the faith of men-第9章

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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　nervous；

apprehensive　laugh。　　It　was　a　case　where　it　was　more　awkward　to　win

than　lose。　　He　walked　over　to　his　partner；　who　whirled　upon　him

fiercely：…



〃Now　you　just　shut　up；　Corry！　　I　know　all　you're　going　to　saythat

you'd　rather　stay　in　and　let　me　go；　and　all　that；　so　don't　say　it。

You've　your　own　people　in　Detroit　to　see；　and　that's　enough。

Besides；　you　can　do　for　me　the　very　thing　I　expected　to　do　if　I

went　out。〃



〃And　that　is？〃



Pentfield　read　the　full　question　in　his　partner's　eyes；　and

answered：…



〃Yes；　that　very　thing。　　You　can　bring　her　in　to　me。　　The　only

difference　will　be　a　Dawson　wedding　instead　of　a　San　Franciscan

one。〃



〃But；　man　alike！〃　Corry　Hutchinson　objected　〃how　under　the　sun　can

I　bring　her　in？　　We're　not　exactly　brother　and　sister；　seeing　that

I　have　not　even　met　her；　and　it　wouldn't　be　just　the　proper　thing；

you　know；　for　us　to　travel　together。　　Of　course；　it　would　be　all

rightyou　and　I　know　that；　but　think　of　the　looks　of　it；　man！〃



Pentfield　swore　under　his　breath；　consigning　the　looks　of　it　to　a

less　frigid　region　than　Alaska。



〃Now；　if　you'll　just　listen　and　not　get　astride　that　high　horse　of

yours　so　blamed　quick；〃　his　partner　went　on；　〃you'll　see　that　the

only　fair　thing　under　the　circumstances　is　for　me　to　let　you　go　out

this　year。　　Next　year　is　only　a　year　away；　and　then　I　can　take　my

fling。〃



Pentfield　shook　his　head；　though　visibly　swayed　by　the　temptation。



〃It　won't　do；　Corry；　old　man。　　I　appreciate　your　kindness　and　all

that；　but　it　won't　do。　　I'd　be　ashamed　every　time　I　thought　of　you

slaving　away　in　here　in　my　place。〃



A　thought　seemed　suddenly　to　strike　him。　　Burrowing　into　his　bunk

and　disrupting　it　in　his　eagerness；　he　secured　a　writing…pad　and

pencil；　and　sitting　down　at　the　table；　began　to　write　with

swiftness　and　certitude。



〃Here；〃　he　said；　thrusting　the　scrawled　letter　into　his　partner's

hand。　　〃You　just　deliver　that　and　everything'll　be　all　right