the faith of men(人们的信任)-第12章
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〃No…sir…ee！〃 the old man shouted emphatically。
〃I bet you the drinks Honkins ain't in on it！〃 Hootchinoo Bill cried
with certitude。
Ol' Jim's face lighted up。 〃I takes you； Bill； an' you loses。〃
〃However did that ol' soak budge out of Forty Mile？〃 Mitchell
demanded。
〃The ties him down an' throws him in the bottom of a polin'…boat；〃 ol'
Jim explained。 〃Come right in here； they did； an' takes him out of that
there chair there in the corner； an' three more drunks they finds under the
pianny。 I tell you…alls the whole camp hits up the Yukon for Dawson jes'
like Sam Scratch was after them； wimmen； children； babes in arms； the
whole shebang。 Bidwell comes to me an' sez； sez he； 'Jim； I wants you to
keep tab on the Monte Carlo。 I'm goin'。'
〃'Where's Barlow？' sez I。 'Gone；' sez he； 'an' I'm a…followin' with a
load of whisky。' An' with that； never waitin' for me to decline； he makes
a run for his boat an' away he goes； polin' up river like mad。 So here I be；
an' these is the first drinks I've passed out in three days。〃
The partners looked at each other。
〃Gosh darn my buttoms！〃 said Hootchinoo Bill。 〃Seems likes you
and me； Kink； is the kind of folks always caught out with forks when it
rains soup。〃
〃Wouldn't it take the saleratus out your dough； now？〃 said Kink
Mitchell。 〃A stampede of tin…horns； drunks； an' loafers。〃
〃An' squaw…men；〃 added Bill。 〃Not a genooine miner in the whole
caboodle。〃
〃Genooine miners like you an' me； Kink；〃 he went on academically； 〃is
all out an' sweatin' hard over Birch Creek way。 Not a genooine miner in
this whole crazy Dawson outfit； and I say right here； not a step do I budge
for any Carmack strike。 I've got to see the colour of the dust first。〃
〃Same here；〃 Mitchell agreed。 〃Let's have another drink。〃
Having wet this resolution； they beached the canoe； transferred its
contents to their cabin； and cooked dinner。 But as the afternoon wore
along they grew restive。 They were men used to the silence of the great
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wilderness； but this gravelike silence of a town worried them。 They
caught themselves listening for familiar sounds 〃waitin' for something to
make a noise which ain't goin' to make a noise；〃 as Bill put it。 They
strolled through the deserted streets to the Monte Carlo for more drinks；
and wandered along the river bank to the steamer landing； where only
water gurgled as the eddy filled and emptied； and an occasional salmon
leapt flashing into the sun。
They sat down in the shade in front of the store and talked with the
consumptive storekeeper； whose liability to hemorrhage accounted for his
presence。 Bill and Kink told him how they intended loafing in their
cabin and resting up after the hard summer's work。 They told him； with a
certain insistence； that was half appeal for belief； half challenge for
contradiction； how much they were going to enjoy their idleness。 But the
storekeeper was uninterested。 He switched the conversation back to the
strike on Klondike； and they could not keep him away from it。 He could
think of nothing else； talk of nothing else； till Hootchinoo Bill rose up in
anger and disgust。
〃Gosh darn Dawson； say I！〃 he cried。
〃Same here；〃 said Kink Mitchell； with a brightening face。 〃One'd
think something was doin' up there； 'stead of bein' a mere stampede of
greenhorns an' tinhorns。〃
But a boat came into view from downstream。 It was long and slim。 It
hugged the bank closely； and its three occupants； standing upright；
propelled it against the stiff current by means of long poles。
〃Circle City outfit；〃 said the storekeeper。 〃I was lookin' for 'em along
by afternoon。 Forty Mile had the start of them by a hundred and seventy
miles。 But gee！ they ain't losin' any time！〃
'We'll just sit here quiet…like and watch 'em string by；〃 Bill said
complacently。
As he spoke； another boat appeared in sight； followed after a brief
interval by two others。 By this time the first boat was abreast of the men
on the bank。 Its occupants did not cease poling while greetings were
exchanged； and； though its progress was slow； a half…hour saw it out of
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sight up river。
Still they came from below； boat after boat； in endless procession。 The
uneasiness of Bill and Kink increased。 They stole speculative； tentative
glances at each other； and when their eyes met looked away in
embarrassment。 Finally； however； their eyes met and neither looked
away。
Kink opened his mouth to speak； but words failed him and his mouth
remained open while he continued to gaze at his partner。
〃Just what I was thinken'； Kink；〃 said Bill。
They grinned sheepishly at each other； and by tacit consent started to
walk away。 Their pace quickened； and by the time they arrived at their
cabin they were on the run。
〃Can't lose no time with all that multitude a…rushin' by；〃 Kink
spluttered； as he jabbed the sour…dough can into the beanpot with one hand
and with the other gathered in the frying…pan and coffee… pot。
〃Should say not；〃 gasped Bill； his head and shoulders buried in a
clothes…sack wherein were stored winter socks and underwear。 〃I say；
Kink； don't forget the saleratus on the corner shelf back of the stove。〃
Half…an…hour later they were launching the canoe and loading up；
while the storekeeper made jocular remarks about poor； weak mortals and
the contagiousness of 〃stampedin' fever。〃 But when Bill and Kink thrust
their long poles to bottom and started the canoe against the current； he
called after them：…
〃Well； so…long and good luck！ And don't forget to blaze a stake or
two for me！〃
They nodded their heads vigorously and felt sorry for the poor wretch
who remained perforce behind。
* * * * *
Kink and Bill were sweating hard。 According to the revised
Northland Scripture； the stampede is to the swift； the blazing of stakes to
the strong； and the Crown in royalties； gathers to itself the fulness thereof。
Kink and Bill were both swift and strong。 They took the soggy trail at a
long； swinging gait that broke the hearts of a couple of tender…feet who
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tried to keep up with them。 Behind； strung out between them and Dawson
（where the boats were discarded and land travel began）； was the vanguard
of the Circle City outfit。 In the race from Forty Mile the partners had
passed every boat； winning from the leading boat by a length in the
Dawson eddy； and leaving its occupants sadly behind the moment their
feet struck the trail。
〃Huh！ couldn't see us for smoke；〃 Hootchinoo Bill chuckled； flirting
the stinging sweat from his brow and glancing swiftly back along the way
they had come。
Three men emerged from where the trail broke through the trees。 Two
followed close at their heels； and then a man and a woman shot into view。
〃Come on； you Kink！ Hit her up！ Hit her up！〃
Bill quickened his pace。 Mitchell glanced back in more leisurely
fashion。
〃I declare if they ain't lopin'！〃
〃And here's one that's loped himself out；〃 said Bill； pointing to the side
of the trail。
A man was lying on his back panting in the culminating stages of
violent exhaustion。 His face was ghastly； his eyes bloodshot and glazed；
for all the world like a dying man。
〃CHECHAQUO！〃 Kink Mitchell grunted； and it was the grunt of the
old 〃sour dough〃 for the green…horn； for the man who outfitted with 〃self…
risin'〃 flour and used baking…powder in his biscuits。
The partners； true to the old…timer custom； had intended to stake down…
stream from the strike； but when they saw claim 81 BELOW blazed on a
tree；which meant fully eight miles below Discovery； they changed their
minds。 The eight miles were covered in less than two hours。 It was a
killing pace； over so rough trail； and they passed scores of exhausted men
that had fallen by the wayside。
At Discovery little was to be learned of the upper creek。 Cormack's
Indian brother…in…law； Skookum Jim； had a hazy notion that the creek was
staked as high as the 30's； but when Kink and Bill looked at the corner…
stakes of 79 ABOVE； they threw their stampeding packs off their backs
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and sat down to smoke。 All their efforts had been vain。 Bonanza was
staked from mouth to source； 〃out of sight and across the next divide。〃
Bill complained that night as they fried their bacon and boiled their coffee
over Cormack's fire at Discovery。
〃Try that pup；〃 Carmack suggested next morning。
〃That pup〃 was a broad creek that flowed into Bonanza at 7 ABOVE。
The partners received his advice with the magnificent contempt of the sour
dough for a squaw…man； and； instead； spent the day on Adam's Creek；
another and more likely…looking tributary of Bonanza。 But it was the old
story over againstaked to the sky…line。
For threes days Carmack repeated his advice； and for three days they
received it contemptuously。 But on the fourth day； there being nowhere
else to go； they went up 〃that pup。〃 They knew that it was practically
unstaked； but they had no intention of
