the faith of men- 第14部分

freeze…up　had　come。　　For　the　freeze…up　heralded　the　death　of　their

hopethe　hope　that　they　would　be　floating　down　the　swift　river　ere

navigation　closed　on　the　chain　of　lakes。



To　harrow　Rasmunsen's　soul　further；　he　discovered　three　competitors

in　the　egg　business。　　It　was　true　that　one；　a　little　German；　had

gone　broke　and　was　himself　forlornly　back…tripping　the　last　pack　of

the　portage；　but　the　other　two　had　boats　nearly　completed；　and　were

daily　supplicating　the　god　of　merchants　and　traders　to　stay　the

iron　hand　of　winter　for　just　another　day。　　But　the　iron　hand　closed

down　over　the　land。　　Men　were　being　frozen　in　the　blizzard　which

swept　Chilkoot；　and　Rasmunsen　frosted　his　toes　ere　he　was　aware。

He　found　a　chance　to　go　passenger　with　his　freight　in　a　boat　just

shoving　off　through　the　rubble；　but　two　hundred　hard　cash；　was

required；　and　he　had　no　money。



〃Ay　tank　you　yust　wait　one　leedle　w'ile；〃　said　the　Swedish　boat…

builder；　who　had　struck　his　Klondike　right　there　and　was　wise

enough　to　know　it〃one　leedle　w'ile　und　I　make　you　a　tam　fine

skiff　boat；　sure　Pete。〃



With　this　unpledged　word　to　go　on；　Rasmunsen　hit　the　back　trail　to

Crater　Lake；　where　he　fell　in　with　two　press　correspondents　whose

tangled　baggage　was　strewn　from　Stone　House；　over　across　the　Pass；

and　as　far　as　Happy　Camp。



〃Yes；〃　he　said　with　consequence。　　〃I've　a　thousand　dozen　eggs　at

Linderman；　and　my　boat's　just　about　got　the　last　seam　caulked。

Consider　myself　in　luck　to　get　it。　　Boats　are　at　a　premium；　you

know；　and　none　to　be　had。〃



Whereupon　and　almost　with　bodily　violence　the　correspondents

clamoured　to　go　with　him；　fluttered　greenbacks　before　his　eyes；　and

spilled　yellow　twenties　from　hand　to　hand。　　He　could　not　hear　of

it；　but　they　over…persuaded　him；　and　he　reluctantly　consented　to

take　them　at　three　hundred　apiece。　　Also　they　pressed　upon　him　the

passage　money　in　advance。　　And　while　they　wrote　to　their　respective

journals　concerning　the　Good　Samaritan　with　the　thousand　dozen

eggs；　the　Good　Samaritan　was　hurrying　back　to　the　Swede　at

Linderman。



〃Here；　you！　　Gimme　that　boat！〃　was　his　salutation；　his　hand

jingling　the　correspondents'　gold　pieces　and　his　eyes　hungrily　bent

upon　the　finished　craft。



The　Swede　regarded　him　stolidly　and　shook　his　head。



〃How　much　is　the　other　fellow　paying？　　Three　hundred？　　Well；　here's

four。　　Take　it。〃



He　tried　to　press　it　upon　him；　but　the　man　backed　away。



〃Ay　tank　not。　　Ay　say　him　get　der　skiff　boat。　　You　yust　wait〃



'Here's　six　hundred。　　Last　call。　　Take　it　or　leave　it。　　Tell　'm

it's　a　mistake。'



The　Swede　wavered。　　〃Ay　tank　yes；〃　he　finally　said；　and　the　last

Rasmunsen　saw　of　him　his　vocabulary　was　going　to　wreck　in　a　vain

effort　to　explain　the　mistake　to　the　other　fellows。



The　German　slipped　and　broke　his　ankle　on　the　steep　hogback　above

Deep　Lake；　sold　out　his　stock　for　a　dollar　a　dozen；　and　with　the

proceeds　hired　Indian　packers　to　carry　him　back　to　Dyea。　　But　on

the　morning　Rasmunsen　shoved　off　with　his　correspondents；　his　two

rivals　followed　suit。



'How　many　you　got？〃　one　of　them；　a　lean　little　New　Englander；

called　out。



〃One　thousand　dozen；〃　Rasmunsen　answered　proudly。



〃Huh！　　I'll　go　you　even　stakes　I　beat　you　in　with　my　eight

hundred。〃



The　correspondents　offered　to　lend　him　the　money；　but　Rasmunsen

declined；　and　the　Yankee　closed　with　the　remaining　rival；　a　brawny

son　of　the　sea　and　sailor　of　ships　and　things；　who　promised　to　show

them　all　a　wrinkle　or　two　when　it　came　to　cracking　on。　　And　crack

on　he　did；　with　a　large　tarpaulin　square…sail　which　pressed　the　bow

half　under　at　every　jump。　　He　was　the　first　to　run　out　of

Linderman；　but；　disdaining　the　portage；　piled　his　loaded　boat　on

the　rocks　in　the　boiling　rapids。　　Rasmunsen　and　the　Yankee；　who

likewise　had　two　passengers；　portaged　across　on　their　backs　and

then　lined　their　empty　boats　down　through　the　bad　water　to　Bennett。



Bennett　was　a　twenty…five…mile　lake；　narrow　and　deep；　a　funnel

between　the　mountains　through　which　storms　ever　romped。　　Rasmunsen

camped　on　the　sand…pit　at　its　head；　where　were　many　men　and　boats

bound　north　in　the　teeth　of　the　Arctic　winter。　　He　awoke　in　the

morning　to　find　a　piping　gale　from　the　south；　which　caught　the

chill　from　the　whited　peaks　and　glacial　valleys　and　blew　as　cold　as

north　wind　ever　blew。　　But　it　was　fair；　and　he　also　found　the

Yankee　staggering　past　the　first　bold　headland　with　all　sail　set。

Boat　after　boat　was　getting　under　way；　and　the　correspondents　fell

to　with　enthusiasm。



〃We'll　catch　him　before　Cariboo　Crossing；〃　they　assured　Rasmunsen；

as　they　ran　up　the　sail　and　the　Alma　took　the　first　icy　spray　over

her　bow。



Now　Rasmunsen　all　his　life　had　been　prone　to　cowardice　on　water；

but　he　clung　to　the　kicking　steering…oar　with　set　face　and

determined　jaw。　　His　thousand　dozen　were　there　in　the　boat　before

his　eyes；　safely　secured　beneath　the　correspondents'　baggage；　and

somehow；　before　his　eyes　were　the　little　cottage　and　the　mortgage

for　a　thousand　dollars。



It　was　bitter　cold。　　Now　and　again　he　hauled　in　the　steering…sweep

and　put　out　a　fresh　one　while　his　passengers　chopped　the　ice　from

the　blade。　　Wherever　the　spray　struck；　it　turned　instantly　to

frost；　and　the　dipping　boom　of　the　spritsail　was　quickly　fringed

with　icicles。　　The　Alma　strained　and　hammered　through　the　big　seas

till　the　seams　and　butts　began　to　spread；　but　in　lieu　of　bailing

the　correspondents　chopped　ice　and　flung　it　overboard。　　There　was

no　let…up。　　The　mad　race　with　winter　was　on；　and　the　boats　tore

along　in　a　desperate　string。



〃W…w…we　can't　stop　to　save　our　souls！〃　one　of　the　correspondents

chattered；　from　cold；　not　fright。



〃That's　right！　　Keep　her　down　the　middle；　old　man！〃　the　other

encouraged。



Rasmunsen　replied　with　an　idiotic　grin。　　The　iron…bound　shores　were

in　a　lather　of　foam；　and　even　down　the　middle　the　only　hope　was　to

keep　running　away　from　the　big　seas。　　To　lower　sail　was　to　be

overtaken　and　swamped。　　Time　and　again　they　passed　boats　pounding

among　the　rocks；　and　once　they　saw　one　on　the　edge　of　the　breakers

about　to　strike。　　A　little　craft　behind　them；　with　two　men；　jibed

over　and　turned　bottom　up。



〃W…w…watch　out；　old　man；〃　cried　he　of　the　chattering　teeth。



Rasmunsen　grinned　and　tightened　his　aching　grip　on　the　sweep。

Scores　of　times　had　the　send　of　the　sea　caught　the　big　square　stern

of　the　Alma　and　thrown　her　off　from　dead　before　it　till　the　after

leach　of　the　spritsail　fluttered　hollowly；　and　each　time；　and　only

with　all　his　strength；　had　he　forced　her　back。　　His　grin　by　then

had　become　fixed；　and　it　disturbed　the　correspondents　to　look　at

him。



They　roared　down　past　an　isolated　rock　a　hundred　yards　from　shore。

From　its　wave…drenched　top　a　man　shrieked　wildly；　for　the　instant

cutting　the　storm　with　his　voice。　　But　the　next　instant　the　Alma

was　by；　and　the　rock　growing　a　black　speck　in　the　troubled　froth。



〃That　settles　the　Yankee！　　Where's　the　sailor？〃　shouted　one　of　his

passengers。



Rasmunsen　shot　a　glance　over　his　shoulder　at　a　black　square…sail。

He　had　seen　it　leap　up　out　of　the　grey　to　windward；　and　for　an

hour；　off　and　on；　had　been　watching　it　grow。　　The　sailor　had

evidently　repaired　damages　and　was　making　up　for　lost　time。



〃Look　at　him　come！〃



Both　passengers　stopped　chopping　ice　to　watch。　　Twenty　miles　of

Bennett　were　behind　themroom　and　to　spare　for　the　sea　to　toss　up

its　mountains　toward　the　sky。　　Sinking　and　soaring　like　a　storm…

god；　the　sailor　drove　by　them。　　The　huge　sail　seemed　to　grip　the

boat　from　the　crests　of　the　waves；　to　tear　it　bodily　out　of　the

water；　and　fling　it　crashing　and　smothering　down　into　the　yawning

troughs。



〃The　sea'll　never　catch　him！〃



〃But　he'll　r…r…run　her　nose　under！〃



Even　as　they　spoke；　the　black　tarpaulin　swooped　from　sight　behind　a

big　comber。　　The　next　wave　rolled　over　the　spot；　and　the　next；　but

the　boat　did　not　reappear。　　The　Alma　rushed　by　the　place。　　A　little

riffraff　of　oats　and　boxes　was　seen。　　An　arm　thrust　up　and　a　shaggy

head　broke　surface　a　score　of　yards　away。



For　a　time　there　was　silence。　　As　the　end　of　the　lake　came　in

sight；　the　waves　began　to　leap　aboard　with　such　steady　recurrence

that　the　correspondents　no　longer　chopped　ice　but　flung　the　water

out　with　buckets。　　Even　this　would　not　do；　and；　after　a　shouted

conference　with　Rasmunsen；　they　attacked　the　baggage。　　Flour；

bacon；　beans；　blankets；　cooking…stove；　ropes；　odds　and　ends；

everything　they　could　get　hands　on；　flew　overboard。　　The　boat

acknowledged　it　at　once；　taking　less　water　and　rising　more

buoyantly。



〃That'll　do！〃　Rasmunsen　called　sternly；　as　they　applied　themselves

to　the　top　layer　of　eggs。



〃The　h…hell　it　will！〃　answered　the　shivering　one；　savagely。　　With

the　exception　of　their　notes；　films；　and　cameras；　they　had

sacrificed　their　outfit。　　He　bent　over；　laid　hold　of　an　egg…box；

and　began　to　worry　it　out　from　under　the　lashing。



〃Drop　it！　　Drop　it；　I　say！〃



Rasmunsen　had　managed　to　draw　his　revolver；　and　with　the　crook　of

his　arm　over　the　sweep　head；　was　taking　aim。　　The　correspondent

stood　up　on　the　thwart；　balancing　back　and　forth；　his　face　twisted

with　menace　and　speechless　anger。



〃My　God！〃



So　cried　his　brother　correspondent；　hurling　himself；　face　downward；

into　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　　The　Alma；　under　the　divided　attention

of　Rasmunsen；　had　been　caught　by　a　great　mass　of　water　and　whirled

around。　　The　after　leach　hollowed；　the　sail　emptied　and　jibed；　and

the　boom；　sweeping　with　terrific　force　across　the　boat；　carried　the

angry　correspondent　overboard　with　a　broken　back。　　Mast　and　sail

had　gone　over　the　side　as　well。　　A　drenching　sea　followed；　as　the

boat　lost　headway；　and　Rasmunsen　sprang　to　the　bailing　bucket



Several　boats　hurtled　past　them　in　the　next　half…hour；small

boats；　boats　of