the red one-第20章

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Nine；　like　one　drowning　and　swimming　feebly　to　keep　his

consciousness　above　the　engulfing　dark；　he　came　out　upon　the　snow…

slope　to　a　canyon　and　saw　below　smoke　rising　and　men　who　ceased

from　work　to　gaze　at　him。　　He　tottered　down　the　hill　to　them；　still

singing；　and　when　he　ceased　from　lack　of　breath　they　called　him

variously：　　Santa　Claus；　Old　Christmas；　Whiskers；　the　Last　of　the

Mohicans；　and　Father　Christmas。　　And　when　he　stood　among　them　he

stood　very　still；　without　speech；　while　great　tears　welled　out　of

his　eyes。　　He　cried　silently；　a　long　time；　till；　as　if　suddenly

bethinking　himself；　he　sat　down　in　the　snow　with　much　creaking　and

crackling　of　his　joints；　and　from　this　low　vantage　point　toppled

sidewise　and　fainted　calmly　and　easily　away。



In　less　than　a　week　Old　Tarwater　was　up　and　limping　about　the

housework　of　the　cabin；　cooking　and　dish…washing　for　the　five　men

of　the　creek。　　Genuine　sourdoughs　（pioneers）　they　were；　tough　and

hard…bitten；　who　had　been　buried　so　deeply　inside　the　Circle　that

they　did　not　know　there　was　a　Klondike　Strike。　　The　news　he　brought

them　was　their　first　word　of　it。　　They　lived　on　an　almost　straight…

meat　diet　of　moose；　caribou；　and　smoked　salmon；　eked　out　with　wild

berries　and　somewhat　succulent　wild　roots　they　had　stocked　up　with

in　the　summer。　　They　had　forgotten　the　taste　of　coffee；　made　fire

with　a　burning　glass；　carried　live　fire…sticks　with　them　wherever

they　travelled；　and　in　their　pipes　smoked　dry　leaves　that　bit　the

tongue　and　were　pungent　to　the　nostrils。



Three　years　before；　they　had　prospected　from　the　head…reaches　of

the　Koyokuk　northward　and　clear　across　to　the　mouth　of　the

Mackenzie　on　the　Arctic　Ocean。　　Here；　on　the　whaleships；　they　had

beheld　their　last　white　men　and　equipped　themselves　with　the　last

white　man's　grub；　consisting　principally　of　salt　and　smoking

tobacco。　　Striking　south　and　west　on　the　long　traverse　to　the

junction　of　the　Yukon　and　Porcupine　at　Fort　Yukon；　they　had　found

gold　on　this　creek　and　remained　over　to　work　the　ground。



They　hailed　the　advent　of　Tarwater　with　joy；　never　tired　of

listening　to　his　tales　of　Forty…Nine；　and　rechristened　him　Old

Hero。　　Also；　with　tea　made　from　spruce　needles；　with　concoctions

brewed　from　the　inner　willow　bark；　and　with　sour　and　bitter　roots

and　bulbs　from　the　ground；　they　dosed　his　scurvy　out　of　him；　so

that　he　ceased　limping　and　began　to　lay　on　flesh　over　his　bony

framework。　　Further；　they　saw　no　reason　at　all　why　he　should　not

gather　a　rich　treasure　of　gold　from　the　ground。



〃Don't　know　about　all　of　three　hundred　thousand；〃　they　told　him　one

morning；　at　breakfast；　ere　they　departed　to　their　work；　〃but　how'd

a　hundred　thousand　do；　Old　Hero？　　That's　what　we　figure　a　claim　is

worth；　the　ground　being　badly　spotted；　and　we've　already　staked

your　location　notices。〃



〃Well；　boys；〃　Old　Tarwater　answered；　〃and　thanking　you　kindly；　all

I　can　say　is　that　a　hundred　thousand　will　do　nicely；　and　very

nicely；　for　a　starter。　　Of　course；　I　ain't　goin'　to　stop　till　I　get

the　full　three　hundred　thousand。　　That's　what　I　come　into　the

country　for。〃



They　laughed　and　applauded　his　ambition　and　reckoned　they'd　have　to

hunt　a　richer　creek　for　him。　　And　Old　Hero　reckoned　that　as　the

spring　came　on　and　he　grew　spryer；　he'd　have　to　get　out　and　do　a

little　snooping　around　himself。



〃For　all　anybody　knows；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　a　hillside　across　the

creek　bottom；　〃the　moss　under　the　snow　there　may　be　plumb　rooted　in

nugget　gold。〃



He　said　no　more；　but　as　the　sun　rose　higher　and　the　days　grew

longer　and　warmer；　he　gazed　often　across　the　creek　at　the　definite

bench…formation　half　way　up　the　hill。　　And；　one　day；　when　the　thaw

was　in　full　swing；　he　crossed　the　stream　and　climbed　to　the　bench。

Exposed　patches　of　ground　had　already　thawed　an　inch　deep。　　On　one

such　patch　he　stopped；　gathered　a　bunch　of　moss　in　his　big　gnarled

hands；　and　ripped　it　out　by　the　roots。　　The　sun　smouldered　on　dully

glistening　yellow。　　He　shook　the　handful　of　moss；　and　coarse

nuggets；　like　gravel；　fell　to　the　ground。　　It　was　the　Golden　Fleece

ready　for　the　shearing。



Not　entirely　unremembered　in　Alaskan　annals　is　the　summer　stampede

of　1898　from　Fort　Yukon　to　the　bench　diggings　of　Tarwater　Hill。

And　when　Tarwater　sold　his　holdings　to　the　Bowdie　interests　for　a

sheer　half…million　and　faced　for　California；　he　rode　a　mule　over　a

new…cut　trail；　with　convenient　road　houses　along　the　way；　clear　to

the　steamboat　landing　at　Fort　Yukon。



At　the　first　meal　on　the　ocean…going　steamship　out　of　St。　Michaels；

a　waiter；　greyish…haired；　pain…ravaged　of　face；　scurvy…twisted　of

body；　served　him。　　Old　Tarwater　was　compelled　to　look　him　over

twice　in　order　to　make　certain　he　was　Charles　Crayton。



〃Got　it　bad；　eh；　son？〃　Tarwater　queried。



〃Just　my　luck；〃　the　other　complained；　after　recognition　and

greeting。　　〃Only　one　of　the　party　that　the　scurvy　attacked。　　I've

been　through　hell。　　The　other　three　are　all　at　work　and　healthy；

getting　grub…stake　to　prospect　up　White　River　this　winter。　　Anson's

earning　twenty…five　a　day　at　carpentering；　Liverpool　getting　twenty

logging　for　the　saw…mill；　and　Big　Bill's　getting　forty　a　day　as

chief　sawyer。　　I　tried　my　best；　and　if　it　hadn't　been　for　scurvy　。

。　。〃



〃Sure；　son；　you　done　your　best；　which　ain't　much；　you　being

naturally　irritable　and　hard　from　too　much　business。　　Now　I'll　tell

you　what。　　You　ain't　fit　to　work　crippled　up　this　way。　　I'll　pay

your　passage　with　the　captain　in　kind　remembrance　of　the　voyage　you

gave　me；　and　you　can　lay　up　and　take　it　easy　the　rest　of　the　trip。

And　what　are　your　circumstances　when　you　land　at　San　Francisco？〃



Charles　Crayton　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃Tell　you　what；〃　Tarwater　continued。　　〃There's　work　on　the　ranch

for　you　till　you　can　start　business　again。〃



〃I　could　manage　your　business　for　you　…　〃　Charles　began　eagerly。



〃No；　siree；〃　Tarwater　declared　emphatically。　　〃But　there's　always

post…holes　to　dig；　and　cordwood　to　chop；　and　the　climate's　fine　。　。

。　〃



Tarwater　arrived　home　a　true　prodigal　grandfather　for　whom　the

fatted　calf　was　killed　and　ready。　　But　first；　ere　he　sat　down　at

table；　he　must　stroll　out　and　around。　　And　sons　and　daughters　of

his　flesh　and　of　the　law　needs　must　go　with　him　fulsomely　eating

out　of　the　gnarled　old　hand　that　had　half　a　million　to　disburse。

He　led　the　way；　and　no　opinion　he　slyly　uttered　was　preposterous　or

impossible　enough　to　draw　dissent　from　his　following。　　Pausing　by

the　ruined　water　wheel　which　he　had　built　from　the　standing　timber；

his　face　beamed　as　he　gazed　across　the　stretches　of　Tarwater

Valley；　and　on　and　up　the　far　heights　to　the　summit　of　Tarwater

Mountain　…　now　all　his　again。



A　thought　came　to　him　that　made　him　avert　his　face　and　blow　his

nose　in　order　to　hide　the　twinkle　in　his　eyes。　　Still　attended　by

the　entire　family；　he　strolled　on　to　the　dilapidated　barn。　　He

picked　up　an　age…weathered　single…tree　from　the　ground。



〃William；〃　he　said。　　〃Remember　that　little　conversation　we　had　just

before　I　started　to　Klondike？　　Sure；　William；　you　remember。　　You

told　me　I　was　crazy。　　And　I　said　my　father'd　have　walloped　the　tar

out　of　me　with　a　single…tree　if　I'd　spoke　to　him　that　way。〃



〃Aw；　but　that　was　only　foolin'；〃　William　temporized。



William　was　a　grizzled　man　of　forty…five；　and　his　wife　and　grown

sons　stood　in　the　group；　curiously　watching　Grandfather　Tarwater

take　off　his　coat　and　hand　it　to　Mary　to　hold。



〃William　…　come　here；〃　he　commanded　imperatively。



No　matter　how　reluctantly；　William　came。



〃Just　a　taste；　William；　son；　of　what　my　father　give　me　often

enough；〃　Old　Tarwater　crooned；　as　he　laid　on　his　son's　back　and

shoulders　with　the　single…tree。　　〃Observe；　I　ain't　hitting　you　on

the　head。　　My　father　had　a　gosh…wollickin'　temper　and　never　drew

the　line　at　heads　when　he　went　after　tar。　…　Don't　jerk　your　elbows

back　that　way！　　You