smoke bellew-第7节

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〃What　do　you　know　about　it？〃　Stine　snapped　at　him。

〃Search　me；〃　Kit　answered；　and　subsided。

It　was　the　first　time　he　had　worked　for　wages　in　his　life；　but　he　was　learning　the　discipline　of　it　fast。　　Obediently　and　cheerfully　he　joined　in　various　vain　efforts　to　get　clear　of　the　beach。

〃How　would　you　go　about　it？〃　Sprague　finally　half…panted；　half…　whined　at　him。

〃Sit　down　and　get　a　good　rest　till　a　lull　comes　in　the　wind；　and　then　buck　in　for　all　we're　worth。〃

Simple　as　the　idea　was；　he　had　been　the　first　to　evolve　it；　the　first　time　it　was　applied　it　worked；　and　they　hoisted　a　blanket　to　the　mast　and　sped　down　the　lake。　　Stine　and　Sprague　immediately　became　cheerful。　　Shorty；　despite　his　chronic　pessimism；　was　always　cheerful；　and　Kit　was　too　interested　to　be　otherwise。　　Sprague　struggled　with　the　steering　sweep　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　then　looked　appealingly　at　Kit；　who　relieved　him。

〃My　arms　are　fairly　broken　with　the　strain　of　it；〃　Sprague　muttered　apologetically。

〃You　never　ate　bear…meat；　did　you？〃　Kit　asked　sympathetically。

〃What　the　devil　do　you　mean？〃

〃Oh；　nothing；　I　was　just　wondering。〃

But　behind　his　employer's　back　Kit　caught　the　approving　grin　of　Shorty；　who　had　already　caught　the　whim　of　his　simile。

Kit　steered　the　length　of　Linderman；　displaying　an　aptitude　that　caused　both　young　men　of　money　and　disinclination　for　work　to　name　him　boat…steerer。　　Shorty　was　no　less　pleased；　and　volunteered　to　continue　cooking　and　leave　the　boat　work　to　the　other。

Between　Linderman　and　Lake　Bennet　was　a　portage。　　The　boat；　lightly　loaded；　was　lined　down　the　small　but　violent　connecting　stream；　and　here　Kit　learned　a　vast　deal　more　about　boats　and　water。　　But　when　it　came　to　packing　the　outfit；　Stine　and　Sprague　disappeared；　and　their　men　spent　two　days　of　back…breaking　toil　in　getting　the　outfit　across。　　And　this　was　the　history　of　many　miserable　days　of　the　tripKit　and　Shorty　working　to　exhaustion；　while　their　masters　toiled　not　and　demanded　to　be　waited　upon。

But　the　iron…bound　arctic　winter　continued　to　close　down；　and　they　were　held　back　by　numerous　and　avoidable　delays。　　At　Windy　Arm；　Stine　arbitrarily　dispossessed　Kit　of　the　steering…sweep　and　within　the　hour　wrecked　the　boat　on　a　wave…beaten　lee　shore。　　Two　days　were　lost　here　in　making　repairs；　and　the　morning　of　the　fresh　start；　as　they　came　down　to　embark；　on　stern　and　bow；　in　large　letters；　was　charcoaled　'The　Chechaquo。'

Kit　grinned　at　the　appropriateness　of　the　invidious　word。

〃Huh！〃　said　Shorty；　when　accused　by　Stine。　　〃I　can　sure　read　and　spell；　an'　I　know　that　Chechaquo　means　tenderfoot；　but　my　education　never　went　high　enough　to　learn　me　to　spell　a　jaw…breaker　like　that。〃

Both　employers　looked　daggers　at　Kit；　for　the　insult　rankled；　nor　did　he　mention　that　the　night　before；　Shorty　had　besought　him　for　the　spelling　of　that　particular　word。

〃That's　'most　as　bad　as　your　bear…meat　slam　at　'em；〃　Shorty　confided　later。

Kit　chuckled。　　Along　with　the　continuous　discovery　of　his　own　powers　had　come　an　ever…increasing　disapproval　of　the　two　masters。　　It　was　not　so　much　irritation；　which　was　always　present；　as　disgust。　　He　had　got　his　taste　of　the　meat；　and　liked　it；　but　they　were　teaching　him　how　not　to　eat　it。　　Privily；　he　thanked　God　that　he　was　not　made　as　they。　　He　came　to　dislike　them　to　a　degree　that　bordered　on　hatred。　　Their　malingering　bothered　him　less　than　their　helpless　inefficiency。　　Somewhere　in　him；　old　Isaac　Bellew　and　all　the　rest　of　the　hardy　Bellews　were　making　good。

〃Shorty；〃　he　said　one　day；　in　the　usual　delay　of　getting　started；　〃I　could　almost　fetch　them　a　rap　over　the　head　with　an　oar　and　bury　them　in　the　river。〃

〃Same　here；〃　Shorty　agreed。　　〃They're　not　meat…eaters。　　They're　fish…eaters；　and　they　sure　stink。〃



III。

They　came　to　the　rapids；　first；　the　Box　Canyon；　and；　several　miles　below；　the　White　Horse。　　The　Box　Canyon　was　adequately　named。　　It　was　a　box；　a　trap。　　Once　in　it；　the　only　way　out　was　through。　　On　either　side　arose　perpendicular　walls　of　rock。　　The　river　narrowed　to　a　fraction　of　its　width；　and　roared　through　this　gloomy　passage　in　a　madness　of　motion　that　heaped　the　water　in　the　centre　into　a　ridge　fully　eight　feet　higher　than　at　the　rocky　sides。　　This　ridge；　in　turn；　was　crested　with　stiff；　upstanding　waves　that　curled　over；　yet　remained　each　in　its　unvarying　place。　　The　Canyon　was　well　feared；　for　it　had　collected　its　toll　of　dead　from　the　passing　gold…　rushers。

Tying　to　the　bank　above；　where　lay　a　score　of　other　anxious　boats；　Kit　and　his　companions　went　ahead　on　foot　to　investigate。　　They　crept　to　the　brink　and　gazed　down　at　the　swirl　of　water。　　Sprague　drew　back　shuddering。

〃My　God！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃A　swimmer　hasn't　a　chance　in　that。〃

Shorty　touched　Kit　significantly　with　his　elbow　and　said　in　an　undertone：

〃Cold　feet。　　Dollars　to　doughnuts　they　don't　go　through。〃

Kit　scarcely　heard。　　From　the　beginning　of　the　boat　trip　he　had　been　learning　the　stubbornness　and　inconceivable　viciousness　of　the　elements；　and　this　glimpse　of　what　was　below　him　acted　as　a　challenge。

〃We've　got　to　ride　that　ridge；〃　he　said。　　〃If　we　get　off　of　it　we'll　hit　the　walls〃

〃And　never　know　what　hit　us；〃　was　Shorty's　verdict。　　〃Can　you　swim；　Smoke？〃

〃I'd　wish　I　couldn't　if　anything　went　wrong　in　there。〃

〃That's　what　I　say；〃　a　stranger；　standing　alongside　and　peering　down　into　the　Canyon；　said　mournfully。　　〃And　I　wish　I　were　through　it。〃

〃I　wouldn't　sell　my　chance　to　go　through；〃　Kit　answered。

He　spoke　honestly；　but　it　was　with　the　idea　of　heartening　the　man。　He　turned　to　go　back　to　the　boat。

〃Are　you　going　to　tackle　it？〃　the　man　asked。

Kit　nodded。

〃I　wish　I　could　get　the　courage　to；〃　the　other　confessed。　　〃I've　been　here　for　hours。　　The　longer　I　look；　the　more　afraid　I　am。　　I　am　not　a　boatman；　and　I　have　only　my　nephew　with　me；　who　is　a　young　boy；　and　my　wife。　　If　you　get　through　safely；　will　you　run　my　boat　through？〃

Kit　looked　at　Shorty；　who　delayed　to　answer。

〃He's　got　his　wife　with　him；〃　Kit　suggested。　　Nor　had　he　mistaken　his　man。

〃Sure；〃　Shorty　affirmed。　　〃It　was　just　that　I　was　stopping　to　think　about。　　I　knew　there　was　some　reason　I　ought　to　do　it。〃

Again　they　turned　to　go；　but　Sprague　and　Stine　made　no　movement。

〃Good　luck；　Smoke；〃　Sprague　called　to　him。　　〃I'ller〃　　He　hesitated。　　〃I'll　just　stay　here　and　watch　you。〃

〃We　need　three　men　in　the　boat；　two　at　the　oars　and　one　at　the　steering　sweep；〃　Kit　said　quietly。

Sprague　looked　at　Stine。

〃I'm　damned　if　I　do；〃　said　that　gentleman。　　〃If　you're　not　afraid　to　stand　here　and　look　on；　I'm　not。〃

〃Who's　afraid？〃　Sprague　demanded　hotly。

Stine　retorted　in　kind；　and　their　two　men　left　them　in　the　thick　of　a　squabble。

〃We　can　do　without　them；〃　Kit　said　to　Shorty。　　〃You　take　the　bow　with　a　paddle；　and　I'll　handle　the　steering　sweep。　　All　you'll　have　to　do　is　just　to　keep　her　straight。　　Once　we're　started；　you　won't　be　able　to　hear　me；　so　just　keep　on　keeping　straight。〃

They　cast　off　the　boat　and　worked　out　to　middle　in　the　quickening　current。　　From　the　Canyon　came　an　ever…growing　roar。　　The　river　sucked　in　to　the　entrance　with　the　smoothness　of　molten　glass；　and　here；　as　the　darkening　walls　received　them；　Shorty　took　a　chew　of　tobacco；　and　dipped　his　paddle。　　The　boat　leaped　on　the　first　crests　of　the　ridge；　and　they　were　deafened　by　the　uproar　of　wild　water　that　reverberated　from　the　narrow　walls　and　multiplied　itself。　　They　were　half…smothered　with　flying　spray。　　At　times　Kit　could　not　see　his　comrade　at　the　bow。　　It　was　only　a　matter　of　two　minutes；　in　which　time　they　rode　the　ridge　three…quarters　of　a　mile；　and　emerged　in　safety　and　tied　to　the　bank　in　the　eddy　below。

Shorty　emptied　his　mouth　of　tobacco　juicehe　had　forgotten　to　spit…　…and　spoke。

〃That　was　bear…meat；〃　he　exulted；　〃the　real　bear…meat。　　Say；　we　want　a　few；　didn't　we；　Smoke；　I　don't　mind　tellin'　you　in　confidence　that　before　we　started　I　was　the　gosh…dangdest　scaredest　man　this　side　of　the　Rocky…Mountains。　　Now　I'm　a　bear…eater。　　Come　on　an'　we'll　run　that　other　boat　through。〃

Midway　back；　on　foot；　they　encountered　their　employers；　who　had　watched　the　passage　from　above。

〃There　comes　the　fish…eaters；〃　said　Shorty。　　〃Keep　to　win'ward。〃



IV。

After　running　the　strangers'　boat　through；　whose　name　proved　to　be　Breck；　Kit　and　Shorty　met　his　wife；　a　slender；　girlish　woman　whose　blue　eyes　were　moist　with　gratitude。　　Breck　himself　tried　to　hand　Kit　fifty　dollars；　and　then　attempted　it　on　Shorty。

〃Stranger；〃　was　the　latter's　rejection；　〃I　come　into　this　country　to　make　money　outa　the　ground　an'　not　outa　my　fellow　critters。〃

Breck　rummaged　in　his　boat　and　produced　a　demijohn　of　whiskey。　Shorty's　hand　half　went　out　to　it　and　stopped　abruptly。　　He　shook　his　head。

〃There's　that　blamed　White　Horse　right　below；　an'　they　say　it's　worse　than　the　Box。　　I　reckon　I　don't　dast　tackle　any　lightning。〃

Several　miles　below　they　ran　in　to　the　bank；　and　all　four　walked　down　to　look　at　the　bad　water。　　The　river；　which　was　a　succession　of　rapids；　was　here　deflected　toward　the　right　bank　by　a　rocky　reef。　The　whole　body　of　water；　rushing　crookedly　into　the　narrow　passage；　accelerated　its　speed　frightfully；