the faith of men(人们的信任)-第20节
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Then a ten…ton barge； at imminent risk of destruction； lowered sail to
windward and lumbered down upon them。
〃Keep off！ Keep off！〃 Rasmunsen screamed。
But his low gunwale ground against the heavy craft； and the remaining
correspondent clambered aboard。 Rasmunsen was over the eggs like a
cat and in the bow of the Alma； striving with numb fingers to bend the
hauling…lines together。
〃Come on！〃 a red…whiskered man yelled at him。
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〃I've a thousand dozen eggs here；〃 he shouted back。 〃Gimme a tow！
I'll pay you！〃
〃Come on！〃 they howled in chorus。
A big whitecap broke just beyond； washing over the barge and leaving
the Alma half swamped。 The men cast off； cursing him as they ran up
their sail。 Rasmunsen cursed back and fell to bailing。 The mast and sail；
like a sea anchor； still fast by the halyards； held the boat head on to wind
and sea and gave him a chance to fight the water out。
Three hours later； numbed； exhausted； blathering like a lunatic； but
still bailing； he went ashore on an ice…strewn beach near Cariboo Crossing。
Two men； a government courier and a half…breed voyageur； dragged him
out of the surf； saved his cargo； and beached the Alma。 They were
paddling out of the country in a Peterborough； and gave him shelter for the
night in their storm…bound camp。 Next morning they departed； but he
elected to stay by his eggs。 And thereafter the name and fame of the man
with the thousand dozen eggs began to spread through the land。 Gold…
seekers who made in before the freeze…up carried the news of his coming。
Grizzled old… timers of Forty Mile and Circle City； sour doughs with
leathern jaws and bean…calloused stomachs； called up dream memories of
chickens and green things at mention of his name。 Dyea and Skaguay
took an interest in his being； and questioned his progress from every man
who came over the passes； while Dawsongolden； omeletless Dawson
fretted and worried； and way…laid every chance arrival for word of him。
But of this Rasmunsen knew nothing。 The day after the wreck he
patched up the Alma and pulled out。 A cruel east wind blew in his teeth
from Tagish； but he got the oars over the side and bucked manfully into it；
though half the time he was drifting backward and chopping ice from the
blades。 According to the custom of the country； he was driven ashore at
Windy Arm； three times on Tagish saw him swamped and beached； and
Lake Marsh held him at the freeze… up。 The Alma was crushed in the
jamming of the floes； but the eggs were intact。 These he back…tripped
two miles across the ice to the shore； where he built a cache； which stood
for years after and was pointed out by men who knew。
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Half a thousand frozen miles stretched between him and Dawson； and
the waterway was closed。 But Rasmunsen； with a peculiar tense look in
his face； struck back up the lakes on foot。 What he suffered on that lone
trip； with nought but a single blanket； an axe； and a handful of beans； is
not given to ordinary mortals to know。 Only the Arctic adventurer may
understand。 Suffice that he was caught in a blizzard on Chilkoot and left
two of his toes with the surgeon at Sheep Camp。 Yet he stood on his feet
and washed dishes in the scullery of the PAWONA to the Puget Sound；
and from there passed coal on a P。 S。 boat to San Francisco。
It was a haggard； unkempt man who limped across the shining office
floor to raise a second mortgage from the bank people。 His hollow
cheeks betrayed themselves through the scraggy beard； and his eyes
seemed to have retired into deep caverns where they burned with cold fires。
His hands were grained from exposure and hard work； and the nails were
rimmed with tight…packed dirt and coal…dust。 He spoke vaguely of eggs
and ice…packs； winds and tides； but when they declined to let him have
more than a second thousand； his talk became incoherent； concerning itself
chiefly with the price of dogs and dog…food； and such things as snowshoes
and moccasins and winter trails。 They let him have fifteen hundred；
which was more than the cottage warranted； and breathed easier when he
scrawled his signature and passed out the door。
Two weeks later he went over Chilkoot with three dog sleds of five
dogs each。 One team he drove； the two Indians with him driving the
others。 At Lake Marsh they broke out the cache and loaded up。 But
there was no trail。 He was the first in over the ice； and to him fell the
task of packing the snow and hammering away through the rough river
jams。 Behind him he often observed a camp…fire smoke trickling thinly
up through the quiet air； and he wondered why the people did not overtake
him。 For he was a stranger to the land and did not understand。 Nor
could he understand his Indians when they tried to explain。 This they
conceived to be a hardship； but when they balked and refused to break
camp of mornings； he drove them to their work at pistol point。
When he slipped through an ice bridge near the White Horse and froze
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his foot； tender yet and oversensitive from the previous freezing； the
Indians looked for him to lie up。 But he sacrificed a blanket； and； with
his foot incased in an enormous moccasin； big as a water…bucket；
continued to take his regular turn with the front sled。 Here was the
cruellest work； and they respected him； though on the side they rapped
their foreheads with their knuckles and significantly shook their heads。
One night they tried to run away； but the zip…zip of his bullets in the snow
brought them back； snarling but convinced。 Whereupon； being only
savage Chilkat men； they put their heads together to kill him； but he slept
like a cat； and； waking or sleeping； the chance never came。 Often they
tried to tell him the import of the smoke wreath in the rear； but he could
not comprehend and grew suspicious of them。 And when they sulked or
shirked； he was quick to let drive at them between the eyes； and quick to
cool their heated souls with sight of his ready revolver。
And so it wentwith mutinous men； wild dogs； and a trail that broke
the heart。 He fought the men to stay with him； fought the dogs to keep
them away from the eggs； fought the ice； the cold； and the pain of his foot；
which would not heal。 As fast as the young tissue renewed； it was bitten
and scared by the frost； so that a running sore developed； into which he
could almost shove his fist。 In the mornings； when he first put his weight
upon it； his head went dizzy； and he was near to fainting from the pain； but
later on in the day it usually grew numb； to recommence when he crawled
into his blankets and tried to sleep。 Yet he； who had been a clerk and sat
at a desk all his days； toiled till the Indians were exhausted； and even out…
worked the dogs。 How hard he worked； how much he suffered； he did
not know。 Being a man of the one idea； now that the idea had come； it
mastered him。 In the foreground of his consciousness was Dawson； in
the background his thousand dozen eggs； and midway between the two his
ego fluttered； striving always to draw them together to a glittering golden
point。 This golden point was the five thousand dollars； the
consummation of the idea and the point of departure for whatever new
idea might present itself。 For the rest； he was a mere automaton。 He
was unaware of other things； seeing them as through a glass darkly； and
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