the faith of men-第12章

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〃But　this　ain't　Too　Much　Gold；〃　Kink　Mitchell　said　cheerfully。



And　ere　the　day　was　out　they　purchased　flour　and　bacon　at

exorbitant　prices　with　Ans　Handerson's　dust　and　crossed　over　the

divide　in　the　direction　of　the　creeks　that　lie　between　Klondike　and

Indian　River。



Three　months　later　they　came　back　over　the　divide　in　the　midst　of　a

snow…storm　and　dropped　down　the　trail　to　24　ELDORADO。　　It　merely

chanced　that　the　trail　led　them　that　way。　　They　were　not　looking

for　the　claim。　　Nor　could　they　see　much　through　the　driving　white

till　they　set　foot　upon　the　claim　itself。　　And　then　the　air

lightened；　and　they　beheld　a　dump；　capped　by　a　windlass　that　a　man

was　turning。　　They　saw　him　draw　a　bucket　of　gravel　from　the　hole

and　tilt　it　on　the　edge　of　the　dump。　　Likewise　they　saw　another；

man；　strangely　familiar；　filling　a　pan　with　the　fresh　gravel。　　His

hands　were　large；　his　hair　wets　pale　yellow。　　But　before　they

reached　him；　he　turned　with　the　pan　and　fled　toward　a　cabin。　　He

wore　no　hat；　and　the　snow　falling　down　his　neck　accounted　for　his

haste。　　Bill　and　Kink　ran　after　him；　and　came　upon　him　in　the

cabin；　kneeling　by　the　stove　and　washing　the　pan　of　gravel　in　a　tub

of　water。



He　was　too　deeply　engaged　to　notice　more　than　that　somebody　had

entered　the　cabin。　　They　stood　at　his　shoulder　and　looked　on。　　He

imparted　to　the　pan　a　deft　circular　motion；　pausing　once　or　twice

to　rake　out　the　larger　particles　of　gravel　with　his　fingers。　　The

water　was　muddy；　and；　with　the　pan　buried　in　it；　they　could　see

nothing　of　its　contents。　　Suddenly　he　lifted　the　pan　clear　and　sent

the　water　out　of　it　with　a　flirt。　　A　mass　of　yellow；　like　butter　in

a　churn；　showed　across　the　bottom。



Hootchinoo　Bill　swallowed。　　Never　in　his　life　had　he　dreamed　of　so

rich　a　test…pan。



〃Kind　of　thick；　my　friend；〃　he　said　huskily。　　〃How　much　might　you

reckon　that…all　to　be？〃



Ans　Handerson　did　not　look　up　as　he　replied；　〃Ay　tank　fafty

ounces。〃



〃You　must　be　scrumptious　rich；　then；　eh？〃



Still　Ans　Handerson　kept　his　head　down；　absorbed　in　putting　in　the

fine　touches　which　wash　out　the　last　particles　of　dross；　though　he

answered；　〃Ay　tank　Ay　ban　wort'　five　hundred　t'ousand　dollar。〃



〃Gosh！〃　said　Hootchinoo　Bill；　and　he　said　it　reverently。



〃Yes；　Bill；　gosh！〃　said　Kink　Mitchell；　and　they　went　out　softly　and

closed　the　door。







THE　ONE　THOUSAND　DOZEN







David　Rasmunsen　was　a　hustler；　and；　like　many　a　greater　man；　a　man

of　the　one　idea。　　Wherefore；　when　the　clarion　call　of　the　North

rang　on　his　ear；　he　conceived　an　adventure　in　eggs　and　bent　all　his

energy　to　its　achievement。　　He　figured　briefly　and　to　the　point；

and　the　adventure　became　iridescent…hued；　splendid。　　That　eggs

would　sell　at　Dawson　for　five　dollars　a　dozen　was　a　safe　working

premise。　　Whence　it　was　incontrovertible　that　one　thousand　dozen

would　bring；　in　the　Golden　Metropolis；　five　thousand　dollars。



On　the　other　hand；　expense　was　to　be　considered；　and　he　considered

it　well；　for　he　was　a　careful　man；　keenly　practical；　with　a　hard

head　and　a　heart　that　imagination　never　warmed。　　At　fifteen　cents　a

dozen；　the　initial　cost　of　his　thousand　dozen　would　be　one　hundred

and　fifty　dollars；　a　mere　bagatelle　in　face　of　the　enormous　profit。

And　suppose；　just　suppose；　to　be　wildly　extravagant　for　once；　that

transportation　for　himself　and　eggs　should　run　up　eight　hundred　and

fifty　more；　he　would　still　have　four　thousand　clear　cash　and　clean

when　the　last　egg　was　disposed　of　and　the　last　dust　had　rippled

into　his　sack



〃You　see；　Alma；〃he　figured　it　over　with　his　wife；　the　cosy

dining…room　submerged　in　a　sea　of　maps；　government　surveys；　guide…

books；　and　Alaskan　itineraries；〃you　see；　expenses　don't　really

begin　till　you　make　Dyeafifty　dollars'll　cover　it　with　a　first…

class　passage　thrown　in。　　Now　from　Dyea　to　Lake　Linderman；　Indian

packers　take　your　goods　over　for　twelve　cents　a　pound；　twelve

dollars　a　hundred；　or　one　hundred　and　twenty　dollars　a　thousand。

Say　I　have　fifteen　hundred　pounds；　it'll　cost　one　hundred　and

eighty　dollarscall　it　two　hundred　and　be　safe。　　I　am　creditably

informed　by　a　Klondiker　just　come　out　that　I　can　buy　a　boat　for

three　hundred。　　But　the　same　man　says　I'm　sure　to　get　a　couple　of

passengers　for　one　hundred　and　fifty　each；　which　will　give　me　the

boat　for　nothing；　and；　further；　they　can　help　me　manage　it。　　And　。

。　。　that's　all；　I　put　my　eggs　ashore　from　the　boat　at　Dawson。　　Now

let　me　see　how　much　is　that？〃



〃Fifty　dollars　from　San　Francisco　to　Dyea；　two　hundred　from　Dyea　to

Linderman；　passengers　pay　for　the　boattwo　hundred　and　fifty　all

told；〃　she　summed　up　swiftly。



〃And　a　hundred　for　my　clothes　and　personal　outfit；〃　he　went　on

happily；　〃that　leaves　a　margin　of　five　hundred　for　emergencies。

And　what　possible　emergencies　can　arise？〃



Alma　shrugged　her　shoulders　and　elevated　her　brows。　　If　that　vast

Northland　was　capable　of　swallowing　up　a　man　and　a　thousand　dozen

eggs；　surely　there　was　room　and　to　spare　for　whatever　else　he　might

happen　to　possess。　　So　she　thought；　but　she　said　nothing。　　She　knew

David　Rasmunsen　too　well　to　say　anything。



〃Doubling　the　time　because　of　chance　delays；　I　should　make　the　trip

in　two　months。　　Think　of　it；　Alma！　　Four　thousand　in　two　months！

Beats　the　paltry　hundred　a　month　I'm　getting　now。　　Why；　we'll　build

further　out　where　we'll　have　more　space；　gas　in　every　room；　and　a

view；　and　the　rent　of　the　cottage'll　pay　taxes；　insurance；　and

water；　and　leave　something　over。　　And　then　there's　always　the

chance　of　my　striking　it　and　coming　out　a　millionaire。　　Now　tell

me；　Alma；　don't　you　think　I'm　very　moderate？〃



And　Alma　could　hardly　think　otherwise。　　Besides；　had　not　her　own

cousin；though　a　remote　and　distant　one　to　be　sure；　the　black

sheep；　the　harum…scarum；　the　ne'er…do…well；had　not　he　come　down

out　of　that　weird　North　country　with　a　hundred　thousand　in　yellow

dust；　to　say　nothing　of　a　half…ownership　in　the　hole　from　which　it

came？



David　Rasmunsen's　grocer　was　surprised　when　he　found　him　weighing

eggs　in　the　scales　at　the　end　of　the　counter；　and　Rasmunsen　himself

was　more　surprised　when　he　found　that　a　dozen　eggs　weighed　a　pound

and　a　halffifteen　hundred　pounds　for　his　thousand　dozen！　　There

would　be　no　weight　left　for　his　clothes；　blankets；　and　cooking

utensils；　to　say　nothing　of　the　grub　he　must　necessarily　consume　by

the　way。　　His　calculations　were　all　thrown　out；　and　he　was　just

proceeding　to　recast　them　when　he　hit　upon　the　idea　of　weighing

small　eggs。　　〃For　whether　they　be　large　or　small；　a　dozen　eggs　is　a

dozen　eggs；〃　he　observed　sagely　to　himself；　and　a　dozen　small　ones

he　found　to　weigh　but　a　pound　and　a　quarter。　　Thereat　the　city　of

San　Francisco　was　overrun　by　anxious…eyed　emissaries；　and

commission　houses　and　dairy　associations　were　startled　by　a　sudden

demand　for　eggs　running　not　more　than　twenty　ounces　to　the　dozen。



Rasmunsen　mortgaged　the　little　cottage　for　a　thousand　dollars；

arranged　for　his　wife　to　make　a　prolonged　stay　among　her　own

people；　threw　up　his　job；　and　started　North。　　To　keep　within　his

schedule　he　compromised　on　a　second…class　passage；　which；　because

of　the　rush；　was　worse　than　steerage；　and　in　the　late　summer；　a

pale　and　wabbly　man；　he　disembarked　with　his　eggs　on　the　Dyea

beach。　　But　it　did　not　take　him　long　to　recover　his　land　legs　and

appetite。　　His　first　interview　with　the　Chilkoot　packers

straightened　him　up　and　stiffened　his　backbone。　　Forty　cents　a

pound　they　demanded　for　the　twenty…eight…mile　portage；　and　while　he

caught　his　breath　and　swallowed；　the　price　went　up　to　forty…three。

Fifteen　husky　Indians　put　the　straps　on　his　packs　at　forty…five；

but　took　them　off　at　an　offer　of　forty…seven　from　a　Skaguay　Croesus

in　dirty　shirt　and　ragged　overalls　who　had　lost　his　horses　on　the

White　Pass　trail　and　was　now　making　a　last　desperate　drive　at　the

country　by　way　of　Chilkoot。



But　Rasmunsen　was　clean　grit；　and　at　fifty　cents　found　takers；　who；

two　days　later；　set　his　eggs　down　intact　at　Linderman。　　But　fifty

cents　a　pound　is　a　thousand　dollars　a　ton；　and　his　fifteen　hundred

pounds　had　exhausted　his　emergency　fund　and　left　him　stranded　at

the　Tantalus　point　where　each　day　he　saw　the　fresh…whipsawed　boats

departing　for　Dawson。　　Further；　a　great　anxiety　brooded　over　the

camp　where　the　boats　were　built。　　Men　worked　frantically；　early　and

late；　at　the　height　of　their　endurance；　caulking；　nailing；　and

pitching　in　a　frenzy　of　haste　for　which　adequate　explanation　was

not　far　to　seek。　　Each　day　the　snow…line　crept　farther　down　the

bleak；　rock…shouldered　peaks；　and　gale　followed　gale；　with　sleet

and　slush　and　snow；　and　in　the　eddies　and　quiet　places　young　ice

formed　and　thickened　through　the　fleeting　hours。　　And　each　morn；

toil…stiffened　men　turned　wan　faces　across　the　lake　to　see　if　the

freeze…up　had　come。　　For　the　freeze…up　heralded　the　death　of　their

hopethe　hope　that　they　would　be　floating　down　the　swift　river　ere

navigation　closed　on　the　chain　of　lakes。



To　harrow　Rasmunsen's　soul　further；　he　discovered　three　competitors

in　the　egg　business。　　It　was　true　that　one；　a　little　German；　had

gone　broke　and　was　himself　forlornly　back…tripping　the　last　pack　of

the　portage；　but　the　other　two　had　boats　nearly　completed；　and　were

daily　supplicating　the　god　of　merchants　and　traders　to　stay　the

iron　hand　of　winter　for　just　another　day。　　But　the　iron　hand　closed

down　over　the　land。　　Men　were　being　frozen　in　the　blizzard　which

swept　Chilkoot；　and　Rasmunsen　frosted　his　toes　ere　he　was　aware。

He　found　a　chance　to　go　passenger　with　his　freight　in　a　boat　just

shoving　off　through　the　rubble；　but　two　hundred　hard　cash；　was

required；　and　he　had　no　money。



〃Ay　tank　you　yust　wait　one　leedle　w'ile；〃　said　the　Swedish　boat…

builder；　who　had　struck　his　Klondike　right　there　and　was　wise

enough　to　know　it〃one　leedle　w'ile　und　I　make　you　a　tam　fine

skiff　boat；　sure　Pete。〃



With　this　unpledged　word　to　go　on；　Rasmunsen　hit　the　back　trail　to

Crater　Lake；　where　he　fell　in　with　two　press　correspondents　whose

tangled　baggage　was　strewn　from　Stone　House；　over　across　the　Pass；

and　as　far　as　Happy　Camp。



〃Yes；〃　he　said　with　consequence。　　〃I've　a　thousand　dozen　eggs　at

Linderman；　and　my　boat's　just　about　got　the　last　seam　caulked。

Consider　myself　in　luck　to　get　it。　　Boats　are　at　a　premium；　you

know；　and　none　to　be　had。〃



Whereupon　and　almost　with　bodily　violence　the　correspondents

clamoured　to　go　with　him；　fluttered　greenbacks　before　his　eyes；　and

spilled　yellow　twenties　from　hand　to　hand。　　He　could　not　hear　of

it；　but　they　over…persuaded　him；　and　he　reluctantly　consented　to

take　them　at　three　hundred　apiece。　　Also　they　pressed　upon　him　the

passage　money　in　advance。　　And　while　they　wrote　to　their　respective

journals　concerning　the　Good　Samaritan　with　the　thousand　dozen

eggs；　the　Good　Samarit