the faith of men-第14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！





They　grinned　sheepishly　at　each　other；　and　by　tacit　consent　started

to　walk　away。　　Their　pace　quickened；　and　by　the　time　they　arrived

at　their　cabin　they　were　on　the　run。



〃Can't　lose　no　time　with　all　that　multitude　a…rushin'　by；〃　Kink

spluttered；　as　he　jabbed　the　sour…dough　can　into　the　beanpot　with

one　hand　and　with　the　other　gathered　in　the　frying…pan　and　coffee…

pot。



〃Should　say　not；〃　gasped　Bill；　his　head　and　shoulders　buried　in　a

clothes…sack　wherein　were　stored　winter　socks　and　underwear。　　〃I

say；　Kink；　don't　forget　the　saleratus　on　the　corner　shelf　back　of

the　stove。〃



Half…an…hour　later　they　were　launching　the　canoe　and　loading　up；

while　the　storekeeper　made　jocular　remarks　about　poor；　weak　mortals

and　the　contagiousness　of　〃stampedin'　fever。〃　　But　when　Bill　and

Kink　thrust　their　long　poles　to　bottom　and　started　the　canoe

against　the　current；　he　called　after　them：…



〃Well；　so…long　and　good　luck！　　And　don't　forget　to　blaze　a　stake　or

two　for　me！〃



They　nodded　their　heads　vigorously　and　felt　sorry　for　the　poor

wretch　who　remained　perforce　behind。



*　*　*　*　*



Kink　and　Bill　were　sweating　hard。　　According　to　the　revised

Northland　Scripture；　the　stampede　is　to　the　swift；　the　blazing　of

stakes　to　the　strong；　and　the　Crown　in　royalties；　gathers　to　itself

the　fulness　thereof。　　Kink　and　Bill　were　both　swift　and　strong。

They　took　the　soggy　trail　at　a　long；　swinging　gait　that　broke　the

hearts　of　a　couple　of　tender…feet　who　tried　to　keep　up　with　them。

Behind；　strung　out　between　them　and　Dawson　（where　the　boats　were

discarded　and　land　travel　began）；　was　the　vanguard　of　the　Circle

City　outfit。　　In　the　race　from　Forty　Mile　the　partners　had　passed

every　boat；　winning　from　the　leading　boat　by　a　length　in　the　Dawson

eddy；　and　leaving　its　occupants　sadly　behind　the　moment　their　feet

struck　the　trail。



〃Huh！　couldn't　see　us　for　smoke；〃　Hootchinoo　Bill　chuckled；

flirting　the　stinging　sweat　from　his　brow　and　glancing　swiftly　back

along　the　way　they　had　come。



Three　men　emerged　from　where　the　trail　broke　through　the　trees。

Two　followed　close　at　their　heels；　and　then　a　man　and　a　woman　shot

into　view。



〃Come　on；　you　Kink！　　Hit　her　up！　　Hit　her　up！〃



Bill　quickened　his　pace。　　Mitchell　glanced　back　in　more　leisurely

fashion。



〃I　declare　if　they　ain't　lopin'！〃



〃And　here's　one　that's　loped　himself　out；〃　said　Bill；　pointing　to

the　side　of　the　trail。



A　man　was　lying　on　his　back　panting　in　the　culminating　stages　of

violent　exhaustion。　　His　face　was　ghastly；　his　eyes　bloodshot　and

glazed；　for　all　the　world　like　a　dying　man。



〃CHECHAQUO！〃　Kink　Mitchell　grunted；　and　it　was　the　grunt　of　the　old

〃sour　dough〃　for　the　green…horn；　for　the　man　who　outfitted　with

〃self…risin'〃　flour　and　used　baking…powder　in　his　biscuits。



The　partners；　true　to　the　old…timer　custom；　had　intended　to　stake

down…stream　from　the　strike；　but　when　they　saw　claim　81　BELOW

blazed　on　a　tree；which　meant　fully　eight　miles　below　Discovery；

they　changed　their　minds。　　The　eight　miles　were　covered　in　less

than　two　hours。　　It　was　a　killing　pace；　over　so　rough　trail；　and

they　passed　scores　of　exhausted　men　that　had　fallen　by　the　wayside。



At　Discovery　little　was　to　be　learned　of　the　upper　creek。

Cormack's　Indian　brother…in…law；　Skookum　Jim；　had　a　hazy　notion

that　the　creek　was　staked　as　high　as　the　30's；　but　when　Kink　and

Bill　looked　at　the　corner…stakes　of　79　ABOVE；　they　threw　their

stampeding　packs　off　their　backs　and　sat　down　to　smoke。　　All　their

efforts　had　been　vain。　　Bonanza　was　staked　from　mouth　to　source；

〃out　of　sight　and　across　the　next　divide。〃　　Bill　complained　that

night　as　they　fried　their　bacon　and　boiled　their　coffee　over

Cormack's　fire　at　Discovery。



〃Try　that　pup；〃　Carmack　suggested　next　morning。



〃That　pup〃　was　a　broad　creek　that　flowed　into　Bonanza　at　7　ABOVE。

The　partners　received　his　advice　with　the　magnificent　contempt　of

the　sour　dough　for　a　squaw…man；　and；　instead；　spent　the　day　on

Adam's　Creek；　another　and　more　likely…looking　tributary　of　Bonanza。

But　it　was　the　old　story　over　againstaked　to　the　sky…line。



For　threes　days　Carmack　repeated　his　advice；　and　for　three　days

they　received　it　contemptuously。　　But　on　the　fourth　day；　there

being　nowhere　else　to　go；　they　went　up　〃that　pup。〃　　They　knew　that

it　was　practically　unstaked；　but　they　had　no　intention　of　staking。

The　trip　was　made　more　for　the　purpose　of　giving　vent　to　their　ill…

humour　than　for　anything　else。　　They　had　become　quite　cynical；

sceptical。　　They　jeered　and　scoffed　at　everything；　and　insulted

every　chechaquo　they　met　along　the　way。



At　No。　23　the　stakes　ceased。　　The　remainder　of　the　creek　was　open

for　location。



〃Moose　pasture；〃　sneered　Kink　Mitchell。



But　Bill　gravely　paced　off　five　hundred　feet　up　the　creek　and

blazed　the　corner…stakes。　　He　had　picked　up　the　bottom　of　a　candle…

box；　and　on　the　smooth　side　he　wrote　the　notice　for　his　centre…

stake：…





THIS　MOOSE　PASTURE　IS　RESERVED　FOR　THE

SWEDES　AND　CHECHAQUOS。

…　BILL　RADER。





Kink　read　it　over　with　approval；　saying：…



〃As　them's　my　sentiments；　I　reckon　I　might　as　well　subscribe。〃



So　the　name　of　Charles　Mitchell　was　added　to　the　notice；　and　many

an　old　sour　dough's　face　relaxed　that　day　at　sight　of　the　handiwork

of　a　kindred　spirit。



〃How's　the　pup？〃　Carmack　inquired　when　they　strolled　back　into

camp。



〃To　hell　with　pups！〃　was　Hootchinoo　Bill's　reply。　　〃Me　and　Kink's

goin'　a…lookin'　for　Too　Much　Gold　when　we　get　rested　up。〃



Too　Much　Gold　was　the　fabled　creek　of　which　all　sour　doughs

dreamed；　whereof　it　was　said　the　gold　was　so　thick　that；　in　order

to　wash　it；　gravel　must　first　be　shovelled　into　the　sluice…boxes。

But　the　several　days'　rest；　preliminary　to　the　quest　for　Too　Much

Gold；　brought　a　slight　change　in　their　plan；　inasmuch　as　it　brought

one　Ans　Handerson；　a　Swede。



Ans　Handerson　had　been　working　for　wages　all　summer　at　Miller　Creek

over　on　the　Sixty　Mile；　and；　the　summer　done；　had　strayed　up

Bonanza　like　many　another　waif　helplessly　adrift　on　the　gold　tides

that　swept　willy…nilly　across　the　land。　　He　was　tall　and　lanky。

His　arms　were　long；　like　prehistoric　man's；　and　his　hands　were　like

soup…plates；　twisted　and　gnarled；　and　big…knuckled　from　toil。　　He

was　slow　of　utterance　and　movement；　and　his　eyes；　pale　blue　as　his

hair　was　pale　yellow；　seemed　filled　with　an　immortal　dreaming；　the

stuff　of　which　no　man　knew；　and　himself　least　of　all。　　Perhaps　this

appearance　of　immortal　dreaming　was　due　to　a　supreme　and　vacuous

innocence。　　At　any　rate；　this　was　the　valuation　men　of　ordinary

clay　put　upon　him；　and　there　was　nothing　extraordinary　about　the

composition　of　Hootchinoo　Bill　and　Kink　Mitchell。



The　partners　had　spent　a　day　of　visiting　and　gossip；　and　in　the

evening　met　in　the　temporary　quarters　of　the　Monte　Carloa　large

tent　were　stampeders　rested　their　weary　bones　and　bad　whisky　sold

at　a　dollar　a　drink。　　Since　the　only　money　in　circulation　was　dust；

and　since　the　house　took　the　〃down…weight〃　on　the　scales；　a　drink

cost　something　more　than　a　dollar。　　Bill　and　Kink　were　not

drinking；　principally　for　the　reason　that　their　one　and　common　sack

was　not　strong　enough　to　stand　many　excursions　to　the　scales。



〃Say；　Bill；　I've　got　a　chechaquo　on　the　string　for　a　sack　of

flour；〃　Mitchell　announced　jubilantly。



Bill　looked　interested　and　pleased。　　Grub　as　scarce；　and　they　were

not　over…plentifully　supplied　for　the　quest　after　Too　Much　Gold。



〃Flour's　worth　a　dollar　a　pound；〃　he　answered。　　〃How　like　do　you

calculate　to　get　your　finger　on　it？〃



〃Trade　'm　a　half…interest　in　that　claim　of　ourn；〃　Kink　answered。



〃What　claim？〃　Bill　was　surprised。　　Then　he　remembered　the

reservation　he　had　staked　off　for　the　Swedes；　and　said；　〃Oh！〃



〃I　wouldn't　be　so　clost　about　it；　though；〃　he　added。　　〃Give　'm　the

whole　thing　while　you're　about　it；　in　a　right　free…h