smoke bellew-第4节

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r；　so　that　he　began　the　practice　of　piling　any　light；　cumbersome　piece　of　luggage　on　top。　　Thus；　he　was　soon　able　to　bend　along　with　a　hundred　pounds　in　the　straps；　fifteen　or　twenty　more　lying　loosely　on　top　the　pack　and　against　his　neck；　an　axe　or　a　pair　of　oars　in　one　hand；　and　in　the　other　the　nested　cooking…pails　of　the　camp。

But　work　as　they　would；　the　toil　increased。　　The　trail　grew　more　rugged；　their　packs　grew　heavier；　and　each　day　saw　the　snow…line　dropping　down　the　mountains；　while　freight　jumped　to　sixty　cents。　No　word　came　from　the　cousins　beyond；　so　they　knew　they　must　be　at

work　chopping　down　the　standing　trees；　and　whipsawing　them　into　boat…planks。　　John　Bellew　grew　anxious。　　Capturing　a　bunch　of　Indians　back…tripping　from　Lake　Linderman；　he　persuaded　them　to　put　their　straps　on　the　outfit。　　They　charged　thirty　cents　a　pound　to　carry　it　to　the　summit　of　Chilcoot；　and　it　nearly　broke　him。　　As　it　was；　some　four　hundred　pounds　of　clothes…bags　and　camp　outfit　was　not　handled。　　He　remained　behind　to　move　it　along；　dispatching　Kit　with　the　Indians。　　At　the　summit　Kit　was　to　remain；　slowly　moving　his　ton　until　overtaken　by　the　four　hundred　pounds　with　which　his　uncle　guaranteed　to　catch　him。



V。

Kit　plodded　along　the　trail　with　his　Indian　packers。　　In　recognition　of　the　fact　that　it　was　to　be　a　long　pack；　straight　to　the　top　of　Chilcoot；　his　own　load　was　only　eighty　pounds。　　The　Indians　plodded　under　their　loads；　but　it　was　a　quicker　gait　than　he　had　practised。　Yet　he　felt　no　apprehension；　and　by　now　had　come　to　deem　himself　almost　the　equal　of　an　Indian。

At　the　end　of　a　quarter　of　a　mile　he　desired　to　rest。　　But　the　Indians　kept　on。　　He　stayed　with　them；　and　kept　his　place　in　the　line。　　At　the　half　mile　he　was　convinced　that　he　was　incapable　of　another　step；　yet　he　gritted　his　teeth；　kept　his　place；　and　at　the　end　of　the　mile　was　amazed　that　he　was　still　alive。　　Then；　in　some　strange　way；　came　the　thing　called　second　wind；　and　the　next　mile　was　almost　easier　than　the　first。　　The　third　mile　nearly　killed　him；　and；　though　half　delirious　with　pain　and　fatigue；　he　never　whimpered。　　And　then；　when　he　felt　he　must　surely　faint；　came　the　rest。　　Instead　of　sitting　in　the　straps；　as　was　the　custom　of　the　white　packers；　the　Indians　slipped　out　of　the　shoulder…　and　head…　straps　and　lay　at　ease；　talking　and　smoking。　　A　full　half　hour　passed　before　they　made　another　start。　　To　Kit's　surprise　he　found　himself　a　fresh　man；　and　'long　hauls　and　long　rests'　became　his　newest　motto。

The　pitch　of　Chilcoot　was　all　he　had　heard　of　it；　and　many　were　the　occasions　when　he　climbed　with　hands　as　well　as　feet。　　But　when　he　reached　the　crest　of　the　divide　in　the　thick　of　a　driving　snow…　squall；　it　was　in　the　company　of　his　Indians；　and　his　secret　pride　was　that　he　had　come　through　with　them　and　never　squealed　and　never　lagged。　　To　be　almost　as　good　as　an　Indian　was　a　new　ambition　to　cherish。

When　he　had　paid　off　the　Indians　and　seen　them　depart；　a　stormy　darkness　was　falling；　and　he　was　left　alone；　a　thousand　feet　above　timber　line；　on　the　back…bone　of　a　mountain。　　Wet　to　the　waist；　famished　and　exhausted；　he　would　have　given　a　year's　income　for　a　fire　and　a　cup　of　coffee。　　Instead；　he　ate　half　a　dozen　cold　flap…　jacks　and　crawled　into　the　folds　of　the　partly　unrolled　tent。　　As　he　dozed　off　he　had　time　only　for　one　fleeting　thought；　and　he　grinned　with　vicious　pleasure　at　the　picture　of　John　Bellew　in　the　days　to　follow；　masculinely　back…tripping　his　four　hundred　pounds　up　Chilcoot。　　As　for　himself；　even　though　burdened　with　two　thousand　pounds；　he　was　bound　down　the　hill。

In　the　morning；　stiff　from　his　labours　and　numb　with　the　frost；　he　rolled　out　of　the　canvas；　ate　a　couple　of　pounds　of　uncooked　bacon；　buckled　the　straps　on　a　hundred　pounds；　and　went　down　the　rocky　way。　Several　hundred　yards　beneath；　the　trail　led　across　a　small　glacier　and　down　to　Crater　Lake。　　Other　men　packed　across　the　glacier。　　All　that　day　he　dropped　his　packs　at　the　glacier's　upper　edge；　and；　by　virtue　of　the　shortness　of　the　pack；　he　put　his　straps　on　one　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　each　load。　　His　astonishment　at　being　able　to　do　it　never　abated。　　For　two　dollars　he　bought　from　an　Indian　three　leathery　sea…biscuits；　and　out　of　these；　and　a　huge　quantity　of　raw　bacon；　made　several　meals。　　Unwashed；　unwarmed；　his　clothing　wet　with　sweat；　he　slept　another　night　in　the　canvas。

In　the　early　morning　he　spread　a　tarpaulin　on　the　ice；　loaded　it　with　three…quarters　of　a　ton；　and　started　to　pull。　　Where　the　pitch　of　the　glacier　accelerated；　his　load　likewise　accelerated；　overran　him；　scooped　him　in　on　top；　and　ran　away　with　him。

A　hundred　packers；　bending　under　their　loads；　stopped　to　watch　him。　He　yelled　frantic　warnings；　and　those　in　his　path　stumbled　and　staggered　clear。　　Below；　on　the　lower　edge　of　the　glacier；　was　pitched　a　small　tent；　which　seemed　leaping　toward　him；　so　rapidly　did　it　grow　larger。　　He　left　the　beaten　track　where　the　packers'　trail　swerved　to　the　left；　and　struck　a　patch　of　fresh　snow。　　This　arose　about　him　in　frosty　smoke；　while　it　reduced　his　speed。　　He　saw　the　tent　the　instant　he　struck　it；　carrying　away　the　corner　guys；　bursting　in　the　front　flaps；　and　fetching　up　inside；　still　on　top　of　the　tarpaulin　and　in　the　midst　of　his　grub…sacks。　　The　tent　rocked　drunkenly；　and　in　the　frosty　vapour　he　found　himself　face　to　face　with　a　startled　young　woman　who　was　sitting　up　in　her　blanketsthe　very　one　who　had　called　him　chechaquo　at　Dyea。

〃Did　you　see　my　smoke？〃　he　queried　cheerfully。

She　regarded　him　with　disapproval。

〃Talk　about　your　magic　carpets！〃　he　went　on。

〃Do　you　mind　removing　that　sack　from　my　foot？〃　she　said　coldly。

He　looked；　and　lifted　his　weight　quickly。

〃It　wasn't　a　sack。　　It　was　my　elbow。　　Pardon　me。〃

The　information　did　not　perturb　her；　and　her　coolness　was　a　challenge。

〃It　was　a　mercy　you　did　not　overturn　the　stove；〃　she　said。

He　followed　her　glance　and　saw　a　sheet…iron　stove　and　a　coffee…pot；　attended　by　a　young　squaw。　　He　sniffed　the　coffee　and　looked　back　to　the　girl。

〃I'm　a　chechaquo；〃　he　said。

Her　bored　expression　told　him　that　he　was　stating　the　obvious。　　But　he　was　unabashed。

〃I've　shed　my　shooting…irons；〃　he　added。

Then　she　recognized　him；　and　her　eyes　lighted。

〃I　never　thought　you'd　get　this　far；〃　she　informed　him。

Again；　and　greedily；　he　sniffed　the　air。

〃As　I　live；　coffee！〃　　He　turned　and　directly　addressed　her。　　〃I'll　give　you　my　little　fingercut　it　right　off　now；　I'll　do　anything；　I'll　be　your　slave　for　a　year　and　a　day　or　any　other　odd　time；　if　you'll　give　me　a　cup　out　of　that　pot。〃

And　over　the　coffee　he　gave　his　name　and　learned　hersJoy　Gastell。　Also；　he　learned　that　she　was　an　old…timer　in　the　country。　　She　had　been　born　in　a　trading　post　on　the　Great　Slave；　and　as　a　child　had　crossed　the　Rockies　with　her　father　and　come　down　to　the　Yukon。　　She　was　going　in；　she　said；　with　her　father；　who　had　been　delayed　by　business　in　Seattle；　and　who　had　then　been　wrecked　on　the　ill…fated　Chanter　and　carried　back　to　Puget　Sound　by　the　rescuing　steamer。

In　view　of　the　fact　that　she　was　still　in　her　blankets；　he　did　not　make　it　a　long　conversation；　and；　heroically　declining　a　second　cup　of　coffee；　he　removed　himself　and　his　quarter　of　a　ton　of　baggage　from　her　tent。　　Further；　he　took　several　conclusions　away　with　him：　she　had　a　fetching　name　and　fetching　eyes；　could　not　be　more　than　twenty；　or　twenty…one　or　…two；　her　father　must　be　French；　she　had　a　will　of　her　own　and　temperament　to　burn；　and　she　had　been　educated　elsewhere　than　on　the　frontier。



VI。

Over　the　ice…scoured　rocks；　and　above　the　timber…line；　the　trail　ran　around　Crater　Lake　and　gained　the　rocky　defile　that　led　toward　Happy　Camp　and　the　first　scrub　pines。　　To　pack　his　heavy　outfit　around　would　take　days　of　heart…breaking　toil。　　On　the　lake　was　a　canvas　boat　employed　in　freighting。　　Two　trips　with　it；　in　two　hours；　would　see　him　and　his　ton　across。　　But　he　was　broke；　and　the　ferryman　charged　forty　dollars　a　ton。

〃You've　got　a　gold…mine；　my　friend；　in　that　dinky　boat；〃　Kit　said　to　the　ferryman。　　〃Do　you　want　another　gold…mine？〃

〃Show　me；〃　was　the　answer。

〃I'll　sell　it　to　you　for　the　price　of　ferrying　my　outfit。　　It's　an　idea；　not　patented；　and　you　can　jump　the　deal　as　soon　as　I　tell　you　it。　　Are　you　game？〃

The　ferryman　said　he　was；　and　Kit　liked　his　looks。

〃Very　well。　　You　see　that　glacier。　　Take　a　pick…axe　and　wade　into　it。　　In　a　day　you　can　have　a　decent　groove　from　top　to　bottom。　　See　the　point？　　The　Chilcoot　and　Crater　Lake　Consolidated　Chute　Corporation；　Limited。　　You　can　charge　fifty　cents　a　hundred；　get　a　hundred　tons　a　day；　and　have　no　work　to　do　but　collect　the　coin。〃

Two　hours　later；　Kit's　ton　was　across　the　lake；　and　he　had　gained　three　days　on　himself。　　And　when　John　Bellew　overtook　him；　he　was　well　along　toward　Deep　Lake；　another　volcanic　pit　filled　with　glacial　water。



VII。

The　last　pack；　from　Long　Lake　to　Linderman；　was　three　miles；　and　the　trail；　if　trail　it　could　be　called；　rose　up　over　a　thousand…foot　hogback；　dropped　down　a　scramble　of　slippery　rocks；　and　crossed　a　wide　stretch　of　swamp。　　John　Bellew　remonstrated　when　he　saw　Kit　arise　with　a　hundred　pounds