the faith of men-第20章

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and　doubled　him　up　at　two…hour　intervals。　　But　the　Factor　at

Selkirk　had　a　notice　on　the　door　of　the　Post　to　the　effect　that　no

steamer　had　been　up　the　Yukon　for　two　years；　and　in　consequence

grub　was　beyond　price。　　He　offered　to　swap　flour；　however；　at　the

rate　of　a　cupful　of　each　egg；　but　Rasmunsen　shook　his　head　and　hit

the　trail。　　Below　the　Post　he　managed　to　buy　frozen　horse　hide　for

the　dogs；　the　horses　having　been　slain　by　the　Chilkat　cattle　men；

and　the　scraps　and　offal　preserved　by　the　Indians。　　He　tackled　the

hide　himself；　but　the　hair　worked　into　the　bean　sores　of　his　mouth；

and　was　beyond　endurance。



Here　at　Selkirk　he　met　the　forerunners　of　the　hungry　exodus　of

Dawson；　and　from　there　on　they　crept　over　the　trail；　a　dismal

throng。　　〃No　grub！〃　was　the　song　they　sang。　　〃No　grub；　and　had　to

go。〃　　〃Everybody　holding　candles　for　a　rise　in　the　spring。〃　　〃Flour

dollar　'n　a　half　a　pound；　and　no　sellers。〃



〃Eggs？〃　one　of　them　answered。　　〃Dollar　apiece；　but　there　ain't

none。〃



Rasmunsen　made　a　rapid　calculation。　　〃Twelve　thousand　dollars；〃　he

said　aloud。



〃Hey？〃　the　man　asked。



〃Nothing；〃　he　answered；　and　MUSHED　the　dogs　along。



When　he　arrived　at　Stewart　River；　seventy　from　Dawson；　five　of　his

dogs　were　gone；　and　the　remainder　were　falling　in　the　traces。　　He；

also；　was　in　the　traces；　hauling　with　what　little　strength　was　left

in　him。　　Even　then　he　was　barely　crawling　along　ten　miles　a　day。

His　cheek…bones　and　nose；　frost…bitten　again　and　again；　were　turned

bloody…black　and　hideous。　　The　thumb；　which　was　separated　from　the

fingers　by　the　gee…pole；　had　likewise　been　nipped　and　gave　him

great　pain。　　The　monstrous　moccasin　still　incased　his　foot；　and

strange　pains　were　beginning　to　rack　the　leg。　　At　Sixty　Mile；　the

last　beans；　which　he　had　been　rationing　for　some　time；　were

finished；　yet　he　steadfastly　refused　to　touch　the　eggs。　　He　could

not　reconcile　his　mind　to　the　legitimacy　of　it；　and　staggered　and

fell　along　the　way　to　Indian　River。　　Here　a　fresh…killed　moose　and

an　open…handed　old…timer　gave　him　and　his　dogs　new　strength；　and　at

Ainslie's　he　felt　repaid　for　it　all　when　a　stampede；　ripe　from

Dawson　in　five　hours；　was　sure　he　could　get　a　dollar　and　a　quarter

for　every　egg　he　possessed。



He　came　up　the　steep　bank　by　the　Dawson　barracks　with　fluttering

heart　and　shaking　knees。　　The　dogs　were　so　weak　that　he　was　forced

to　rest　them；　and；　waiting；　he　leaned　limply　against　the　gee…pole。

A　man；　an　eminently　decorous…looking　man；　came　sauntering　by　in　a

great　bearskin　coat。　　He　glanced　at　Rasmunsen　curiously；　then

stopped　and　ran　a　speculative　eye　over　the　dogs　and　the　three

lashed　sleds。



〃What　you　got？〃　he　asked。



〃Eggs；〃　Rasmunsen　answered　huskily；　hardly　able　to　pitch　his　voice

above　a　whisper。



〃Eggs！　　Whoopee！　　Whoopee！〃　　He　sprang　up　into　the　air；　gyrated

madly；　and　finished　with　half…a…dozen　war　steps。　　〃You　don't　say

all　of　'em？〃



〃All　of　'em。〃



〃Say；　you　must　be　the　Egg　Man。〃　　He　walked　around　and　viewed

Rasmunsen　from　the　other　side。　　〃Come；　now；　ain't　you　the　Egg　Man？〃



Rasmunsen　didn't　know；　but　supposed　he　was；　and　the　man　sobered

down　a　bit。



〃What　d'ye　expect　to　get　for　'em？〃　he　asked　cautiously。



Rasmunsen　became　audacious。　〃Dollar　'n　a　half；〃　he　said。



〃Done！〃　the　man　came　back　promptly。　　〃Gimme　a　dozen。〃



〃II　mean　a　dollar　'n　a　half　apiece；〃　Rasmunsen　hesitatingly

explained。



〃Sure。　　I　heard　you。　　Make　it　two　dozen。　　Here's　the　dust。〃



The　man　pulled　out　a　healthy　gold　sack　the　size　of　a　small　sausage

and　knocked　it　negligently　against　the　gee…pole。　　Rasmunsen　felt　a

strange　trembling　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach；　a　tickling　of　the

nostrils；　and　an　almost　overwhelming　desire　to　sit　down　and　cry。

But　a　curious；　wide…eyed　crowd　was　beginning　to　collect；　and　man

after　man　was　calling　out　for　eggs。　　He　was　without　scales；　but　the

man　with　the　bearskin　coat　fetched　a　pair　and　obligingly　weighed　in

the　dust　while　Rasmunsen　passed　out　the　goods。　　Soon　there　was　a

pushing　and　shoving　and　shouldering；　and　a　great　clamour。

Everybody　wanted　to　buy　and　to　be　served　first。　　And　as　the

excitement　grew；　Rasmunsen　cooled　down。　　This　would　never　do。

There　must　be　something　behind　the　fact　of　their　buying　so　eagerly。

It　would　be　wiser　if　he　rested　first　and　sized　up　the　market。

Perhaps　eggs　were　worth　two　dollars　apiece。　　Anyway；　whenever　he

wished　to　sell；　he　was　sure　of　a　dollar　and　a　half。　　〃Stop！〃　he

cried；　when　a　couple　of　hundred　had　been　sold。　　〃No　more　now。　　I'm

played　out。　　I've　got　to　get　a　cabin；　and　then　you　can　come　and　see

me。〃



A　groan　went　up　at　this；　but　the　man　with　the　bearskin　coat

approved。　　Twenty…four　of　the　frozen　eggs　went　rattling　in　his

capacious　pockets；　and　he　didn't　care　whether　the　rest　of　the　town

ate　or　not。　　Besides；　he　could　see　Rasmunsen　was　on　his　last　legs。



〃There's　a　cabin　right　around　the　second　corner　from　the　Monte

Carlo；〃　he　told　him〃the　one　with　the　sody…bottle　window。　　It

ain't　mine；　but　I've　got　charge　of　it。　　Rents　for　ten　a　day　and

cheap　for　the　money。　　You　move　right　in；　and　I'll　see　you　later。

Don't　forget　the　sody…bottle　window。〃



〃Tra…la…loo！〃　he　called　back　a　moment　later。　　〃I'm　goin'　up　the

hill　to　eat　eggs　and　dream　of　home。〃



On　his　way　to　the　cabin；　Rasmunsen　recollected　he　was　hungry　and

bought　a　small　supply　of　provisions　at　the　N。　A。　T。　&　T。　store

also　a　beefsteak　at　the　butcher　shop　and　dried　salmon　for　the　dogs。

He　found　the　cabin　without　difficulty；　and　left　the　dogs　in　the

harness　while　he　started　the　fire　and　got　the　coffee　under　way。



A　dollar　'n　a　half　apieceone　thousand　dozeneighteen　thousand

dollars！〃　he　kept　muttering　it　to　himself；　over　and　over；　as　he

went　about　his　work。



As　he　flopped　the　steak　into　the　frying…pan　the　door　opened。　　He

turned。　　It　was　the　man　with　the　bearskin　coat。　　He　seemed　to　come

in　with　determination；　as　though　bound　on　some　explicit　errand；　but

as　he　looked　at　Rasmunsen　an　expression　of　perplexity　came　into　his

face。



〃I　saynow　I　say〃　he　began；　then　halted。



Rasmunsen　wondered　if　he　wanted　the　rent。



〃I　say；　damn　it；　you　know；　them　eggs　is　bad。〃



Rasmunsen　staggered。　　He　felt　as　though　some　one　had　struck　him　an

astounding　blow　between　the　eyes。　　The　walls　of　the　cabin　reeled

and　tilted　up。　　He　put　out　his　hand　to　steady　himself　and　rested　it

on　the　stove。　　The　sharp　pain　and　the　smell　of　the　burning　flesh

brought　him　back　to　himself。



〃I　see；〃　he　said　slowly；　fumbling　in　his　pocket　for　the　sack。　　〃You

want　your　money　back。〃



〃It　ain't　the　money；〃　the　man　said；　〃but　hain't　you　got　any　eggs

good？〃



Rasmunsen　shook　his　head。　　〃You'd　better　take　the　money。〃



But　the　man　refused　and　backed　away。　　〃I'll　come　back；〃　he　said；

〃when　you've　taken　stock；　and　get　what's　comin'。〃



Rasmunsen　rolled　the　chopping…block　into　the　cabin　and　carried　in

the　eggs。　　He　went　about　it　quite　calmly。　　He　took　up　the　hand…axe；

and；　one　by　one；　chopped　the　eggs　in　half。　　These　halves　he

examined　carefully　and　let　fall　to　the　floor。　　At　first　he　sampled

from　the　different　cases；　then　deliberately　emptied　one　case　at　a

time。　　The　heap　on　the　floor　grew　larger。　　The　coffee　boiled　over

and　the　smoke　of　the　burning　beefsteak　filled　the　cabin。　　He

chopped　steadfastly　and　monotonously　till　the　last　case　was

finished。



Somebody　knocked　at　the　door；　knocked　again；　and　let　himself　in。



〃What　a　mess！〃　he　remarked；　as　he　paused　and　surveyed　the　scene。



The　severed　eggs　were　beginning　to　thaw　in　the　heat　of　the　stove；

and　a　miserable　odour　was　growing　stronger。



〃Must　a…happened　on　the　steamer；〃　he　suggested。



Rasmunsen　looked　at　him　long　and　blankly。



〃I'm　Murray；　Big　Jim　Murray；　everybody　knows　me；〃　the　man

volunteered。　　〃I'm　just　hearin'　your　eggs　is　rotten；　and　I'm

offerin'　you　two　hundred　for　the　batch。　　They　ain't　good　as　salmon；

but　still　they're　fair　sc