第2章

类别:其他 作者:Jack London字数:25325更新时间:19/01/05 14:25:53
Andshe,knowingthatthemomenthadcome,butunabletodivinewhatwaspassingwithinhim,feltallshehadgainedslippingaway。 \"Dave!Dave!\"shecried。\"Iwillnotgiveyouup!Iwillnotgiveyouup!Ifyoudonotwishtocome,wewillstay。Iwillstaywithyou。Theworldislesstomethanareyou。IwillbeaNorthlandwifetoyou。Iwillcookyourfood,feedyourdogs,breaktrailforyou,liftapaddlewithyou。Icandoit。 Believeme,Iamstrong。\" Nordidhedoubtit,lookinguponherandholdingherofffromhim;buthisfacehadgrownsternandgray,andthewarmthhaddiedoutofhiseyes。 \"IwillpayoffPierreandtheboatmen,andletthemgo。AndI willstaywithyou,priestornopriest,ministerornominister; gowithyou,now,anywhere!Dave!Dave!Listentome!YousayIdidyouwronginthepast——andIdid——letmemakeupforit,letmeatone。IfIdidnotrightlymeasurelovebefore,letmeshowthatIcannow。\" Shesanktothefloorandthrewherarmsabouthisknees,sobbing。 \"AndyouDOcareforme。YouDOcareforme。Think!ThelongyearsIhavewaited,suffered!Youcanneverknow!\"Hestoopedandraisedhertoherfeet。 \"Listen,\"hecommanded,openingthedoorandliftingherbodilyoutside。\"Itcannotbe。Wearenotalonetobeconsidered。Youmustgo。Iwishyouasafejourney。YouwillfindittougherworkwhenyougetupbytheSixtyMile,butyouhavethebestboatmenintheworld,andwillgetthroughallright。Willyousaygood—by?\" Thoughshealreadyhadherselfinhand,shelookedathimhopelessly。\"If——if——ifWinapieshould——\"Shequaveredandstopped。 Buthegraspedtheunspokenthought,andanswered,\"Yes。\"Thenstruckwiththeenormityofit,\"Itcannotbeconceived。Thereisnolikelihood。Itmustnotbeentertained。\" \"Kissme,\"shewhispered,herfacelighting。Thensheturnedandwentaway。 \"Breakcamp,Pierre,\"shesaidtotheboatman,whoalonehadremainedawakeagainstherreturn。\"Wemustbegoing。\" Bythefirelighthissharpeyesscannedthewoeinherface,buthereceivedtheextraordinarycommandasthoughitwerethemostusualthingintheworld。\"Oui,madame,\"heassented。\"Whichway?Dawson?\" \"No,\"sheanswered,lightlyenough;\"up;out;Dyea。\" Whereathefelluponthesleepingvoyageurs,kickingthem,grunting,fromtheirblankets,andbucklingthemdowntothework,thewhilehisvoice,vibrantwithaction,shrillingthroughallthecamp。InatriceMrs。Sayther’stinytenthadbeenstruck,potsandpanswerebeinggatheredup,blanketsrolled,andthemenstaggeringundertheloadstotheboat。Here,onthebanks,Mrs。 Saytherwaitedtilltheluggagewasmadeship—shapeandhernestprepared。 \"Welineuptodeheadofdeisland,\"Pierreexplainedtoherwhilerunningoutthelongtowrope。\"Denwetaktodasbackchannel,wheredewaternotqueek,andIt’inkwemakgoodtam。\" Ascufflingandpatteringoffeetinthelastyear’sdrygrasscaughthisquickear,andheturnedhishead。TheIndiangirl,circledbyabristlingringofwolfdogs,wascomingtowardthem。 Mrs。Saythernotedthatthegirl’sface,whichhadbeenapatheticthroughoutthesceneinthecabin,hadnowquickenedintoblazingandwrathfullife。 \"Whatyoudomyman?\"shedemandedabruptlyofMrs。Sayther。\"Himlayonbunk,andhimlookbadallthetime。Isay,’Whatthematter,Dave?Yousick?’Buthimnosaynothing。Afterthathimsay,’GoodgirlWinapie,goway。Ibeallrightbimeby。’Whatyoudomyman,eh?Ithinkyoubadwoman。\" Mrs。Saytherlookedcuriouslyatthebarbarianwomanwhosharedthelifeofthisman,whileshedepartedaloneinthedarknessofnight。 \"Ithinkyoubadwoman,\"Winapierepeatedintheslow,methodicalwayofonewhogropesforstrangewordsinanalientongue。\"I thinkbetteryougoway,nocomenomore。Eh?Whatyouthink?I haveoneman。IIndiangirl。You’Mericanwoman。Yougoodtosee。Youfindplentymen。Youreyesbluelikethesky。Yourskinsowhite,sosoft。\" Coollyshethrustoutabrownforefingerandpressedthesoftcheekoftheotherwoman。AndtotheeternalcreditofKarenSayther,sheneverflinched。Pierrehesitatedandhalfsteppedforward;butshemotionedhimaway,thoughherheartwelledtohimwithsecretgratitude。\"It’sallright,Pierre,\"shesaid。 \"Pleasegoaway。\" Hesteppedbackrespectfullyoutofearshot,wherehestoodgrumblingtohimselfandmeasuringthedistanceinsprings。 \"Umwhite,umsoft,likebaby。\"Winapietouchedtheothercheekandwithdrewherhand。\"Bimebymosquitocome。Skingetsoreinspot;umswell,oh,sobig;umhurt,oh,somuch。Plentymosquito;plentyspot。Ithinkbetteryougonowbeforemosquitocome。Thisway,\"pointingdownthestream,\"yougoSt。Michael’s; thatway,\"pointingup,\"yougoDyea。BetteryougoDyea。Good— by。\" AndthatwhichMrs。Saytherthendid,causedPierretomarvelgreatly。ForshethrewherarmsaroundtheIndiangirl,kissedher,andburstintotears。 \"Begoodtohim,\"shecried。\"Begoodtohim。\" Thensheslippedhalfdownthefaceofthebank,calledback\"Good—by,\"anddroppedintotheboatamidships。Pierrefollowedherandcastoff。Heshovedthesteeringoarintoplaceandgavethesignal。LeGoireliftedanoldFrenchchanson;themen,likearowofghostsinthedimstarlight,benttheirbackstothetowline;thesteeringoarcuttheblackcurrentsharply,andtheboatsweptoutintothenight。 WHICHMAKEMENREMEMBER FortuneLaPearlecrushedhiswaythroughthesnow,sobbing,straining,cursinghisluck,Alaska,Nome,thecards,andthemanwhohadfelthisknife。Thehotbloodwasfreezingonhishands,andthesceneyetbrightinhiseyes,——theman,clutchingthetableandsinkingslowlytothefloor;therollingcountersandthescattereddeck;theswiftshiverthroughouttheroom,andthepause;thegame—keepersnolongercalling,andtheclatterofthechipsdyingaway;thestartledfaces;theinfiniteinstantofsilence;andthenthegreatblood—roarandthetideofvengeancewhichlappedhisheelsandturnedthetownmadbehindhim。 \"Allhell’sbrokeloose,\"hesneered,turningasideinthedarknessandheadingforthebeach。Lightswereflashingfromopendoors,andtent,cabin,anddance—hallletsliptheirdenizensuponthechase。Theclamorofmenandhowlingofdogssmotehisearsandquickenedhisfeet。Heranonandon。Thesoundsgrewdim,andthepursuitdissipateditselfinvainrageandaimlessgroping。Butaflittingshadowclungtohim。Headthrustovershoulder,hecaughtglimpsesofit,nowtakingvagueshapeonanopenexpanseofsnow,howmergingintothedeepershadowsofsomedarkenedcabinorbeach—listedcraft。 FortuneLaPearlesworelikeawoman,weakly,withthehintoftearsthatcomesofexhaustion,andplungeddeeperintothemazeofheapedice,tents,andprospectholes。Hestumbledovertauthawsersandpilesofdunnage,trippedoncrazyguy—ropesandinsanelyplantedpegs,andfellagainandagainuponfrozendumpsandmoundsofhoardeddriftwood。Attimes,whenhedeemedhehaddrawnclear,hisheaddizzywiththepainfulpoundingofhisheartandthesuffocatingintakeofhisbreath,heslackeneddown;andevertheshadowleapedoutofthegloomandforcedhimoninheart—breakingflight。Aswiftintuitionlasheduponhim,leavinginitstrailthecoldchillofsuperstition。Thepersistenceoftheshadowheinvestedwithhisgambler’ssymbolism。Silent,inexorable,nottobeshakenoff,hetookitasthefatewhichwaitedatthelastturnwhenchipswerecashedinandgainsandlossescountedup。FortuneLaPearlebelievedinthoserare,illuminatingmoments,whentheintelligenceflungfromittimeandspace,torisenakedthrougheternityandreadthefactsoflifefromtheopenbookofchance。Thatthiswassuchamomenthehadnodoubt;andwhenheturnedinlandandspedacrossthesnow— coveredtundrahewasnotstartledbecausetheshadowtookuponitgreaterdefinitenessanddrewincloser。Oppressedwithhisownimpotence,hehaltedinthemidstofthewhitewasteandwhirledabout。Hisrighthandslippedfromitsmitten,andarevolver,atlevel,glistenedinthepalelightofthestars。 \"Don’tshoot。Ihaven’tagun。\" Theshadowhadassumedtangibleshape,andatthesoundofitshumanvoiceatrepidationaffectedFortuneLaPearle’sknees,andhisstomachwasstrickenwiththequalmsofsuddenrelief。 PerhapsthingsfelloutdifferentlybecauseUriBramhadnogunthatnightwhenhesatonthehardbenchesoftheElDoradoandsawmurderdone。TothatfactalsomightbeattributedthetripontheLongTrailwhichhetooksubsequentlywithamostunlikelycomrade。Butbeitasitmay,herepeatedasecondtime,\"Don’tshoot。Can’tyouseeIhaven’tagun?\" \"Thenwhattheflaminghelldidyoutakeaftermefor?\"demandedthegambler,loweringhisrevolver。 UriBramshruggedhisshoulders。\"Itdon’tmattermuch,anyhow。 Iwantyoutocomewithme。\" \"Where?\" \"Tomyshack,overontheedgeofthecamp。\" ButFortuneLaPearledrovetheheelofhismoccasinintothesnowandattestedbyhisvariousdeitiestothemadnessofUriBram。 \"Whoareyou,\"heperorated,\"andwhatamI,thatIshouldputmyneckintotheropeatyourbidding?\" \"IamUriBram,\"theothersaidsimply,\"andmyshackisoverthereontheedgeofcamp。Idon’tknowwhoyouare,butyou’vethrustthesoulfromalivingman’sbody,——there’sthebloodredonyoursleeve,——and,likeasecondCain,thehandofallmankindisagainstyou,andthereisnoplaceyoumaylayyourhead。Now,Ihaveashack——\" \"Fortheloveofyourmother,holdyoursay,man,\"interruptedFortuneLaPearle,\"orI’llmakeyouasecondAbelforthejoyofit。Sohelpme,Iwill!Withathousandmentolaymebytheheels,lookinghighandlow,whatdoIwantwithyourshack?I wanttogetoutofhere——away!away!away!Cursedswine!I’vehalfamindtogobackandrunamuck,andsettleforafewofthem,thepigs!Onegorgeous,gloriousfight,andendthewholedamnbusiness!It’saskingame,that’swhatlifeis,andI’msickofit!\" Hestopped,appalled,crushedbyhisgreatdesolation,andUriBramseizedthemoment。Hewasnotgiventospeech,thisman,andthatwhichfollowedwasthelongestinhislife,saveonelongafterwardinanotherplace。 \"That’swhyItoldyouaboutmyshack。Icanstowyoutheresothey’llneverfindyou,andI’vegotgrubinplenty。Elsewiseyoucan’tgetaway。Nodogs,nonothing,theseaclosed,St。Michaelthenearestpost,runnerstocarrythenewsbeforeyou,thesameovertheportagetoAnvik——notachanceintheworldforyou!Nowwaitwithmetillitblowsover。They’llforgetallaboutyouinamonthorless,whatofstampedingtoYorkandwhatnot,andyoucanhitthetrailundertheirnosesandtheywon’tbother。I’vegotmyownideasofjustice。WhenIranafteryou,outoftheElDoradoandalongthebeach,itwasn’ttocatchyouorgiveyouup。 Myideasaremyown,andthat’snotoneofthem。\" Heceasedasthemurdererdrewaprayer—bookfromhispocket。 Withtheauroraborealisglimmeringyellowinthenortheast,headsbaredtothefrostandnakedhandsgraspingthesacredbook,FortuneLaPearlesworehimtothewordshehadspoken——anoathwhichUriBramneverintendedbreaking,andneverbroke。 Atthedooroftheshackthegamblerhesitatedforaninstant,marvellingatthestrangenessofthismanwhohadbefriendedhim,anddoubting。Butbythecandlelighthefoundthecabincomfortableandwithoutoccupants,andhewasquicklyrollingacigarettewhiletheothermanmadecoffee。Hismusclesrelaxedinthewarmthandhelaybackwithhalf—assumedindolence,intentlystudyingUri’sfacethroughthecurlingwispsofsmoke。Itwasapowerfulface,butitsstrengthwasofthatpeculiarsortwhichstandsgirtinandunrelated。Theseamsweredeep—graven,morelikescars,whilethesternfeatureswereinnowaysoftenedbyhintsofsympathyorhumor。Underprominentbushybrowstheeyesshonecoldandgray。Thecheekbones,highandforbidding,wereunderminedbydeephollows。Thechinandjawdisplayedasteadinessofpurposewhichthenarrowforeheadadvertisedassingle,and,ifneedsbe,pitiless。Everythingwasharsh,thenose,thelips,thevoice,thelinesaboutthemouth。Itwasthefaceofonewhocommunedmuchwithhimself,unusedtoseekingcounselfromtheworld;thefaceofonewhowrestledoftofnightswithangels,androsetofacethedaywithshutlipsthatnomanmightknow。Hewasnarrowbutdeep;andFortune,hisownhumanitybroadandshallow,couldmakenothingofhim。DidUrisingwhenmerryandsighwhensad,hecouldhaveunderstood;butasitwas,thecrypticfeatureswereundecipherable;hecouldnotmeasurethesoultheyconcealed。 \"Lendahand,MisterMan,\"Uriorderedwhenthecupshadbeenemptied。\"We’vegottofixupforvisitors。\" Fortunepurredhisnamefortheother’sbenefit,andassistedunderstandingly。Thebunkwasbuiltagainstasideandendofthecabin。Itwasarudeaffair,thebottombeingcomposedofdrift— woodlogsoverlaidwithmoss。Atthefoottheroughendsofthesetimbersprojectedinanunevenrow。FromthesidenextthewallUririppedbackthemossandremovedthreeofthelogs。Thejaggedendshesawedoffandreplacedsothattheprojectingrowremainedunbroken。Fortunecarriedinsacksofflourfromthecacheandpiledthemonthefloorbeneaththeaperture。OntheseUrilaidapairoflongsea—bags,andoverallspreadseveralthicknessesofmossandblankets。UponthisFortunecouldlie,withthesleepingfursstretchingoverhimfromonesideofthebunktotheother,andallmencouldlookuponitanddeclareitempty。 Intheweekswhichfollowed,severaldomiciliaryvisitswerepaid,notashackortentinNomeescaping,butFortunelayinhiscrannyundisturbed。Infact,littleattentionwasgiventoUriBram’scabin;foritwasthelastplaceunderthesuntoexpecttofindthemurdererofJohnRandolph。Exceptduringsuchinterruptions,Fortunelolledaboutthecabin,playinglonggamesofsolitaireandsmokingendlesscigarettes。Thoughhisvolatilenaturelovedgenialityandplayofwordsandlaughter,hequicklyaccommodatedhimselftoUri’staciturnity。Beyondtheactionsandplansofhispursuers,thestateofthetrails,andthepriceofdogs,theynevertalked;andthesethingswereonlydiscussedatrareintervalsandbriefly。ButFortunefelltoworkingoutasystem,andhourafterhour,anddayafterday,heshuffledanddealt,shuffledanddealt,notedthecombinationsofthecardsinlongcolumns,andshuffledanddealtagain。Towardtheendeventhisabsorptionfailedhim,and,headboweduponthetable,hevisionedthelivelyall—nighthousesofNome,wherethegamekeepersandlookoutsworkedinshiftsandtheclatteringrouletteballneverslept。Atsuchtimeshislonelinessandbankruptcystunnedhimtillhesatforhoursinthesameunblinking,unchangingposition。Atothertimes,hislong—pentbitternessfoundvoiceinpassionateoutbursts;forhehadrubbedtheworldthewrongwayanddidnotlikethefeelofit。 \"Life’saskin—game,\"hewasfondofrepeating,andonthisonenoteherangthechanges。\"Ineverhadhalfachance,\"hecomplained。\"Iwasfakedinmybirthandflim—flammedwithmymother’smilk。Thedicewereloadedwhenshetossedthebox,andIwasborntoprovetheloss。Butthatwasnoreasonsheshouldblamemeforit,andlookonmeasacolddeck;butshedid——ay,shedid。Whydidn’tshegivemeashow?Whydidn’ttheworld? WhydidIgobrokeinSeattle?WhydidItakethesteerage,andlivelikeahogtoNome?WhydidIgototheElDorado?IwasheadingforBigPete’sandonlywentformatches。Whydidn’tI havematches?WhydidIwanttosmoke?Don’tyousee?Allworkedout,everybitofit,allpartsfittingsnug。BeforeIwasborn,likeasnot。I’llputthesackIneverhopetogetonit,beforeIwasborn。That’swhy!That’swhyJohnRandolphpassedthewordandhischecksinatthesametime。Damnhim!Itservedhimwellright!Whydidn’thekeephistonguebetweenhisteethandgivemeachance?HeknewIwasnexttobroke。Whydidn’tI holdmyhand?Oh,why?Why?Why?\" AndFortuneLaPearlewouldrolluponthefloor,vainlyinterrogatingtheschemeofthings。AtsuchoutbreaksUrisaidnoword,gavenosign,savethathisgreyeyesseemedtoturndullandmuddy,asthoughfromlackofinterest。Therewasnothingincommonbetweenthesetwomen,andthisfactFortunegraspedsufficientlytowondersometimeswhyUrihadstoodbyhim。 Butthetimeofwaitingcametoanend。Evenacommunity’sbloodlustcannotstandbeforeitsgoldlust。ThemurderofJohnRandolphhadalreadypassedintotheannalsofthecamp,andthereitrested。Hadthemurdererappeared,themenofNomewouldcertainlyhavestoppedstampedinglongenoughtoseejusticedone,whereasthewhereaboutsofFortuneLaPearlewasnolongeraninsistentproblem。Therewasgoldinthecreekbedsandrubybeaches,andwhentheseaopened,themenwithhealthysackswouldsailawaytowherethegoodthingsoflifeweresoldabsurdlycheap。 So,onenight,FortunehelpedUriBramharnessthedogsandlashthesled,andthetwaintookthewintertrailsouthontheice。 Butitwasnotallsouth;fortheylefttheseaeastfromSt。 Michael’s,crossedthedivide,andstrucktheYukonatAnvik,manyhundredmilesfromitsmouth。Thenon,intothenortheast,pastKoyokuk,Tanana,andMinook,tilltheyroundedtheGreatCurveatFortYukon,crossedandrecrossedtheArcticCircle,andheadedsouththroughtheFlats。Itwasawearyjourney,andFortunewouldhavewonderedwhythemanwentwithhim,hadnotUritoldhimthatheownedclaimsandhadmenworkingatEagle。Eaglelayontheedgeoftheline;afewmilesfartheron,theBritishflagwavedoverthebarracksatFortCudahy。ThencameDawson,Pelly,theFiveFingers,WindyArm,CaribouCrossing,Linderman,theChilcootandDyea。 OnthemorningafterpassingEagle,theyroseearly。Thiswastheirlastcamp,andtheywerenowtopart。Fortune’sheartwaslight。Therewasapromiseofspringintheland,andthedaysweregrowinglonger。ThewaywaspassingintoCanadianterritory。 Libertywasathand,thesunwasreturning,andeachdaysawhimnearertotheGreatOutside。Theworldwasbig,andhecouldonceagainpainthisfutureinroyalred。HewhistledaboutthebreakfastandhummedsnatchesoflightsongwhileUriputthedogsinharnessandpackedup。Butwhenallwasready,Fortune’sfeetitchingtobeoff,Uripulledanunusedback—logtothefireandsatdown。 \"EverhearoftheDeadHorseTrail?\" HeglancedupmeditativelyandFortuneshookhishead,inwardlychafingatthedelay。 \"Sometimestherearemeetingsundercircumstanceswhichmakemenremember,\"Uricontinued,speakinginalowvoiceandveryslowly,\"andImetamanundersuchcircumstancesontheDeadHorseTrail。 FreightinganoutfitovertheWhitePassin’97brokemanyaman’sheart,fortherewasaworldofreasonwhentheygavethattrailitsname。Thehorsesdiedlikemosquitoesinthefirstfrost,andfromSkaguaytoBennetttheyrottedinheaps。TheydiedattheRocks,theywerepoisonedattheSummit,andtheystarvedattheLakes;theyfelloffthetrail,whattherewasofit,ortheywentthroughit;intherivertheydrownedundertheirloads,orweresmashedtopiecesagainsttheboulders;theysnappedtheirlegsinthecrevicesandbroketheirbacksfallingbackwardswiththeirpacks;inthesloughstheysankfromsightorsmotheredintheslime,andtheyweredisembowelledinthebogswherethecorduroylogsturnedendupinthemud;menshotthem,workedthemtodeath,andwhentheyweregone,wentbacktothebeachandboughtmore。Somedidnotbothertoshootthem,——strippingthesaddlesoffandtheshoesandleavingthemwheretheyfell。Theirheartsturnedtostone——thosewhichdidnotbreak——andtheybecamebeasts,themenonDeadHorseTrail。 \"ItwasthereImetamanwiththeheartofaChristandthepatience。Andhewashonest。Whenherestedatmiddayhetookthepacksfromthehorsessothatthey,too,mightrest。Hepaid$50ahundred—weightfortheirfodder,andmore。Heusedhisownbedtoblankettheirbackswhentheyrubbedraw。Othermenletthesaddleseatholesthesizeofwater—buckets。Othermen,whentheshoesgaveout,letthemweartheirhoofsdowntothebleedingstumps。Hespenthislastdollarforhorseshoenails。Iknowthisbecausewesleptintheonebedandatefromtheonepot,andbecamebloodbrotherswheremenlosttheirgripofthingsanddiedblasphemingGod。Hewasnevertootiredtoeaseastraportightenacinch,andoftenthereweretearsinhiseyeswhenhelookedonallthatwasteofmisery。Atapassageintherocks,wherethebrutesuprearedhindleggedandstretchedtheirforelegsupwardlikecatstoclearthewall,thewaywaspiledwithcarcasseswheretheyhadtoppledback。Andherehestood,inthestenchofhell,withacheerywordandahandontherumpattherighttime,tillthestringpassedby。Andwhenoneboggedheblockedthetrailtillitwasclearagain;nordidthemanlivewhocrowdedhimatsuchtime。 \"Attheendofthetrailamanwhohadkilledfiftyhorseswantedtobuy,butwelookedathimandatourown,——mountaincayusesfromeasternOregon。Fivethousandheoffered,andwewerebroke,butwerememberedthepoisongrassoftheSummitandthepassageintheRocks,andthemanwhowasmybrotherspokenoword,butdividedthecayusesintotwobunches,——hisintheoneandmineintheother,——andhelookedatmeandweunderstoodeachother。SohedroveminetotheonesideandIdrovehistotheother,andwetookwithusourriflesandshotthemtothelastone,whilethemanwhohadkilledfiftyhorsescursedustillhisthroatcracked。 Butthatman,withwhomIweldedblood—brothershipontheDeadHorseTrail——\" \"Why,thatmanwasJohnRandolph,\"Fortune,sneeringthewhile,completedtheclimaxforhim。 Urinodded,andsaid,\"Iamgladyouunderstand。\" \"Iamready,\"Fortuneanswered,theoldwearybitternessstronginhisfaceagain。\"Goahead,buthurry。\" UriBramrosetohisfeet。 \"IhavehadfaithinGodallthedaysofmylife。IbelieveHelovesjustice。IbelieveHeislookingdownuponusnow,choosingbetweenus。IbelieveHewaitstoworkHiswillthroughmyownrightarm。Andsuchismybelief,thatwewilltakeequalchanceandletHimspeakHisownjudgment。\" Fortune’sheartleapedatthewords。HedidnotknowmuchconcerningUri’sGod,buthebelievedinChance,andChancehadbeencominghiswayeversincethenightherandownthebeachandacrossthesnow。\"Butthereisonlyonegun,\"heobjected。 \"Wewillfireturnabout,\"Urireplied,atthesametimethrowingoutthecylinderoftheotherman’sColtandexaminingit。 \"Andthecardstodecide!Onehandofsevenup!\" Fortune’sbloodwaswarmingtothegame,andhedrewthedeckfromhispocketasUrinodded。SurelyChancewouldnotdeserthimnow! Hethoughtofthereturningsunashecutfordeal,andhethrilledwhenhefoundthedealwashis。Heshuffledanddealt,andUricuthimtheJackofSpades。Theylaiddowntheirhands。 Uri’swasbareoftrumps,whileheheldace,deuce。Theoutsideseemedveryneartohimastheysteppedoffthefiftypaces。 \"IfGodwithholdsHishandandyoudropme,thedogsandoutfitareyours。You’llfindabillofsale,alreadymadeout,inmypocket,\"Uriexplained,facingthepathofthebullet,straightandbroad—breasted。 Fortuneshookavisionofthesunshiningontheoceanfromhiseyesandtookaim。Hewasverycareful。Twiceheloweredasthespringbreezeshookthepines。Butthethirdtimehedroppedononeknee,grippedtherevolversteadilyinbothhands,andfired。 Uriwhirledhalfabout,threwuphisarms,swayedwildlyforamoment,andsankintothesnow。ButFortuneknewhehadfiredtoofartooneside,elsethemanwouldnothavewhirled。 WhenUri,masteringthefleshandstrugglingtohisfeet,beckonedfortheweapon,Fortunewasmindedtofireagain。Buthethrusttheideafromhim。Chancehadbeenverygoodtohimalready,hefelt,andifhetrickednowhewouldhavetopayforitafterward。 No,hewouldplayfair。BesidesUriwashardhitandcouldnotpossiblyholdtheheavyColtlongenoughtodrawabead。 \"AndwhereisyourGodnow?\"hetaunted,ashegavethewoundedmantherevolver。 AndUrianswered:\"Godhasnotyetspoken。PreparethatHemayspeak。\" Fortunefacedhim,buttwistedhischestsidewaysinordertopresentlesssurface。Uritotteredaboutdrunkenly,butwaited,too,forthemoment’scalmbetweenthecatspaws。Therevolverwasveryheavy,andhedoubted,likeFortune,becauseofitsweight。 Butheheldit,armextended,abovehishead,andthenletitslowlydropforwardanddown。AttheinstantFortune’sleftbreastandthesightflashedintolinewithhiseye,hepulledthetrigger。Fortunedidnotwhirl,butgaySanFranciscodimmedandfaded,andasthesun—brightsnowturnedblackandblacker,hebreathedhislastmaledictionontheChancehehadmisplayed。 SIWASH \"IfIwasaman——\"Herwordswereinthemselvesindecisive,butthewitheringcontemptwhichflashedfromherblackeyeswasnotlostuponthemen—folkinthetent。 Tommy,theEnglishsailor,squirmed,butchivalrousoldDickHumphries,CornishfishermananderstwhileAmericansalmoncapitalist,beameduponherbenevolentlyasever。Heborewomentoolargeaportionofhisroughhearttomindthem,ashesaid,whentheywereinthedoldrums,orwhentheirlimitedvisionwouldnotpermitthemtoseeallaroundathing。Sotheysaidnothing,thesetwomenwhohadtakenthehalf—frozenwomanintotheirtentthreedaysback,andwhohadwarmedher,andfedher,andrescuedhergoodsfromtheIndianpackers。Thislatterhadnecessitatedthepaymentofnumerousdollars,tosaynothingofademonstrationinforce——DickHumphriessquintingalongthesightsofaWinchesterwhileTommyapportionedtheirwagesamongthemathisownappraisement。Ithadbeenalittlethinginitself,butitmeantmuchtoawomanplayingadesperatesingle—handintheequallydesperateKlondikerushof’97。Menwereoccupiedwiththeirownpressingneeds,nordidtheyapproveofwomenplaying,single—handed,theoddsofthearcticwinter。\"IfIwasaman,I knowwhatIwoulddo。\"ThusreiteratedMolly,sheoftheflashingeyes,andthereinspokethecumulativegritoffiveAmerican—borngenerations。 Inthesucceedingsilence,TommythrustapanofbiscuitsintotheYukonstoveandpiledonfreshfuel。Areddishfloodpoundedalongunderhissun—tannedskin,andashestooped,theskinofhisneckwasscarlet。Dickpalmedathree—corneredsailneedlethroughasetofbrokenpackstraps,hisgoodnatureinnowisedisturbedbythefemininecataclysmwhichwasthreateningtoburstinthestorm—beatentent。 \"Andifyouwasaman?\"heasked,hisvoicevibrantwithkindness。 Thethree—corneredneedlejammedinthedampleather,andhesuspendedworkforthemoment。 \"I’dbeaman。I’dputthestrapsonmybackandlightout。I wouldn’tlayincamphere,withtheYukonliketofreezemostanyday,andthegoodsnothalfovertheportage。Andyou——youaremen,andyousithere,holdingyourhands,afraidofalittlewindandwet。Itellyoustraight,Yankee—menaremadeofdifferentstuff。They’dbehittingthetrailforDawsoniftheyhadtowadethroughhell—fire。Andyou,you——IwishIwasaman。\" \"I’mveryglad,mydear,thatyou’renot。\"DickHumphriesthrewthebightofthesailtwineoverthepointoftheneedleanddrewitclearwithacoupleofdeftturnsandajerk。 Asnortofthegaledealtthetentabroad—handedslapasithurtledpast,andthesleetrat—tat—tattedwithsnappyspiteagainstthethincanvas。Thesmoke,smotheredinitsexit,drovebackthroughthefire—boxdoor,carryingwithitthepungentodorofgreenspruce。 \"GoodGawd!Whycan’tawomanlistentoreason?\"Tommyliftedhisheadfromthedenserdepthsandturneduponherapairofsmoke—outragedeyes。 \"Andwhycan’tamanshowhismanhood?\" Tommysprangtohisfeetwithanoathwhichwouldhaveshockedawomanoflesserheart,rippedloosethesturdyreef—knotsandflungbacktheflapsofthetent。 Thetriopeeredout。Itwasnotahearteningspectacle。Afewwater—soakedtentsformedthemiserableforeground,fromwhichthestreaminggroundslopedtoafoaminggorge。Downthisrampedamountaintorrent。Hereandthere,dwarfspruce,rootingandgrovellingintheshallowalluvium,markedtheproximityofthetimberline。Beyond,ontheopposingslope,thevagueoutlinesofaglacierloomeddead—whitethroughthedrivingrain。Evenastheylooked,itsmassivefrontcrumbledintothevalley,onthebreastofsomesubterraneanvomit,anditlifteditshoarsethunderabovethescreechingvoiceofthestorm。Involuntarily,Mollyshrankback。 \"Look,woman!Lookwithallyoureyes!ThreemilesintheteethofthegaletoCraterLake,acrosstwoglaciers,alongtheslipperyrim—rock,knee—deepinahowlingriver!Look,Isay,youYankeewoman!Look!There’syourYankee—men!\"Tommypointedapassionatehandinthedirectionofthestrugglingtents。 \"Yankees,thelastmother’ssonofthem。Aretheyontrail?Isthereoneofthemwiththestrapstohisback?Andyouwouldteachusmenourwork?Look,Isay!\" Anothertremendoussectionoftheglacierrumbledearthward。Thewindwhippedinattheopendoorway,bulgingoutthesidesofthetenttillitswayedlikeahugebladderatitsguyropes。Thesmokeswirledaboutthem,andthesleetdrovesharplyintotheirflesh。Tommypulledtheflapstogetherhastily,andreturnedtohistearfultaskatthefire—box。DickHumphriesthrewthemendedpackstrapsintoacornerandlightedhispipe。EvenMollywasforthemomentpersuaded。 \"There’smyclothes,\"shehalf—whimpered,thefeminineforthemomentprevailing。\"They’rerightatthetopofthecache,andthey’llberuined!Itellyou,ruined!\" \"There,there,\"Dickinterposed,whenthelastquaveringsyllablehadwaileditselfout。\"Don’tletthatworryyou,littlewoman。 I’moldenoughtobeyourfather’sbrother,andI’veadaughterolderthanyou,andI’lltogyououtinfripperieswhenwegettoDawsonifittakesmylastdollar。\" \"WhenwegettoDawson!\"Thescornhadcomebacktoherthroatwithasuddensurge。\"You’llrotontheway,first。You’lldrowninamudhole。You——you——Britishers!\" Thelastword,explosive,intensive,hadstrainedthelimitsofhervituperation。Ifthatwouldnotstirthesemen,whatcould? Tommy’sneckranredagain,buthekepthistonguebetweenhisteeth。Dick’seyesmellowed。HehadtheadvantageoverTommy,forhehadoncehadawhitewomanforawife。 ThebloodoffiveAmerican—borngenerationsis,undercertaincircumstances,anuncomfortableheritage;andamongthesecircumstancesmightbeenumeratedthatofbeingquarteredwithnextofkin。ThesemenwereBritons。Onseaandlandherancestryandthegenerationsthereofhadthrashedthemandtheirs。 Onseaandlandtheywouldcontinuetodoso。Thetraditionsofherraceclamoredforvindication。Shewasbutawomanofthepresent,butinherbubbledthewholemightypast。ItwasnotaloneMollyTraviswhopulledongumboots,mackintosh,andstraps;forthephantomhandsoftenthousandforbearsdrewtightthebuckles,justsoastheysquaredherjawandsethereyeswithdetermination。She,MollyTravis,intendedtoshametheseBritishers;they,theinnumerableshades,wereassertingthedominanceofthecommonrace。 Themen—folkdidnotinterfere。OnceDicksuggestedthatshetakehisoilskins,ashermackintoshwasworthnomorethanpaperinsuchastorm。Butshesniffedherindependencesosharplythathecommunedwithhispipetillshetiedtheflapsontheoutsideandslushedawayonthefloodedtrail。 \"Thinkshe’llmakeit?\"Dick’sfacebeliedtheindifferenceofhisvoice。 \"Makeit?Ifshestandsthepressuretillshegetstothecache,whatofthecoldandmisery,she’llbestark,ravingmad。Standit?She’llbedumb—crazed。Youknowityourself,Dick。You’vewind—jammedroundtheHorn。Youknowwhatitistolayoutonatopsailyardinthethickofit,buckingsleetandsnowandfrozencanvastillyou’rereadytojustletgoandcrylikeababy。 Clothes?Shewon’tbeabletotellabundleofskirtsfromagoldpanoratea—kettle。\" \"Kindofthinkwewerewronginlettinghergo,then?\" \"Notabitofit。Sohelpme,Dick,she’d’a’madethistentahellfortherestofthetripifwehadn’t。Troublewithhershe’sgottoomuchspirit。This’lltoneitdownabit。\" \"Yes,\"Dickadmitted,\"she’stooambitious。ButthenMolly’sallright。Acussedlittlefooltotackleatriplikethis,butapluckysightbetterthanthosepick—me—up—and—carry—mekindofwomen。She’sthestockthatcarriedyouandme,Tommy,andyou’vegottomakeallowanceforthespirit。Takesawomantobreedaman。Youcan’tsuckmanhoodfromthedugsofacreaturewhoseonlyclaimtowomanhoodisherpetticoats。Takesashe—cat,notacow,tomotheratiger。\" \"Andwhenthey’reunreasonablewe’vegottoputupwithit,eh?\" \"Theproposition。Asharpsheath—knifecutsdeeperonaslipthanadullone;butthat’snoreasonfortohacktheedgeoffoveracapstanbar。\" \"Allright,ifyousayso,butwhenitcomestowoman,IguessI’lltakeminewithalittlelessedge。\" \"Whatdoyouknowaboutit?\"Dickdemanded。 \"Some。\"TommyreachedoverforapairofMolly’swetstockingsandstretchedthemacrosshiskneestodry。 Dick,eyinghimquerulously,wentfishinginherhandsatchel,thenhitcheduptothefrontofthestovewithdiversarticlesofdampclothingspreadlikewisetotheheat。 \"Thoughtyousaidyouneverweremarried?\"heasked。 \"DidI?NomorewasI——thatis——yes,byGawd!Iwas。Andasgoodawomanasevercookedgrubforaman。\" \"Slippedhermoorings?\"Dicksymbolizedinfinitywithawaveofhishand。 \"Ay。\" \"Childbirth,\"headded,afteramoment’spause。 Thebeansbubbledrowdilyonthefrontlid,andhepushedthepotbacktoacoolersurface。Afterthatheinvestigatedthebiscuits,testedthemwithasplinterofwood,andplacedthemasideundercoverofadampcloth。Dick,afterthemannerofhiskind,stifledhisinterestandwaitedsilently。\"AdifferentwomantoMolly。Siwash。\" Dicknoddedhisunderstanding。 \"Notsoproudandwilful,butstickbyafellowthroughthickandthin。SlingapaddlewiththenextandstarveascontentedlyasJob。Gofor’ardwhenthesloop’snosewasmoreoftenunderthannot,andtakeinsaillikeaman。Wentprospectingonce,upTeslinway,pastSurpriseLakeandtheLittleYellow—Head。Grubgaveout,andweatethedogs。Dogsgaveout,andweateharnesses,moccasins,andfurs。Neverawhimper;neverapick—me— up—and—carry—me。Beforewewentshesaidlookoutforgrub,butwhenithappened,neveraI—told—you—so。’Nevermind,Tommy,’ she’dsay,dayafterday,thatweakshecouldbareliftasnow— shoeandherfeetrawwiththework。’Nevermind。I’dsoonerbeflat—belliedofhungerandbeyourwoman,Tommy,thanhaveapotlacheverydayandbeChiefGeorge’sklooch。’GeorgewaschiefoftheChilcoots,youknow,andwantedherbad。 \"Greatdays,those。WasalikelychapmyselfwhenIstruckthecoast。Jumpedawhaler,thePoleStar,atUnalaska,andworkedmywaydowntoSitkaonanotterhunter。PickedupwithHappyJackthere——knowhim?\" \"Hadchargeofmytrapsforme,\"Dickanswered,\"downontheColumbia。Prettywild,wasn’the,withawarmplaceinhisheartforwhiskeyandwomen?\" \"Theverychap。Wenttradingwithhimforacoupleofseasons—— hooch,andblankets,andsuchstuff。Thengotasloopofmyown,andnottocuthimout,camedownJuneauway。That’swhereImetKillisnoo;IcalledherTillyforshort。Metheratasquawdancedownonthebeach。ChiefGeorgehadfinishedtheyear’stradewiththeSticksoverthePasses,andwasdownfromDyeawithhalfhistribe。NoendofSiwashesatthedance,andItheonlywhite。 Nooneknewme,barringafewofthebucksI’dmetoverSitkaway,butI’dgotmostoftheirhistoriesfromHappyJack。 \"EverybodytalkingChinook,notguessingthatIcouldspititbetterthanmost;andprincipallytwogirlswho’drunawayfromHaine’sMissionuptheLynnCanal。Theyweretrimcreatures,goodtotheeye,andIkindofthoughtofcastingthatway;buttheywerefreshasfresh—caughtcod。Toomuchedge,yousee。Beinganew—comer,theystartedtotwistme,notknowingIgatheredineverywordofChinooktheyuttered。 \"Ineverleton,butsettodancingwithTilly,andthemorewedancedthemoreourheartswarmedtoeachother。’Lookingforawoman,’oneofthegirlssays,andtheothertossesherheadandanswers,’Smallchancehe’llgetonewhenthewomenarelookingformen。’Andthebucksandsquawsstandingaroundbegantogrinandgiggleandrepeatwhathadbeensaid。’Quiteaprettyboy,’ saysthefirstone。I’llnotdenyIwasrathersmooth—facedandyoungish,butI’dbeenamanamongstmenmany’stheday,anditrankledme。’DancingwithChiefGeorge’sgirl,’pipesthesecond。 ’FirstthingGeorge’llgivehimtheflatofapaddleandsendhimabouthisbusiness。’ChiefGeorgehadbeenlookingprettyblackuptonow,butatthishelaughedandslappedhisknees。Hewasahuskybeggarandwouldhaveusedthepaddletoo。 \"’Who’sthegirls?’IaskedTilly,aswewentrippingdownthecentreinareel。AndassoonasshetoldmetheirnamesI rememberedallaboutthemfromHappyJack。Hadtheirpedigreedownfine——severalthingshe’dtoldmethatnoteventheirowntribeknew。ButIheldmyhush,andwentoncourtingTilly,theya—castingsharpremarksandeverybodyroaring。’Bideawee,Tommy,’Isaystomyself;’bideawee。’ \"AndbideIdid,tillthedancewasripetobreakup,andChiefGeorgehadbroughtapaddleallreadyforme。Everybodywasonthelookoutformischiefwhenwestopped;butImarched,easyasyouplease,slapintothethickofthem。TheMissiongirlscutmeupsomethingclever,andforallIwasangryIhadtosetmyteethtokeepfromlaughing。Iturneduponthemsuddenly。 \"’Areyoudone?’Iasked。 \"YoushouldhaveseenthemwhentheyheardmespittingChinook。 ThenIbrokeloose。Itoldthemallaboutthemselves,andtheirpeoplebeforethem;theirfathers,mothers,sisters,brothers—— everybody,everything。Eachmeantrickthey’dplayed;everyscrapethey’dgotinto;everyshamethat’dfallenthem。AndI burnedthemwithoutfearorfavor。Allhandscrowdedround。 NeverhadtheyheardawhitemanslingtheirlingoasIdid。 EverybodywaslaughingsavetheMissiongirls。EvenChiefGeorgeforgotthepaddle,oratleasthewasswallowingtoomuchrespecttodaretouseit。 \"Butthegirls。’Oh,don’t,Tommy,’theycried,thetearsrunningdowntheircheeks。’Pleasedon’t。We’llbegood。Sure,Tommy,sure。’ButIknewthemwell,andIscorchedthemoneverytenderspot。NordidIslackawaytilltheycamedownontheirknees,beggingandpleadingwithmetokeepquiet。ThenIshotaglanceatChiefGeorge;buthedidnotknowwhethertohaveatmeornot,andpasseditoffbylaughinghollowly。 \"Sobe。WhenIpassedthepartingwithTillythatnightIgaveherthewordthatIwasgoingtobearoundforaweekorso,andthatIwantedtoseemoreofher。Notthick—skinned,herkind,whenitcametoshowinglikeanddislike,andshelookedherpleasureforthehonestgirlshewas。Ay,astrikinglass,andI didn’twonderthatChiefGeorgewastakenwithher。 \"Everythingmyway。Tookthewindfromhissailsonthefirstleg。IwasforgettingheraboardandsailingdownWrangelwaytillitblewover,leavinghimtowhistle;butIwasn’ttogetherthateasy。Seemsshewaslivingwithanuncleofhers——guardian,thewaysuchthingsgo——andseemshewasnightoshufflingoffwithconsumptionorsomesortoflungtrouble。Hewasgoodandbadbyturns,andshewouldn’tleavehimtillitwasoverwith。 WentuptothetepeejustbeforeIleft,tospeculateonhowlongit’dbe;buttheoldbeggarhadpromisedhertoChiefGeorge,andwhenheclappedeyesonmehisangerbroughtonahemorrhage。 \"’Comeandtakeme,Tommy,’shesayswhenwebidgood—byonthebeach。’Ay,’Ianswers;’whenyougivetheword。’AndIkissedher,white—man—fashionandlover—fashion,tillshewasallofatremblelikeaquakingaspen,andIwassobesidemyselfI’dhalfamindtogoupandgivetheunclealiftoverthedivide。 \"SoIwentdownWrangelway,pastSt。Mary’sandeventotheQueenCharlottes,trading,runningwhiskey,turningtheslooptomostanything。Winterwason,stiffandcrisp,andIwasbacktoJuneau,whenthewordcame。’Come,’thebeggarsayswhobroughtthenews。’Killisnoosay,\"Comenow。\"’’What’stherow?’Iasks。 ’ChiefGeorge,’sayshe。’Potlach。Killisnoo,makumklooch。’ \"Ay,itwasbitter——theTakuhowlingdownoutofthenorth,thesaltwaterfreezingquickasitstruckthedeck,andtheoldsloopandIhammeringintotheteethofitforahundredmilestoDyea。 HadaDouglassIslanderforcrewwhenIstarted,butmidwayuphewaswashedoverfromthebows。Jibedalloverandcrossedthecoursethreetimes,butneverasignofhim。\" \"Doubledupwiththecoldmostlikely,\"Dicksuggested,puttingapauseintothenarrativewhilehehungoneofMolly’sskirtsuptodry,\"andwentdownlikeapotoflead。\" \"Myidea。SoIfinishedthecoursealone,half—deadwhenImadeDyeainthedarkoftheevening。Thetidefavored,andIranthesloopplumptothebank,intheshelteroftheriver。Couldn’tgoaninchfurther,forthefreshwaterwasfrozensolid。HalyardsandblockswerethaticedupIdidn’tdarelowermainsailorjib。 FirstIbroachedapintofthecargoraw,andthen,leavingallstanding,readyforthestart,andwithablanketaroundme,headedacrosstheflattothecamp。Nomistaking,itwasagrandlayout。TheChilcatshadcomeinabody——dogs,babies,andcanoes——tosaynothingoftheDog—Ears,theLittleSalmons,andtheMissions。FullhalfathousandofthemtocelebrateTilly’swedding,andneverawhitemaninascoreofmiles。 \"Nobodytooknoteofme,theblanketovermyheadandhidingmyface,andIwadedkneedeepthroughthedogsandyoungsterstillI waswelluptothefront。Theshowwasbeingpulledoffinabigopenplaceamongthetrees,withgreatfiresburningandthesnowmoccasin—packedashardasPortlandcement。NextmewasTilly,beadedandscarlet—clothedgalore,andagainstherChiefGeorgeandhisheadmen。Theshamanwasbeinghelpedoutbythebigmedicinesfromtheothertribes,anditshiveredmyspineupanddown,thedeviltriestheycut。IcaughtmyselfwonderingifthefolksinLiverpoolcouldonlyseemenow;andIthoughtofyellow— hairedGussie,whosebrotherIlickedaftermyfirstvoyage,justbecausehewasnotforhavingasailor—mancourtinghissister。 AndwithGussieinmyeyesIlookedatTilly。Arumoldworld,thinksI,withmana—steppingintrailsthemotherlittledreamedofwhenhelayatsuck。 \"Sobe。Whenthenoisewasloudest,walrushidesboomingandpriestsa—singing,Isays,’Areyouready?’Gawd!Notastart,notashotoftheeyesmyway,notthetwitchofamuscle。’I knew,’sheanswers,slowandsteadyasacalmspringtide。 ’Where?’’Thehighbankattheedgeoftheice,’Iwhispersback。 ’JumpoutwhenIgivetheword。’ \"DidIsaytherewasnoendofhuskies?Well,therewasnoend。 Here,there,everywhere,theywerescatteredabout,——tamewolvesandnothingless。Whenthestrainrunsthintheybreedtheminthebushwiththewild,andthey’rebitterfighters。Rightatthetoeofmymoccasinlayabigbrute,andbytheheelanother。I doubledthefirstone’stail,quick,tillitsnappedinmygrip。 Ashisjawsclippedtogetherwheremyhandshouldhavebeen,I threwthesecondonebythescruffstraightintohismouth。’Go!’ IcriedtoTilly。 \"Youknowhowtheyfight。Inthewinkofaneyetherewasaraginghundredofthem,topandbottom,rippingandtearingeachother,kidsandsquawstumblingwhichway,andthecampgonewild。 Tilly’dslippedaway,soIfollowed。ButwhenIlookedovermyshoulderattheskirtofthecrowd,thedevillaidmebytheheart,andIdroppedtheblanketandwentback。 \"Bythenthedogs’dbeenknockedapartandthecrowdwasuntanglingitself。Nobodywasinproperplace,sotheydidn’tnotethatTilly’dgone。’Hello,’Isays,grippingChiefGeorgebythehand。’Mayyourpotlach—smokeriseoften,andtheSticksbringmanyfurswiththespring。’ \"Lordloveme,Dick,buthewasjoyedtoseeme,——himwiththeupperhandandweddingTilly。Chancetopuffbigoverme。ThetalethatIwashotafterherhadspreadthroughthecamps,andmypresencedidhimproud。Allhandsknewme,withoutmyblanket,andsettogrinningandgiggling。Itwasrich,butImadeitricherbyplayingunbeknowing。 \"’What’stherow?’Iasks。’Who’sgettingmarriednow?’ \"’ChiefGeorge,’theshamansays,duckinghisreverencetohim。 \"’Thoughthehadtwoklooches。’ \"’Himtakummore,——three,’withanotherduck。 \"’Oh!’AndIturnedawayasthoughitdidn’tinterestme。 \"Butthiswouldn’tdo,andeverybodybeginssingingout,’Killisnoo!Killisnoo!’ \"’Killisnoowhat?’Iasked。 \"’Killisnoo,klooch,ChiefGeorge,’theyblathered。’Killisnoo,klooch。’ \"IjumpedandlookedatChiefGeorge。Henoddedhisheadandthrewouthischest。 \"She’llbenokloochofyours,’Isayssolemnly。’Nokloochofyours,’Irepeats,whilehisfacewentblackandhishandbegandroppingtohishunting—knife。 \"’Look!’Icries,strikinganattitude。’BigMedicine。Youwatchmysmoke。’ \"Ipulledoffmymittens,rolledbackmysleeves,andmadehalf—a— dozenpassesintheair。 \"’Killisnoo!’Ishouts。’Killisnoo!Killisnoo!’ \"Iwasmakingmedicine,andtheybegantoscare。Everyeyewasonme;notimetofindoutthatTillywasn’tthere。ThenIcalledKillisnoothreetimesagain,andwaited;andthreetimesmore。 Allformysteryandtomakethemnervous。ChiefGeorgecouldn’tguesswhatIwasupto,andwantedtoputastoptothefoolery; buttheshamanssaidtowait,andthatthey’dseemeandgomeonebetter,orwordstothateffect。Besides,hewasasuperstitiouscuss,andIfancyabitafraidofthewhiteman’smagic。 \"ThenIcalledKillisnoo,longandsoftlikethehowlofawolf,tillthewomenwerealla—trembleandthebuckslookingserious。 \"’Look!’Isprangfor’ard,pointingmyfingerintoabunchofsquaws——easiertodeceivewomenthanmen,youknow。’Look!’AndIraiseditaloftasthoughfollowingtheflightofabird。Up,up,straightoverhead,makingtofollowitwithmyeyestillitdisappearedinthesky。 \"’Killisnoo,’Isaid,lookingatChiefGeorgeandpointingupwardagain。’Killisnoo。’ \"Sohelpme,Dick,thegammonworked。Halfofthem,atleast,sawTillydisappearintheair。They’ddrunkmywhiskeyatJuneauandseenstrangersights,I’llwarrant。WhyshouldInotdothisthing,I,whosoldbadspiritscorkedinbottles?Someofthewomenshrieked。Everybodyfelltowhisperinginbunches。I foldedmyarmsandheldmyheadhigh,andtheydrewfurtherawayfromme。Thetimewasripetogo。’Grabhim,’ChiefGeorgecries。Threeorfourofthemcameatme,butIwhirled,quick,madeacoupleofpassesliketosendthemafterTilly,andpointedup。Touchme?Notforthekingdomsoftheearth。ChiefGeorgeharanguedthem,buthecouldn’tgetthemtoliftaleg。Thenhemadetotakemehimself;butIrepeatedthemummeryandhisgritwentoutthroughhisfingers。 \"’LetyourshamansworkwondersthelikeofwhichIhavedonethisnight,’Isays。’LetthemcallKillisnoodownoutoftheskywhitherIhavesenther。’Butthepriestsknewtheirlimits。 ’Mayyourkloochesbearyousonsasthespawnofthesalmon,’I says,turningtogo;’andmayyourtotempolestandlongintheland,andthesmokeofyourcamprisealways。’ \"ButifthebeggarscouldhaveseenmehittingthehighplacesforthesloopassoonasIwasclearofthem,they’dthoughtmyownmedicinehadgotafterme。Tilly’dkeptwarmbychoppingtheiceaway,andwasallreadytocastoff。Gawd!howweranbeforeit,theTakuhowlingafterusandthefreezingseassweepingoverateveryclip。Witheverythingbatteneddown,mea—steeringandTillychoppingice,weheldonhalfthenight,tillIplumpedthesloopashoreonPorcupineIsland,andweshivereditoutonthebeach;blanketswet,andTillydryingthematchesonherbreast。 \"SoIthinkIknowsomethingaboutit。Sevenyears,Dick,manandwife,inroughsailingandsmooth。Andthenshedied,intheheartofthewinter,diedinchildbirth,upthereontheChilcatStation。Sheheldmyhandtothelast,theicecreepingupinsidethedoorandspreadingthickonthegutofthewindow。Outside,thelonehowlofthewolfandtheSilence;inside,deathandtheSilence。You’veneverheardtheSilenceyet,Dick,andGawdgrantyoudon’teverhavetohearitwhenyousitbythesideofdeath。 Hearit?Ay,tillthebreathwhistleslikeasiren,andtheheartbooms,booms,booms,likethesurfontheshore。 \"Siwash,Dick,butawoman。White,Dick,white,clearthrough。 Towardsthelastshesays,’Keepmyfeatherbed,Tommy,keepitalways。’AndIagreed。Thensheopenedhereyes,fullwiththepain。’I’vebeenagoodwomantoyou,Tommy,andbecauseofthatIwantyoutopromise——topromise’——thewordsseemedtostickinherthroat——’thatwhenyoumarry,thewomanbewhite。NomoreSiwash,Tommy。Iknow。PlentywhitewomendowntoJuneaunow。I know。Yourpeoplecallyou\"squaw—man,\"yourwomenturntheirheadstotheonesideonthestreet,andyoudonotgototheircabinslikeothermen。Why?YourwifeSiwash。Isitnotso? Andthisisnotgood。WhereforeIdie。Promiseme。Kissmeintokenofyourpromise。’ \"Ikissedher,andshedozedoff,whispering,’Itisgood。’Attheend,thatneargonemyearwasatherlips,sherousedforthelasttime。’Remember,Tommy;remembermyfeatherbed。’Thenshedied,inchildbirth,upthereontheChilcatStation。\" Thetentheeledoverandhalfflattenedbeforethegale。Dickrefilledhispipe,whileTommydrewtheteaandsetitasideagainstMolly’sreturn。 AndsheoftheflashingeyesandYankeeblood?Blinded,falling,crawlingonhandandknee,thewindthrustbackinherthroatbythewind,shewasheadingforthetent。Onhershouldersabulkypackcaughtthefullfuryofthestorm。Shepluckedfeeblyattheknottedflaps,butitwasTommyandDickwhocastthemloose。 Thenshesethersoulforthelasteffort,staggeredin,andfellexhaustedonthefloor。 Tommyunbuckledthestrapsandtookthepackfromher。Asheliftedittherewasaclangingofpotsandpans。Dick,pouringoutamugofwhiskey,pausedlongenoughtopassthewinkacrossherbody。Tommywinkedback。Hislipspursedthemonosyllable,\"clothes,\"butDickshookhisheadreprovingly。\"Here,littlewoman,\"hesaid,aftershehaddrunkthewhiskeyandstraightenedupabit。 \"Here’ssomedrytogs。Climbintothem。We’regoingouttoextra—pegthetent。Afterthat,giveusthecall,andwe’llcomeinandhavedinner。Singoutwhenyou’reready。\" \"Sohelpme,Dick,that’sknockedtheedgeoffherfortherestofthistrip,\"Tommysplutteredastheycrouchedtotheleeofthetent。 \"Butit’stheedgeishersavinggrace。\"Dickreplied,duckinghisheadtoavolleyofsleetthatdrovearoundacornerofthecanvas。\"TheedgethatyouandI’vegot,Tommy,andtheedgeofourmothersbeforeus。\" THEMANWITHTHEGASH JacobKenthadsufferedfromcupidityallthedaysofhislife。 This,inturn,hadengenderedachronicdistrustfulness,andhismindandcharacterhadbecomesowarpedthathewasaverydisagreeablemantodealwith。Hewasalsoavictimtosomnambulicpropensities,andverysetinhisideas。Hehadbeenaweaverofclothfromthecradle,untilthefeverofKlondikehadenteredhisbloodandtornhimawayfromhisloom。HiscabinstoodmidwaybetweenSixtyMilePostandtheStuartRiver;andmenwhomadeitacustomtotravelthetrailtoDawson,likenedhimtoarobberbaron,perchedinhisfortressandexactingtollfromthecaravansthatusedhisill—keptroads。Sinceacertainamountofhistorywasrequiredintheconstructionofthisfigure,thelessculturedwayfarersfromStuartRiverwerepronetodescribehimafterastillmoreprimordialfashion,inwhichacommandofstrongadjectiveswastobechieflynoted。 Thiscabinwasnothis,bytheway,havingbeenbuiltseveralyearspreviouslybyacoupleofminerswhohadgotoutaraftoflogsatthatpointforagrub—stake。Theyhadbeenmosthospitablelads,and,aftertheyabandonedit,travelerswhoknewtheroutemadeitanobjecttoarrivethereatnightfall。Itwasveryhandy,savingthemallthetimeandtoilofpitchingcamp; anditwasanunwrittenrulethatthelastmanleftaneatpileoffirewoodforthenextcomer。Rarelyanightpassedbutfromhalfadozentoascoreofmencrowdedintoitsshelter。JacobKentnotedthesethings,exercisedsquattersovereignty,andmovedin。 Thenceforth,thewearytravelersweremulctedadollarperheadfortheprivilegeofsleepingonthefloor,JacobKentweighingthedustandneverfailingtostealthedown—weight。Besides,hesocontrivedthathistransientguestschoppedhiswoodforhimandcarriedhiswater。Thiswasrankpiracy,buthisvictimswereaneasy—goingbreed,andwhiletheydetestedhim,theyyetpermittedhimtoflourishinhissins。 OneafternooninAprilhesatbyhisdoor,——foralltheworldlikeapredatoryspider,——marvellingattheheatofthereturningsun,andkeepinganeyeonthetrailforprospectiveflies。TheYukonlayathisfeet,aseaofice,disappearingaroundtwogreatbendstothenorthandsouth,andstretchinganhonesttwomilesfrombanktobank。Overitsroughbreastranthesled—trail,aslendersunkenline,eighteenincheswideandtwothousandmilesinlength,withmorecursesdistributedtothelinearfootthananyotherroadinoroutofallChristendom。 JacobKentwasfeelingparticularlygoodthatafternoon。Therecordhadbeenbrokenthepreviousnight,andhehadsoldhishospitalitytonolessthantwenty—eightvisitors。True,ithadbeenquiteuncomfortable,andfourhadsnoredbeneathhisbunkallnight;butthenithadaddedappreciableweighttothesackinwhichhekepthisgolddust。Thatsack,withitsglitteringyellowtreasure,wasatoncethechiefdelightandthechiefbaneofhisexistence。Heavenandhelllaywithinitsslendermouth。 Inthenatureofthings,therebeingnoprivacytohisone—roomeddwelling,hewastorturedbyaconstantfearoftheft。Itwouldbeveryeasyforthesebearded,desperate—lookingstrangerstomakeawaywithit。Oftenhedreamedthatsuchwasthecase,andawokeinthegripofnightmare。Aselectnumberoftheserobbershauntedhimthroughhisdreams,andhecametoknowthemquitewell,especiallythebronzedleaderwiththegashonhisrightcheek。Thisfellowwasthemostpersistentofthelot,and,becauseofhim,hehad,inhiswakingmoments,constructedseveralscoreofhiding—placesinandaboutthecabin。Afteraconcealmenthewouldbreathefreelyagain,perhapsforseveralnights,onlytocollartheManwiththeGashintheveryactofunearthingthesack。Then,onawakeninginthemidstoftheusualstruggle,hewouldatoncegetupandtransferthebagtoanewandmoreingeniouscrypt。Itwasnotthathewasthedirectvictimofthesephantasms;buthebelievedinomensandthought— transference,andhedeemedthesedream—robberstobetheastralprojectionofrealpersonageswhohappenedatthoseparticularmoments,nomatterwheretheywereintheflesh,tobeharboringdesigns,inthespirit,uponhiswealth。Sohecontinuedtobleedtheunfortunateswhocrossedhisthreshold,andatthesametimetoaddtohistroublewitheveryouncethatwentintothesack。 Ashesatsunninghimself,athoughtcametoJacobKentthatbroughthimtohisfeetwithajerk。Thepleasuresoflifehadculminatedinthecontinualweighingandreweighingofhisdust; butashadowhadbeenthrownuponthispleasantavocation,whichhehadhithertofailedtobrushaside。Hisgold—scaleswerequitesmall;infact,theirmaximumwasapoundandahalf,——eighteenounces,——whilehishoardmounteduptosomethinglikethreeandathirdtimesthat。Hehadneverbeenabletoweighitallatoneoperation,andhenceconsideredhimselftohavebeenshutoutfromanewandmostedifyingcoignofcontemplation。Beingdeniedthis,halfthepleasureofpossessionhadbeenlost;nay,hefeltthatthismiserableobstacleactuallyminimizedthefact,asitdidthestrength,ofpossession。Itwasthesolutionofthisproblemflashingacrosshismindthathadjustbroughthimtohisfeet。Hesearchedthetrailcarefullyineitherdirection。Therewasnothinginsight,sohewentinside。 Inafewsecondshehadthetableclearedawayandthescalessetup。Ononesideheplacedthestampeddiskstotheequivalentoffifteenounces,andbalanceditwithdustontheother。Replacingtheweightswithdust,hethenhadthirtyouncespreciselybalanced。These,inturn,heplacedtogetherononesideandagainbalancedwithmoredust。Bythistimethegoldwasexhausted,andhewassweatingliberally。Hetrembledwithecstasy,ravishedbeyondmeasure。Neverthelesshedustedthesackthoroughly,tothelastleastgrain,tillthebalancewasovercomeandonesideofthescalessanktothetable。Equilibrium,however,wasrestoredbytheadditionofapennyweightandfivegrainstotheoppositeside。Hestood,headthrownback,transfixed。Thesackwasempty,butthepotentialityofthescaleshadbecomeimmeasurable。Uponthemhecouldweighanyamount,fromthetiniestgraintopoundsuponpounds。Mammonlaidhotfingersonhisheart。Thesunswungonitswesteringwaytillitflashedthroughtheopendoorway,fullupontheyellow—burdenedscales。Thepreciousheaps,likethegoldenbreastsofabronzeCleopatra,flungbackthelightinamellowglow。Timeandspacewerenot。 \"Gawdblimeme!butyou’ayethemakin’ofseveralquidthere,’aven’tyou?\" JacobKentwheeledabout,atthesametimereachingforhisdouble—barrelledshot—gun,whichstoodhandy。Butwhenhiseyeslitontheintruder’sface,hestaggeredbackdizzily。ITWASTHE FACEOFTHEMANWITHTHEGASH! Themanlookedathimcuriously。 \"Oh,that’sallright,\"hesaid,wavinghishanddeprecatingly。 \"Youneedn’tthinkasI’ll’armyouoryourblasteddust。 \"You’rearum’un,youare,\"headdedreflectively,ashewatchedthesweatpouringfromoffKent’sfaceandthequaveringofhisknees。 \"W’ydon’tyoupipeupan’saysomethin’?\"hewenton,astheotherstruggledforbreath。\"Wot’sgonewrongo’yourgaff? Anythinkthematter?\" \"W——w——where’dyougetit?\"Kentatlastmanagedtoarticulate,raisingashakingforefingertotheghastlyscarwhichseamedtheother’scheek。 \"Shipmatestovemedownwithamarlin—spikefromthemain—royal。 An’nowasyou’ayeyourfigger’eadintrim,wotIwanttoknowis,wot’sittoyou?That’swotIwanttoknow——wot’sittoyou? Gawdblimeme!doit’urtyou?Ain’titsmugenoughforthelikeso’you?That’swotIwanttoknow!\" \"No,no,\"Kentanswered,sinkinguponastoolwithasicklygrin。 \"Iwasjustwondering。\" \"Didyoueverseethelike?\"theotherwentontruculently。