the faith of men-第8章

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and　the　Dawson　marriage。　　Pentfield　wrote　back　heartily；　laughing

at　her　fears；　which　he　took　to　be　the　mere　physical　ones　of　danger

and　hardship　rather　than　those　bred　of　maidenly　reserve。



But　the　long　winter　and　tedious　wait；　following　upon　the　two

previous　long　winters；　were　telling　upon　him。　　The　superintendence

of　the　men　and　the　pursuit　of　the　pay　streak　could　not　break　the

irk　of　the　daily　round；　and　the　end　of　January　found　him　making

occasional　trips　to　Dawson；　where　he　could　forget　his　identity　for

a　space　at　the　gambling　tables。　　Because　he　could　afford　to　lose；

he　won；　and　〃Pentfield's　luck〃　became　a　stock　phrase　among　the　faro

players。



His　luck　ran　with　him　till　the　second　week　in　February。　　How　much

farther　it　might　have　run　is　conjectural；　for；　after　one　big　game；

he　never　played　again。



It　was　in　the　Opera　House　that　it　occurred；　and　for　an　hour　it　had

seemed　that　he　could　not　place　his　money　on　a　card　without　making

the　card　a　winner。　　In　the　lull　at　the　end　of　a　deal；　while　the

game…keeper　was　shuffling　the　deck；　Nick　Inwood　the　owner　of　the

game；　remarked；　apropos　of　nothing：…



〃I　say；　Pentfield；　I　see　that　partner　of　yours　has　been　cutting　up

monkey…shines　on　the　outside。〃



〃Trust　Corry　to　have　a　good　time；〃　Pentfield　had　answered；

〃especially　when　he　has　earned　it。〃



〃Every　man　to　his　taste；〃　Nick　Inwood　laughed；　〃but　I　should

scarcely　call　getting　married　a　good　time。〃



〃Corry　married！〃　Pentfield　cried；　incredulous　and　yet　surprised　out

of　himself　for　the　moment。



'Sure；〃　Inwood　said。　　〃I　saw　it　in　the　'Frisco　paper　that　came　in

over　the　ice　this　morning。〃



〃Well；　and　who's　the　girl？〃　Pentfield　demanded；　somewhat　with　the

air　of　patient　fortitude　with　which　one　takes　the　bait　of　a　catch

and　is　aware　at　the　time　of　the　large　laugh　bound　to　follow　at　his

expense。



Nick　Inwood　pulled　the　newspaper　from　his　pocket　and　began　looking

it　over；　saying：…



〃I　haven't　a　remarkable　memory　for　names；　but　it　seems　to　me　it's

something　like　MabelMabeloh　yes；　here　it'Mabel　Holmes；

daughter　of　Judge　Holmes；'whoever　he　is。〃



Lawrence　Pentfield　never　turned　a　hair；　though　he　wondered　how　any

man　in　the　North　could　know　her　name。　　He　glanced　coolly　from　face

to　face　to　note　any　vagrant　signs　of　the　game　that　was　being　played

upon　him；　but　beyond　a　healthy　curiosity　the　faces　betrayed

nothing。　　Then　he　turned　to　the　gambler　and　said　in　cold；　even

tones：…



〃Inwood；　I've　got　an　even　five　hundred　here　that　says　the　print　of

what　you　have　just　said　is　not　in　that　paper。〃



The　gambler　looked　at　him　in　quizzical　surprise。　　〃Go　'way；　child。

I　don't　want　your　money。〃



〃I　thought　so；〃　Pentfield　sneered；　returning　to　the　game　and　laying

a　couple　of　bets。



Nick　Inwood's　face　flushed；　and；　as　though　doubting　his　senses；　he

ran　careful　eyes　over　the　print　of　a　quarter　of　a　column。　　Then　be

turned　on　Lawrence　Pentfield。



〃Look　here；　Pentfield；〃　he　said；　in　a　quiet；　nervous　manner；　〃I

can't　allow　that；　you　know。〃



〃Allow　what？〃　Pentfield　demanded　brutally。



〃You　implied　that　I　lied。〃



〃Nothing　of　the　sort；〃　came　the　reply。　　〃I　merely　implied　that　you

were　trying　to　be　clumsily　witty。〃



〃Make　your　bets；　gentlemen；〃　the　dealer　protested。



〃But　I　tell　you　it's　true；〃　Nick　Inwood　insisted。



〃And　I　have　told　you　I've　five　hundred　that　says　it's　not　in　that

paper；〃　Pentfield　answered；　at　the　same　time　throwing　a　heavy　sack

of　dust　on　the　table。



〃I　am　sorry　to　take　your　money；〃　was　the　retort；　as　Inwood　thrust

the　newspaper　into　Pentfield's　hand。



Pentfield　saw；　though　he　could　not　quite　bring　himself　to　believe。

Glancing　through　the　headline；　〃Young　Lochinvar　came　out　of　the

North；〃　and　skimming　the　article　until　the　names　of　Mabel　Holmes

and　Corry　Hutchinson；　coupled　together；　leaped　squarely　before　his

eyes；　he　turned　to　the　top　of　the　page。　　It　was　a　San　Francisco

paper。



〃The　money's　yours；　Inwood；〃　he　remarked；　with　a　short　laugh。

〃There's　no　telling　what　that　partner　of　mine　will　do　when　he　gets

started。〃



Then　he　returned　to　the　article　and　read　it　word　for　word；　very

slowly　and　very　carefully。　　He　could　no　longer　doubt。　　Beyond

dispute；　Corry　Hutchinson　had　married　Mabel　Holmes。　　〃One　of　the

Bonanza　kings；〃　it　described　him；　〃a　partner　with　Lawrence

Pentfield　（whom　San　Francisco　society　has　not　yet　forgotten）；　and

interested　with　that　gentleman　in　other　rich；　Klondike　properties。〃

Further；　and　at　the　end；　he　read；　〃It　is　whispered　that　Mr。　and

Mrs。　Hutchinson　will；　after　a　brief　trip　east　to　Detroit；　make

their　real　honeymoon　journey　into　the　fascinating　Klondike

country。〃



〃I'll　be　back　again；　keep　my　place　for　me；〃　Pentfield　said；　rising

to　his　feet　and　taking　his　sack；　which　meantime　had　hit　the　blower

and　came　back　lighter　by　five　hundred　dollars。



He　went　down　the　street　and　bought　a　Seattle　paper。　　It　contained

the　same　facts；　though　somewhat　condensed。　　Corry　and　Mabel　were

indubitably　married。　　Pentfield　returned　to　the　Opera　House　and

resumed　his　seat　in　the　game。　　He　asked　to　have　the　limit　removed。



〃Trying　to　get　action；〃　Nick　Inwood　laughed；　as　he　nodded　assent　to

the　dealer。　　〃I　was　going　down　to　the　A。　C。　store；　but　now　I　guess

I'll　stay　and　watch　you　do　your　worst。〃



This　Lawrence　Pentfield　did　at　the　end　of　two　hours'　plunging；　when

the　dealer　bit　the　end　off　a　fresh　cigar　and　struck　a　match　as　he

announced　that　the　bank　was　broken。　　Pentfield　cashed　in　for　forty

thousand；　shook　hands　with　Nick　Inwood；　and　stated　that　it　was　the

last　time　he　would　ever　play　at　his　game　or　at　anybody's　else's。



No　one　knew　nor　guessed　that　he　had　been　hit；　much　less　hit　hard。

There　was　no　apparent　change　in　his　manner。　　For　a　week　he　went

about　his　work　much　as　he　had　always　done；　when　he　read　an　account

of　the　marriage　in　a　Portland　paper。　　Then　he　called　in　a　friend　to

take　charge　of　his　mine　and　departed　up　the　Yukon　behind　his　dogs。

He　held　to　the　Salt　Water　trail　till　White　River　was　reached；　into

which　he　turned。　　Five　days　later　he　came　upon　a　hunting　camp　of

the　White　River　Indians。　　In　the　evening　there　was　a　feast；　and　he

sat　in　honour　beside　the　chief；　and　next　morning　he　headed　his　dogs

back　toward　the　Yukon。　　But　he　no　longer　travelled　alone。　　A　young

squaw　fed　his　dogs　for　him　that　night　and　helped　to　pitch　camp。

She　had　been　mauled　by　a　bear　in　her　childhood　and　suffered　from　a

slight　limp。　　Her　name　was　Lashka；　and　she　was　diffident　at　first

with　the　strange　white　man　that　had　come　out　of　the　Unknown；

married　her　with　scarcely　a　look　or　word；　and　now　was　carrying　her

back　with　him　into　the　Unknown。



But　Lashka's　was　better　fortune　than　falls　to　most　Indian　girls

that　mate　with　white　men　in　the　Northland。　　No　sooner　was　Dawson

reached　than　the　barbaric　marriage　that　had　joined　them　was　re…

solemnized；　in　the　white　man's　fashion；　before　a　priest。　　From

Dawson；　which　to　her　was　all　a　marvel　and　a　dream；　she　was　taken

directly　to　the　Bonanza　claim　and　installed　in　the　square…hewed

cabin　on　the　hill。



The　nine　days'　wonder　that　followed　arose　not　so　much　out　of　the

fact　of　the　squaw　whom　Lawrence　Pentfield　had　taken　to　bed　and

board　as　out　of　the　ceremony　that　had　legalized　the　tie。　　The

properly　sanctioned　marriage　was　the　one　thing　that　passed　the

community's　comprehension。　　But　no　one　bothered　Pentfield　about　it。

So　long　as　a　man's　vagaries　did　no　special　hurt　to　the　community；

the　community　let　the　man　alone；　nor　was　Pentfield　barred　from　the

cabins　of　men　who　possessed　white　wives。　　The　marriage　ceremony

removed　him　from　the　status　of　squaw…man　and　placed　him　beyond

moral　reproach；　though　there　were　men　that　challenged　his　taste

where　women　were　concerned。



No　more　letters　arrived　from　the　outside。　　Six　sledloads　of　mails

had　been　lost　at　the　Big　Salmon。　　Besides；　Pentfield　knew　that

Corry　and　his　bride　must　by　that　time　have　started　in　over　the

trail。　　They　were　even　then　on　their　honeymoon　tripthe　honeymoon

trip　he　had　dreamed　of　for　himself　through　two　dreary　years。　　His

lip　curled　with　bitterness　at　the　thought；　but　beyond　being　kinder

to　Lashka　he　gave　no　sign。



March　had　passed　and　April　was　nearing　its　end；　when；　one　spring

morning；　Lashka　asked　permission　to　go　down　the　creek　several　miles

to　Siwash　Pete's　cabin。　　Pete's　wife；　a　Stewart　River　woman；　had

sent　up　word　that　something　was　wrong　with　her　baby；　and　Lashka；

who　was　pre…eminently　a　mother…woman　and　who　held　herself　to　be

truly　wise　in　the　matter　of　infantile　troubles；　missed　no

opportunity　of　nursing　the　children　of　other　women　as　yet　more

fortunate　than　she。



Pentfield　harnessed　his　dogs；　and　with　Lashka　behind　took　the　trail

down　the　creek　bed　of　Bonanza。　　Spring　was　in　the　air。　　The

sharpness　had　gone　out　of　the　bite　of　the　frost　and　though　snow

still　covered　the　land；　the　murmur　and　trickling　of　water　told　that

the　iron　grip　of　winter　was　relaxing。　　The　bottom　was　dropping　out

of　the　trail；　and　here　and　there　a　new　trail　had　been　broken　around

open　holes。　　At　such　a　place；　where　there　was　not　room　for　two

sleds　to　pass；　Pentfield　heard　the　jingle　of　approaching　bells　and

stopped　his　dogs。



A　team　of　tired…looking　dogs　appeared　around　the　narrow　bend；

followed　by　a　heavily…loaded　sled。　　At　the　gee…pole　was　a　man　who

steered　in　a　manner　familiar　to　Pentfield；　and　behind　the　sled

walked　two　women。　　His　glance　returned　to　the　man　at　the　gee…pole。

It　was　Corry。　　Pentfield　got　on　his　feet　and　waited。　　He　was　glad

that　Lashka　was　with　him。　　The　meeting　could　not　have　come　about

better　had　it　been　planned；　he　thought。　　And　as　he　waited　he

wondered　what　they　would　say；　what　they　would　be　able　to　say。　　As

for　himself　there　was　no　need　to　say　anything。　　The　explaining　was

all　on　their　side；　and　he　was　ready　to　listen　to　them。



As　they　drew　in　abreast；　Corry　recognized　him　and　halted　the　dogs。

With　a　〃Hello；　old　man；〃　he　held　out　his　hand。



Pentfield　shook　it；　but　without　warmth　or　speech。　　By　this　time　the

two　women　had　come　up；　and　he　noticed　that　the　second　one　was　Dora

Holmes。　　He　doffed　his　fur　cap；　the　flaps　of　which　were　flying；

shook　hands　with　her；　and　turned　toward　Mabel。　　She　swayed　forward；

splendid　and　radiant；　but　faltered　before　his　outstretched　hand。

He　had　intended　to　say；　〃How　do　you　do；　Mrs。　Hutchinson？〃but

somehow；　the　Mrs。　Hutchinson　had　choked　him；　and　all　he　had　managed

to　articulate　was　the　〃How　do　you　do？〃



There　was　all　the　constraint　and　awkwardness　in　the　situation　he

could　have　wished。　　Mabel　betrayed　the　agitation　appropriate　to　her

position；　while　Dora；　evidently　brought　along　as　some　sort　of

peacemaker；　was　saying：…



〃Why；　what　is　the　matter；　Lawrence？〃



Before　he　could　answer；　Corry　plucked　him　by　the　sleeve　and　drew

him　aside。



〃See　here；　old　man；　what's　this　mean？〃　Corry