smoke bellew(史沫克·贝罗)-第21章
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Smoke Bellew
〃Search the other bank first；〃 Smoke urged。
〃You shut up an' come on； an' let the facts do the talkin'。〃
They left the trail at the same spot he had； and followed it on up the
bank and in among the trees。
〃Him dance that place keep him feet warm；〃 Louis pointed out。
〃That place him crawl on belly。 That place him put one elbow w'en him
shoot〃
〃And by God there's the empty cartridge he had done it with！〃 was
Blackbeard's discovery。 〃Boys； there's only one thing to do〃
〃You might ask me how I came to fire that shot；〃 Smoke interrupted。
〃An' I might knock your teeth into your gullet if you butt in again。 You
can answer them questions later on。 Now； boys； we're decent an' law…
abidin'； an' we got to handle this right an' regular。 How far do you reckon
we've come； Pierre？〃
〃Twenty mile I t'ink for sure。〃
〃All right。 We'll cache the outfit an' run him an' poor Joe back to Two
Cabins。 I reckon we've seen an' can testify to what'll stretch his neck。〃
IV。
It was three hours after dark when the dead man； Smoke； and his
captors arrived at Two Cabins。 By the starlight； Smoke could make out a
dozen or more recently built cabins snuggling about a larger and older
cabin on a flat by the river bank。 Thrust inside this older cabin； he found
it tenanted by a young giant of a man； his wife； and an old blind man。
The woman； whom her husband called 'Lucy；' was herself a strapping
creature of the frontier type。 The old man； as Smoke learned afterwards；
had been a trapper on the Stewart for years； and had gone finally blind the
winter before。 The camp of Two Cabins； he was also to learn； had been
made the previous fall by a dozen men who arrived in half as many
poling… boats loaded with provisions。 Here they had found the blind
trapper； on the site of Two Cabins； and about his cabin they had built their
own。 Later arrivals； mushing up the ice with dog…teams； had tripled the
population。 There was plenty of meat in camp； and good low…pay dirt
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had been discovered and was being worked。
In five minutes； all the men of Two cabins were jammed into the room。
Smoke； shoved off into a corner； ignored and scowled at； his hands and
feet tied with thongs of moosehide； looked on。 Thirty… eight men he
counted； a wild and husky crew； all frontiersmen of the States or
voyageurs from Upper Canada。 His captors told the tale over and over；
each the centre of an excited and wrathful group。 There were mutterings of
〃Lynch him nowwhy wait？〃 And； once； a big Irishman was restrained
only by force from rushing upon the helpless prisoner and giving him a
beating。
It was while counting the men that Smoke caught sight of a familiar
face。 It was Breck； the man whose boat Smoke had run through the
rapids。 He wondered why the other did not come and speak to him； but
himself gave no sign of recognition。 Later； when with shielded face
Breck passed him a significant wink； Smoke understood。
Blackbeard； whom Smoke heard called Eli Harding； ended the
discussion as to whether or not the prisoner should be immediately
lynched。
〃Hold on；〃 Harding roared。 〃Keep your shirts on。 That man
belongs to me。 I caught him an' I brought him here。 D'ye think I
brought him all the way here to be lynched？ Not on your life。 I could
a… done that myself when I found him。 I brought him here for a fair an'
impartial trial； an' by God； a fair an' impartial trial he's goin' to get。 He's
tied up safe an' sound。 Chuck him in a bunk till morning； an' we'll hold
the trial right here。〃
V。
Smoke woke up。 A draught； that possessed all the rigidity of an icicle；
was boring into the front of his shoulder as he lay on his side facing the
wall。 When he had been tied into the bunk there had been no such
draught； and now the outside air； driving into the heated atmosphere of the
cabin with the pressure of fifty below zero； was sufficient advertizement
that some one from without had pulled away the moss…chinking between
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the logs。 He squirmed as far as his bonds would permit； then craned his
neck forward until his lips just managed to reach the crack。
〃Who is it？〃 he whispered。
〃Breck；〃 came the answer。 〃Be careful you don't make a noise。 I'm
going to pass a knife in to you。〃
〃No good；〃 Smoke said。 〃I couldn't use it。 My hands are tied
behind me and made fast to the leg of the bunk。 Besides； you couldn't
get a knife through that crack。 But something must be done。 Those
fellows are of a temper to hang me； and； of course； you know I didn't kill
that man。〃
〃It wasn't necessary to mention it； Smoke。 And if you did you had
your reasons。 Which isn't the point at all。 I want to get you out of this。
It's a tough bunch of men here。 You've seen them。 They're shut off from
the world； and they make and enforce their own lawby miner's meeting；
you know。 They handled two men already both grub…thieves。 One
they hiked from camp without an ounce of grub and no matches。 He
made about forty miles and lasted a couple of days before he froze stiff。
Two weeks ago they hiked the second man。 They gave him his choice：
no grub； or ten lashes for each day's ration。 He stood for forty lashes
before he fainted。 And now they've got you； and every last one is
convinced you killed Kinade。〃
〃The man who killed Kinade； shot at me； too。 His bullet broke the
skin on my shoulder。 Get them to delay the trial till some one goes up
and searches the bank where the murderer hid。〃
〃No use。 They take the evidence of Harding and the five Frenchmen
with him。 Besides； they haven't had a hanging yet； and they're keen for it。
You see； things have been pretty monotonous。 They haven't located
anything big； and they got tired of hunting for Surprise Lake。 They did
some stampeding the first part of the winter； but they've got over that now。
Scurvy is beginning to show up amongst them； too； and they're just ripe
for excitement。〃
〃And it looks like I'll furnish it；〃 was Smoke's comment。 〃Say； Breck；
how did you ever fall in with such a God…forsaken bunch？〃
〃After I got the claims at Squaw Creek opened up and some men to
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working； I came up here by way of the Stewart； hunting for Two Cabins。
They'd beaten me to it； so I've been higher up the Stewart。 Just got back
yesterday out of grub。〃
〃Find anything？〃
〃Nothing much。 But I think I've got a hydraulic proposition that'll
work big when the country's opened up。 It's that； or a gold… dredger。〃
〃Hold on；〃 Smoke interrupted。 〃Wait a minute。 Let me think。〃
He was very much aware of the snores of the sleepers as he pursued
the idea that had flashed into his mind。
〃Say； Breck； have they opened up the meat…packs my dogs carried？〃
〃A couple。 I was watching。 They put them in Harding's cache。〃
〃Did they find anything？〃
〃Meat。〃
〃Good。 You've got to get into the brown canvas pack that's patched
with moosehide。 You'll find a few pounds of lumpy gold。 You've never
seen gold like it in the country； nor has anybody else。 Here's what you've
got to do。 Listen。〃
A quarter of an hour later； fully instructed and complaining that his
toes were freezing； Breck went away。 Smoke； his own nose and one
cheek frosted by proximity to the chink； rubbed them against the blankets
for half an hour before the blaze and bite of the returning blood assured
him of the safety of his flesh。
VI。
〃My mind's made up right now。 There ain't no doubt but what he
killed Kinade。 We heard the whole thing last night。 What's the good of
goin' over it again？ I vote guilty。〃
In such fashion； Smoke's trial began。 The speaker； a loose…jointed；
hard…rock man from Colorado； manifested irritation and disgust when
Harding set his suggestion aside； demanded the proceedings should be
regular； and nominated one； Shunk Wilson； for judge and chairman of the
meeting。 The population of Two Cabins constituted the jury； though；
after some discussion； the woman； Lucy； was denied the right to vote on
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Smoke's guilt or innocence。
While this was going on； Smoke； jammed into a corner on a bunk；
overheard a whispered conversation between Breck and a miner。
〃You haven't fifty pounds of flour you'll sell？〃 Breck queried。
〃You ain't got the dust to pay the price I'm askin'；〃 was the reply。
〃I'll give you two hundred。〃
The man shook his head。
〃Three hundred。 Three…fifty。〃
At four hundred； the man nodded； and said： 〃Come on over to my
cabin an' weigh out the dust。〃
The two squeezed their way to the door； and slipped out。 After a few
minutes Breck returned alone。
Harding was testifying； when Smoke saw the door shoved open
slightly； and in the crack appear the face of the man w
