the faith of men-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



boat　lost　headway；　and　Rasmunsen　sprang　to　the　bailing　bucket



Several　boats　hurtled　past　them　in　the　next　half…hour；small

boats；　boats　of　their　own　size；　boats　afraid；　unable　to　do　aught

but　run　madly　on。　　Then　a　ten…ton　barge；　at　imminent　risk　of

destruction；　lowered　sail　to　windward　and　lumbered　down　upon　them。



〃Keep　off！　　Keep　off！〃　Rasmunsen　screamed。



But　his　low　gunwale　ground　against　the　heavy　craft；　and　the

remaining　correspondent　clambered　aboard。　　Rasmunsen　was　over　the

eggs　like　a　cat　and　in　the　bow　of　the　Alma；　striving　with　numb

fingers　to　bend　the　hauling…lines　together。



〃Come　on！〃　a　red…whiskered　man　yelled　at　him。



〃I've　a　thousand　dozen　eggs　here；〃　he　shouted　back。　　〃Gimme　a　tow！

I'll　pay　you！〃



〃Come　on！〃　they　howled　in　chorus。



A　big　whitecap　broke　just　beyond；　washing　over　the　barge　and

leaving　the　Alma　half　swamped。　　The　men　cast　off；　cursing　him　as

they　ran　up　their　sail。　　Rasmunsen　cursed　back　and　fell　to　bailing。

The　mast　and　sail；　like　a　sea　anchor；　still　fast　by　the　halyards；

held　the　boat　head　on　to　wind　and　sea　and　gave　him　a　chance　to

fight　the　water　out。



Three　hours　later；　numbed；　exhausted；　blathering　like　a　lunatic；

but　still　bailing；　he　went　ashore　on　an　ice…strewn　beach　near

Cariboo　Crossing。　　Two　men；　a　government　courier　and　a　half…breed

voyageur；　dragged　him　out　of　the　surf；　saved　his　cargo；　and　beached

the　Alma。　　They　were　paddling　out　of　the　country　in　a　Peterborough；

and　gave　him　shelter　for　the　night　in　their　storm…bound　camp。　　Next

morning　they　departed；　but　he　elected　to　stay　by　his　eggs。　　And

thereafter　the　name　and　fame　of　the　man　with　the　thousand　dozen

eggs　began　to　spread　through　the　land。　　Gold…seekers　who　made　in

before　the　freeze…up　carried　the　news　of　his　coming。　　Grizzled　old…

timers　of　Forty　Mile　and　Circle　City；　sour　doughs　with　leathern

jaws　and　bean…calloused　stomachs；　called　up　dream　memories　of

chickens　and　green　things　at　mention　of　his　name。　　Dyea　and　Skaguay

took　an　interest　in　his　being；　and　questioned　his　progress　from

every　man　who　came　over　the　passes；　while　Dawsongolden；

omeletless　Dawsonfretted　and　worried；　and　way…laid　every　chance

arrival　for　word　of　him。



But　of　this　Rasmunsen　knew　nothing。　　The　day　after　the　wreck　he

patched　up　the　Alma　and　pulled　out。　　A　cruel　east　wind　blew　in　his

teeth　from　Tagish；　but　he　got　the　oars　over　the　side　and　bucked

manfully　into　it；　though　half　the　time　he　was　drifting　backward　and

chopping　ice　from　the　blades。　　According　to　the　custom　of　the

country；　he　was　driven　ashore　at　Windy　Arm；　three　times　on　Tagish

saw　him　swamped　and　beached；　and　Lake　Marsh　held　him　at　the　freeze…

up。　　The　Alma　was　crushed　in　the　jamming　of　the　floes；　but　the　eggs

were　intact。　　These　he　back…tripped　two　miles　across　the　ice　to　the

shore；　where　he　built　a　cache；　which　stood　for　years　after　and　was

pointed　out　by　men　who　knew。



Half　a　thousand　frozen　miles　stretched　between　him　and　Dawson；　and

the　waterway　was　closed。　　But　Rasmunsen；　with　a　peculiar　tense　look

in　his　face；　struck　back　up　the　lakes　on　foot。　　What　he　suffered　on

that　lone　trip；　with　nought　but　a　single　blanket；　an　axe；　and　a

handful　of　beans；　is　not　given　to　ordinary　mortals　to　know。　　Only

the　Arctic　adventurer　may　understand。　　Suffice　that　he　was　caught

in　a　blizzard　on　Chilkoot　and　left　two　of　his　toes　with　the　surgeon

at　Sheep　Camp。　　Yet　he　stood　on　his　feet　and　washed　dishes　in　the

scullery　of　the　PAWONA　to　the　Puget　Sound；　and　from　there　passed

coal　on　a　P。　S。　boat　to　San　Francisco。



It　was　a　haggard；　unkempt　man　who　limped　across　the　shining　office

floor　to　raise　a　second　mortgage　from　the　bank　people。　　His　hollow

cheeks　betrayed　themselves　through　the　scraggy　beard；　and　his　eyes

seemed　to　have　retired　into　deep　caverns　where　they　burned　with

cold　fires。　　His　hands　were　grained　from　exposure　and　hard　work；

and　the　nails　were　rimmed　with　tight…packed　dirt　and　coal…dust。　　He

spoke　vaguely　of　eggs　and　ice…packs；　winds　and　tides；　but　when　they

declined　to　let　him　have　more　than　a　second　thousand；　his　talk

became　incoherent；　concerning　itself　chiefly　with　the　price　of　dogs

and　dog…food；　and　such　things　as　snowshoes　and　moccasins　and　winter

trails。　　They　let　him　have　fifteen　hundred；　which　was　more　than　the

cottage　warranted；　and　breathed　easier　when　he　scrawled　his

signature　and　passed　out　the　door。



Two　weeks　later　he　went　over　Chilkoot　with　three　dog　sleds　of　five

dogs　each。　　One　team　he　drove；　the　two　Indians　with　him　driving　the

others。　　At　Lake　Marsh　they　broke　out　the　cache　and　loaded　up。　　But

there　was　no　trail。　　He　was　the　first　in　over　the　ice；　and　to　him

fell　the　task　of　packing　the　snow　and　hammering　away　through　the

rough　river　jams。　　Behind　him　he　often　observed　a　camp…fire　smoke

trickling　thinly　up　through　the　quiet　air；　and　he　wondered　why　the

people　did　not　overtake　him。　　For　he　was　a　stranger　to　the　land　and

did　not　understand。　　Nor　could　he　understand　his　Indians　when　they

tried　to　explain。　　This　they　conceived　to　be　a　hardship；　but　when

they　balked　and　refused　to　break　camp　of　mornings；　he　drove　them　to

their　work　at　pistol　point。



When　he　slipped　through　an　ice　bridge　near　the　White　Horse　and

froze　his　foot；　tender　yet　and　oversensitive　from　the　previous

freezing；　the　Indians　looked　for　him　to　lie　up。　　But　he　sacrificed

a　blanket；　and；　with　his　foot　incased　in　an　enormous　moccasin；　big

as　a　water…bucket；　continued　to　take　his　regular　turn　with　the

front　sled。　　Here　was　the　cruellest　work；　and　they　respected　him；

though　on　the　side　they　rapped　their　foreheads　with　their　knuckles

and　significantly　shook　their　heads。　　One　night　they　tried　to　run

away；　but　the　zip…zip　of　his　bullets　in　the　snow　brought　them　back；

snarling　but　convinced。　　Whereupon；　being　only　savage　Chilkat　men；

they　put　their　heads　together　to　kill　him；　but　he　slept　like　a　cat；

and；　waking　or　sleeping；　the　chance　never　came。　　Often　they　tried

to　tell　him　the　import　of　the　smoke　wreath　in　the　rear；　but　he

could　not　comprehend　and　grew　suspicious　of　them。　　And　when　they

sulked　or　shirked；　he　was　quick　to　let　drive　at　them　between　the

eyes；　and　quick　to　cool　their　heated　souls　with　sight　of　his　ready

revolver。



And　so　it　wentwith　mutinous　men；　wild　dogs；　and　a　trail　that

broke　the　heart。　　He　fought　the　men　to　stay　with　him；　fought　the

dogs　to　keep　them　away　from　the　eggs；　fought　the　ice；　the　cold；　and

the　pain　of　his　foot；　which　would　not　heal。　　As　fast　as　the　young

tissue　renewed；　it　was　bitten　and　scared　by　the　frost；　so　that　a

running　sore　developed；　into　which　he　could　almost　shove　his　fist。

In　the　mornings；　when　he　first　put　his　weight　upon　it；　his　head

went　dizzy；　and　he　was　near　to　fainting　from　the　pain；　but　later　on

in　the　day　it　usually　grew　numb；　to　recommence　when　he　crawled　into

his　blankets　and　tried　to　sleep。　　Yet　he；　who　had　been　a　clerk　and

sat　at　a　desk　all　his　days；　toiled　till　the　Indians　were　exhausted；

and　even　out…worked　the　dogs。　　How　hard　he　worked；　how　much　he

suffered；　he　did　not　know。　　Being　a　man　of　the　one　idea；　now　that

the　idea　had　come；　it　mastered　him。　　In　the　foreground　of　his

consciousness　was　Dawson；　in　the　background　his　thousand　dozen

eggs；　and　midway　between　the　two　his　ego　fluttered；　striving　always

to　draw　them　together　to　a　glittering　golden　point。　　This　golden

point　was　the　five　thousand　dollars；　the　consummation　of　the　idea

and　the　point　of　departure　for　whatever　new　idea　might　present

itself。　　For　the　rest；　he　was　a　mere　automaton。　　He　was　unaware　of

other　things；　seeing　them　as　through　a　glass　darkly；　and　giving

them　no　thought。　　The　work　of　his　hands　he　did　with　machine…like

wisdom；　likewise　the　work　of　his　head。　　So　the　look　on　his　face

grew　very　tense；　till　even　the　Indians　were　afraid　of　it；　and

marvelled　at　the　strange　white　man　who　had　made　them　slaves　and

forced　them　to　toil　with　such　foolishness。



Then　came　a　snap　on　Lake　Le　Barge；　when　the　cold　of　outer　space

smote　the　tip　of　the　planet；　and　the　force　ranged　sixty　and　odd

degrees　below　zero。　　Here；　labouring　with　open　mouth　that　he　might

breathe　more　freely；　he　chilled　his　lungs；　and　for　the　rest　of　the

trip　he　was　troubled　with　a　dry；　hacking　cough；　especially

irritable　in　smoke　of　camp　or　under　stress　of　undue　exertion。　　On

the　Thirty　Mile　river　he　found　much　open　water；　spanned　by

precarious　ice　bridges　and　fringed　with　narrow　rim　ice；　tricky　and

uncertain。　　The　rim　ice　was　impossible　to　reckon　on；　and　he　dared

it　without　reckoning；　falling　back　on　his　revolver　when　his　drivers

demurred。　　But　on　the　ice　bridges；　covered　with　snow　though　they

were；　precautions　could　be　taken。　　These　they　crossed　on　their

snowshoes；　with　long　poles；　held　crosswise　in　their　hands；　to　which

to　cling　in　case　of　accident。　　Once　over；　the　dogs　were　called　to

follow。　　And　on　such　a　bridge；　where　the　absence　of　the　centre　ice

was　masked　by　the　snow；　one　of　the　Indians　met　his　end。　　He　went

through　as　quickly　and　neatly　as　a　knife　through　thin　cream；　and

the　current　swept　him　from　view　down　under　the　stream　ice。



That　night　his　mate　fled　away　through　the　pale　moonlight；　Rasmunsen

futilely　puncturing　the　silence　with　his　revolvera　thing　that　he

handled　with　more　celerity　than　cleverness。　　Thirty…six　hours　later

the　Indian　made　a　police　camp　on　the　Big　Salmon。



〃Umumum　funny　manswhat　you　call？top　um　head　all　loose；〃　the

interpreter　explained　to　the　puzzled　captain。　　〃Eh？　　Yep；　clazy；

much　clazy　mans。　　Eggs；　eggs；　all　a　time　eggssavvy？　　Come　bime…

by。〃



It　was　several　days　before　Rasmunsen　arrived；　the　three　sleds

lashed　together；　and　all　the　dogs　in　a　single　team。　　It　was

awkward；　and　where　the　going　was　bad　he　was　compelled　to　back…trip

it　sled　by　sled；　though　he　managed　most　of　the　time；　through

herculean　efforts；　to　bring　all　along　on　the　one　haul。　　He　did　not

seem　moved　when　the　captain　of　police　told　him　his　man　was