the unexpected-第1章

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THE　UNEXPECTED







IT　is　a　simple　matter　to　see　the　obvious；　to　do　the　expected。　　The　

tendency　of　the　individual　life　is　to　be　static　rather　than　

dynamic；　and　this　tendency　is　made　into　a　propulsion　by　

civilization；　where　the　obvious　only　is　seen；　and　the　unexpected　

rarely　happens。　　When　the　unexpected　does　happen；　however；　and　when　

it　is　of　sufficiently　grave　import；　the　unfit　perish。　　They　do　not　

see　what　is　not　obvious；　are　unable　to　do　the　unexpected；　are　

incapable　of　adjusting　their　well…grooved　lives　to　other　and　

strange　grooves。　　In　short；　when　they　come　to　the　end　of　their　own　

groove；　they　die。



On　the　other　hand；　there　are　those　that　make　toward　survival；　the　

fit　individuals　who　escape　from　the　rule　of　the　obvious　and　the　

expected　and　adjust　their　lives　to　no　matter　what　strange　grooves　

they　may　stray　into；　or　into　which　they　may　be　forced。　　Such　an　

individual　was　Edith　Whittlesey。　　She　was　born　in　a　rural　district　

of　England；　where　life　proceeds　by　rule　of　thumb　and　the　unexpected　

is　so　very　unexpected　that　when　it　happens　it　is　looked　upon　as　an　

immorality。　　She　went　into　service　early；　and　while　yet　a　young　

woman；　by　rule…of…thumb　progression；　she　became　a　lady's　maid。



The　effect　of　civilization　is　to　impose　human　law　upon　environment　

until　it　becomes　machine…like　in　its　regularity。　　The　objectionable　

is　eliminated；　the　inevitable　is　foreseen。　　One　is　not　even　made　

wet　by　the　rain　nor　cold　by　the　frost；　while　death；　instead　of　

stalking　about　grewsome　and　accidental；　becomes　a　prearranged　

pageant；　moving　along　a　well…oiled　groove　to　the　family　vault；　

where　the　hinges　are　kept　from　rusting　and　the　dust　from　the　air　is　

swept　continually　away。



Such　was　the　environment　of　Edith　Whittlesey。　　Nothing　happened。　　

It　could　scarcely　be　called　a　happening；　when；　at　the　age　of　

twenty…five；　she　accompanied　her　mistress　on　a　bit　of　travel　to　the　

United　States。　　The　groove　merely　changed　its　direction。　　It　was　

still　the　same　groove　and　well　oiled。　　It　was　a　groove　that　bridged　

the　Atlantic　with　uneventfulness；　so　that　the　ship　was　not　a　ship　

in　the　midst　of　the　sea；　but　a　capacious；　many…corridored　hotel　

that　moved　swiftly　and　placidly；　crushing　the　waves　into　submission　

with　its　colossal　bulk　until　the　sea　was　a　mill…pond；　monotonous　

with　quietude。　　And　at　the　other　side　the　groove　continued　on　over　

the　land　…　a　well…disposed；　respectable　groove　that　supplied　hotels　

at　every　stopping…place；　and　hotels　on　wheels　between　the　stopping…

places。



In　Chicago；　while　her　mistress　saw　one　side　of　social　life；　Edith　

Whittlesey　saw　another　side；　and　when　she　left　her　lady's　service　

and　became　Edith　Nelson；　she　betrayed；　perhaps　faintly；　her　ability　

to　grapple　with　the　unexpected　and　to　master　it。　　Hans　Nelson；　

immigrant；　Swede　by　birth　and　carpenter　by　occupation；　had　in　him　

that　Teutonic　unrest　that　drives　the　race　ever　westward　on　its　

great　adventure。　　He　was　a　large…muscled；　stolid　sort　of　a　man；　in　

whom　little　imagination　was　coupled　with　immense　initiative；　and　

who　possessed；　withal；　loyalty　and　affection　as　sturdy　as　his　own　

strength。



〃When　I　have　worked　hard　and　saved　me　some　money；　I　will　go　to　

Colorado；〃　he　had　told　Edith　on　the　day　after　their　wedding。　　A　

year　later　they　were　in　Colorado；　where　Hans　Nelson　saw　his　first　

mining　and　caught　the　mining…fever　himself。　　His　prospecting　led　

him　through　the　Dakotas；　Idaho；　and　eastern　Oregon；　and　on　into　the　

mountains　of　British　Columbia。　　In　camp　and　on　trail；　Edith　Nelson　

was　always　with　him；　sharing　his　luck；　his　hardship；　and　his　toil。　　

The　short　step　of　the　house…reared　woman　she　exchanged　for　the　long　

stride　of　the　mountaineer。　　She　learned　to　look　upon　danger　clear…

eyed　and　with　understanding；　losing　forever　that　panic　fear　which　

is　bred　of　ignorance　and　which　afflicts　the　city…reared；　making　

them　as　silly　as　silly　horses；　so　that　they　await　fate　in　frozen　

horror　instead　of　grappling　with　it；　or　stampede　in　blind　self…

destroying　terror　which　clutters　the　way　with　their　crushed　

carcasses。



Edith　Nelson　met　the　unexpected　at　every　turn　of　the　trail；　and　she　

trained　her　vision　so　that　she　saw　in　the　landscape；　not　the　

obvious；　but　the　concealed。　　She；　who　had　never　cooked　in　her　life；　

learned　to　make　bread　without　the　mediation　of　hops；　yeast；　or　

baking…powder；　and　to　bake　bread；　top　and　bottom；　in　a　frying…pan　

before　an　open　fire。　　And　when　the　last　cup　of　flour　was　gone　and　

the　last　rind　of　bacon；　she　was　able　to　rise　to　the　occasion；　and　

of　moccasins　and　the　softer…tanned　bits　of　leather　in　the　outfit　to　

make　a　grub…stake　substitute　that　somehow　held　a　man's　soul　in　his　

body　and　enabled　him　to　stagger　on。　　She　learned　to　pack　a　horse　as　

well　as　a　man；　…　a　task　to　break　the　heart　and　the　pride　of　any　

city…dweller；　and　she　knew　how　to　throw　the　hitch　best　suited　for　

any　particular　kind　of　pack。　　Also；　she　could　build　a　fire　of　wet　

wood　in　a　downpour　of　rain　and　not　lose　her　temper。　　In　short；　in　

all　its　guises　she　mastered　the　unexpected。　　But　the　Great　

Unexpected　was　yet　to　come　into　her　life　and　put　its　test　upon　her。



The　gold…seeking　tide　was　flooding　northward　into　Alaska；　and　it　

was　inevitable　that　Hans　Nelson　and　his　wife　should　he　caught　up　by　

the　stream　and　swept　toward　the　Klondike。　　The　fall　of　1897　found　

them　at　Dyea；　but　without　the　money　to　carry　an　outfit　across　

Chilcoot　Pass　and　float　it　down　to　Dawson。　　So　Hans　Nelson　worked　

at　his　trade　that　winter　and　helped　rear　the　mushroom　outfitting…

town　of　Skaguay。



He　was　on　the　edge　of　things；　and　throughout　the　winter　he　heard　

all　Alaska　calling　to　him。　　Latuya　Bay　called　loudest；　so　that　the　

summer　of　1898　found　him　and　his　wife　threading　the　mazes　of　the　

broken　coast…line　in　seventy…foot　Siwash　canoes。　　With　them　were　

Indians；　also　three　other　men。　　The　Indians　landed　them　and　their　

supplies　in　a　lonely　bight　of　land　a　hundred　miles　or　so　beyond　

Latuya　Bay；　and　returned　to　Skaguay；　but　the　three　other　men　

remained；　for　they　were　members　of　the　organized　party。　　Each　had　

put　an　equal　share　of　capital　into　the　outfitting；　and　the　profits　

were　to　he　divided　equally。　　In　that　Edith　Nelson　undertook　to　cook　

for　the　outfit；　a　man's　share　was　to　be　her　portion。



First；　spruce　trees　were　cut　down　and　a　three…room　cabin　

constructed。　　To　keep　this　cabin　was　Edith　Nelson's　task。　　The　task　

of　the　men　was　to　search　for　gold；　which　they　did；　and　to　find　

gold；　which　they　likewise　did。　　It　was　not　a　startling　find；　merely　

a　low…pay　placer　where　long　hours　of　severe　toil　earned　each　man　

between　fifteen　and　twenty　dollars　a　day。　　The　brief　Alaskan　summer　

protracted　itself　beyond　its　usual　length；　and　they　took　advantage　

of　the　opportunity；　delaying　their　return　to　Skaguay　to　the　last　

moment。　　And　then　it　was　too　late。　　Arrangements　had　been　made　to　

accompany　the　several　dozen　local　Indians　on　their　fall　trading　

trip　down　the　coast。　　The　Siwashes　had　waited　on　the　white　people　

until　the　eleventh　hour；　and　then　departed。　　There　was　no　course　

left　the　party　but　to　wait　for　chance　transportation。　　In　the　

meantime　the　claim　was　cleaned　up　and　firewood　stocked　in。



The　Indian　summer　had　dreamed　on　and　on；　and　then；　suddenly；　with　

the　sharpness　of　bugles；　winter　came。　　It　came　in　a　single　night；　

and　the　miners　awoke　to　howling　wind；　driving　snow；　and　freezing　

water。　　Storm　followed　storm；　and　between　the　storms　there　was　the　

silence；　broken　only　by　the　boom　of　the　surf　on　the　desolate　shore；　

where　the　salt　spray　rimmed　the　beach　with　frozen　white。



All　went　well　in　the　cabin。　　Their　gold…dust　had　weighed　up　

something　like　eight　thousand　dollars；　and　they　could　not　but　be　

contented。　　The　men　made　snowshoes；　hunted　fresh　meat　for　the　

larder；　and　in　the　long　evenings　played　endless　games　of　whist　and　

pedro。　　Now　that　the　mining　ha