the faith of men-第12章

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！



him　aside。



〃See　here；　old　man；　what's　this　mean？〃　Corry　demanded　in　a　low

tone；　indicating　Lashka　with　his　eyes。



〃I　can　hardly　see；　Corry；　where　you　can　have　any　concern　in　the

matter；〃　Pentfield　answered　mockingly。



But　Corry　drove　straight　to　the　point。



〃What　is　that　squaw　doing　on　your　sled？　　A　nasty　job　you've　given

me　to　explain　all　this　away。　　I　only　hope　it　can　be　explained　away。

Who　is　she？　　Whose　squaw　is　she？〃



Then　Lawrence　Pentfield　delivered　his　stroke；　and　he　delivered　it

with　a　certain　calm　elation　of　spirit　that　seemed　somewhat　to

compensate　for　the　wrong　that　had　been　done　him。



〃She　is　my　squaw；〃　he　said；　〃Mrs。　Pentfield；　if　you　please。〃



Corry　Hutchinson　gasped；　and　Pentfield　left　him　and　returned　to　the

two　women。　　Mabel；　with　a　worried　expression　on　her　face；　seemed

holding　herself　aloof。　　He　turned　to　Dora　and　asked；　quite

genially；　as　though　all　the　world　was　sunshine：…　〃How　did　you　stand

the　trip；　anyway？　　Have　any　trouble　to　sleep　warm？〃



〃And；　how　did　Mrs。　Hutchinson　stand　it？〃　he　asked　next；　his　eyes　on

Mabel。



〃Oh；　you　dear　ninny！〃　Dora　cried；　throwing　her　arms　around　him　and

hugging　him。　　〃Then　you　saw　it；　too！　　I　thought　something　was　the

matter；　you　were　acting　so　strangely。〃



〃II　hardly　understand；〃　he　stammered。



〃It　was　corrected　in　next　day's　paper；〃　Dora　chattered　on。　　〃We　did

not　dream　you　would　see　it。　　All　the　other　papers　had　it　correctly；

and　of　course　that　one　miserable　paper　was　the　very　one　you　saw！〃



〃Wait　a　moment！　　What　do　you　mean？〃　Pentfield　demanded；　a　sudden

fear　at　his　heart；　for　he　felt　himself　on　the　verge　of　a　great

gulf。



But　Dora　swept　volubly　on。



〃Why；　when　it　became　known　that　Mabel　and　I　were　going　to　Klondike；

EVERY　OTHER　WEEK　said　that　when　we　were　gone；　it　would　be　lovely　on

Myrdon　Avenue；　meaning；　of　course；　lonely。〃



〃Then〃



〃I　am　Mrs。　Hutchinson；〃　Dora　answered。　　〃And　you　thought　it　was

Mabel　all　the　time〃



〃Precisely　the　way　of　it；〃　Pentfield　replied　slowly。　　〃But　I　can

see　now。　　The　reporter　got　the　names　mixed。　　The　Seattle　and

Portland　paper　copied。〃



He　stood　silently　for　a　minute。　　Mabel's　face　was　turned　toward　him

again；　and　he　could　see　the　glow　of　expectancy　in　it。　　Corry　was

deeply　interested　in　the　ragged　toe　of　one　of　his　moccasins；　while

Dora　was　stealing　sidelong　glances　at　the　immobile　face　of　Lashka

sitting　on　the　sled。　　Lawrence　Pentfield　stared　straight　out　before

him　into　a　dreary　future；　through　the　grey　vistas　of　which　he　saw

himself　riding　on　a　sled　behind　running　dogs　with　lame　Lashka　by

his　side。



Then　he　spoke；　quite　simply；　looking　Mabel　in　the　eyes。



〃I　am　very　sorry。　　I　did　not　dream　it。　　I　thought　you　had　married

Corry。　　That　is　Mrs。　Pentfield　sitting　on　the　sled　over　there。〃



Mabel　Holmes　turned　weakly　toward　her　sister；　as　though　all　the

fatigue　of　her　great　journey　had　suddenly　descended　on　her。　　Dora

caught　her　around　the　waist。　　Corry　Hutchinson　was　still　occupied

with　his　moccasins。　　Pentfield　glanced　quickly　from　face　to　face；

then　turned　to　his　sled。



〃Can't　stop　here　all　day；　with　Pete's　baby　waiting；〃　he　said　to

Lashka。



The　long　whip…lash　hissed　out；　the　dogs　sprang　against　the　breast

bands；　and　the　sled　lurched　and　jerked　ahead。



〃Oh；　I　say；　Corry；〃　Pentfield　called　back；　〃you'd　better　occupy　the

old　cabin。　　It's　not　been　used　for　some　time。　　I've　built　a　new　one

on　the　hill。〃







TOO　MUCH　GOLD







This　being　a　storyand　a　truer　one　than　it　may　appearof　a　mining

country；　it　is　quite　to　be　expected　that　it　will　be　a　hard…luck

story。　　But　that　depends　on　the　point　of　view。　　Hard　luck　is　a　mild

way　of　terming　it　so　far　as　Kink　Mitchell　and　Hootchinoo　Bill　are

concerned；　and　that　they　have　a　decided　opinion　on　the　subject　is　a

matter　of　common　knowledge　in　the　Yukon　country。



It　was　in　the　fall　of　1896　that　the　two　partners　came　down　to　the

east　bank　of　the　Yukon；　and　drew　a　Peterborough　canoe　from　a　moss…

covered　cache。　　They　were　not　particularly　pleasant…looking

objects。　　A　summer's　prospecting；　filled　to　repletion　with　hardship

and　rather　empty　of　grub；　had　left　their　clothes　in　tatters　and

themselves　worn　and　cadaverous。　　A　nimbus　of　mosquitoes　buzzed

about　each　man's　head。　　Their　faces　were　coated　with　blue　clay。

Each　carried　a　lump　of　this　damp　clay；　and；　whenever　it　dried　and

fell　from　their　faces；　more　was　daubed　on　in　its　place。　　There　was

a　querulous　plaint　in　their　voices；　an　irritability　of　movement　and

gesture；　that　told　of　broken　sleep　and　a　losing　struggle　with　the

little　winged　pests。



〃Them　skeeters'll　be　the　death　of　me　yet；〃　Kink　Mitchell　whimpered；

as　the　canoe　felt　the　current　on　her　nose；　and　leaped　out　from　the

bank



〃Cheer　up；　cheer　up。　　We're　about　done；〃　Hootchinoo　Bill　answered；

with　an　attempted　heartiness　in　his　funereal　tones　that　was

ghastly。　　〃We'll　be　in　Forty　Mile　in　forty　minutes；　and　then

cursed　little　devil！〃



One　hand　left　his　paddle　and　landed　on　the　back　of　his　neck　with　a

sharp　slap。　　He　put　a　fresh　daub　of　clay　on　the　injured　part；

swearing　sulphurously　the　while。　　Kink　Mitchell　was　not　in　the

least　amused。　　He　merely　improved　the　opportunity　by　putting　a

thicker　coating　of　clay　on　his　own　neck。



They　crossed　the　Yukon　to　its　west　bank；　shot　down…stream　with　easy

stroke；　and　at　the　end　of　forty　minutes　swung　in　close　to　the　left

around　the　tail　of　an　island。　　Forty　Mile　spread　itself　suddenly

before　them。　　Both　men　straightened　their　backs　and　gazed　at　the

sight。　　They　gazed　long　and　carefully；　drifting　with　the　current；

in　their　faces　an　expression　of　mingled　surprise　and　consternation

slowly　gathering。　　Not　a　thread　of　smoke　was　rising　from　the

hundreds　of　log…cabins。　　There　was　no　sound　of　axes　biting　sharply

into　wood；　of　hammering　and　sawing。　　Neither　dogs　nor　men　loitered

before　the　big　store。　　No　steamboats　lay　at　the　bank；　no　canoes；

nor　scows；　nor　poling…boats。　　The　river　was　as　bare　of　craft　as　the

town　was　of　life。



〃Kind　of　looks　like　Gabriel's　tooted　his　little　horn；　and　you　an'

me　has　turned　up　missing；〃　remarked　Hootchinoo　Bill。



His　remark　was　casual；　as　though　there　was　nothing　unusual　about

the　occurrence。　　Kink　Mitchell's　reply　was　just　as　casual　as　though

he；　too；　were　unaware　of　any　strange　perturbation　of　spirit。



〃Looks　as　they　was　all　Baptists；　then；　and　took　the　boats　to　go　by

water；〃　was　his　contribution。



〃My　ol'　dad　was　a　Baptist；〃　Hootchinoo　Bill　supplemented。　　〃An'　he

always　did　hold　it　was　forty　thousand　miles　nearer　that　way。〃



This　was　the　end　of　their　levity。　　They　ran　the　canoe　in　and

climbed　the　high　earth　bank。　　A　feeling　of　awe　descended　upon　them

as　they　walked　the　deserted　streets。　　The　sunlight　streamed

placidly　over　the　town。　　A　gentle　wind　tapped　the　halyards　against

the　flagpole　before　the　closed　doors　of　the　Caledonia　Dance　Hall。

Mosquitoes　buzzed；　robins　sang；　and　moose　birds　tripped　hungrily

among　the　cabins；　but　there　was　no　human　life　nor　sign　of　human

life。



〃I'm　just　dyin'　for　a　drink；〃　Hootchinoo　Bill　said　and

unconsciously　his　voice　sank　to　a　hoarse　whisper。



His　partner　nodded　his　head；　loth　to　hear　his　own　voice　break　the

stillness。　　They　trudged　on　in　uneasy　silence　till　surprised　by　an

open　door。　　Above　this　door；　and　stretching　the　width　of　the

building；　a　rude　sign　announced　the　same　as　the　〃Monte　Carlo。〃　　But

beside　the　door；　hat　over　eyes；　chair　tilted　back；　a　man　sat

sunning　himself。　　He　was　an　old　man。　　Beard　and　hair　were　long　and

white　and　patriarchal。



〃If　it　ain't　ol'　Jim　Cummings；　turned　up　like　us；　too　late　for

Resurrection！〃　said　Kink　Mitchell。



〃Most　like　he　didn't　hear　Gabriel　tootin'；〃　was　Hootchinoo　Bill's

suggestion。



〃Hello；　Jim！　　Wake　up！〃　he　shouted。



The　old　man　unlimbered　lamely；　blinking　his　eyes　and　murmuring

automatically：　　〃What'll　ye　have；　gents？　　What'll　ye　have