\"No。\"
\"Ain’titabeute?\"
\"Yes。\"Kentnoddedhisheadapprovingly,intentonhumoringthisstrangevisitor,butwhollyunpreparedfortheoutburstwhichwastofollowhisefforttobeagreeable。
\"Youblasted,bloomin’,burgoo—eatin’son—of—a—sea—swab!Wotdoyoumean,asayin’themostonsightlythingGawdAlmightyeverputonthefaceo’manisabeute?Wotdoyoumean,you——\"
AndthereatthisfierysonoftheseabrokeoffintoastringofOrientalprofanity,minglinggodsanddevils,lineagesandmen,metaphorsandmonsters,withsosavageavirilitythatJacobKentwasparalyzed。Heshrankback,hisarmsliftedasthoughtowardoffphysicalviolence。Soutterlyunnervedwashethattheotherpausedinthemid—swingofagorgeousperorationandburstintothunderouslaughter。
\"Thesun’sknockedthebottomouto’thetrail,\"saidtheManwiththeGash,betweendepartingparoxysmsofmirth。\"An’Ionly’opeasyou’llappreciatethehoppertunityofconsortin’withamano’
mymug。Getsteamupinthatfire—boxo’your’n。I’mgoin’tounrigthedogsan’grub’em。An’don’tbeshyo’thewood,mylad;there’splentymorewherethatcomefrom,andit’syou’vegotthetimetoslinganaxe。An’toteupabucketo’waterwhileyou’reaboutit。Lively!orI’llrunyoudown,so’elpme!\"
Suchathingwasunheardof。JacobKentwasmakingthefire,choppingwood,packingwater——doingmenialtasksforaguest!
WhenJimCardegeeleftDawson,itwaswithhisheadfilledwiththeiniquitiesofthisroadsideShylock;andallalongthetrailhisnumerousvictimshadaddedtothesumofhiscrimes。Now,JimCardegee,withthesailor’sloveforasailor’sjoke,haddetermined,whenhepulledintothecabin,tobringitsinmatedownapegorso。Thathehadsucceededbeyondexpectationhecouldnothelpbutremark,thoughhewasinthedarkastothepartthegashonhischeekhadplayedinit。Butwhilehecouldnotunderstand,hesawtheterroritcreated,andresolvedtoexploititasremorselesslyaswouldanymoderntraderachoicebitofmerchandise。
\"Strikemeblind,butyou’rea’ustler,\"hesaidadmiringly,hisheadcockedtooneside,ashishostbustledabout。\"Younever’ortto’avegoneKlondiking。It’sthekeeperofapub’youwaslaidoutfor。An’it’softenasI’ave’eardtheladsupan’downtheriverspeako’you,butI’adn’tnoideayouwassojollynice。\"
JacobKentexperiencedatremendousyearningtotryhisshotgunonhim,butthefascinationofthegashwastoopotent。ThiswastherealManwiththeGash,themanwhohadsooftenrobbedhiminthespirit。This,then,wastheembodiedentityofthebeingwhoseastralformhadbeenprojectedintohisdreams,themanwhohadsofrequentlyharboreddesignsagainsthishoard;hence——therecouldbenootherconclusion——thisManwiththeGashhadnowcomeinthefleshtodispossesshim。Andthatgash!Hecouldnomorekeephiseyesfromitthanstopthebeatingofhisheart。Tryashewould,theywanderedbacktothatonepointasinevitablyastheneedletothepole。
\"Doit’urtyou?\"JimCardegeethunderedsuddenly,lookingupfromthespreadingofhisblanketsandencounteringtheraptgazeoftheother。\"Itstrikesmeas’owit’udbetheproperthingforyoutodrawyourjib,dousetheglim,an’turnin,seein’as’owitworritsyou。Jes’laytothat,youswab,orso’elpmeI’lltakeapullonyourpeak—purchases!\"
Kentwassonervousthatittookthreepuffstoblowouttheslush—lamp,andhecrawledintohisblanketswithoutevenremovinghismoccasins。Thesailorwassoonsnoringlustilyfromhishardbedonthefloor,butKentlaystaringupintotheblackness,onehandontheshotgun,resolvednottoclosehiseyesthewholenight。Hehadnothadanopportunitytosecretehisfivepoundsofgold,anditlayintheammunitionboxattheheadofhisbunk。
But,tryashewould,heatlastdozedoffwiththeweightofhisdustheavyonhissoul。Hadhenotinadvertentlyfallenasleepwithhismindinsuchcondition,thesomnambulicdemonwouldnothavebeeninvoked,norwouldJimCardegeehavegoneminingnextdaywithadish—pan。
Thefirefoughtalosingbattle,andatlastdiedaway,whilethefrostpenetratedthemossychinksbetweenthelogsandchilledtheinneratmosphere。Thedogsoutsideceasedtheirhowling,and,curledupinthesnow,dreamedofsalmon—stockedheavenswheredog—driversandkindredtask—masterswerenot。Within,thesailorlaylikealog,whilehishosttossedrestlesslyabout,thevictimofstrangefantasies。Asmidnightdrewnearhesuddenlythrewofftheblanketsandgotup。Itwasremarkablethathecoulddowhathethendidwithouteverstrikingalight。Perhapsitwasbecauseofthedarknessthathekepthiseyesshut,andperhapsitwasforfearhewouldseetheterriblegashonthecheekofhisvisitor;
but,bethisasitmay,itisafactthat,unseeing,heopenedhisammunitionbox,putaheavychargeintothemuzzleoftheshotgunwithoutspillingaparticle,rammeditdownwithdoublewads,andthenputeverythingawayandgotbackintobed。
Justasdaylightlaiditssteel—grayfingersontheparchmentwindow,JacobKentawoke。Turningonhiselbow,heraisedthelidandpeeredintotheammunitionbox。Whateverhesaw,orwhateverhedidnotsee,exercisedaverypeculiareffectuponhim,consideringhisneurotictemperament。Heglancedatthesleepingmanonthefloor,lettheliddowngently,androlledoveronhisback。Itwasanunwontedcalmthatrestedonhisface。Notamusclequivered。Therewasnottheleastsignofexcitementorperturbation。Helaytherealongwhile,thinking,andwhenhegotupandbegantomoveabout,itwasinacool,collectedmanner,withoutnoiseandwithouthurry。
Ithappenedthataheavywoodenpeghadbeendrivenintotheridge—polejustaboveJimCardegee’shead。JacobKent,workingsoftly,ranapieceofhalf—inchmanilaoverit,bringingbothendstotheground。Oneendhetiedabouthiswaist,andintheotherherovearunningnoose。Thenhecockedhisshotgunandlaiditwithinreach,bythesideofnumerousmoose—hidethongs。
Byaneffortofwillheborethesightofthescar,slippedthenooseoverthesleeper’shead,anddrewittautbythrowingbackonhisweight,atthesametimeseizingthegunandbringingittobear。
JimCardegeeawoke,choking,bewildered,staringdownthetwinwellsofsteel。
\"Whereisit?\"Kentasked,atthesametimeslackingontherope。
\"Youblasted——ugh——\"
Kentmerelythrewbackhisweight,shuttingofftheother’swind。
\"Bloomin’——Bur——ugh——\"
\"Whereisit?\"Kentrepeated。
\"Wot?\"Cardegeeasked,assoonashehadcaughthisbreath。
\"Thegold—dust。\"
\"Wotgold—dust?\"theperplexedsailordemanded。
\"Youknowwellenough,——mine。\"
\"Ain’tseennothinkofit。Wotdoyetakemefor?Asafe—
deposit?Wot’aveIgottodowithit,any’ow?\"
\"Mebbeyouknow,andmebbeyoudon’tknow,butanyway,I’mgoingtostopyourbreathtillyoudoknow。Andifyouliftahand,I’llblowyourheadoff!\"
\"Vastheavin’!\"Cardegeeroared,astheropetightened。
Kenteasedawayamoment,andthesailor,wrigglinghisneckasthoughfromthepressure,managedtoloosenthenooseabitandworkitupsothepointofcontactwasjustunderthechin。
\"Well?\"Kentquestioned,expectingthedisclosure。
ButCardegeegrinned。\"Goaheadwithyour’angin’,youbloomin’
oldpot—wolloper!\"
Then,asthesailorhadanticipated,thetragedybecameafarce。
Cardegeebeingtheheavierofthetwo,Kent,throwinghisbodybackwardanddown,couldnotlifthimclearoftheground。Strainandstrivetotheuttermost,thesailor’sfeetstillstucktothefloorandsustainedapartofhisweight。Theremainingportionwassupportedbythepointofcontactjustunderhischin。
Failingtoswinghimclear,Kentclungon,resolvedtoslowlythrottlehimorforcehimtotellwhathehaddonewiththehoard。
ButtheManwiththeGashwouldnotthrottle。Five,ten,fifteenminutespassed,andattheendofthattime,indespair,Kentlethisprisonerdown。
\"Well,\"heremarked,wipingawaythesweat,\"ifyouwon’thangyou’llshoot。Somemenwasn’tborntobehanged,anyway。\"
\"An’it’saprettymessasyou’llmakeo’this’erecabinfloor。\"
Cardegeewasfightingfortime。\"Now,look’ere,I’lltellyouwotwedo;we’lllayour’eads’longsidean’reasontogether。
You’velostsomedust。Yousayas’owIknow,an’Isayas’owI
don’t。Let’sgetahobservationan’shapeacourse——\"
\"Vastheavin’!\"Kentdashedin,maliciouslyimitatingtheother’senunciation。\"I’mgoingtoshapeallthecoursesofthisshebang,andyouobserve;andifyoudoanythingmore,I’llboreyouassureasMoses!\"
\"Forthesakeofmymother——\"
\"WhomGodhavemercyuponifshelovesyou。Ah!Wouldyou?\"Hefrustratedahostilemoveonthepartoftheotherbypressingthecoldmuzzleagainsthisforehead。\"Layquiet,now!Ifyouliftasmuchasahair,you’llgetit。\"
Itwasratheranawkwardtask,withthetriggerofthegunalwayswithinpullingdistanceofthefinger;butKentwasaweaver,andinafewminuteshadthesailortiedhandandfoot。Thenhedraggedhimwithoutandlaidhimbythesideofthecabin,wherehecouldoverlooktheriverandwatchthesunclimbtothemeridian。
\"NowI’llgiveyoutillnoon,andthen——\"
\"Wot?\"
\"You’llbehittingthebrimstonetrail。Butifyouspeakup,I’llkeepyoutillthenextbunchofmountedpolicecomeby。\"
\"Well,Gawdblimeme,ifthisain’tago!’EreIbe,innercentasalamb,an’’ereyoube,lostallo’yourtop’amperan’outo’
yourreckonin’,runmefoulan’goin’torakemeinto’ell—fire。
Youbloomin’oldpirut!You——\"
JimCardegeeloosedthestringsofhisprofanityandfairlyoutdidhimself。JacobKentbroughtoutastoolthathemightenjoyitincomfort。Havingexhaustedallthepossiblecombinationsofhisvocabulary,thesailorquieteddowntohardthinking,hiseyesconstantlygaugingtheprogressofthesun,whichtoreuptheeasternslopeoftheheavenswithunseemlyhaste。Hisdogs,surprisedthattheyhadnotlongsincebeenputtoharness,crowdedaroundhim。Hishelplessnessappealedtothebrutes。
Theyfeltthatsomethingwaswrong,thoughtheyknewnotwhat,andtheycrowdedabout,howlingtheirmournfulsympathy。
\"Chook!Mush—on!youSiwashes!\"hecried,attempting,inavermicularway,tokickatthem,anddiscoveringhimselftobetotteringontheedgeofadeclivity。Assoonastheanimalshadscattered,hedevotedhimselftothesignificanceofthatdeclivitywhichhefelttobetherebutcouldnotsee。Norwashelonginarrivingatacorrectconclusion。Inthenatureofthings,hefigured,manislazy。Hedoesnomorethanhehasto。
Whenhebuildsacabinhemustputdirtontheroof。Fromthesepremisesitwaslogicalthatheshouldcarrythatdirtnofurtherthanwasabsolutelynecessary。Therefore,helayupontheedgeoftheholefromwhichthedirthadbeentakentoroofJacobKent’scabin。Thisknowledge,properlyutilized,mightprolongthings,hethought;andhethenturnedhisattentiontothemoose—hidethongswhichboundhim。Hishandsweretiedbehindhim,andpressingagainstthesnow,theywerewetwiththecontact。Thismoisteningoftheraw—hideheknewwouldtendtomakeitstretch,and,withoutapparenteffort,heendeavoredtostretchitmoreandmore。
Hewatchedthetrailhungrily,andwheninthedirectionofSixtyMileadarkspeckappearedforamomentagainstthewhitebackgroundofanice—jam,hecastananxiouseyeatthesun。Ithadclimbednearlytothezenith。Nowandagainhecaughttheblackspeckclearingthehillsoficeandsinkingintotheinterveninghollows;buthedarednotpermithimselfmorethanthemostcursoryglancesforfearofrousinghisenemy’ssuspicion。
Once,whenJacobKentrosetohisfeetandsearchedthetrailwithcare,Cardegeewasfrightened,butthedog—sledhadstruckapieceoftrailrunningparallelwithajam,andremainedoutofsighttillthedangerwaspast。
\"I’llseeyou’ungforthis,\"Cardegeethreatened,attemptingtodrawtheother’sattention。\"An’you’llrotin’ell,jes’youseeifyoudon’t。
\"Isay,\"hecried,afteranotherpause;\"d’yeb’lieveinghosts?\"
Kent’ssuddenstartmadehimsureofhisground,andhewenton:
\"Nowaghost’astherightto’auntamanwotdon’tdowothesays;andyoucan’tshufflemeofftilleightbells——wotImeanistwelveo’clock——canyou?’Cosifyoudo,it’ll’appenas’owI’ll’auntyou。D’ye’ear?Aminute,asecondtooquick,an’I’ll’auntyou,so’elpme,Iwill!\"
JacobKentlookeddubious,butdeclinedtotalk。
\"’Ow’syourchronometer?Wot’syourlongitude?’Owdoyouknowasyourtime’scorrect?\"Cardegeepersisted,vainlyhopingtobeathisexecutioneroutofafewminutes。\"IsitBarrack’stimeyou’ave,orisittheCompanytime?’Cosifyoudoitbeforethestrokeo’thebell,I’llnotrest。Igiveyoufairwarnin’。I’llcomeback。An’ifyou’aven’tthetime,’owwillyouknow?
That’swotIwant——’owwillyoutell?\"
\"I’llsendyouoffallright,\"Kentreplied。\"Gotasun—dialhere。\"
\"Nogood。Thirty—twodegreesvariationo’theneedle。\"
\"Stakesareallset。\"
\"’Owdidyouset’em?Compass?\"
\"No;linedthemupwiththeNorthStar。\"
\"Sure?\"
\"Sure。\"
Cardegeegroaned,thenstoleaglanceatthetrail。Thesledwasjustclearingarise,barelyamileaway,andthedogswereinfulllope,runninglightly。
\"’Owcloseistheshadowstotheline?\"
Kentwalkedtotheprimitivetimepieceandstudiedit。\"Threeinches,\"heannounced,afteracarefulsurvey。
\"Say,jes’singout’eightbells’aforeyoupullthegun,willyou?\"
Kentagreed,andtheylapsedintosilence。ThethongsaboutCardegee’swristswereslowlystretching,andhehadbeguntoworkthemoverhishands。
\"Say,’owcloseistheshadows?\"
\"Oneinch。\"
Thesailorwriggledslightlytoassurehimselfthathewouldtoppleoverattherightmoment,andslippedthefirstturnoverhishands。
\"’Owclose?\"
\"Halfaninch。\"JustthenKentheardthejarringchurnoftherunnersandturnedhiseyestothetrail。Thedriverwaslyingflatonthesledandthedogsswingingdownthestraightstretchtothecabin。Kentwhirledback,bringinghisrifletoshoulder。
\"Itain’teightbellsyet!\"Cardegeeexpostulated。\"I’ll’auntyou,sure!\"
JacobKentfaltered。Hewasstandingbythesun—dial,perhapstenpacesfromhisvictim。Themanonthesledmusthaveseenthatsomethingunusualwastakingplace,forhehadrisentohisknees,hiswhipsingingviciouslyamongthedogs。
Theshadowssweptintoline。Kentlookedalongthesights。
\"Makeready!\"hecommandedsolemnly。\"Eightb—\"
Butjustafractionofasecondtoosoon,Cardegeerolledbackwardintothehole。Kentheldhisfireandrantotheedge。Bang!
Thegunexplodedfullinthesailor’sfaceasherosetohisfeet。
Butnosmokecamefromthemuzzle;instead,asheetofflameburstfromthesideofthebarrelnearitsbutt,andJacobKentwentdown。Thedogsdashedupthebank,draggingthesledoverhisbody,andthedriversprangoffasJimCardegeefreedhishandsanddrewhimselffromthehole。
\"Jim!\"Thenew—comerrecognizedhim。\"What’sthematter?\"
\"Wot’sthematter?Oh,nothinkatall。Itjest’appensasIdolittlethingslikethisformy’ealth。Wot’sthematter,youbloomin’idjit?Wot’sthematter,eh?CastmelooseorI’llshowyouwot!’Urryup,orI’ll’olystonethedeckswithyou!\"
\"Huh!\"headded,astheotherwenttoworkwithhissheath—knife。
\"Wot’sthematter?Iwanttoknow。Jes’tellmethat,willyou,wot’sthematter?Hey?\"
Kentwasquitedeadwhentheyrolledhimover。Thegun,anold—
fashioned,heavy—weightedmuzzle—loader,laynearhim。Steelandwoodhadpartedcompany。Nearthebuttoftheright—handbarrel,withlipspressedoutward,gapedafissureseveralinchesinlength。Thesailorpickeditup,curiously。Aglitteringstreamofyellowdustranoutthroughthecrack。ThefactsofthecasedawneduponJimCardegee。
\"Strikemestandin’!\"heroared;\"’ere’sago!’Ere’s’isbloomin’dust!Gawdblimeme,an’you,too,Charley,ifyoudon’trunan’getthedish—pan!\"
JAN,THEUNREPENTANT
\"Forthere’sneveralawofGodormanRunsnorthofFifty—three。\"
Janrolledover,clawingandkicking。Hewasfightinghandandfootnow,andhefoughtgrimly,silently。Twoofthethreemenwhohunguponhim,shouteddirectionstoeachother,andstrovetocurbtheshort,hairydevilwhowouldnotcurb。Thethirdmanhowled。HisfingerwasbetweenJan’steeth。
\"Quityertantrums,Jan,an’easeup!\"pantedRedBill,gettingastrangle—holdonJan’sneck。\"Whyonearthcan’tyehhangdecentandpeaceable?\"
ButJankepthisgriponthethirdman’sfinger,andsquirmedoverthefloorofthetent,intothepotsandpans。
\"Youahnogentleman,suh,\"reprovedMr。Taylor,hisbodyfollowinghisfinger,andendeavoringtoaccommodateitselftoeveryjerkofJan’shead。\"YouhevkilledMistahGordon,asbraveandhonorableagentlemanaseverhitthetrailaftahthedogs。Youahamurderah,suh,andwithouthonah。\"
\"An’yernocomrade,\"brokeinRedBill。\"Ifyouwas,you’dhang’thoutrampin’aroundan’roarin’。Comeon,Jan,there’sagoodfellow。Don’tgiveusnomoretrouble。Jes’quit,an’we’llhangyehneatandhandy,an’bedonewithit。\"
\"Steady,all!\"Lawson,thesailorman,bawled。\"Jamhisheadintothebeanpotandbattendown。\"
\"Butmyfingah,suh,\"Mr。Taylorprotested。
\"Leggowithy’rfinger,then!Alwaysintheway!\"
\"ButIcan’t,MistahLawson。It’sinthecritter’sgullet,andnighchewedoffas’tis。\"
\"Standbyforstays!\"AsLawsongavethewarning,Janhalfliftedhimself,andthestrugglingquartetflounderedacrossthetentintoamuddleoffursandblankets。Initspassageitclearedthebodyofaman,wholaymotionless,bleedingfromabullet—woundintheneck。
AllthiswasbecauseofthemadnesswhichhadcomeuponJan——themadnesswhichcomesuponamanwhohasstrippedofftherawskinofearthandgrovelledlonginprimalnakedness,andbeforewhoseeyesrisesthefatvalesofthehomeland,andintowhosenostrilsstealsthewhiffofbay,andgrass,andflower,andnew—turnedsoil。ThroughfivefrigidyearsJanhadsowntheseed。StuartRiver,FortyMile,CircleCity,Koyokuk,Kotzebue,hadmarkedhisbleakandstrenuousagriculture,andnowitwasNomethatboretheharvest,——nottheNomeofgoldenbeachesandrubysands,buttheNomeof’97,beforeAnvilCitywaslocated,orEldoradoDistrictorganized。JohnGordonwasaYankee,andshouldhaveknownbetter。ButhepassedthesharpwordatatimewhenJan’sblood—
shoteyesblazedandhisteethgrittedintorment。Andbecauseofthis,therewasasmellofsaltpetreinthetent,andonelayquietly,whiletheotherfoughtlikeacorneredrat,andrefusedtohanginthedecentandpeacablemannersuggestedbyhiscomrades。
\"Ifyouwillallowme,MistahLawson,befoahwegofurtherinthisrumpus,Iwouldsayitwahagoodideatoprythishyervarmint’steethapart。Neitherwillhebiteoff,norwillheletgo。Hehasthewisdomofthesarpint,suh,thewisdomofthesarpint。\"
\"Lemmegetthehatchettohim!\"vociferatedthesailor。\"Lemmegetthehatchet!\"HeshovedthesteeledgeclosetoMr。Taylor’sfingerandusedtheman’steethasafulcrum。Janheldonandbreathedthroughhisnose,snortinglikeagrampus。\"Steady,all!
Nowshetakesit!\"
\"Thankyou,suh;itisapowerfulrelief。\"AndMr。Taylorproceededtogatherintohisarmsthevictim’swildlywavinglegs。
ButJanuprearedinhisBerserkerrage;bleeding,frothing,cursing;fivefrozenyearsthawingintosuddenhell。Theyswayedbackwardandforward,panted,sweated,likesomecyclopean,many—
leggedmonsterrisingfromthelowerdeeps。Theslush—lampwentover,drownedinitsownfat,whilethemiddaytwilightscarcepercolatedthroughthedirtycanvasofthetent。
\"FortheloveofGawd,Jan,getyersensesback!\"pleadedRedBill。\"Weain’tgoin’tohurtyeh,’rkillyeh,’ranythin’ofthatsort。Jes’wanttohangyeh,that’sall,an’youa—messin’
roundan’rampagin’somethin’terrible。Tothinkoftravellin’
trailtogetheran’thenbein’treatedthis—away。Wouldn’t’bleeveditofyeh,Jan!\"
\"He’sgottoomuchsteerage—way。Grabholthislegs,Taylor,andheave’mover!\"
\"Yes,suh,MistahLawson。Doyoupressyouahweightabove,afterIgivetheword。\"TheKentuckiangropedabouthiminthemurkydarkness。\"Now,suh,nowistheacceptedtime!\"
Therewasagreatsurge,andaquarterofatonofhumanfleshtotteredandcrashedtoitsfallagainsttheside—wall。Pegsdrewandguy—ropesparted,andthetent,collapsing,wrappedthebattleinitsgreasyfolds。
\"Yeronlymakin’itharderferyerself,\"RedBillcontinued,atthesametimedrivingbothhisthumbsintoahairythroat,thepossessorofwhichhehadpinneddown。\"You’vemadenuisanceenougha’ready,an’it’lltakehalfthedaytogetthingsstraightenedwhenwe’vestrungyehup。\"
\"I’llthankyoutoleavego,suh,\"splutteredMr。Taylor。
RedBillgruntedandloosedhisgrip,andthetwaincrawledoutintotheopen。AtthesameinstantJankickedclearofthesailor,andtooktohisheelsacrossthesnow。
\"Hi!youlazydevils!Buck!Bright!Sic’m!Pull’mdown!\"sangoutLawson,lungingthroughthesnowafterthefleeingman。BuckandBright,followedbytherestofthedogs,outstrippedhimandrapidlyoverhauledthemurderer。
Therewasnoreasonthatthesemenshoulddothis;noreasonforJantorunaway;noreasonforthemtoattempttopreventhim。Ontheonehandstretchedthebarrensnow—land;ontheother,thefrozensea。Withneitherfoodnorshelter,hecouldnotrunfar。
Alltheyhadtodowastowaittillhewanderedbacktothetent,asheinevitablymust,whenthefrostandhungerlaidholdofhim。
Butthesemendidnotstoptothink。Therewasacertaintaintofmadnessrunningintheveinsofallofthem。Besides,bloodhadbeenspilled,anduponthemwastheblood—lust,thickandhot。
\"Vengeanceismine,\"saiththeLord,andHesaithitintemperateclimeswherethewarmsunstealsawaytheenergiesofmen。ButintheNorthlandtheyhavediscoveredthatprayerisonlyefficaciouswhenbackedbymuscle,andtheyareaccustomedtodoingthingsforthemselves。Godiseverywhere,theyhaveheard,butheflingsashadowoverthelandforhalftheyearthattheymaynotfindhim;
sotheygropeindarkness,anditisnottobewonderedthattheyoftendoubt,anddeemtheDecalogueoutofgear。
Janranblindly,reckoningnotofthewayofhisfeet,forhewasmasteredbytheverb\"tolive。\"Tolive!Toexist!Buckflashedgraythroughtheair,butmissed。Themanstruckmadlyathim,andstumbled。ThenthewhiteteethofBrightclosedonhismackinawjacket,andhepitchedintothesnow。TOLIVE!TO
EXIST!Hefoughtwildlyasever,thecentreofatossingheapofmenanddogs。Hislefthandgrippedawolf—dogbythescruffoftheback,whilethearmwaspassedaroundtheneckofLawson。
Everystruggleofthedoghelpedtothrottlethehaplesssailor。
Jan’srighthandwasburieddeepinthecurlingtendrilsofRedBill’sshaggyhead,andbeneathall,Mr。Taylorlaypinnedandhelpless。Itwasadeadlock,forthestrengthofhismadnesswasprodigious;butsuddenly,withoutapparentreason,Janloosedhisvariousgripsandrolledoverquietlyonhisback。Hisadversariesdrewawayalittle,dubiousanddisconcerted。Jangrinnedviciously。
\"Minefriends,\"hesaid,stillgrinning,\"youhafaskedmetobepoliteful,undnowIampoliteful。Votpizinessvoodyoudomitme?\"
\"That’sright,Jan。Beca’m,\"soothedRedBill。\"Iknowedyou’dcometoyersensesaforelong。Jes’beca’mnow,an’we’lldothetrickwithneatnessanddespatch。\"
\"Votpiziness?Vottrick?\"
\"Thehangin’。An’yehoughterthankyerluckystarsforhavin’amanwhatknowshisbusiness。I’vediditaforenow,more’nonce,downintheStates,an’IcandoittoaT。\"
\"Hangwho?Me?\"
\"Yep。\"
\"Ha!ha!Shustheardermanspeakfoolishness!Gifmeahand,Bill,undIvillgetupundbehung。\"Hecrawledstifflytohisfeetandlookedabouthim。\"HerrGott!listentoderman!Hevoodhangme!Ho!ho!ho!Itanknot!Yes,Itanknot!\"
\"AndItankyes,youswab,\"Lawsonspokeupmockingly,atthesametimecuttingasled—lashingandcoilingitupwithominouscare。
\"JudgeLynchholdscourtthisday。\"
\"Vonliddlewhile。\"Jansteppedbackfromtheprofferednoose。
\"Ihafsomedingstoaskundtomakedergreatproposition。
Kentucky,youknowaboutderShudgeLynch?\"
\"Yes,suh。Itisaninstitutionoffreemenandofgentlemen,anditisanoleoneandtime—honored。Corruptionmayweartherobeofmagistracy,suh,butJudgeLynchcanalwaysbereliedupontogivejusticewithoutcourtfees。Irepeat,suh,withoutcourtfees。Lawmaybeboughtandsold,butinthisenlightenedlandjusticeisfreeastheairwebreathe,strongasthelickerwedrink,promptas——\"
\"Cutitshort!Findoutwhatthebeggarwants,\"interruptedLawson,spoilingtheperoration。
\"Vell,Kentucky,tellmedis:vonmankillvonodderman,ShudgeLynchhangdotman?\"
\"Iftheevidenceisstrongenough——yes,suh。\"
\"An’theevidenceinthisherecaseisstrongenoughtohangadozenmen,Jan,\"brokeinRedBill。
\"Neferyoumind,Bill。Italkmityounext。NowvonanodderdingIaskKentucky。IfShudgeLynchhangnotderman,votden?\"
\"IfJudgeLynchdoesnothangtheman,thenthemangoesfree,andhishandsarewashedcleanofblood。Andfurther,suh,ourgreatandgloriousconstitutionhassaid,towit:thatnomanmaytwicebeplacedinjeopardyofhislifeforoneandthesamecrime,orwordstothateffect。\"
\"Untdeycan’tshoothim,orhithimmitacluboverderheadalongside,ordonodingsmoremithim?\"
\"No,suh。\"
\"Goot!YouhearvotKentuckyspeaks,allyounoddleheads?NowI
talkmitBill。Youknowderpiziness,Bill,undyouhangmeupbrown,eh?Votyousay?\"
\"’Betcherlife,an’,Jan,ifyehdon’tgivenomoretroubleye’llbealmightyproudofthejob。I’maconnesoor。\"
\"Youhafdergreathead,Bill,undknowsomedingsortwo。Undyouknowtwoundonemakestree——ain’tit?\"
Billnodded。
\"Undwhenyouhaftwodings,youhafnottreedings——ain’tit?
NowyoufollowmitmecloseundIshowyou。Ittakestreedingstohang。Firstding,youhaftohafderman。Goot!Iamderman。Secondding,youhaftohafderrope。Lawsonhafderrope。
Goot!Undtirdding,youhaftohafsomedingtotiederropeto。
Slingyoureyesoverderlandscapeundfinddertirddingtotiederropeto?Eh?Votyousay?\"
Mechanicallytheyswepttheiceandsnowwiththeireyes。Itwasahomogeneousscene,devoidofcontrastsorboldcontours,dreary,desolate,andmonotonous,——theice—packedsea,theslowslopeofthebeach,thebackgroundoflow—lyinghills,andoverallthrowntheendlessmantleofsnow。\"Notrees,nobluffs,nocabins,notelegraphpoles,nothin’,\"moanedRedBill;\"nothin’respectableenoughnorbigenoughtoswingthetoesofafive—footmanclearo’theground。Igiveitup。\"HelookedyearninglyatthatportionofJan’sanatomywhichjoinstheheadandshoulders。
\"Giveitup,\"herepeatedsadlytoLawson。\"Throwtheropedown。
Gawdneverintendedthisherecountryforlivin’purposes,an’
that’sacoldfrozenfact。\"
Jangrinnedtriumphantly。\"ItankIgomitdertentundhafasmoke。\"
\"Ostensibleey’rcorrect,Bill,meson,\"spokeupLawson;\"buty’radummy,andyoucanlaytothatforanothercoldfrozenfact。
Takesaseafarmertolearnyoulandsmenthings。Everhearofapairofshears?Thenclapy’reyestothis。\"
Thesailorworkedrapidly。Fromthepileofdunnagewheretheyhadpulleduptheboattheprecedingfall,heunearthedapairoflongoars。Thesehelashedtogether,atnearlyrightangles,closetotheendsoftheblades。Wherethehandlesrestedhekickedholesthroughthesnowtothesand。Atthepointofintersectionheattachedtwoguy—ropes,makingtheendofonefasttoacakeofbeach—ice。TheotherguyhepassedovertoRedBill。
\"Here,meson,layholto’thatandrunitout。\"
Andtohishorror,Jansawhisgallowsriseintheair。\"No!no!\"
hecried,recoilingandputtinguphisfists。\"Itisnotgoot!I
villnothang!Come,younoddleheads!Ivilllickyou,alltogether,vonafterderodder!Ivillblayhell!Ivilldoeferydings!UndIvilldiepeforeIhang!\"
Thesailorpermittedthetwoothermentoclinchwiththemadcreature。Theyrolledandtossedaboutfuriously,tearingupsnowandtundra,theirfiercestrugglewritingatragedyofhumanpassiononthewhitesheetspreadbynature。AndeverandanonahandorfootofJanemergedfromthetangle,tobegrippedbyLawsonandlashedfastwithrope—yarns。Pawing,clawing,blaspheming,hewasconqueredandbound,inchbyinch,anddrawntowheretheinexorableshearslaylikeapairofgiganticdividersonthesnow。RedBilladjustedthenoose,placingthehangman’sknotproperlyundertheleftear。Mr。TaylorandLawsontailedontotherunning—guy,readyatthewordtoelevatethegallows。Billlingered,contemplatinghisworkwithartisticappreciation。
\"HerrGott!Voodyoulookatit!\"
ThehorrorinJan’svoicecausedtheresttodesist。Thefallententhaduprisen,andinthegatheringtwilightitflappedghostlyarmsaboutandtitubatedtowardthemdrunkenly。ButthenextinstantJohnGordonfoundtheopeningandcrawledforth。
\"Whattheflaming——!\"Forthemomenthisvoicediedawayinhisthroatashiseyestookinthetableau。\"Holdon!I’mnotdead!\"
hecriedout,cominguptothegroupwithstormycountenance。
\"Allowme,MistahGordon,tocongratulateyouuponyouahescape,\"
Mr。Taylorventured。\"Acloseshave,suh,apowahfulcloseshave。\"
\"Congratulatehell!Imighthavebeendeadandrottenandnothankstoyou,you——!\"AndthereatJohnGordondeliveredhimselfofavigorousfloodofEnglish,terse,intensive,denunciative,andcomposedsolelyofexpletivesandadjectives。
\"Simplycreasedme,\"hewentonwhenhehadeasedhimselfsufficiently。\"Evercreasecattle,Taylor?\"
\"Yes,suh,manyatimedowninGod’scountry。\"
\"Justso。That’swhathappenedtome。Bulletjustgrazedthebaseofmyskullatthetopoftheneck。Stunnedmebutnoharmdone。\"Heturnedtotheboundman。\"Getup,Jan。I’mgoingtolickyoutoastandstilloryou’regoingtoapologize。Therestofyouladsstandclear。\"
\"Itanknot。Shusttiemelooseundyousee,\"repliedJan,theUnrepentant,thedevilwithinhimstillunconquered。\"UndafterasIlickyou,Itakederrestofdernoddleheads,vonafterderodder,altogedder!\"
GRITOFWOMEN
Awolfishhead,wistful—eyedandfrost—rimed,thrustasidethetent—flaps。
\"Hi!Chook!Siwash!Chook,youlimbofSatan!\"chorusedtheprotestinginmates。Bettlesrappedthedogsharplywithatinplate,anditwithdrewhastily。LouisSavoyrefastenedtheflaps,kickedafrying—panoveragainstthebottom,andwarmedhishands。
Itwasverycoldwithout。Forty—eighthoursgone,thespiritthermometerhadburstatsixty—eightbelow,andsincethattimeithadgrownsteadilyandbitterlycolder。Therewasnotellingwhenthesnapwouldend。Anditispoorpolicy,unlessthegodswillit,toventurefarfromastoveatsuchtimes,ortoincreasethequantityofcoldatmosphereonemustbreathe。Mensometimesdoit,andsometimestheychilltheirlungs。Thisleadsuptoadry,hackingcough,noticeablyirritablewhenbaconisbeingfried。
Afterthat,somewherealonginthespringorsummer,aholeisburnedinthefrozenmuck。Intothisaman’scarcassisdumped,coveredoverwithmoss,andleftwiththeassurancethatitwillriseonthecrackofDoom,whollyandfrigidlyintact。Forthoseoflittlefaith,scepticalofmaterialintegrationonthatfatefulday,nofittercountrythantheKlondikecanberecommendedtodiein。Butitisnottobeinferredfromthisthatitisafitcountryforlivingpurposes。
Itwasverycoldwithout,butitwasnotover—warmwithin。Theonlyarticlewhichmightbedesignatedfurniturewasthestove,andforthisthemenwerefrankindisplayingtheirpreference。
Uponhalfofthefloorpineboughshadbeencast;abovethiswerespreadthesleeping—furs,beneathlaythewinter’ssnowfall。Theremainderofthefloorwasmoccasin—packedsnow,litteredwithpotsandpansandthegeneralimpedimentaofanArcticcamp。Thestovewasredandroaringhot,butonlyabarethreefeetawaylayablockofice,assharp—edgedanddryaswhenfirstquarriedfromthecreekbottom。Thepressureoftheoutsidecoldforcedtheinnerheatupward。Justabovethestove,wherethepipepenetratedtheroof,wasatinycircleofdrycanvas;next,withthepipealwaysascentre,acircleofsteamingcanvas;nextadampandmoisture—exudingring;andfinally,therestofthetent,sidewallsandtop,coatedwithahalf—inchofdry,white,crystal—
encrustedfrost。
\"Oh!OH!OH!\"Ayoungfellow,lyingasleepinthefurs,beardedandwanandweary,raisedamoanofpain,andwithoutwakingincreasedthepitchandintensityofhisanguish。Hisbodyhalf—
liftedfromtheblankets,andquiveredandshrankspasmodically,asthoughdrawingawayfromabedofnettles。
\"Roll’mover!\"orderedBettles。\"He’scrampin’。\"
Andthereat,withpitilessgood—will,hewaspitcheduponandrolledandthumpedandpoundedbyhalf—a—dozenwillingcomrades。
\"Damnthetrail,\"hemutteredsoftly,ashethrewofftherobesandsatup。\"I’verunacrosscountry,playedquarterthreeseasonshand—running,andhardenedmyselfinallmannerofways;
andthenIpilgrimitintothisGod—forsakenlandandfindmyselfaneffeminateAthenianwithoutthesimplestrudimentsofmanhood!\"
Hehuncheduptothefireandrolledacigarette。\"Oh,I’mnotwhining。Icantakemymedicineallright,allright;butI’mjustdecentlyashamedofmyself,that’sall。HereIam,ontopofadirtythirtymiles,asknockedupandstiffandsoreasapink—
teadegenerateafterafive—milewalkonacountryturn—pike。
Bah!Itmakesmesick!Gotamatch?\"\"Don’tgitthetantrums,youngster。\"Bettlespassedovertherequiredfire—stickandwaxedpatriarchal。\"Ye’vegotter’lowsomeforthebreakin’—in。
Sufferin’cracky!don’tIrecollectthefirsttimeIhitthetrail!Stiff?I’veseenthetimeit’dtakemetenminutestogitmymouthfromthewaterholean’cometomyfeet——everyjintcrackin’an’kickin’fittokill。Cramp?Insechknotsit’dtakethecamphalfadaytountangleme。You’reallright,foracub,anyye’vethetruesperrit。Comethisdayyear,you’llwalkallusoldbucksintothegroundanytime。An’bestinyourfavor,youhain’tgotthatstreakoffatinyourmake—upwhichhassentmanyahuskymantothebosomofAbrahamaforehisrightandpropertime。\"
\"Streakoffat?\"
\"Yep。Comesalongofbulk。’Tain’tthebigmenasisthebestwhenitcomestothetrail。\"
\"Neverheardofit。\"
\"Neverheeredofit,eh?Well,it’sadeadstraight,open—an’—
shutfact,an’nogittin’round。Bulk’sallwellenoughforamightybigeffort,but’thoutstayin’powersitain’tworthacontinentalwhoop;an’stayin’powersan’bulkain’trunnin’
mates。Takesthesmall,wiryfellowswhenitcomestogittin’
rightdownan’hangin’onlikealean—jowleddogtoabone。Why,hell’sfire,thebigmentheyain’tinit!\"
\"Bygar!\"brokeinLouisSavoy,\"datisno,votyoucall,josh!I
knowonemans,sovairebeeglikezebuffalo。Withim,onzeSulphurCreekstampede,goonesmallmans,LonMcFane。YouknowdatLonMcFane,datleetleIrisherwitzeredhairandzegrin。
An’deywalkan’walkan’walk,allzedaylongan’zenightlong。
Andbeegmans,himbecomevairetired,an’laydownmoochinzesnow。Andleetlemanskeekbeegmans,an’himcrylike,votyoucall——ah!votyoucallzekid。Andleetlemanskeekan’keekan’
keek,an’bimeby,longtime,longway,keekbeegmansintomycabin。Treedays’forehimcrawloutmyblankets。NevaireIseebeegsquawlikehim。Nonevaire。Himhafvotyoucallzestreakoffat。Youbet。\"
\"ButtherewasAxelGunderson,\"Princespokeup。ThegreatScandinavian,withthetragiceventswhichshadowedhispassing,hadmadeadeepmarkontheminingengineer。\"Heliesupthere,somewhere。\"Heswepthishandinthevaguedirectionofthemysteriouseast。
\"BiggestmanthateverturnedhisheelstoSaltWater,orrunamoosedownwithsheergrit,\"supplementedBettles;\"buthe’stheprove—the—ruleexception。Lookathiswoman,Unga,——tipthescalesatahundredan’ten,cleanmeatan’naryouncetospare。
She’dbankgrit’gainsthisforalltherewasinhim,an’seehim,an’gohimbetterifitwaspossible。Nothingovertheearth,orinit,orunderit,shewouldn’t’a’done。\"
\"Butshelovedhim,\"objectedtheengineer。
\"’Tain’tthat。It——\"
\"Lookyou,brothers,\"brokeinSitkaCharleyfromhisseatonthegrub—box。\"Yehavespokenofthestreakoffatthatrunsinbigmen’smuscles,ofthegritofwomenandthelove,andyehavespokenfair;butIhaveinmindthingswhichhappenedwhenthelandwasyoungandthefiresofmenapartasthestars。ItwasthenIhadconcernwithabigman,andastreakoffat,andawoman。Andthewomanwassmall;butherheartwasgreaterthanthebeef—heartoftheman,andshehadgrit。Andwetraveledawearytrail,eventotheSaltWater,andthecoldwasbitter,thesnowdeep,thehungergreat。Andthewoman’slovewasamightylove——nomorecanmansaythanthis。\"
Hepaused,andwiththehatchetbrokepiecesoficefromthelargechunkbesidehim。Thesehethrewintothegoldpanonthestove,wherethedrinking—waterthawed。Themendrewupcloser,andheofthecrampssoughtgreatercomfortvainlyforhisstiffenedbody。
\"Brothers,mybloodisredwithSiwash,butmyheartiswhite。TothefaultsofmyfathersIowetheone,tothevirtuesofmyfriendstheother。AgreattruthcametomewhenIwasyetaboy。
Ilearnedthattoyourkindandyouwasgiventheearth;thattheSiwashcouldnotwithstandyou,andlikethecaribouandthebear,mustperishinthecold。SoIcameintothewarmandsatamongyou,byyourfires,andbehold,Ibecameoneofyou,Ihaveseenmuchinmytime。Ihaveknownstrangethings,andbuckedbig,onbigtrails,withmenofmanybreeds。Andbecauseofthesethings,Imeasuredeedsafteryourmanner,andjudgemen,andthinkthoughts。Wherefore,whenIspeakharshlyofoneofyourownkind,Iknowyouwillnottakeitamiss;andwhenIspeakhighofoneofmyfather’speople,youwillnottakeituponyoutosay,’SitkaCharleyisSiwash,andthereisacrookedlightinhiseyesandsmallhonortohistongue。’Isitnotso?\"
Deepdowninthroat,thecirclevouchsafeditsassent。
\"ThewomanwasPassuk。Igotherinfairtradefromherpeople,whowereoftheCoastandwhoseChilcattotemstoodattheheadofasaltarmofthesea。Myheartdidnotgoouttothewoman,nordidItakestockofherlooks。Forshescarcetookhereyesfromtheground,andshewastimidandafraid,asgirlswillbewhencastintoastranger’sarmswhomtheyhaveneverseenbefore。AsIsay,therewasnoplaceinmyheartforhertocreep,forIhadagreatjourneyinmind,andstoodinneedofonetofeedmydogsandtoliftapaddlewithmethroughthelongriverdays。Oneblanketwouldcoverthetwain;soIchosePassuk。
\"HaveInotsaidIwasaservanttotheGovernment?Ifnot,itiswellthatyeknow。SoIwastakenonawarship,sledsanddogsandevaporatedfoods,andwithmecamePassuk。Andwewentnorth,tothewinterice—rimofBeringSea,wherewewerelanded,——
myself,andPassuk,andthedogs。IwasalsogivenmoneysoftheGovernment,forIwasitsservant,andchartsoflandswhichtheeyesofmanhadneverdweltupon,andmessages。Thesemessagesweresealed,andprotectedshrewdlyfromtheweather,andIwastodeliverthemtothewhale—shipsoftheArctic,ice—boundbythegreatMackenzie。Neverwastheresogreatariver,forgettingonlyourownYukon,theMotherofallRivers。
\"Allofwhichisneitherherenorthere,formystorydealsnotwiththewhale—ships,northeberg—boundwinterIspentbytheMackenzie。Afterward,inthespring,whenthedayslengthenedandtherewasacrusttothesnow,wecamesouth,PassukandI,totheCountryoftheYukon。Awearyjourney,butthesunpointedoutthewayofourfeet。Itwasanakedlandthen,asIhavesaid,andweworkedupthecurrent,withpoleandpaddle,tillwecametoFortyMile。Gooditwastoseewhitefacesonceagain,soweputintothebank。Andthatwinterwasahardwinter。Thedarknessandthecolddrewdownuponus,andwiththemthefamine。
ToeachmantheagentoftheCompanygavefortypoundsofflourandtwentyofbacon。Therewerenobeans。And,thedogshowledalways,andtherewereflatbelliesanddeep—linedfaces,andstrongmenbecameweak,andweakmendied。Therewasalsomuchscurvy。
\"Thencamewetogetherinthestoreonenight,andtheemptyshelvesmadeusfeelourownemptinessthemore。Wetalkedlow,bythelightofthefire,forthecandleshadbeensetasideforthosewhomightyetgaspinthespring。Discussionwasheld,anditwassaidthatamanmustgoforthtotheSaltWaterandtelltotheworldourmisery。Atthisalleyesturnedtome,foritwasunderstoodthatIwasagreattraveler。’Itissevenhundredmiles,’saidI,’toHainesMissionbythesea,andeveryinchofitsnowshoework。Givemethepickofyourdogsandthebestofyourgrub,andIwillgo。AndwithmeshallgoPassuk。’
\"Tothistheywereagreed。Buttherearoseone,LongJeff,aYankee—man,big—bonedandbig—muscled。Alsohistalkwasbig。
He,too,wasamightytraveler,hesaid,borntothesnowshoeandbreduponbuffalomilk。Hewouldgowithme,incaseIfellbythetrail,thathemightcarrythewordontotheMission。Iwasyoung,andIknewnotYankee—men。HowwasItoknowthatbigtalkbetokenedthestreakoffat,orthatYankee—menwhodidgreatthingskepttheirteethtogether?Sowetookthepickofthedogsandthebestofthegrub,andstruckthetrail,wethree,——Passuk,LongJeff,andI。
\"Well,yehavebrokenvirginsnow,laboredatthegee—pole,andarenotunusedtothepackedriver—jams;soIwilltalklittleofthetoil,savethatonsomedayswemadetenmiles,andonothersthirty,butmoreoftenten。Andthebestofthegrubwasnotgood,whilewewentonstintfromthestart。Likewisethepickofthedogswaspoor,andwewerehardputtokeepthemontheirlegs。AttheWhiteRiverourthreesledsbecametwosleds,andwehadonlycometwohundredmiles。Butwelostnothing;thedogsthatleftthetraceswentintothebelliesofthosethatremained。
\"Notagreeting,notacurlofsmoke,tillwemadePelly。HereI
hadcountedongrub;andhereIhadcountedonleavingLongJeff,whowaswhiningandtrail—sore。Butthefactor’slungswerewheezing,hiseyesbright,hiscachenighempty;andheshowedustheemptycacheofthemissionary,alsohisgravewiththerockspiledhightokeepoffthedogs。TherewasabunchofIndiansthere,butbabiesandoldmentherewerenone,anditwasclearthatfewwouldseethespring。
\"Sowepulledon,light—stomachedandheavy—hearted,withhalfathousandmilesofsnowandsilencebetweenusandHainesMissionbythesea。Thedarknesswasatitsworst,andatmiddaythesuncouldnotclearthesky—linetothesouth。Buttheice—jamsweresmaller,thegoingbetter;soIpushedthedogshardandtraveledlateandearly。AsIsaidatFortyMile,everyinchofitwassnow—shoework。Andtheshoesmadegreatsoresonourfeet,whichcrackedandscabbedbutwouldnotheal。Andeverydaythesesoresgrewmoregrievous,tillinthemorning,whenwegirdedontheshoes,LongJeffcriedlikeachild。Iputhimattheforeofthelightsledtobreaktrail,butheslippedofftheshoesforcomfort。Becauseofthisthetrailwasnotpacked,hismoccasinsmadegreatholes,andintotheseholesthedogswallowed。Thebonesofthedogswerereadytobreakthroughtheirhides,andthiswasnotgoodforthem。SoIspokehardwordstotheman,andhepromised,andbrokehisword。ThenIbeathimwiththedog—
whip,andafterthatthedogswallowednomore。Hewasachild,whatofthepainandthestreakoffat。
\"ButPassuk。Whilethemanlaybythefireandwept,shecooked,andinthemorninghelpedlashthesleds,andintheeveningtounlashthem。Andshesavedthedogs。Everwasshetothefore,liftingthewebbedshoesandmakingthewayeasy。Passuk——howshallIsay?——Itookitforgrantedthatsheshoulddothesethings,andthoughtnomoreaboutit。Formymindwasbusywithothermatters,andbesides,Iwasyounginyearsandknewlittleofwoman。ItwasonlyonlookingbackthatIcametounderstand。
\"Andthemanbecameworthless。Thedogshadlittlestrengthinthem,buthestoleridesonthesledwhenhelaggedbehind。
Passuksaidshewouldtaketheonesled,sothemanhadnothingtodo。InthemorningIgavehimhisfairshareofgrubandstartedhimonthetrailalone。ThenthewomanandIbrokecamp,packedthesleds,andharnessedthedogs。Bymidday,whenthesunmockedus,wewouldovertaketheman,withthetearsfrozenonhischeeks,andpasshim。Inthenightwemadecamp,setasidehisfairshareofgrub,andspreadhisfurs。Alsowemadeabigfire,thathemightsee。Andhoursafterwardhewouldcomelimpingin,andeathisgrubwithmoansandgroans,andsleep。Hewasnotsick,thisman。Hewasonlytrail—soreandtired,andweakwithhunger。ButPassukandIweretrail—soreandtired,andweakwithhunger;andwedidalltheworkandhedidnone。ButhehadthestreakoffatofwhichourbrotherBettleshasspoken。Further,wegavethemanalwayshisfairshareofgrub。
\"ThenonedaywemettwoghostsjourneyingthroughtheSilence。
Theywereamanandaboy,andtheywerewhite。TheicehadopenedonLakeLeBarge,andthroughithadgonetheirmainoutfit。Oneblanketeachcarriedabouthisshoulders。Atnighttheybuiltafireandcrouchedoverittillmorning。Theyhadalittleflour。Thistheystirredinwarmwateranddrank。Themanshowedmeeightcupsofflour——alltheyhad,andPelly,strickenwithfamine,twohundredmilesaway。Theysaid,also,thattherewasanIndianbehind;thattheyhadwhackedfair,butthathecouldnotkeepup。Ididnotbelievetheyhadwhackedfair,elsewouldtheIndianhavekeptup。ButIcouldgivethemnogrub。
Theystrovetostealadog——thefattest,whichwasverythin——butIshovedmypistolintheirfacesandtoldthembegone。Andtheywentaway,likedrunkenmen,throughtheSilencetowardPelly。
\"Ihadthreedogsnow,andonesled,andthedogswereonlybonesandhair。Whenthereislittlewood,thefireburnslowandthecabingrowscold。Sowithus。Withlittlegrubthefrostbitessharp,andourfaceswereblackandfrozentillourownmotherswouldnothaveknownus。Andourfeetwereverysore。Inthemorning,whenIhitthetrail,Isweatedtokeepdownthecrywhenthepainofthesnowshoessmoteme。Passukneveropenedherlips,butsteppedtotheforetobreaktheway。Themanhowled。
\"TheThirtyMilewasswift,andthecurrentateawaytheicefrombeneath,andthereweremanyair—holesandcracks,andmuchopenwater。Onedaywecameupontheman,resting,forhehadgoneahead,aswashiswont,inthemorning。Butbetweenuswasopenwater。Thishehadpassedaroundbytakingtotherim—icewhereitwastoonarrowforasled。Sowefoundanice—bridge。Passukweighedlittle,andwentfirst,withalongpolecrosswiseinherhandsinchanceshebrokethrough。Butshewaslight,andhershoeslarge,andshepassedover。Thenshecalledthedogs。Buttheyhadneitherpolesnorshoes,andtheybrokethroughandweresweptunderbythewater。Iheldtighttothesledfrombehind,tillthetracesbrokeandthedogswentondownundertheice。
Therewaslittlemeattothem,butIhadcountedonthemforaweek’sgrub,andtheyweregone。
\"ThenextmorningIdividedallthegrub,whichwaslittle,intothreeportions。AndItoldLongJeffthathecouldkeepupwithus,ornot,ashesawfit;forweweregoingtotravellightandfast。Butheraisedhisvoiceandcriedoverhissorefeetandhistroubles,andsaidharshthingsagainstcomradeship。Passuk’sfeetweresore,andmyfeetweresore——ay,sorerthanhis,forwehadworkedwiththedogs;also,welookedtosee。LongJeffsworehewoulddiebeforehehitthetrailagain;soPassuktookafurrobe,andIacookingpotandanaxe,andwemadereadytogo。
Butshelookedontheman’sportion,andsaid,’Itiswrongtowastegoodfoodonababy。Heisbetterdead。’Ishookmyheadandsaidno——thatacomradeoncewasacomradealways。ThenshespokeofthemenofFortyMile;thattheyweremanymenandgood;
andthattheylookedtomeforgrubinthespring。ButwhenI
stillsaidno,shesnatchedthepistolfrommybelt,quick,andasourbrotherBettleshasspoken,LongJeffwenttothebosomofAbrahambeforehistime。IchidedPassukforthis;butsheshowednosorrow,norwasshesorrowful。AndinmyheartIknewshewasright。\"
SitkaCharleypausedandthrewpiecesoficeintothegoldpanonthestove。Themenweresilent,andtheirbackschilledtothesobbingcriesofthedogsastheygavetonguetotheirmiseryintheoutercold。
\"Anddaybydaywepassedinthesnowthesleeping—placesofthetwoghosts——PassukandI——andweknewwewouldbegladforsucherewemadeSaltWater。ThenwecametotheIndian,likeanotherghost,withhisfacesettowardPelly。Theyhadnotwhackedupfair,themanandtheboy,hesaid,andhehadhadnoflourforthreedays。Eachnightheboiledpiecesofhismoccasinsinacup,andatethem。Hedidnothavemuchmoccasinsleft。AndhewasaCoastIndian,andtoldusthesethingsthroughPassuk,whotalkedhistongue。HewasastrangerintheYukon,andheknewnottheway,buthisfacewassettoPelly。Howfarwasit?Twosleeps?ten?ahundred——hedidnotknow,buthewasgoingtoPelly。Itwastoofartoturnback;hecouldonlykeepon。
\"Hedidnotaskforgrub,forhecouldseewe,too,werehardput。
Passuklookedattheman,andatme,asthoughshewereoftwominds,likeamotherpartridgewhoseyoungareintrouble。SoI
turnedtoherandsaid,’Thismanhasbeendealtunfair。ShallI
givehimofourgrubaportion?’Isawhereyeslight,aswithquickpleasure;butshelookedlongatthemanandatme,andhermouthdrewcloseandhard,andshesaid,’No。TheSaltWaterisafaroff,andDeathliesinwait。BetteritisthathetakethisstrangermanandletmymanCharleypass。’SothemanwentawayintheSilencetowardPelly。Thatnightshewept。NeverhadI
seenherweepbefore。Norwasitthesmokeofthefire,forthewoodwasdrywood。SoImarveledathersorrow,andthoughtherwoman’shearthadgrownsoftatthedarknessofthetrailandthepain。
\"Lifeisastrangething。MuchhaveIthoughtonit,andponderedlong,yetdailythestrangenessofitgrowsnotless,butmore。
WhythislongingforLife?Itisagamewhichnomanwins。Toliveistotoilhard,andtosuffersore,tillOldAgecreepsheavilyuponusandwethrowdownourhandsonthecoldashesofdeadfires。Itishardtolive。Inpainthebabesuckshisfirstbreath,inpaintheoldmangaspshislast,andallhisdaysarefulloftroubleandsorrow;yethegoesdowntotheopenarmsofDeath,stumbling,falling,withheadturnedbackward,fightingtothelast。AndDeathiskind。ItisonlyLife,andthethingsofLifethathurt。YetweloveLife,andwehateDeath。Itisverystrange。
\"Wespokelittle,PassukandI,inthedayswhichcame。Inthenightwelayinthesnowlikedeadpeople,andinthemorningwewentonourway,walkinglikedeadpeople。Andallthingsweredead。Therewerenoptarmigan,nosquirrels,nosnowshoerabbits,——nothing。Therivermadenosoundbeneathitswhiterobes。Thesapwasfrozenintheforest。Anditbecamecold,asnow;andinthenightthestarsdrewnearandlarge,andleapedanddanced;andinthedaythesun—dogsmockedustillwesawmanysuns,andalltheairflashedandsparkled,andthesnowwasdiamonddust。Andtherewasnoheat,nosound,onlythebittercoldandtheSilence。AsIsay,wewalkedlikedeadpeople,asinadream,andwekeptnocountoftime。OnlyourfacesweresettoSaltWater,oursoulsstrainedforSaltWater,andourfeetcarriedustowardSaltWater。WecampedbytheTahkeena,andknewitnot。OureyeslookedupontheWhiteHorse,butwesawitnot。
OurfeettrodtheportageoftheCanyon,buttheyfeltitnot。Wefeltnothing。Andwefelloftenbytheway,butwefell,always,withourfacestowardSaltWater。
\"Ourlastgrubwent,andwehadsharedfair,PassukandI,butshefellmoreoften,andatCaribouCrossingherstrengthlefther。
Andinthemorningwelaybeneaththeonerobeanddidnottakethetrail。ItwasinmymindtostaythereandmeetDeathhand—
in—handwithPassuk;forIhadgrownold,andhadlearnedtheloveofwoman。Also,itwaseightymilestoHainesMission,andthegreatChilcoot,farabovethetimber—line,rearedhisstorm—sweptheadbetween。ButPassukspoketome,low,withmyearagainstherlipsthatImighthear。Andnow,becausesheneednotfearmyanger,shespokeherheart,andtoldmeofherlove,andofmanythingswhichIdidnotunderstand。