smoke bellew(史沫克·贝罗)-第12章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Then I'll throw 'em a meal； which'll have to last 'em till we get back。
Be sure you take some birch…bark and a candle。〃
Shorty opened the door； felt the bite of the cold； and shrank back to
pull down his ear…flaps and mitten his hands。
Five minutes later he returned； sharply rubbing his nose。
〃Smoke； I'm sure opposed to makin' this stampede。 It's colder than
the hinges of hell a thousand years before the first fire was lighted。
Besides； it's Friday the thirteenth； an' we're goin' to trouble as the sparks
fly upward。〃
With small stampeding packs on their backs； they closed the door
behind them and started down the hill。 The display of the aurora borealis
had ceased； and only the stars leaped in the great cold； and by their
uncertain light made traps for the feet。 Shorty floundered off a turn of
the trail into deep snow； and raised his voice in blessing of the date of the
week and month and year。
〃Can't you keep still？〃 Smoke chided。 〃Leave the almanac alone。
You'll have all Dawson awake and after us。〃
〃Huh！ See the light in that cabin？ And in that one over there？ An'
hear that door slam？ Oh； sure Dawson's asleep。 Them lights？ Just
buryin' their dead。 They ain't stampedin'； betcher life they ain't。〃
By the time they reached the foot of the hill and were fairly in Dawson；
lights were springing up in the cabins； doors were slamming； and from
behind came the sound of many moccasins on the hard…packed snow。
Again Shorty delivered himself。
〃But it beats hell the amount of mourners there is。〃
They passed a man who stood by the path and was calling anxiously in
51
… Page 52…
Smoke Bellew
a low voice： 〃Oh； Charley； get a move on。〃
〃See that pack on his back； Smoke？ The graveyard's sure a long
ways off when the mourners got to pack their blankets。〃
By the time they reached the main street a hundred men were in line
behind them； and while they sought in the deceptive starlight for the trail
that dipped down the bank to the river； more men could be heard arriving。
Shorty slipped and shot down the thirty…foot chute into the soft snow。
Smoke followed； knocking him over as he was rising to his feet。
〃I found it first；〃 he gurgled； taking off his mittens to shake the snow
out of the gauntlets。
The next moment they were scrambling wildly out of the way of the
hurtling bodies of those that followed。 At the time of the freeze… up； a
jam had occurred at this point； and cakes of ice were up…ended in snow…
covered confusion。 After several hard falls； Smoke drew out his candle
and lighted it。 Those in the rear hailed it with acclaim。 In the windless
air it burned easily； and he led the way more quickly。
〃It's a sure stampede；〃 Shorty decided。 〃Or might all them be sleep…
walkers？〃
〃We're at the head of the procession at any rate；〃 was Smoke's answer。
〃Oh； I don't know。 Mebbe that's a firefly ahead there。 Mebbe
they're all firefliesthat one； an' that one。 Look at 'em。 Believe me； they
is whole strings of processions ahead。〃
It was a mile across the jams to the west bank of the Yukon； and
candles flickered the full length of the twisting trail。 Behind them； clear
to the top of the bank they had descended； were more candles。
〃Say； Smoke； this ain't no stampede。 It's a exode…us。 They must be
a thousand men ahead of us an' ten thousand behind。 Now； you listen to
your uncle。 My medicine's good。 When I get a hunch it's sure right。
An' we're in wrong on this stampede。 Let's turn back an' hit the sleep。〃
〃You'd better save your breath if you intend to keep up；〃 Smoke
retorted gruffly。
〃Huh！ My legs is short； but I slog along slack at the knees an' don't
worry my muscles none； an' I can sure walk every piker here off the ice。〃
And Smoke knew he was right； for he had long since learned his
52
… Page 53…
Smoke Bellew
comrade's phenomenal walking powers。
〃I've been holding back to give you a chance；〃 Smoke jeered。
〃An' I'm plum troddin' on your heels。 If you can't do better； let me go
ahead and set pace。〃
Smoke quickened； and was soon at the rear of the nearest bunch of
stampeders。
〃Hike along； you； Smoke；〃 the other urged。 〃Walk over them
unburied dead。 This ain't no funeral。 Hit the frost like you was goin'
somewheres。〃
Smoke counted eight men and two women in this party； and before the
way across the jam…ice was won； he and Shorty had passed another party
twenty strong。 Within a few feet of the west bank； the trail swerved to
the south； emerging from the jam upon smooth ice。 The ice； however；
was buried under several feet of fine snow。 Through this the sled…trail
ran； a narrow ribbon of packed footing barely two feet in width。 On
either side one sank to his knees and deeper in the snow。 The stampeders
they overtook were reluctant to give way； and often Smoke and Shorty had
to plunge into the deep snow； and by supreme efforts flounder past。
Shorty was irrepressible and pessimistic。 When the stampeders
resented being passed； he retorted in kind。
〃What's your hurry？〃 one of them asked。
〃What's yours？〃 he answered。 〃A stampede come down from Indian
River yesterday afternoon an' beat you to it。 They ain't no claims left。〃
〃That being so； I repeat； what's your hurry？〃
〃WHO？ Me？ I ain't no stampeder。 I'm workin' for the
government。 I'm on official business。 I'm just traipsin' along to take the
census of Squaw Creek。〃
To another； who hailed him with： 〃Where away； little one？ Do you
really expect to stake a claim？〃 Shorty answered：
〃Me？ I'm the discoverer of Squaw Creek。 I'm just comin' back
from recordin' so as to see no blamed chechaquo jumps my claim。〃
The average pace of the stampeders on the smooth going was three
miles and a half an hour。 Smoke and Shorty were doing four and a half；
though sometimes they broke into short runs and went faster。
53
… Page 54…
Smoke Bellew
〃I'm going to travel your feet clean off； Shorty；〃 Smoke challenged。
〃Huh！ I can hike along on the stumps an' wear the heels off your
moccasins。 Though it ain't no use。 I've ben figgerin'。 Creek claims is
five hundred feet。 Call 'em ten to the mile。 They's a thousand
stampeders ahead of us； an' that creek ain't no hundred miles long。
Somebody's goin' to get left； an' it makes a noise like you an' me。〃
Before replying； Smoke let out an unexpected link that threw Shorty
half a dozen feet in the rear。
〃If you saved your breath and kept up； we'd cut down a few of that
thousand；〃 he chided。
〃Who？ Me？ If you's get outa the way I'd show you a pace what is。〃
Smoke laughed； and let out another link。 The whole aspect of the
adventure had changed。 Through his brain was running a phrase of the
mad philosopher〃the transvaluation of values。〃 In truth； he was less
interested in staking a fortune than in beating Shorty。 After all； he
concluded； it wasn't the reward of the game but the playing of it that
counted。 Mind； and muscle； and stamina； and soul； were challenged in a
contest with this Shorty； a man who had never opened the books； and who
did not know grand opera from rag… time； nor an epic from a chilblain。
〃Shorty； I've got you skinned to death。 I've reconstructed every cell
in my body since I hit the beach at Dyea。 My flesh is as stringy as
whipcords； and as bitter and mean as the bite of a rattlesnake。 A few
months ago I'd have patted myself on the back to write such words； but I
couldn't have written them。 I had to live them first； and now that I'm
living them there's no need to write them。 I'm the real； bitter； stinging
goods； and no scrub of a mountaineer can put anything over on me without
getting it back compound。 Now； you go ahead and set pace for half an
hour。 Do your worst； and when you're all in I'll go ahead and give you
half an hour of the real worst。〃
〃Huh！〃 Shorty sneered genially。 〃An' him not dry behind the ears yet。
Get outa the way an' let your father show you some goin'。〃
Half…hour by half…hour they alternated in setting pace。 Nor did they
talk much。 Their exertions kept them warm； though their breath froze on
their faces from lips to chin。 So intense was the cold that they almost
54
… Page 55…
Smoke Bellew
continually rubbed their noses and cheeks with their mittens。 A few
minutes cessation from this allowed the flesh to grow numb； and then
most vigorous rubbing was required to produce the burning prickle of
returning circulation。
Often they thought they had reached the lead； but always they
overtook more stampeders who had started before them。 Occasionally；
groups of men attempted to swing in behind to their pace； but invariably
they were discouraged after a mile or two； and disappeared in the darkness
to the rear。
〃We've been out on trail all winter；〃 was Shorty's comment。 〃An'
them geezers； soft from laying around their cabins； has the nerve to think
they can keep our stride。 Now； if th
