smoke bellew-第4章

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　from　the　straps。　　Then　he　became　deathly　sick；　and　was　so　found　by　Robbie；　who　had　similar　troubles　of　his　own。　　It　was　this　sickness　of　Robbie　that　braced　him　up。

〃What　other　men　can　do；　we　can　do；〃　Kit　told　him；　though　down　in　his　heart　he　wondered　whether　or　not　he　was　bluffing。



IV。

〃And　I　am　twenty…seven　years　old　and　a　man；〃　he　privately　assured　himself　many　times　in　the　days　that　followed。　　There　was　need　for　it。　　At　the　end　of　a　week；　though　he　had　succeeded　in　moving　his　eight　hundred　pounds　forward　a　mile　a　day；　he　had　lost　fifteen　pounds　of　his　own　weight。　　His　face　was　lean　and　haggard。　　All　resilience　had　gone　out　of　his　body　and　mind。　　He　no　longer　walked；　but　plodded。　　And　on　the　back…trips；　travelling　light；　his　feet　dragged　almost　as　much　as　when　he　was　loaded。

He　had　become　a　work　animal。　　He　fell　asleep　over　his　food；　and　his　sleep　was　heavy　and　beastly；　save　when　he　was　aroused；　screaming　with　agony；　by　the　cramps　in　his　legs。　　Every　part　of　him　ached。　　He　tramped　on　raw　blisters；　yet　this　was　even　easier　than　the　fearful　bruising　his　feet　received　on　the　water…rounded　rocks　of　the　Dyea　Flats；　across　which　the　trail　led　for　two　miles。　　These　two　miles　represented　thirty…eight　miles　of　travelling。　　He　washed　his　face　once　a　day。　　His　nails；　torn　and　broken　and　afflicted　with　hangnails；　were　never　cleaned。　　His　shoulders　and　chest；　galled　by　the　pack…straps；　made　him　think；　and　for　the　first　time　with　understanding；　of　the　horses　he　had　seen　on　city　streets。

One　ordeal　that　nearly　destroyed　him　at　first　had　been　the　food。　The　extraordinary　amount　of　work　demanded　extraordinary　stoking；　and　his　stomach　was　unaccustomed　to　great　quantities　of　bacon　and　of　the　coarse；　highly　poisonous　brown　beans。　　As　a　result；　his　stomach　went　back　on　him；　and　for　several　days　the　pain　and　irritation　of　it　and　of　starvation　nearly　broke　him　down。　　And　then　came　the　day　of　joy　when　he　could　eat　like　a　ravenous　animal；　and；　wolf…eyed；　ask　for　more。

When　they　had　moved　the　outfit　across　the　foot…logs　at　the　mouth　of　the　Canyon；　they　made　a　change　in　their　plans。　　Word　had　come　across　the　Pass　that　at　Lake　Linderman　the　last　available　trees　for　building　boats　were　being　cut。　　The　two　cousins；　with　tools；　whipsaw；　blankets；　and　grub　on　their　backs；　went　on；　leaving　Kit　and　his　uncle　to　hustle　along　the　outfit。　　John　Bellew　now　shared　the　cooking　with　Kit；　and　both　packed　shoulder　to　shoulder。　　Time　was　flying；　and　on　the　peaks　the　first　snow　was　falling。　　To　be　caught　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　Pass　meant　a　delay　of　nearly　a　year。　　The　older　man　put　his　iron　back　under　a　hundred　pounds。　　Kit　was　shocked；　but　he　gritted　his　teeth　and　fastened　his　own　straps　to　a　hundred　pounds。　　It　hurt；　but　he　had　learned　the　knack；　and　his　body；　purged　of　all　softness　and　fat；　was　beginning　to　harden　up　with　lean　and　bitter　muscle。　　Also；　he　observed　and　devised。　　He　took　note　of　the　head…straps　worn　by　the　Indians；　and　manufactured　one　for　himself；　which　he　used　in　addition　to　the　shoulder…straps。　It　made　things　easier；　so　that　he　began　the　practice　of　piling　any　light；　cumbersome　piece　of　luggage　on　top。　　Thus；　he　was　soon　able　to　bend　along　with　a　hundred　pounds　in　the　straps；　fifteen　or　twenty　more　lying　loosely　on　top　the　pack　and　against　his　neck；　an　axe　or　a　pair　of　oars　in　one　hand；　and　in　the　other　the　nested　cooking…pails　of　the　camp。

But　work　as　they　would；　the　toil　increased。　　The　trail　grew　more　rugged；　their　packs　grew　heavier；　and　each　day　saw　the　snow…line　dropping　down　the　mountains；　while　freight　jumped　to　sixty　cents。　No　word　came　from　the　cousins　beyond；　so　they　knew　they　must　be　at

work　chopping　down　the　standing　trees；　and　whipsawing　them　into　boat…planks。　　John　Bellew　grew　anxious。　　Capturing　a　bunch　of　Indians　back…tripping　from　Lake　Linderman；　he　persuaded　them　to　put　their　straps　on　the　outfit。　　They　charged　thirty　cents　a　pound　to　carry　it　to　the　summit　of　Chilcoot；　and　it　nearly　broke　him。　　As　it　was；　some　four　hundred　pounds　of　clothes…bags　and　camp　outfit　was　not　handled。　　He　remained　behind　to　move　it　along；　dispatching　Kit　with　the　Indians。　　At　the　summit　Kit　was　to　remain；　slowly　moving　his　ton　until　overtaken　by　the　four　hundred　pounds　with　which　his　uncle　guaranteed　to　catch　him。



V。

Kit　plodded　along　the　trail　with　his　Indian　packers。　　In　recognition　of　the　fact　that　it　was　to　be　a　long　pack；　straight　to　the　top　of　Chilcoot；　his　own　load　was　only　eighty　pounds。　　The　Indians　plodded　under　their　loads；　but　it　was　a　quicker　gait　than　he　had　practised。　Yet　he　felt　no　apprehension；　and　by　now　had　come　to　deem　himself　almost　the　equal　of　an　Indian。

At　the　end　of　a　quarter　of　a　mile　he　desired　to　rest。　　But　the　Indians　kept　on。　　He　stayed　with　them；　and　kept　his　place　in　the　line。　　At　the　half　mile　he　was　convinced　that　he　was　incapable　of　another　step；　yet　he　gritted　his　teeth；　kept　his　place；　and　at　the　end　of　the　mile　was　amazed　that　he　was　still　alive。　　Then；　in　some　strange　way；　came　the　thing　called　second　wind；　and　the　next　mile　was　almost　easier　than　the　first。　　The　third　mile　nearly　killed　him；　and；　though　half　delirious　with　pain　and　fatigue；　he　never　whimpered。　　And　then；　when　he　felt　he　must　surely　faint；　came　the　rest。　　Instead　of　sitting　in　the　straps；　as　was　the　custom　of　the　white　packers；　the　Indians　slipped　out　of　the　shoulder…　and　head…　straps　and　lay　at　ease；　talking　and　smoking。　　A　full　half　hour　passed　before　they　made　another　start。　　To　Kit's　surprise　he　found　himself　a　fresh　man；　and　'long　hauls　and　long　rests'　became　his　newest　motto。

The　pitch　of　Chilcoot　was　all　he　had　heard　of　it；　and　many　were　the　occasions　when　he　climbed　with　hands　as　well　as　feet。　　But　when　he　reached　the　crest　of　the　divide　in　the　thick　of　a　driving　snow…　squall；　it　was　in　the　company　of　his　Indians；　and　his　secret　pride　was　that　he　had　come　through　with　them　and　never　squealed　and　never　lagged。　　To　be　almost　as　good　as　an　Indian　was　a　new　ambition　to　cherish。

When　he　had　paid　off　the　Indians　and　seen　them　depart；　a　stormy　darkness　was　falling；　and　he　was　left　alone；　a　thousand　feet　above　timber　line；　on　the　back…bone　of　a　mountain。　　Wet　to　the　waist；　famished　and　exhausted；　he　would　have　given　a　year's　income　for　a　fire　and　a　cup　of　coffee。　　Instead；　he　ate　half　a　dozen　cold　flap…　jacks　and　crawled　into　the　folds　of　the　partly　unrolled　tent。　　As　he　dozed　off　he　had　time　only　for　one　fleeting　thought；　and　he　grinned　with　vicious　pleasure　at　the　picture　of　John　Bellew　in　the　days　to　follow；　masculinely　back…tripping　his　four　hundred　pounds　up　Chilcoot。　　As　for　himself；　even　though　burdened　with　two　thousand　pounds；　he　was　bound　down　the　hill。

In　the　morning；　stiff　from　his　labours　and　numb　with　the　frost；　he　rolled　out　of　the　canvas；　ate　a　couple　of　pounds　of　uncooked　bacon；　buckled　the　straps　on　a　hundred　pounds；　and　went　down　the　rocky　way。　Several　hundred　yards　beneath；　the　trail　led　across　a　small　glacier　and　down　to　Crater　Lake。　　Other　men　packed　across　the　glacier。　　All　that　day　he　dropped　his　packs　at　the　glacier's　upper　edge；　and；　by　virtue　of　the　shortness　of　the　pack；　he　put　his　straps　on　one　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　each　load。　　His　astonishment　at　being　able　to　do　it　never　abated。　　For　two　dollars　he　bought　from　an　Indian　three　leathery　sea…biscuits；　and　out　of　these；　and　a　huge　quantity　of　raw　bacon；　made　several　meals。　　Unwashed；　unwarmed；　his　clothing　wet　with　sweat；　he　slept　another　night　in　the　canvas。

In　the　early　morning　he　spread　a　tarpaulin　on　the　ice；　loaded　it　with　three…quarters　of　a　ton；　and　started　to　pull。　　Where　the　pitch　of　the　glacier　accelerated；　his　load　likewise　accelerated；　overran　him；　scooped　him　in　on　top；　and　ran　away　with　him。

A　hundred　packers；　bending　under　their　loads；　stopped　to　watch　him。　He　yelled　frantic　warnings；　and　those　in　his　path　stumbled　and　staggered　clear。　　Below；　on　the　lower　edge　of　the　glacier；　was　pitched　a　small　tent；　which　seemed　leaping　toward　him；　so　rapidly　did　it　grow　larger。　　He　left　the　beaten　track　where　the　packers'　trail　swerved　to　the　left；　and　struck　a　patch　of　fresh　snow。　　This　arose　about　him　in　frosty　smoke；　while　it　reduced　his　speed。　　He　saw　the　tent　the　instant　he　struck　it；　carrying　away　the　corner　gu