in my mind。

If there's any slip…up; if old dad gets turned back by the police;

I'm going to pick out the first quiet bit of landscape and take you

ashore on it。  And then I'm going to beat you up to the Queen's

taste。  Get me; and get me hard。  It ain't going to be any half…way

beating; but a real; two…legged; two…fisted; he…man beating。  I

don't expect I'll kill you; but I'll come damn near to half…killing

you。〃



〃But what can I do?〃 Charles almost whimpered。



〃Just one thing;〃 was Liverpool's final word。  〃You just pray。  You

pray so hard that old dad gets by the police that he does get by。

That's all。  Go back to your blankets。〃



Before they gained Lake Le Barge; the land was sheeted with snow

that would not melt for half a year。  Nor could they lay their boat

at will against the bank; for the rim…ice was already forming。

Inside the mouth of the river; just ere it entered Lake Le Barge;

they found a hundred storm…bound boats of the argonauts。  Out of

the north; across the full sweep of the great lake; blew an

unending snow gale。  Three mornings they put out and fought it and

the cresting seas it drove that turned to ice as they fell in…

board。  While the others broke their hearts at the oars; Old

Tarwater managed to keep up just sufficient circulation to survive

by chopping ice and throwing it overboard。



Each day for three days; beaten to helplessness; they turned tail

on the battle and ran back into the sheltering river。  By the

fourth day; the hundred boats had increased to three hundred; and

the two thousand argonauts on board knew that the great gale

heralded the freeze…up of Le Barge。  Beyond; the rapid rivers would

continue to run for days; but unless they got beyond; and

immediately; they were doomed to be frozen in for six months to

come。



〃This day we go through;〃 Liverpool announced。  〃We turn back for

nothing。  And those of us that dies at the oars will live again and

go on pulling。〃



And they went through; winning half the length of the lake by

nightfall and pulling on through all the night hours as the wind

went down; falling asleep at the oars and being rapped awake by

Liverpool; toiling on through an age…long nightmare while the stars

came out and the surface of the lake turned to the unruffledness of

a sheet of paper and froze skin…ice that tinkled like broken glass

as their oar…blades shattered it。



As day broke clear and cold; they entered the river; with behind

them a sea of ice。  Liverpool examined his aged passenger and found

him helpless and almost gone。  When he rounded the boat to against

the rim…ice to build a fire and warm up Tarwater inside and out;

Charles protested against such loss of time。



〃This ain't business; so don't you come horning in;〃 Liverpool

informed him。  〃I'm running the boat trip。  So you just climb out

and chop firewood; and plenty of it。  I'll take care of dad。  You;

Anson; make a fire on the bank。  And you; Bill; set up the Yukon

stove in the boat。  Old dad ain't as young as the rest of us; and

for the rest of this voyage he's going to have a fire on board to

sit by。〃



All of which came to pass; and the boat; in the grip of the

current; like a river steamer with smoke rising from the two joints

of stove…pipe; grounded on shoals; hung up on split currents; and

charged rapids and canyons; as it drove deeper into the Northland

winter。  The Big and Little Salmon rivers were throwing mush…ice

into the main river as they passed; and; below the riffles; anchor…

ice arose from the river bottom and coated the surface with crystal

scum。  Night and day the rim…ice grew; till; in quiet places; it

extended out a hundred yards from shore。  And Old Tarwater; with

all his clothes on; sat by the stove and kept the fire going。

Night and day; not daring to stop for fear of the imminent freeze…

up; they dared to run; an increasing mushiness of ice running with

them。



〃What ho; old hearty?〃 Liverpool would call out at times。



〃Cheer O;〃 Old Tarwater had learned to respond。



〃What can I ever do for you; son; in payment?〃 Tarwater; stoking

the fire; would sometimes ask Liverpool; beating now one released

hand and now the other as he fought for circulation where he

steered in the freezing stern…sheets。



〃Just break out that regular song of yours; old Forty…Niner;〃 was

the invariable reply。



And Tarwater would lift his voice in the cackling chant; as he

lifted it at the end; when the boat swung in through driving cake…

ice and moored to the Dawson City bank; and all waterfront Dawson

pricked its ears to hear the triumphant paean:





Like Argus of the ancient times;

We leave this modern Greece;

Tum…tum; tum…tum; tum; tum; tum…tum;

To shear the Golden Fleece;





Charles did it; but he did it so discreetly that none of his party;

least of all the sailor; ever learned of it。  He saw two great open

barges being filled up with men; and; on inquiry; learned that

these were grubless ones being rounded up and sent down the Yukon

by the Committee of Safety。  The barges were to be towed by the

last little steamboat in Dawson; and the hope was that Fort Yukon;

where lay the stranded steamboats; would be gained before the river

froze。  At any rate; no matter what happened to them; Dawson would

be relieved of their grub…consuming presence。  So to the Committee

of Safety Charles went; privily to drop a flea in its ear

concerning Tarwater's grubless; moneyless; and aged condition。

Tarwater was one of the last gathered in; and when Young Liverpool

returned to the boat; from the bank he saw the barges in a run of

cake…ice; disappearing around the bend below Moose…hide Mountain。



Running in cake…ice all the way; and several times escaping jams in

the Yukon Flats; the barges made their hundreds of miles of

progress farther into the north and froze up cheek by jowl with the

grub…fleet。  Here; inside the Arctic Circle; Old Tarwater settled

down to pass the long winter。  Several hours' work a day; chopping

firewood for the steamboat companies; sufficed to keep him in food。

For the rest of the time there was nothing to do but hibernate in

his log cabin。



Warmth; rest; and plenty to eat; cured his hacking cough and put

him in as good physical condition as was possible for his advanced

years。  But; even before Christmas; the lack of fresh vegetables

caused scurvy to break out; and disappointed adventurer after

disappointed adventurer took to his bunk in abject surrender to

this culminating misfortune。  Not so Tarwater。  Even before the

first symptoms appeared on him; he was putting into practice his

one prescription; namely; exercise。  From the junk of the old

trading post he resurrected a number of rusty traps; and from one

of the steamboat captains he borrowed a rifle。



Thus equipped; he ceased from wood…chopping; and began to make more

than a mere living。  Nor was he downhearted when the scur

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