the faith of men-第7部分

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they　could　not　catch　him；　and　fell　one　over　another　and　made　haste

slowly。　　Even　now　they　do　howl　without　his　igloo；　and　his　woman…

folk　within；　and　what　of　the　noise；　he　cannot　make　himself　heard。'



〃'O　Angeit；　thou　hast　done　well；'　I　commanded。　　'Go　now；　taking

this　empty　sled　and　the　lean　dogs；　and　ride　fast　to　the　igloo　of

Moosu；　and　before　the　people；　who　are　drunken；　are　aware；　throw　him

quick　upon　the　sled　and　bring　him　to　me。'



〃I　waited　and　gave　good　advice　to　the　faithful　ones　till　Angeit

returned。　　Moosu　was　on　the　sled；　and　I　saw　by　the　fingermarks　on

his　face　that　his　womankind　had　done　well　by　him。　　But　he　tumbled

off　and　fell　in　the　snow　at　my　feet；　crying：　　'O　master；　thou　wilt

forgive　Moosu；　thy　servant；　for　the　wrong　things　he　has　done！　　Thou

art　a　great　man！　　Surely　wilt　thou　forgive！'



〃'Call　me　〃brother；〃　Moosucall　me　〃brother；〃'　I　chided；　lifting

him　to　his　feet　with　the　toe　of　my　moccasin。　　'Wilt　thou　evermore

obey？'



〃'Yea；　master；'　he　whimpered；　'evermore。'



〃'Then　dispose　thy　body；　so；　across　the　sled；'　I　shifted　the

dogwhip　to　my　right　hand。　　'And　direct　thy　face　downwards；　toward

the　snow。　　And　make　haste；　for　we　journey　south　this　day。'　　And

when　he　was　well　fixed　I　laid　the　lash　upon　him；　reciting；　at　every

stroke；　the　wrongs　he　had　done　me。　'This　for　thy　disobedience　in

generalwhack！　　And　this　for　thy　disobedience　in　particular

whack！　whack！　　And　this　for　Esanetuk！　　And　this　for　thy　soul's

welfare！　　And　this　for　the　grace　of　thy　authority！　　And　this　for

Kluktu！　　And　this　for　thy　rights　God…given！　　And　this　for　thy　fat

firstlings！　　And　this　and　this　for　thy　income…tax　and　thy　loaves

and　fishes！　　And　this　for　all　thy　disobedience！　　And　this；　finally；

that　thou　mayest　henceforth　walk　softly　and　with　understanding！

Now　cease　thy　sniffling　and　get　up！　　Gird　on　thy　snowshoes　and　go

to　the　fore　and　break　trail　for　the　dogs。　　CHOOK！　　MUSH…ON！　　Git！'〃



Thomas　Stevens　smiled　quietly　to　himself　as　he　lighted　his　fifth

cigar　and　sent　curling　smoke…rings　ceilingward。



〃But　how　about　the　people　of　Tattarat？〃　I　asked。　　〃Kind　of　rough；

wasn't　it；　to　leave　them　flat　with　famine？〃



And　he　answered；　laughing；　between　two　smoke…rings；　〃Were　there　not

the　fat　dogs？〃







THE　FAITH　OF　MEN







〃Tell　you　what　we'll　do；　we'll　shake　for　it。〃



〃That　suits　me；〃　said　the　second　man；　turning；　as　he　spoke；　to　the

Indian　that　was　mending　snow…shoes　in　a　corner　of　the　cabin。

〃Here；　you　Billebedam；　take　a　run　down　to　Oleson's　cabin　like　a

good　fellow；　and　tell　him　we　want　to　borrow　his　dice　box。〃



This　sudden　request　in　the　midst　of　a　council　on　wages　of　men；

wood；　and　grub　surprised　Billebedam。　　Besides；　it　was　early　in　the

day；　and　he　had　never　known　white　men　of　the　calibre　of　Pentfield

and　Hutchinson　to　dice　and　play　till　the　day's　work　was　done。　　But

his　face　was　impassive　as　a　Yukon　Indian's　should　be；　as　he　pulled

on　his　mittens　and　went　out　the　door。



Though　eight　o'clock；　it　was　still　dark　outside；　and　the　cabin　was

lighted　by　a　tallow　candle　thrust　into　an　empty　whisky　bottle。　　It

stood　on　the　pine…board　table　in　the　middle　of　a　disarray　of　dirty

tin　dishes。　　Tallow　from　innumerable　candles　had　dripped　down　the

long　neck　of　the　bottle　and　hardened　into　a　miniature　glacier。　　The

small　room；　which　composed　the　entire　cabin；　was　as　badly　littered

as　the　table；　while　at　one　end；　against　the　wall；　were　two　bunks；

one　above　the　other；　with　the　blankets　turned　down　just　as　the　two

men　had　crawled　out　in　the　morning。



Lawrence　Pentfield　and　Corry　Hutchinson　were　millionaires；　though

they　did　not　look　it。　　There　seemed　nothing　unusual　about　them；

while　they　would　have　passed　muster　as　fair　specimens　of　lumbermen

in　any　Michigan　camp。　　But　outside；　in　the　darkness；　where　holes

yawned　in　the　ground；　were　many　men　engaged　in　windlassing　muck　and

gravel　and　gold　from　the　bottoms　of　the　holes　where　other　men

received　fifteen　dollars　per　day　for　scraping　it　from　off　the

bedrock。　　Each　day　thousands　of　dollars'　worth　of　gold　were　scraped

from　bedrock　and　windlassed　to　the　surface；　and　it　all　belonged　to

Pentfield　and　Hutchinson；　who　took　their　rank　among　the　richest

kings　of　Bonanza。



Pentfield　broke　the　silence　that　followed　on　Billebedam's　departure

by　heaping　the　dirty　plates　higher　on　the　table　and　drumming　a

tattoo　on　the　cleared　space　with　his　knuckles。　　Hutchinson　snuffed

the　smoky　candle　and　reflectively　rubbed　the　soot　from　the　wick

between　thumb　and　forefinger。



〃By　Jove；　I　wish　we　could　both　go　out！〃　he　abruptly　exclaimed。

〃That　would　settle　it　all。〃



Pentfield　looked　at　him　darkly。



〃If　it　weren't　for　your　cursed　obstinacy；　it'd　be　settled　anyway。

All　you　have　to　do　is　get　up　and　go。　　I'll　look　after　things；　and

next　year　I　can　go　out。〃



〃Why　should　I　go？　　I've　no　one　waiting　for　me〃



〃Your　people；〃　Pentfield　broke　in　roughly。



〃Like　you　have；〃　Hutchinson　went　on。　　〃A　girl；　I　mean；　and　you　know

it。〃



Pentfield　shrugged　his　shoulders　gloomily。　　〃She　can　wait；　I

guess。〃



〃But　she's　been　waiting　two　years　now。〃



〃And　another　won't　age　her　beyond　recognition。〃



〃That'd　be　three　years。　　Think　of　it；　old　man；　three　years　in　this

end　of　the　earth；　this　falling…off　place　for　the　damned！〃

Hutchinson　threw　up　his　arm　in　an　almost　articulate　groan。



He　was　several　years　younger　than　his　partner；　not　more　than

twenty…six；　and　there　was　a　certain　wistfulness　in　his　face　that

comes　into　the　faces　of　men　when　they　yearn　vainly　for　the　things

they　have　been　long　denied。　　This　same　wistfulness　was　in

Pentfield's　face；　and　the　groan　of　it　was　articulate　in　the　heave

of　his　shoulders。



〃I　dreamed　last　night　I　was　in　Zinkand's；〃　he　said。　　〃The　music

playing；　glasses　clinking；　voices　humming；　women　laughing；　and　I

was　ordering　eggsyes；　sir；　eggs；　fried　and　boiled　and　poached　and

scrambled；　and　in　all　sorts　of　ways；　and　downing　them　as　fast　as

they　arrived。〃



〃I'd　have　ordered　salads　and　green　things；〃　Hutchinson　criticized

hungrily；　〃with　a　big；　rare；　Porterhouse；　and　young　onions　and

radishes；the　kind　your　teeth　sink　into　with　a　crunch。〃



〃I'd　have　followed　the　eggs　with　them；　I　guess；　if　I　hadn't

awakened；〃　Pentfield　replied。



He　picked　up　a　trail…scarred　banjo　from　the　floor　and　began　to

strum　a　few　wandering　notes。　　Hutchinson　winced　and　breathed

heavily。



〃Quit　it！〃　he　burst　out　with　sudden　fury；　as　the　other　struck　into

a　gaily　lifting　swing。　　〃It　drives　me　mad。　　I　can't　stand　it〃



Pentfield　tossed　the　banjo　into　a　bunk　and　quoted：…





〃Hear　me　babble　what　the　weakest　won't　confess　…

I　am　Memory　and　TormentI　am　Town！

I　am　all　that　ever　went　with　evening　dress！〃





The　other　man　winced　where　he　sat　and　dropped　his　head　forward　on

the　table。　　Pentfield　resumed　the　monotonous　drumming　with　his

knuckles。　　A　loud　snap　from　the　door　attracted　his　attention。　　The

frost　was　creeping　up　the　inside　in　a　white　sheet；　and　he　began　to

hum：…





〃The　flocks　are　folded；　boughs　are　bare；

The　salmon　takes　the　sea；

And　oh；　my　fair；　would　I　somewhere

Might　house　my　heart　with　thee。〃





Silence　fell　and　was　not　again　broken　till　Billebedam　arrived　and

threw　the　dice　box　on　the　table。



〃Um　much　cold；〃　he　said。　　〃Oleson　um　speak　to　me；　um　say　um　Yukon

freeze　last　night。〃



〃Hear　that；　old　man！〃　Pentfield　cried；　slapping　Hutchinson　on　the

shoulder。　　〃Whoever　wins　can　be　hitting　the　trail　for　God's　country

this　time　tomorrow　morning！〃



He　picked　up　the　box；　briskly　rattling　the　dice。



〃What'll　it　be？〃



〃Straight　poker　dice；〃　Hutchinson　answered。　　〃Go　on　and　roll　them

out。〃



Pentfield　swept　the　dishes　from　the　table　with　a　crash　and　rolled

out　the　five　dice。　　Both　looked　tragedy。　　The　shake　was　without　a

pair　and　five…spot　high。



〃A　stiff！〃　Pentfield　groaned。



After　much　deliberating　Pentfield　picked　up　all　the　five　dice　and

put　them　in　the　box。



〃I'd　shake　to　the　five　if　I　were　you；〃　Hutchinson　suggested。



〃No；　you　wouldn't；　not　when　you　see　this；〃　Pentfield　replied；

shaking　out　the　dice。



Again　they　were　without　a　pair；　running　this　time　in　unbroken

sequence　from　two　to　six。



〃A　second　stiff！〃　he　groaned。　　〃No　use　your　shaking；　Corry。　　You

can't　lose。〃



The　other　man　gathered　up　the　dice　without　a　word；　rattled　them；

rolled　them　out　on　the　table　with　a　flourish；　and　saw　that　he　had

likewise　shaken　a　six…high　stiff。



〃Tied　you；　anyway；　but　I'll　have　to　do　better　than　that；〃　he　said；

gathering　in　four　of　them　and　shaking　to　the　six。　　〃And　here's　what

beats　you！〃



But　they　rolled　out　deuce；　tray；　four；　and　fivea　stiff　still　and

no　better　nor　worse　than　Pentfield's　throw。



Hutchinson　sighed。



〃Couldn't　happen　once　in　a　million　times；〃　said。



〃Nor　in　a　million　lives；〃　Pentfield　added；　catching　up　the　dice　and

quickly　throwing　them　out。　　Three　fives　appeared；　and；　after　much

delay；　he　was　rewarded　by　a　fourth　five　on　the　second　shake。

Hutchinson　seemed　to　have　lost　his　last　hope。



But　three　sixes　turned　up　on　his　first　shake。　　A　great　doubt　rose

in　the　other's　eyes；　and　hope　returned　into　his。　　He　had　one　more

shake。　　Another　six　and　he　would　go　over　the　ice　to　salt　water　and

the　States。



He　rattled　the　dice　in　the　box；　made　as　though　to　cast　them；

hesitated；　and　continued　rattle　them。



〃Go　on！　　Go　on！　　Don't　take　all　night　about　it！〃　Pentfield　cried

sharply；　bending　his　nails　on　the　table；　so　tight　was　the　clutch

with　which　he　strove　to　control　himself。



The　dice　rolled　forth；　an　upturned　six　meeting　their　eyes。　　Both

men　sat　staring　at　it。　　There　was　a　long　silence。　　Hutchinson　shot

a　covert　glance　at　his　partner；　who；　still　more　covertly；　caught

it；　and　pursed　up　his　lips　in　an　attempt　to　advertise　his

unconcern。



Hutchinson　laughed　as　he　got　up　on　his　feet。　　It　was　a