the night-born-第3节

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and　tried　to　stop　me。



〃'What　you　doing？〃　he　says。



〃'Divorcin'　you　and　me；'　I　says。　'I'm　headin'　for　tall　timber

and　where　I　belong。'〃



〃'No　you　don't；〃　he　says；　reaching　for　me　to　stop　me。　〃The

cooking　has　got　on　your　head。　You　listen　to　me　talk　before　you

up　and　do　anything　brash。'〃



〃'But　I　pulled　a　gun…a　little　Colt's　forty…fourand　says；

〃This　does　my　talkin'　for　me。'〃



〃'And　I　left。'〃



Trefethan　emptied　his　glass　and　called　for　another。



〃Boys；　do　you　know　what　that　girl　did？　She　was　twenty…two。　She

had　spent　her　life　over　the　dish…pan　and　she　knew　no　more　about

the　world　than　I　do　of　the　fourth　dimension；　or　the　fifth。　All

roads　led　to　her　desire。　No；　she　didn't　head　for　the

dance…halls。　On　the　Alaskan　Pan…handle　it　is　preferable　to

travel　by　water。　She　went　down　to　the　beach。　An　Indian　canoe

was　starting　for　Dyeayou　know　the　kind；　carved　out　of　a

single　tree；　narrow　and　deep　and　sixty　feet　long。　She　gave　them

a　couple　of　dollars　and　got　on　board。



〃'Romance？'　she　told　me。　'It　was　Romance　from　the　jump。　There

were　three　families　altogether　in　that　canoe；　and　that　crowded

there　wasn't　room　to　turn　around；　with　dogs　and　Indian　babies

sprawling　over　everything；　and　everybody　dipping　a　paddle　and

making　that　canoe　go。'　And　all　around　the　great　solemn

mountains；　and　tangled　drifts　of　clouds　and　sunshine。　And　oh；

the　silence！　the　great　wonderful　silence！　And；　once；　the　smoke

of　a　hunter's　camp；　away　off　in　the　distance；　trailing　among

the　trees。　It　was　like　a　picnic；　a　grand　picnic；　and　I　could

see　my　dreams　coming　true；　and　I　was　ready　for　something　to

happen　'most　any　time。　And　it　did。



〃'And　that　first　camp；　on　the　island！　And　the　boys　spearing

fish　in　the　mouth　of　the　creek；　and　the　big　deer　one　of　the

bucks　shot　just　around　the　point。　And　there　were　flowers

everywhere；　and　in　back　from　the　beach　the　grass　was　thick　and

lush　and　neck…high。　And　some　of　the　girls　went　through　this

with　me；　and　we　climbed　the　hillside　behind　and　picked　berries

and　roots　that　tasted　sour　and　were　good　to　eat。　And　we　came

upon　a　big　bear　in　the　berries　making　his　supper；　and　he　said

〃Oof！〃　and　ran　away　as　scared　as　we　were。　And　then　the　camp；

and　the　camp　smoke；　and　the　smell　of　fresh　venison　cooking。　It

was　beautiful。　I　was　with　the　night…born　at　last；　and　I　knew

that　was　where　I　belonged。　And　for　the　first　time　in　my　life；

it　seemed　to　me；　I　went　to　bed　happy　that　night；　looking　out

under　a　corner　of　the　canvas　at　the　stars　cut　off　black　by　a

big　shoulder　of　mountain；　and　listening　to　the　night…noises；

and　knowing　that　the　same　thing　would　go　on　next　day　and

forever　and　ever；　for　I　wasn't　going　back。　And　I　never　did　go

back。'



〃'Romance！　I　got　it　next　day。　We　had　to　cross　a　big　arm　of　the

oceantwelve　or　fifteen　miles；　at　least；　and　it　came　on　to

blow　when　we　were　in　the　middle。　That　night　I　was　along　on

shore；　with　one　wolf…dog；　and　I　was　the　only　one　left　alive。'



〃Picture　it　yourself；〃　Trefethan　broke　off　to　say。　〃The　canoe

was　wrecked　and　lost；　and　everybody　pounded　to　death　on　the

rocks　except　her。　She　went　ashore　hanging　on　to　a　dog's　tail；

escaping　the　rocks　and　washing　up　on　a　tiny　beach；　the　only　one

in　miles。



〃'Lucky　for　me　it　was　the　mainland；'　she　said。　'So　I　headed

right　away　back；　through　the　woods　and　over　the　mountains　and

straight　on　anywhere。　Seemed　I　was　looking　for　something　and

knew　I'd　find　it。　I　wasn't　afraid。　I　was　night…born；　and　the

big　timber　couldn't　kill　me。　And　on　the　second　day　I　found　it。

I　came　upon　a　small　clearing　and　a　tumbledown　cabin。　Nobody　had

been　there　for　years　and　years。　The　roof　had　fallen　in。　Rotted

blankets　lay　in　the　bunks；　and　pots　and　pans　were　on　the　stove。

But　that　was　not　the　most　curious　thing。　Outside；　along　the

edge　of　the　trees；　you　can't　guess　what　I　found。　The　skeletons

of　eight　horses；　each　tied　to　a　tree。　They　had　starved　to

death；　I　reckon；　and　left　only　little　piles　of　bones　scattered

some　here　and　there。　And　each　horse　had　had　a　load　on　its　back。

There　the　loads　lay；　in　among　the　bonespainted　canvas　sacks；

and　inside　moosehide　sacks；　and　inside　the　moosehide

sackswhat　do　you　think？'〃



She　stopped；　reached　under　a　comer　of　the　bed　among　the　spruce

boughs；　and　pulled　out　a　leather　sack。　She　untied　the　mouth　and

ran　out　into　my　hand　as　pretty　a　stream　of　gold　as　I　have　ever

seencoarse　gold；　placer　gold；　some　large　dust；　but　mostly

nuggets；　and　it　was　so　fresh　and　rough　that　it　scarcely　showed

signs　of　water…wash。



〃'You　say　you're　a　mining　engineer；'　she　said；　'and　you　know

this　country。　Can　you　name　a　pay…creek　that　has　the　color　of

that　gold！'



〃I　couldn't！　There　wasn't　a　trace　of　silver。　It　was　almost

pure；　and　I　told　her　so。



〃'You　bet；'　she　said。　'I　sell　that　for　nineteen　dollars　an

ounce。　You　can't　get　over　seventeen　for　Eldorado　gold；　and

Minook　gold　don't　fetch　quite　eighteen。　Well；　that　was　what　I

found　among　the　boneseight　horse…loads　of　it；　one　hundred　and

fifty　pounds　to　the　load。'



〃'A　quarter　of　a　million　dollars！'　I　cried　out。



〃'That's　what　I　reckoned　it　roughly；'　she　answered。　'Talk　about

Romance！　And　me　a　slaving　the　way　I　had　all　the　years；　when　as

soon　as　I　ventured　out；　inside　three　days；　this　was　what

happened。　And　what　became　of　the　men　that　mined　all　that　gold？

Often　and　often　I　wonder　about　it。　They　left　their　horses；

loaded　and　tied；　and　just　disappeared　off　the　face　of　the

earth；　leaving　neither　hide　nor　hair　behind　them。　I　never　heard

tell　of　them。　Nobody　knows　anything　about　them。　Well；　being　the

night…born；　I　reckon　I　was　their　rightful　heir。'



Trefethan　stopped　to　light　a　cigar。



〃Do　you　know　what　that　girl　did？　She　cached　the　gold；　saving

out　thirty　pounds；　which　she　carried　back　to　the　coast。　Then

she　signaled　a　passing　canoe；　made　her　way　to　Pat　Healy's

trading　post　at　Dyea；　outfitted；　and　went　over　Chilcoot　Pass。

That　was　in　'88eight　years　before　the　Klondike　strike；　and

the　Yukon　was　a　howling　wilderness。　She　was　afraid　of　the

bucks；　but　she　took　two　young　squaws　with　her；　crossed　the

lakes；　and　went　down　the　river　and　to　all　the　early　camps　on

the　Lower　Yukon。　She　wandered　several　years　over　that　country

and　then　on　in　to　where　I　met　her。　Liked　the　looks　of　it；　she

said；　seeing；　in　her　own　words；　'a　big　bull　caribou　knee…deep

in　purple　iris　on　the　valley…bottom。'　She　hooked　up　with　the

Indians；　doctored　them；　gained　their　confidence；　and　gradually

took　them　in　charge。　She　had　only　left　that　country　once；　and

then；　with　a　bunch　of　the　young　bucks；　she　went　over　Chilcoot；

cleaned　up　her　gold…cache；　and　brought　it　back　with　her。



〃'And　here　I　be；　stranger；'　she　concluded　her　yarn；　'and　here's

the　most　precious　thing　I　own。'



〃She　pulled　out　a　little　pouch　of　buckskin；　worn　on　her　neck

like　a　locket；　and　opened　it。　And　inside；　wrapped　in　oiled

silk；　yellowed　with　age　and　worn　and　thumbed；　was　the　original

scrap　of　newspaper　containing　the　quotation　from　Thoreau。



〃'And　are　you　happy　。　。　。　satisfied？'　I　asked　her。　'With　a

quarter　of　a　million　you　wouldn't　have　to　work　down　in　the

States。　You　must　miss　a　lot。'



〃'Not　much；'　she　answered。　'I　wouldn't　swop　places　with　any

woman　down　in　the　States。　These　are　my　people；　this　is　where　I

belong。　But　there　are　timesand　in　her　eyes　smoldered　up　that

hungry　yearning　I've　mentioned'there　are　times　when　I　wish

most　awful　bad　for　that　Thoreau　man　to　happen　along。'



〃'Why？'　I　asked。



〃'So　as　I　could　marry　him。　I　do　get　mighty　lonesome　at　spells。

I'm　just　a　womana　real　woman。　I've　heard　tell　of　the　other

kind　of　women　that　gallivanted　off　like　me　and　did　queer

thingsthe　sort　that　become　soldiers　in　armies；　and　sailors　on

ships。　But　those　women　are　queer　themselves。　They're　more　like

men　than　women；　they　look　like　men　and　they　don't　have　ordinary

women's　needs。　They　don't　want　love；　nor　little　children　in

their　arms　and　around　their　knees。　I'm　not　that　sort。　I　leave

it　to　you；　stranger。　Do　I　look　like　a　man？'



〃She　didn't。　She　was　a　woman；　a　beautiful；　nut…brown　woman；

with　a　sturdy；　health…rounded　woman's　body　and　with　wonderful

deep…blue　woman's　eyes。



〃'Ain't　I　woman？'　she　demanded。　'I　am。　I'm　'most　all　woman；　and

then　some。　And　the　funny　thing　is；　though　I'm　night…born　in

everything　else；　I'm　not　when　it　comes　to　mating。　I　reckon　that

kind　likes　its　own　kind　best。　That's　the　way　it　is　with　me；

anyway；　and　has　been　all　these　years。'



〃'You　mean　to　tell　me'　I　began。



〃'Never；'　she　said；　and　her　eyes　looked　into　mine　with　the

straightness　of　truth。　'I　had　one　husband；　onlyhim　I　call　the

Ox；　and　I　reckon　he's　still　down　in　Juneau　running　the

hash…joint。　Look　him　up；　if　you　ever　get　back；　and　you'll　find

he's　rightly　named。'



〃And　look　him　up　I　did；　two　years　afterward。　He　was　all　she

saidsolid　and　stolid；　the　Oxshuffling　around　and　waiting　on

the　tables。



〃'You　need