the faith of men(人们的信任)-第18章
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was in the traces； hauling with what little strength was left in him。 Even
then he was barely crawling along ten miles a day。 His cheek…bones and
nose； frost…bitten again and again； were turned bloody…black and hideous。
The thumb； which was separated from the fingers by the gee…pole； had
likewise been nipped and gave him great pain。 The monstrous moccasin
still incased his foot； and strange pains were beginning to rack the leg。
At Sixty Mile； the last beans； which he had been rationing for some time；
were finished； yet he steadfastly refused to touch the eggs。 He could not
reconcile his mind to the legitimacy of it； and staggered and fell along the
way to Indian River。 Here a fresh…killed moose and an open…handed old…
timer gave him and his dogs new strength； and at Ainslie's he felt repaid
for it all when a stampede； ripe from Dawson in five hours； was sure he
could get a dollar and a quarter for every egg he possessed。
He came up the steep bank by the Dawson barracks with fluttering
heart and shaking knees。 The dogs were so weak that he was forced to
rest them； and； waiting； he leaned limply against the gee…pole。 A man； an
eminently decorous…looking man； came sauntering by in a great bearskin
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coat。 He glanced at Rasmunsen curiously； then stopped and ran a
speculative eye over the dogs and the three lashed sleds。
〃What you got？〃 he asked。
〃Eggs；〃 Rasmunsen answered huskily； hardly able to pitch his voice
above a whisper。
〃Eggs！ Whoopee！ Whoopee！〃 He sprang up into the air； gyrated
madly； and finished with half…a…dozen war steps。 〃You don't say all of
'em？〃
〃All of 'em。〃
〃Say； you must be the Egg Man。〃 He walked around and viewed
Rasmunsen from the other side。 〃Come； now； ain't you the Egg Man？〃
Rasmunsen didn't know； but supposed he was； and the man sobered
down a bit。
〃What d'ye expect to get for 'em？〃 he asked cautiously。
Rasmunsen became audacious。 〃Dollar 'n a half；〃 he said。
〃Done！〃 the man came back promptly。 〃Gimme a dozen。〃
〃II mean a dollar 'n a half apiece；〃 Rasmunsen hesitatingly
explained。
〃Sure。 I heard you。 Make it two dozen。 Here's the dust。〃
The man pulled out a healthy gold sack the size of a small sausage and
knocked it negligently against the gee…pole。 Rasmunsen felt a strange
trembling in the pit of his stomach； a tickling of the nostrils； and an almost
overwhelming desire to sit down and cry。 But a curious； wide…eyed crowd
was beginning to collect； and man after man was calling out for eggs。 He
was without scales； but the man with the bearskin coat fetched a pair and
obligingly weighed in the dust while Rasmunsen passed out the goods。
Soon there was a pushing and shoving and shouldering； and a great
clamour。 Everybody wanted to buy and to be served first。 And as the
excitement grew； Rasmunsen cooled down。 This would never do。 There
must be something behind the fact of their buying so eagerly。 It would be
wiser if he rested first and sized up the market。 Perhaps eggs were worth
two dollars apiece。 Anyway； whenever he wished to sell； he was sure of
a dollar and a half。 〃Stop！〃 he cried； when a couple of hundred had been
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sold。 〃No more now。 I'm played out。 I've got to get a cabin； and then
you can come and see me。〃
A groan went up at this； but the man with the bearskin coat approved。
Twenty…four of the frozen eggs went rattling in his capacious pockets； and
he didn't care whether the rest of the town ate or not。 Besides； he could
see Rasmunsen was on his last legs。
〃There's a cabin right around the second corner from the Monte
Carlo；〃 he told him〃the one with the sody…bottle window。 It ain't mine；
but I've got charge of it。 Rents for ten a day and cheap for the money。
You move right in； and I'll see you later。 Don't forget the sody…bottle
window。〃
〃Tra…la…loo！〃 he called back a moment later。 〃I'm goin' up the hill to
eat eggs and dream of home。〃
On his way to the cabin； Rasmunsen recollected he was hungry and
bought a small supply of provisions at the N。 A。 T。 & T。 store also a
beefsteak at the butcher shop and dried salmon for the dogs。 He found the
cabin without difficulty； and left the dogs in the harness while he started
the fire and got the coffee under way。
A dollar 'n a half apieceone thousand dozeneighteen thousand
dollars！〃 he kept muttering it to himself； over and over； as he went about
his work。
As he flopped the steak into the frying…pan the door opened。 He
turned。 It was the man with the bearskin coat。 He seemed to come in
with determination； as though bound on some explicit errand； but as he
looked at Rasmunsen an expression of perplexity came into his face。
〃I saynow I say〃 he began； then halted。
Rasmunsen wondered if he wanted the rent。
〃I say； damn it； you know； them eggs is bad。〃
Rasmunsen staggered。 He felt as though some one had struck him an
astounding blow between the eyes。 The walls of the cabin reeled and
tilted up。 He put out his hand to steady himself and rested it on the stove。
The sharp pain and the smell of the burning flesh brought him back to
himself。
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〃I see；〃 he said slowly； fumbling in his pocket for the sack。 〃You
want your money back。〃
〃It ain't the money；〃 the man said； 〃but hain't you got any eggs
good？〃
Rasmunsen shook his head。 〃You'd better take the money。〃
But the man refused and backed away。 〃I'll come back；〃 he said；
〃when you've taken stock； and get what's comin'。〃
Rasmunsen rolled the chopping…block into the cabin and carried in the
eggs。 He went about it quite calmly。 He took up the hand…axe； and； one
by one； chopped the eggs in half。 These halves he examined carefully
and let fall to the floor。 At first he sampled from the different cases； then
deliberately emptied one case at a time。 The heap on the floor grew
larger。 The coffee boiled over and the smoke of the burning beefsteak
filled the cabin。 He chopped steadfastly and monotonously till the last
case was finished。
Somebody knocked at the door； knocked again； and let himself in。
〃What a mess！〃 he remarked； as he paused and surveyed the scene。
The severed eggs were beginning to thaw in the heat of the stove； and
a miserable odour was growing stronger。
〃Must a…happened on the steamer；〃 he suggested。
Rasmunsen looked at him long and blankly。
〃I'm Murray； Big Jim Murray； everybody knows me；〃 the man
volunteered。 〃I'm just hearin' your eggs is rotten； and I'm offerin' you
two hundred for the batch。 They ain't good as salmon； but still they're
fair scoffin's for dogs。〃
Rasmunsen seemed turned to stone。 He did not move。 〃You go to
hell；〃 he said passionlessly。
〃Now just consider。 I pride myself it's a decent price for a mess like
that； and it's better 'n nothin'。 Two hundred。 What you say？〃
〃You go to hell；〃 Rasmunsen repeated softly； 〃and get out of here。〃
Murray gaped with a great awe； then went out carefully； backward；
with his eyes fixed an the other's face。
Rasmunsen followed him out and turned the dogs loose。 He threw
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them all the salmon he had bought； and coiled a sled…lashing up in his
hand。 Then he re…entered the cabin and drew the latch in after him。 The
smoke from the cindered steak made his eyes smart。 He stood on the
bunk； passed the lashing over the ridge…pole； and measured the swing…off
with his eye。 It did not seem to satisfy； for he put the stool on the bunk
and climbed upon the stool。 He drove a noose in the end of the lashing
and slipped his head through。 The other end he made fast。 Then he
kicked the stool out from under。
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THE MARRIAGE OF LIT…LIT
When John Fox came into a country where whisky freezes solid and
may be used as a paper…weight for a large part of the year； he came
without the ideals and illusions that usually hamper the progress of more
delicately nurtured adventurers。 Born and reared on the frontier fringe of
the United States； he took with him into Canada a primitive cast of mind；
an elemental simplicity and grip on things； as it were； that insured him
immediate success in his new career。 From a mere servant of the Hudson
Bay Company； driving a paddle with the voyageurs and carrying goods on
his back across the portages； he swiftly rose to a Factorship and took
charge of a trading post at Fort Angelus。
Here； because of his elemental simplicity； he took to himself a native
wife； and； by reason of the connubial bliss that followed； he escaped the
unrest and vain longings that curse the days of more fastidious men； spoil
their work； and conquer them in the end。 He lived contentedly； was at
single purposes with the business he was set there to do； and achieved a
brilliant record in the service of the Company。 About t
