the faith of men- 第9部分

〃Look　here；　Pentfield；〃　he　said；　in　a　quiet；　nervous　manner；　〃I

can't　allow　that；　you　know。〃



〃Allow　what？〃　Pentfield　demanded　brutally。



〃You　implied　that　I　lied。〃



〃Nothing　of　the　sort；〃　came　the　reply。　　〃I　merely　implied　that　you

were　trying　to　be　clumsily　witty。〃



〃Make　your　bets；　gentlemen；〃　the　dealer　protested。



〃But　I　tell　you　it's　true；〃　Nick　Inwood　insisted。



〃And　I　have　told　you　I've　five　hundred　that　says　it's　not　in　that

paper；〃　Pentfield　answered；　at　the　same　time　throwing　a　heavy　sack

of　dust　on　the　table。



〃I　am　sorry　to　take　your　money；〃　was　the　retort；　as　Inwood　thrust

the　newspaper　into　Pentfield's　hand。



Pentfield　saw；　though　he　could　not　quite　bring　himself　to　believe。

Glancing　through　the　headline；　〃Young　Lochinvar　came　out　of　the

North；〃　and　skimming　the　article　until　the　names　of　Mabel　Holmes

and　Corry　Hutchinson；　coupled　together；　leaped　squarely　before　his

eyes；　he　turned　to　the　top　of　the　page。　　It　was　a　San　Francisco

paper。



〃The　money's　yours；　Inwood；〃　he　remarked；　with　a　short　laugh。

〃There's　no　telling　what　that　partner　of　mine　will　do　when　he　gets

started。〃



Then　he　returned　to　the　article　and　read　it　word　for　word；　very

slowly　and　very　carefully。　　He　could　no　longer　doubt。　　Beyond

dispute；　Corry　Hutchinson　had　married　Mabel　Holmes。　　〃One　of　the

Bonanza　kings；〃　it　described　him；　〃a　partner　with　Lawrence

Pentfield　（whom　San　Francisco　society　has　not　yet　forgotten）；　and

interested　with　that　gentleman　in　other　rich；　Klondike　properties。〃

Further；　and　at　the　end；　he　read；　〃It　is　whispered　that　Mr。　and

Mrs。　Hutchinson　will；　after　a　brief　trip　east　to　Detroit；　make

their　real　honeymoon　journey　into　the　fascinating　Klondike

country。〃



〃I'll　be　back　again；　keep　my　place　for　me；〃　Pentfield　said；　rising

to　his　feet　and　taking　his　sack；　which　meantime　had　hit　the　blower

and　came　back　lighter　by　five　hundred　dollars。



He　went　down　the　street　and　bought　a　Seattle　paper。　　It　contained

the　same　facts；　though　somewhat　condensed。　　Corry　and　Mabel　were

indubitably　married。　　Pentfield　returned　to　the　Opera　House　and

resumed　his　seat　in　the　game。　　He　asked　to　have　the　limit　removed。



〃Trying　to　get　action；〃　Nick　Inwood　laughed；　as　he　nodded　assent　to

the　dealer。　　〃I　was　going　down　to　the　A。　C。　store；　but　now　I　guess

I'll　stay　and　watch　you　do　your　worst。〃



This　Lawrence　Pentfield　did　at　the　end　of　two　hours'　plunging；　when

the　dealer　bit　the　end　off　a　fresh　cigar　and　struck　a　match　as　he

announced　that　the　bank　was　broken。　　Pentfield　cashed　in　for　forty

thousand；　shook　hands　with　Nick　Inwood；　and　stated　that　it　was　the

last　time　he　would　ever　play　at　his　game　or　at　anybody's　else's。



No　one　knew　nor　guessed　that　he　had　been　hit；　much　less　hit　hard。

There　was　no　apparent　change　in　his　manner。　　For　a　week　he　went

about　his　work　much　as　he　had　always　done；　when　he　read　an　account

of　the　marriage　in　a　Portland　paper。　　Then　he　called　in　a　friend　to

take　charge　of　his　mine　and　departed　up　the　Yukon　behind　his　dogs。

He　held　to　the　Salt　Water　trail　till　White　River　was　reached；　into

which　he　turned。　　Five　days　later　he　came　upon　a　hunting　camp　of

the　White　River　Indians。　　In　the　evening　there　was　a　feast；　and　he

sat　in　honour　beside　the　chief；　and　next　morning　he　headed　his　dogs

back　toward　the　Yukon。　　But　he　no　longer　travelled　alone。　　A　young

squaw　fed　his　dogs　for　him　that　night　and　helped　to　pitch　camp。

She　had　been　mauled　by　a　bear　in　her　childhood　and　suffered　from　a

slight　limp。　　Her　name　was　Lashka；　and　she　was　diffident　at　first

with　the　strange　white　man　that　had　come　out　of　the　Unknown；

married　her　with　scarcely　a　look　or　word；　and　now　was　carrying　her

back　with　him　into　the　Unknown。



But　Lashka's　was　better　fortune　than　falls　to　most　Indian　girls

that　mate　with　white　men　in　the　Northland。　　No　sooner　was　Dawson

reached　than　the　barbaric　marriage　that　had　joined　them　was　re…

solemnized；　in　the　white　man's　fashion；　before　a　priest。　　From

Dawson；　which　to　her　was　all　a　marvel　and　a　dream；　she　was　taken

directly　to　the　Bonanza　claim　and　installed　in　the　square…hewed

cabin　on　the　hill。



The　nine　days'　wonder　that　followed　arose　not　so　much　out　of　the

fact　of　the　squaw　whom　Lawrence　Pentfield　had　taken　to　bed　and

board　as　out　of　the　ceremony　that　had　legalized　the　tie。　　The

properly　sanctioned　marriage　was　the　one　thing　that　passed　the

community's　comprehension。　　But　no　one　bothered　Pentfield　about　it。

So　long　as　a　man's　vagaries　did　no　special　hurt　to　the　community；

the　community　let　the　man　alone；　nor　was　Pentfield　barred　from　the

cabins　of　men　who　possessed　white　wives。　　The　marriage　ceremony

removed　him　from　the　status　of　squaw…man　and　placed　him　beyond

moral　reproach；　though　there　were　men　that　challenged　his　taste

where　women　were　concerned。



No　more　letters　arrived　from　the　outside。　　Six　sledloads　of　mails

had　been　lost　at　the　Big　Salmon。　　Besides；　Pentfield　knew　that

Corry　and　his　bride　must　by　that　time　have　started　in　over　the

trail。　　They　were　even　then　on　their　honeymoon　tripthe　honeymoon

trip　he　had　dreamed　of　for　himself　through　two　dreary　years。　　His

lip　curled　with　bitterness　at　the　thought；　but　beyond　being　kinder

to　Lashka　he　gave　no　sign。



March　had　passed　and　April　was　nearing　its　end；　when；　one　spring

morning；　Lashka　asked　permission　to　go　down　the　creek　several　miles

to　Siwash　Pete's　cabin。　　Pete's　wife；　a　Stewart　River　woman；　had

sent　up　word　that　something　was　wrong　with　her　baby；　and　Lashka；

who　was　pre…eminently　a　mother…woman　and　who　held　herself　to　be

truly　wise　in　the　matter　of　infantile　troubles；　missed　no

opportunity　of　nursing　the　children　of　other　women　as　yet　more

fortunate　than　she。



Pentfield　harnessed　his　dogs；　and　with　Lashka　behind　took　the　trail

down　the　creek　bed　of　Bonanza。　　Spring　was　in　the　air。　　The

sharpness　had　gone　out　of　the　bite　of　the　frost　and　though　snow

still　covered　the　land；　the　murmur　and　trickling　of　water　told　that

the　iron　grip　of　winter　was　relaxing。　　The　bottom　was　dropping　out

of　the　trail；　and　here　and　there　a　new　trail　had　been　broken　around

open　holes。　　At　such　a　place；　where　there　was　not　room　for　two

sleds　to　pass；　Pentfield　heard　the　jingle　of　approaching　bells　and

stopped　his　dogs。



A　team　of　tired…looking　dogs　appeared　around　the　narrow　bend；

followed　by　a　heavily…loaded　sled。　　At　the　gee…pole　was　a　man　who

steered　in　a　manner　familiar　to　Pentfield；　and　behind　the　sled

walked　two　women。　　His　glance　returned　to　the　man　at　the　gee…pole。

It　was　Corry。　　Pentfield　got　on　his　feet　and　waited。　　He　was　glad

that　Lashka　was　with　him。　　The　meeting　could　not　have　come　about

better　had　it　been　planned；　he　thought。　　And　as　he　waited　he

wondered　what　they　would　say；　what　they　would　be　able　to　say。　　As

for　himself　there　was　no　need　to　say　anything。　　The　explaining　was

all　on　their　side；　and　he　was　ready　to　listen　to　them。



As　they　drew　in　abreast；　Corry　recognized　him　and　halted　the　dogs。

With　a　〃Hello；　old　man；〃　he　held　out　his　hand。



Pentfield　shook　it；　but　without　warmth　or　speech。　　By　this　time　the

two　women　had　come　up；　and　he　noticed　that　the　second　one　was　Dora

Holmes。　　He　doffed　his　fur　cap；　the　flaps　of　which　were　flying；

shook　hands　with　her；　and　turned　toward　Mabel。　　She　swayed　forward；

splendid　and　radiant；　but　faltered　before　his　outstretched　hand。

He　had　intended　to　say；　〃How　do　you　do；　Mrs。　Hutchinson？〃but

somehow；　the　Mrs。　Hutchinson　had　choked　him；　and　all　he　had　managed

to　articulate　was　the　〃How　do　you　do？〃



There　was　all　the　constraint　and　awkwardness　in　the　situation　he

could　have　wished。　　Mabel　betrayed　the　agitation　appropriate　to　her

position；　while　Dora；　evidently　brought　along　as　some　sort　of

peacemaker；　was　saying：…



〃Why；　what　is　the　matter；　Lawrence？〃



Before　he　could　answer；　Corry　plucked　him　by　the　sleeve　and　drew

him　aside。



〃See　here；　old　man；　what's　this　mean？〃　Corry　demanded　in　a　low

tone；　indicating　Lashka　with　his　eyes。



〃I　can　hardly　see；　Corry；　where　you　can　have　any　concern　in　the

matter；〃　Pentfield　answered　mockingly。



But　Corry　drove　straight　to　the　point。



〃What　is　that　squaw　doing　on　your　sled？　　A　nasty　job　you've　given

me　to　explain　all　this　away。　　I　only　hope　it　can　be　explained　away。

Who　is　she？　　Whose　squaw　is　she？〃



Then　Lawrence　Pentfield　delivered　his　stroke；　and　he　delivered　it

with　a　certain　calm　elation　of　spirit　that　seemed　somewhat　to

compensate　for　the　wrong　that　had　been　done　him。



〃She　is　my　squaw；〃　he　said；　〃Mrs。　Pentfield；　if　you　please。〃



Corry　Hutchinson　gasped；　and　Pentfield　left　him　and　returned　to　the

two　women。　　Mabel；　with　a　worried　expression　on　her　face；　seemed

holding　herself　aloof。　　He　turned　to　Dora　and　asked；　quite

genially；　as　though　all　the　world　was　sunshine：…　〃How　did　you　stand

the　trip；　anyway？　　Have　any　trouble　to　sleep　warm？〃



〃And；　how　did　Mrs。　Hutchinson　stand　it？〃　he　asked　next；　his　eyes　on

Mabel。



〃Oh；　you　dear　ninny！〃　Dora　cried；　throwing　her　arms　around　him　and

hugging　him。　　〃Then　you　saw　it；　too！　　I　thought　something　was　the

matter；　you　were　acting　so　strangely。〃



〃II　hardly　understand；〃　he　stammered。



〃It　was　corrected　in　next　day's　paper；〃　Dora　chattered　on。　　〃We　did

not　dream　you　would　see　it。　　All　the　other　papers　had　it　correctly；

and　of　course　that　one　miserable　paper　was　the　very　one　you　saw！〃



〃Wait　a　moment！　　What　do　you　mean？〃　Pentfield　demanded；　a　sudden

fear　at　his　heart；　for　he　felt　himself　on　the　verge　of　a　great

gulf。



But　Dora　swept　volubly　on。



〃Why；　when　it　became　known　that　Mabel　and　I　were　going　to　Klondike；

EVERY　OTHER　WEEK　said　that　when　we　were　gone；　it　would　be　lovely　on

Myrdon　Avenue；　meaning；　of　course；　lonely。〃



〃Then〃



〃I　am　Mrs。　Hutchinson；〃　Dora　answered。　　〃And　you　thought　it　was

Mabel　all　the　time〃



〃Precisely　the　way　of　it；〃　Pentfield