the red one-第18章

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

keep　it　there：　　OLD　DAD'S　GOING　BY　THE　POLICE。　　UNDERSTAND？　HE'S

GOING　BY。　　When　they　examine　our　outfit；　old　dad's　got　a　fifth

share　in　it；　savvee？　　That'll　put　us　all　'way　under　what　we　ought

to　have；　but　we　can　bluff　it　through。　　Now　get　this；　and　get　it

hard：　　THERE　AIN'T　GOING　TO　BE　ANY　FALL…DOWN　ON　THIS　BLUFF　…　〃



〃If　you　think　I'd　give　away　on　the　old　codger　…　〃　Charles　began

indignantly。



〃You　thought　that；〃　Liverpool　checked　him；　〃because　I　never

mentioned　any　such　thing。　　Now　…　get　me　and　get　me　hard：　　I　don't

care　what　you've　been　thinking。　　It's　what　you're　going　to　think。

We'll　make　the　police　post　some　time　this　afternoon；　and　we've　got

to　get　ready　to　pull　the　bluff　without　a　hitch；　and　a　word　to　the

wise　is　plenty。〃



〃If　you　think　I've　got　it　in　my　mind　…　〃　Charles　began　again。



〃Look　here；〃　Liverpool　shut　him　off。　　〃I　don't　know　what's　in　your

mind。　　I　don't　want　to　know。　　I　want　you　to　know　what's　in　my　mind。

If　there's　any　slip…up；　if　old　dad　gets　turned　back　by　the　police；

I'm　going　to　pick　out　the　first　quiet　bit　of　landscape　and　take　you

ashore　on　it。　　And　then　I'm　going　to　beat　you　up　to　the　Queen's

taste。　　Get　me；　and　get　me　hard。　　It　ain't　going　to　be　any　half…way

beating；　but　a　real；　two…legged；　two…fisted；　he…man　beating。　　I

don't　expect　I'll　kill　you；　but　I'll　come　damn　near　to　half…killing

you。〃



〃But　what　can　I　do？〃　Charles　almost　whimpered。



〃Just　one　thing；〃　was　Liverpool's　final　word。　　〃You　just　pray。　　You

pray　so　hard　that　old　dad　gets　by　the　police　that　he　does　get　by。

That's　all。　　Go　back　to　your　blankets。〃



Before　they　gained　Lake　Le　Barge；　the　land　was　sheeted　with　snow

that　would　not　melt　for　half　a　year。　　Nor　could　they　lay　their　boat

at　will　against　the　bank；　for　the　rim…ice　was　already　forming。

Inside　the　mouth　of　the　river；　just　ere　it　entered　Lake　Le　Barge；

they　found　a　hundred　storm…bound　boats　of　the　argonauts。　　Out　of

the　north；　across　the　full　sweep　of　the　great　lake；　blew　an

unending　snow　gale。　　Three　mornings　they　put　out　and　fought　it　and

the　cresting　seas　it　drove　that　turned　to　ice　as　they　fell　in…

board。　　While　the　others　broke　their　hearts　at　the　oars；　Old

Tarwater　managed　to　keep　up　just　sufficient　circulation　to　survive

by　chopping　ice　and　throwing　it　overboard。



Each　day　for　three　days；　beaten　to　helplessness；　they　turned　tail

on　the　battle　and　ran　back　into　the　sheltering　river。　　By　the

fourth　day；　the　hundred　boats　had　increased　to　three　hundred；　and

the　two　thousand　argonauts　on　board　knew　that　the　great　gale

heralded　the　freeze…up　of　Le　Barge。　　Beyond；　the　rapid　rivers　would

continue　to　run　for　days；　but　unless　they　got　beyond；　and

immediately；　they　were　doomed　to　be　frozen　in　for　six　months　to

come。



〃This　day　we　go　through；〃　Liverpool　announced。　　〃We　turn　back　for

nothing。　　And　those　of　us　that　dies　at　the　oars　will　live　again　and

go　on　pulling。〃



And　they　went　through；　winning　half　the　length　of　the　lake　by

nightfall　and　pulling　on　through　all　the　night　hours　as　the　wind

went　down；　falling　asleep　at　the　oars　and　being　rapped　awake　by

Liverpool；　toiling　on　through　an　age…long　nightmare　while　the　stars

came　out　and　the　surface　of　the　lake　turned　to　the　unruffledness　of

a　sheet　of　paper　and　froze　skin…ice　that　tinkled　like　broken　glass

as　their　oar…blades　shattered　it。



As　day　broke　clear　and　cold；　they　entered　the　river；　with　behind

them　a　sea　of　ice。　　Liverpool　examined　his　aged　passenger　and　found

him　helpless　and　almost　gone。　　When　he　rounded　the　boat　to　against

the　rim…ice　to　build　a　fire　and　warm　up　Tarwater　inside　and　out；

Charles　protested　against　such　loss　of　time。



〃This　ain't　business；　so　don't　you　come　horning　in；〃　Liverpool

informed　him。　　〃I'm　running　the　boat　trip。　　So　you　just　climb　out

and　chop　firewood；　and　plenty　of　it。　　I'll　take　care　of　dad。　　You；

Anson；　make　a　fire　on　the　bank。　　And　you；　Bill；　set　up　the　Yukon

stove　in　the　boat。　　Old　dad　ain't　as　young　as　the　rest　of　us；　and

for　the　rest　of　this　voyage　he's　going　to　have　a　fire　on　board　to

sit　by。〃



All　of　which　came　to　pass；　and　the　boat；　in　the　grip　of　the

current；　like　a　river　steamer　with　smoke　rising　from　the　two　joints

of　stove…pipe；　grounded　on　shoals；　hung　up　on　split　currents；　and

charged　rapids　and　canyons；　as　it　drove　deeper　into　the　Northland

winter。　　The　Big　and　Little　Salmon　rivers　were　throwing　mush…ice

into　the　main　river　as　they　passed；　and；　below　the　riffles；　anchor…

ice　arose　from　the　river　bottom　and　coated　the　surface　with　crystal

scum。　　Night　and　day　the　rim…ice　grew；　till；　in　quiet　places；　it

extended　out　a　hundred　yards　from　shore。　　And　Old　Tarwater；　with

all　his　clothes　on；　sat　by　the　stove　and　kept　the　fire　going。

Night　and　day；　not　daring　to　stop　for　fear　of　the　imminent　freeze…

up；　they　dared　to　run；　an　increasing　mushiness　of　ice　running　with

them。



〃What　ho；　old　hearty？〃　Liverpool　would　call　out　at　times。



〃Cheer　O；〃　Old　Tarwater　had　learned　to　respond。



〃What　can　I　ever　do　for　you；　son；　in　payment？〃　Tarwater；　stoking

the　fire；　would　sometimes　ask　Liverpool；　beating　now　one　released

hand　and　now　the　other　as　he　fought　for　circulation　where　he

steered　in　the　freezing　stern…sheets。



〃Just　break　out　that　regular　song　of　yours；　old　Forty…Niner；〃　was

the　invariable　reply。



And　Tarwater　would　lift　his　voice　in　the　cackling　chant；　as　he

lifted　it　at　the　end；　when　the　boat　swung　in　through　driving　cake…

ice　and　moored　to　the　Dawson　City　bank；　and　all　waterfront　Dawson

pricked　its　ears　to　hear　the　triumphant　paean：





Like　Argus　of　the　ancient　times；

We　leave　this　modern　Greece；

Tum…tum；　tum…tum；　tum；　tum；　tum…tum；

To　shear　the　Golden　Fleece；





Charles　did　it；　but　he　did　it　so　discreetly　that　none　of　his　party；

least　of　all　the　sailor；　ever　learned　of　it。　　He　saw　two　great　open

barges　being　filled　up　with　men；　and；　on　inquiry；　learned　that

these　were　grubless　ones　being　rounded　up　and　sent　down　the　Yukon

by　the　Committee　of　Safety。　　The　barges　were　to　be　towed　by　the

last　little　steamboat　in　Dawson；　and　the　hope　was　that　Fort　Yukon；

where　lay　the　stranded　steamboats；　would　be　gained　before　the　river

froze。　　At　any　rate；　no　matter　what　happened　to　them；　Dawson　would

be　relieved　of　their　grub…consuming　presence。　　So　to　the　Committee

of　Safety　Charles　went；　privily　to　drop　a　flea　in　its　ear

concerning　Tarwater's　grubless；　moneyless；　and　aged　condition。

Tarwater　was　one　of　the　last　gathered　in；　and　when　Young　Liverpool

returned　to　the　boat；　from　the　bank　he　saw　the　barges　in　a　run　of

cake…ice；　disappearing　around　the　bend　below　Moose…hide　Mountain。



Running　in　cake…ice　all　the　way；　and　several　times　escaping　jams　in

the　Yukon　Flats；　the　barges　made　their　hundreds　of　miles　of

progress　farther　into　the　north　and　froze　up　cheek　by　jowl　with　the

grub…fleet。　　Here；　inside　the　Arctic　Circle；　Old　Tarwater　settled

down　to　pass　the　long　winter。　　Several　hours'　work　a　day；　chopping

firewood　for　the　steamboat　companies；　sufficed　to　keep　him　in　food。

For　the　rest　of　the　time　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　hibernate　in

his　log　cabin。



Warmth；　rest；　and　plenty　to　eat；　cured　his　hacking　cough　and　put

him　in　as　good　physical　condition　as　was　possible　for　his　advanced

years。　　But；　even　before　Christmas；　the　lack　of　fresh　vegetables

caused　scurvy　to　break　out；　and　disappointed　adventurer　after

disappointed　adventurer　took　to　his　bunk　in　abject　surrender　to

this　culminating　misfortune。　　Not　so　Tarwater。　　Even　before　the

first　symptoms　appeared　on　him；　he　was　putting　into　practice　his

one　prescription；　namely；　exercise。　　From　the　junk　of　the　old

trading　post　he　resurrected　a　number　of　rusty　traps；　and　from　one

of　the　steamboat　captains　he　borrowed　a　rifle。



Thus　equipped；　he　ceased　from　wood…chopping；　and　began　to　make　more

than　a　mere　living。　　Nor　was　he　downhearted　when　the　scurvy　b