the red one-第17章

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and　backs　and　wept　beside　the　trail　in　sheer　exhaustion。　　But

winter　never　faltered。　　The　fall　gales　blew；　and　amid　bitter

soaking　rains　and　ever…increasing　snow　flurries；　Tarwater　and　the

party　to　which　he　was　attached　piled　the　last　of　their　outfit　on

the　beach。



There　was　no　rest。　　Across　the　lake；　a　mile　above　a　roaring

torrent；　they　located　a　patch　of　spruce　and　built　their　saw…pit。

Here；　by　hand；　with　an　inadequate　whipsaw；　they　sawed　the　spruce…

trunks　into　lumber。　　They　worked　night　and　day。　　Thrice；　on　the

night…shift；　underneath　in　the　saw…pit；　Old　Tarwater　fainted。　　By

day　he　cooked　as　well；　and；　in　the　betweenwhiles；　helped　Anson　in

the　building　of　the　boat　beside　the　torrent　as　the　green　planks

came　down。



The　days　grew　shorter。　　The　wind　shifted　into　the　north　and　blew

unending　gales。　　In　the　mornings　the　weary　men　crawled　from　their

blankets　and　in　their　socks　thawed　out　their　frozen　shoes　by　the

fire　Tarwater　always　had　burning　for　them。　　Ever　arose　the

increasing　tale　of　famine　on　the　Inside。　　The　last　grub　steamboats

up　from　Bering　Sea　were　stalled　by　low　water　at　the　beginning　of

the　Yukon　Flats　hundreds　of　miles　north　of　Dawson。　　In　fact；　they

lay　at　the　old　Hudson　Bay　Company's　post　at　Fort　Yukon　inside　the

Arctic　Circle。　　Flour　in　Dawson　was　up　to　two　dollars　a　pound；　but

no　one　would　sell。　　Bonanza　and　Eldorado　Kings；　with　money　to　burn；

were　leaving　for　the　Outside　because　they　could　buy　no　grub。

Miners'　Committees　were　confiscating　all　grub　and　putting　the

population　on　strict　rations。　　A　man　who　held　out　an　ounce　of　grub

was　shot　like　a　dog。　　A　score　had　been　so　executed　already。



And；　under　a　strain　which　had　broken　so　many　younger　men；　Old

Tarwater　began　to　break。　　His　cough　had　become　terrible；　and　had

not　his　exhausted　comrades　slept　like　the　dead；　he　would　have　kept

them　awake　nights。　　Also；　he　began　to　take　chills；　so　that　he

dressed　up　to　go　to　bed。　　When　he　had　finished　so　dressing；　not　a

rag　of　garment　remained　in　his　clothes　bag。　　All　he　possessed　was

on　his　back　and　swathed　around　his　gaunt　old　form。



〃Gee！〃　said　Big　Bill。　　〃If　he　puts　all　he's　got　on　now；　when　it

ain't　lower　than　twenty　above；　what'll　he　do　later　on　when　it　goes

down　to　fifty　and　sixty　below？〃



They　lined　the　rough…made　boat　down　the　mountain　torrent；　nearly

losing　it　a　dozen　times；　and　rowed　across　the　south　end　of　Lake

Linderman　in　the　thick　of　a　fall　blizzard。　　Next　morning　they

planned　to　load　and　start；　squarely　into　the　teeth　of　the　north；　on

their　perilous　traverse　of　half　a　thousand　miles　of　lakes　and

rapids　and　box　canyons。　　But　before　he　went　to　bed　that　night；

Young　Liverpool　was　out　over　the　camp。　　He　returned　to　find　his

whole　party　asleep。　　Rousing　Tarwater；　he　talked　with　him　in　low

tones。



〃Listen；　dad；〃　he　said。　…　〃You've　got　a　passage　in　our　boat；　and　if

ever　a　man　earned　a　passage　you　have。　　But　you　know　yourself　you're

pretty　well　along　in　years；　and　your　health　right　now　ain't

exciting。　　If　you　go　on　with　us　you'll　croak　surer'n　hell。　…　Now

wait　till　I　finish；　dad。　　The　price　for　a　passage　has　jumped　to

five　hundred　dollars。　　I've　been　throwing　my　feet　and　I've　hustled

a　passenger。　　He's　an　official　of　the　Alaska　Commercial　and　just

has　to　get　in。　　He's　bid　up　to　six　hundred　to　go　with　me　in　our

boat。　　Now　the　passage　is　yours。　　You　sell　it　to　him；　poke　the　six

hundred　into　your　jeans；　and　pull　South　for　California　while　the

goin's　good。　　You　can　be　in　Dyea　in　two　days；　and　in　California　in

a　week　more。　　What　d'ye　say？〃



Tarwater　coughed　and　shivered　for　a　space；　ere　he　could　get　freedom

of　breath　for　speech。



〃Son；〃　he　said；　〃I　just　want　to　tell　you　one　thing。　　I　drove　my

four　yoke　of　oxen　across　the　Plains　in　Forty…nine　and　lost　nary　a

one。　　I　drove　them　plumb　to　Californy；　and　I　freighted　with　them

afterward　out　of　Sutter's　Fort　to　American　Bar。　　Now　I'm　going　to

Klondike。　　Ain't　nothing　can　stop　me；　ain't　nothing　at　all。　　I'm

going　to　ride　that　boat；　with　you　at　the　steering　sweep；　clean　to

Klondike；　and　I'm　going　to　shake　three　hundred　thousand　out　of　the

moss…roots。　　That　being　so；　it's　contrary　to　reason　and　common

sense　for　me　to　sell　out　my　passage。　　But　I　thank　you　kindly；　son；

I　thank　you　kindly。〃



The　young　sailor　shot　out　his　hand　impulsively　and　gripped　the　old

man's。



〃By　God；　dad！〃　he　cried。　　〃You're　sure　going　to　go　then。　　You're

the　real　stuff。〃　　He　looked　with　undisguised　contempt　across　the

sleepers　to　where　Charles　Crayton　snored　in　his　red　beard。　　〃They

don't　seem　to　make　your　kind　any　more；　dad。〃



Into　the　north　they　fought　their　way；　although　old…timers；　coming

out；　shook　their　heads　and　prophesied　they　would　be　frozen　in　on

the　lakes。　　That　the　freeze…up　might　come　any　day　was　patent；　and

delays　of　safety　were　no　longer　considered。　　For　this　reason；

Liverpool　decided　to　shoot　the　rapid　stream　connecting　Linderman　to

Lake　Bennett　with　the　fully　loaded　boat。　　It　was　the　custom　to　line

the　empty　boats　down　and　to　portage　the　cargoes　across。　　Even　then

many　empty　boats　had　been　wrecked。　　But　the　time　was　past　for　such

precaution。



〃Climb　out；　dad；〃　Liverpool　commanded　as　he　prepared　to　swing　from

the　bank　and　enter　the　rapids。



Old　Tarwater　shook　his　white　head。



〃I'm　sticking　to　the　outfit；〃　he　declared。　　〃It's　the　only　way　to

get　through。　　You　see；　son；　I'm　going　to　Klondike。　　If　I　stick　by

the　boat；　then　the　boat　just　naturally　goes　to　Klondike；　too。　　If　I

get　out；　then　most　likely　you'll　lose　the　boat。〃



〃Well；　there's　no　use　in　overloading；〃　Charles　announced；　springing

abruptly　out　on　the　bank　as　the　boat　cast　off。



〃Next　time　you　wait　for　my　orders！〃　Liverpool　shouted　ashore　as　the

current　gripped　the　boat。　　〃And　there　won't　be　any　more　walking

around　rapids　and　losing　time　waiting　to　pick　you　up！〃



What　took　them　ten　minutes　by　river；　took　Charles　half　an　hour　by

land；　and　while　they　waited　for　him　at　the　head　of　Lake　Bennett

they　passed　the　time　of　day　with　several　dilapidated　old…timers　on

their　way　out。　　The　famine　news　was　graver　than　ever。　　The　North…

west　Mounted　Police；　stationed　at　the　foot　of　Lake　Marsh　where　the

gold…rushers　entered　Canadian　territory；　were　refusing　to　let　a　man

past　who　did　not　carry　with　him　seven　hundred　pounds　of　grub。　　In

Dawson　City　a　thousand　men；　with　dog…teams；　were　waiting　the

freeze…up　to　come　out　over　the　ice。　　The　trading　companies　could

not　fill　their　grub…contracts；　and　partners　were　cutting　the　cards

to　see　which　should　go　and　which　should　stay　and　work　the　claims。



〃That　settles　it；〃　Charles　announced；　when　he　learned　of　the　action

of　the　mounted　police　on　the　boundary。　　〃Old　Man；　you　might　as　well

start　back　now。〃



〃Climb　aboard！〃　　Liverpool　commanded。　　〃We're　going　to　Klondike；

and　old　dad　is　going　along。〃



A　shift　of　gale　to　the　south　gave　them　a　fair　wind　down　Lake

Bennett；　before　which　they　ran　under　a　huge　sail　made　by　Liverpool。

The　heavy　weight　of　outfit　gave　such　ballast　that　he　cracked　on　as

a　daring　sailor　should　when　moments　counted。　　A　shift　of　four

points　into　the　south…west；　coming　just　at　the　right　time　as　they

entered　upon　Caribou　Crossing；　drove　them　down　that　connecting　link

to　lakes　Tagish　and　Marsh。　　In　stormy　sunset　and　twilight　…　they

made　the　dangerous　crossing　of　Great　Windy　Arm；　wherein　they　beheld

two　other　boat…loads　of　gold…rushers　capsize　and　drown。



Charles　was　for　beaching　for　the　night；　but　Liverpool　held　on；

steering　down　Tagish　by　the　sound　of　the　surf　on　the　shoals　and　by

the　occasional　shore…fires　that　advertised　wrecked　or　timid

argonauts。　　At　four　in　the　morning；　he　aroused　Charles。　　Old

Tarwater；　shiveringly　awake；　heard　Liverpool　order　Crayton　aft

beside　him　at　the　steering…sweep；　and　also　heard　the　one…sided

conversation。



〃Just　listen；　friend　Charles；　and　keep　your　own　mouth　shut；〃

Liverpool　began。　　〃I　want　you　to　get　one　thing　into　your　head　and