the red one-第14章

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progress　farther　into　the　north　and　froze　up　cheek　by　jowl　with　the

grub…fleet。　　Here；　inside　the　Arctic　Circle；　Old　Tarwater　settled

down　to　pass　the　long　winter。　　Several　hours'　work　a　day；　chopping

firewood　for　the　steamboat　companies；　sufficed　to　keep　him　in　food。

For　the　rest　of　the　time　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　hibernate　in

his　log　cabin。



Warmth；　rest；　and　plenty　to　eat；　cured　his　hacking　cough　and　put

him　in　as　good　physical　condition　as　was　possible　for　his　advanced

years。　　But；　even　before　Christmas；　the　lack　of　fresh　vegetables

caused　scurvy　to　break　out；　and　disappointed　adventurer　after

disappointed　adventurer　took　to　his　bunk　in　abject　surrender　to

this　culminating　misfortune。　　Not　so　Tarwater。　　Even　before　the

first　symptoms　appeared　on　him；　he　was　putting　into　practice　his

one　prescription；　namely；　exercise。　　From　the　junk　of　the　old

trading　post　he　resurrected　a　number　of　rusty　traps；　and　from　one

of　the　steamboat　captains　he　borrowed　a　rifle。



Thus　equipped；　he　ceased　from　wood…chopping；　and　began　to　make　more

than　a　mere　living。　　Nor　was　he　downhearted　when　the　scurvy　broke

out　on　his　own　body。　　Ever　he　ran　his　trap…lines　and　sang　his

ancient　chant。　　Nor　could　the　pessimist　shake　his　surety　of　the

three　hundred　thousand　of　Alaskan　gold　he　as　going　to　shake　out　of

the　moss…roots。



〃But　this　ain't　gold…country；〃　they　told　him。



〃Gold　is　where　you　find　it；　son；　as　I　should　know　who　was　mining

before　you　was　born；　'way　back　in　Forty…Nine；〃　was　his　reply。

〃What　was　Bonanza　Creek　but　a　moose…pasture？　　No　miner'd　look　at

it；　yet　they　washed　five…hundred…dollar　pans　and　took　out　fifty

million　dollars。　　Eldorado　was　just　as　bad。　　For　all　you　know；

right　under　this　here　cabin；　or　right　over　the　next　hill；　is

millions　just　waiting　for　a　lucky　one　like　me　to　come　and　shake　it

out。〃



At　the　end　of　January　came　his　disaster。　　Some　powerful　animal　that

he　decided　was　a　bob…cat；　managing　to　get　caught　in　one　of　his

smaller　traps；　dragged　it　away。　　A　heavy　snow…fall　put　a　stop

midway　to　his　pursuit；　losing　the　trail　for　him　and　losing　himself。

There　were　but　several　hours　of　daylight　each　day　between　the

twenty　hours　of　intervening　darkness；　and　his　efforts　in　the　grey

light　and　continually　falling　snow　succeeded　only　in　losing　him

more　thoroughly。　　Fortunately；　when　winter　snow　falls　in　the

Northland　the　thermometer　invariably　rises；　so；　instead　of　the

customary　forty　and　fifty　and　even　sixty　degrees　below　zero；　the

temperature　remained　fifteen　below。　　Also；　he　was　warmly　clad　and

had　a　full　matchbox。　　Further　to　mitigate　his　predicament；　on　the

fifth　day　he　killed　a　wounded　moose　that　weighed　over　half　a　ton。

Making　his　camp　beside　it　on　a　spruce…bottom；　he　was　prepared　to

last　out　the　winter；　unless　a　searching　party　found　him　or　his

scurvy　grew　worse。



But　at　the　end　of　two　weeks　there　had　been　no　sign　of　search；　while

his　scurvy　had　undeniably　grown　worse。　　Against　his　fire；　banked

from　outer　cold　by　a　shelter…wall　of　spruce…boughs；　he　crouched

long　hours　in　sleep　and　long　hours　in　waking。　　But　the　waking　hours

grew　less；　becoming　semi…waking　or　half…dreaming　hours　as　the

process　of　hibernation　worked　their　way　with　him。　　Slowly　the

sparkle　point　of　consciousness　and　identity　that　was　John　Tarwater

sank；　deeper　and　deeper；　into　the　profounds　of　his　being　that　had

been　compounded　ere　man　was　man；　and　while　he　was　becoming　man；

when　he；　first　of　all　animals；　regarded　himself　with　an

introspective　eye　and　laid　the　beginnings　of　morality　in

foundations　of　nightmare　peopled　by　the　monsters　of　his　own　ethic…

thwarted　desires。



Like　a　man　in　fever；　waking　to　intervals　of　consciousness；　so　Old

Tarwater　awoke；　cooked　his　moose…meat；　and　fed　the　fire；　but　more

and　more　time　he　spent　in　his　torpor；　unaware　of　what　was　day…dream

and　what　was　sleep…dream　in　the　content　of　his　unconsciousness。

And　here；　in　the　unforgetable　crypts　of　man's　unwritten　history；

unthinkable　and　unrealizable；　like　passages　of　nightmare　or

impossible　adventures　of　lunacy；　he　encountered　the　monsters

created　of　man's　first　morality　that　ever　since　have　vexed　him　into

the　spinning　of　fantasies　to　elude　them　or　do　battle　with　them。



In　short；　weighted　by　his　seventy　years；　in　the　vast　and　silent

loneliness　of　the　North；　Old　Tarwater；　as　in　the　delirium　of　drug

or　anaesthetic；　recovered　within　himself；　the　infantile　mind　of　the

child…man　of　the　early　world。　　It　was　in　the　dusk　of　Death's

fluttery　wings　that　Tarwater　thus　crouched；　and；　like　his　remote

forebear；　the　child…man；　went　to　myth…making；　and　sun…heroizing；

himself　hero…maker　and　the　hero　in　quest　of　the　immemorable

treasure　difficult　of　attainment。



Either　must　he　attain　the　treasure　…　for　so　ran　the　inexorable

logic　of　the　shadow…land　of　the　unconscious　…　or　else　sink　into　the

all…devouring　sea；　the　blackness　eater　of　the　light　that　swallowed

to　extinction　the　sun　each　night　。　。　。　the　sun　that　arose　ever　in

rebirth　next　morning　in　the　east；　and　that　had　become　to　man　man's

first　symbol　of　immortality　through　rebirth。　　All　this；　in　the

deeps　of　his　unconsciousness　（the　shadowy　western　land　of

descending　light）；　was　the　near　dusk　of　Death　down　into　which　he

slowly　ebbed。



But　how　to　escape　this　monster　of　the　dark　that　from　within　him

slowly　swallowed　him？　　Too　deep…sunk　was　he　to　dream　of　escape　or

feel　the　prod　of　desire　to　escape。　　For　him　reality　had　ceased。

Nor　from　within　the　darkened　chamber　of　himself　could　reality

recrudesce。　　His　years　were　too　heavy　upon　him；　the　debility　of

disease　and　the　lethargy　and　torpor　of　the　silence　and　the　cold

were　too　profound。　　Only　from　without　could　reality　impact　upon　him

and　reawake　within　him　an　awareness　of　reality。　　Otherwise　he　would

ooze　down　through　the　shadow…realm　of　the　unconscious　into　the　all…

darkness　of　extinction。



But　it　came；　the　smash　of　reality　from　without；　crashing　upon　his

ear　drums　in　a　loud；　explosive　snort。　　For　twenty　days；　in　a

temperature　that　had　never　risen　above　fifty　below；　no　breath　of

wind　had　blown　movement；　no　slightest　sound　had　broken　the　silence。

Like　the　smoker　on　the　opium　couch　refocusing　his　eyes　from　the

spacious　walls　of　dream　to　the　narrow　confines　of　the　mean　little

room；　so　Old　Tarwater　stared　vague…eyed　before　him　across　his　dying

fire；　at　a　huge　moose　that　stared　at　him　in　startlement；　dragging　a

wounded　leg；　manifesting　all　signs　of　extreme　exhaustion；　it；　too；

had　been　straying　blindly　in　the　shadow…land；　and　had　wakened　to

reality　only　just　ere　it　stepped　into　Tarwater's　fire。



He　feebly　slipped　the　large　fur　mitten　lined　with　thickness　of　wool

from　his　right　hand。　　Upon　trial　he　found　the　trigger　finger　too

numb　for　movement。　　Carefully；　slowly；　through　long　minutes；　he

worked　the　bare　hand　inside　his　blankets；　up　under　his　fur　PARKA；

through　the　chest　openings　of　his　shirts；　and　into　the　slightly

warm　hollow　of　his　left　arm…pit。　　Long　minutes　passed　ere　the

finger　could　move；　when；　with　equal　slowness　of　caution；　he

gathered　his　rifle　to　his　shoulder　and　drew　bead　upon　the　great

animal　across　the　fire。



At　the　shot；　of　the　two　shadow…wanderers；　the　one　reeled　downward

to　the　dark　and　the　other　reeled　upward　to　the　light；　swaying

drunkenly　on　his　scurvy…ravaged　legs；　shivering　with　nervousness

and　cold；　rubbing　swimming　eyes　with　shaking　fingers；　and　staring

at　the　real　world　all　about　him　that　had　returned　to　him　with　such

sickening　suddenness。　　He　shook　himself　together；　and　realized　that

for　long；　how　long　he　did　not　know；　he　had　bedded　in　the　arms　of

Death。　　He　spat；　with　definite　intention；　heard　the　spittle　crackle

in　the　frost；　and　judged　it　must　be　below　and　far　below　sixty

below。　　In　truth；　that　day　at　Fort　Yukon；　the　spirit　thermometer

registered　seventy…five　degrees　below　zero；　which；　since　freezing…

point　is　thirty…two　above；　was　equivalent　to　one　hundred　and　seven

degrees　of　frost。



Slowly　Tarwater's　brain　reasoned　to　action。　　Here；　in　the　vast

alone；　dwelt　Death。　　Here　had　come　two　wounded　moose。　　With　the

clearing　of　the　sky　after　the　great　cold　came　on；　he　had　located

his　bearings；　and　he　knew　that　both　wounded　moose　had　trailed　to

him　from　the　east。　　Therefore；　in　the　east；　were　men　…　whites　or

Indians　he　could　not　tell；　but　at　any　rate　men　who　might　stand　by

him　in　his　need　and　help　moor　him　to　reality　above　the　sea　of　dark。



He　moved　slowly；　but　he　moved　in　reality；　girding　himself　with

rifle；　ammunition；　matches；　and　a　pack　of　twenty　pounds　of　moose…

meat。　　Then；　an　Argus　rejuvenated；　albeit　lame　of　both　legs　and

tottery；　he　turned　his　back　on　the　perilous　west　and　limped　into

the　sun…arising；　re…birthing　east。　。　。　。



Days　later　…　how　many　days　later　he　was　never　to　know　…　dreaming

dreams　and　seeing　visions；　cackling　his　old　gold…chant　of　Forty…

Nine；　like　one　drowning　and　swimming　feebly　to　keep　his

consciousness　above　the　engulfing　dark；　he　came　out　upon　the　snow…

slope　to　a　canyon　and　saw　below　smoke　rising　and　men　who　ceased

from　work　to　gaze　at　him。　　He　tottered　down　the　hill　to　them；　still

singing；　and　when　he　ceased　from　lack　of　breath　they　called　him

variously：　　Santa　Claus；　Old　Christmas；　Whiskers；　the　Last　of　the

Mohicans；　and　Father　Christmas。　　And　when　he　stood　among　them　he

stood　very　still；　without　speech；　while　great　tears　welled　out　of

his　eyes。　　He　cried　silently；　a　long　time；　till；　as　if　suddenly

bethinking　himself；　he　sat　down　in　the　snow　with　much　creaking　and

crackling　of　his　joints；　and　from　this　low　vantage　point　toppled

sidewise　and　fainted　calmly　and　easily　away。



In　less　than　a　week　Old　Tarwater　was　up　and　limping　about　the

housework　of　the　cabin；　cooking　and　dish…washing　for　the　five　men

of　the　creek。　　Genuine　sourdoughs　（pioneers）　they　were；　tough　and

hard…bitten；　who　had　been　buried　so　deeply　inside　the　Circle　that

they　did　not　know　there　was　a　Klondike　Strike。　　The　news　he　brought

them　was　their　first　word　of　it。　　They　lived　on　an　almost　straight…

meat　diet　of　moose；　caribou；　and　smoked　salmon；　eked　out　with　wild

berries　and　somewhat　succulent　wild　roots　they　had　stocked　up　with

in　the　summer。　　They　had　forgotten　the　taste　of　coffee；　made　fire

with　a　burning　glass；　carried　live　fire…sticks　with　them　wherever

they　travelled；　and　in　their　pipes　smoked　dry　leaves　that　bit　the

tongue　and　were　pungent　to　the　nostrils。



Three　years　before；　they　had　prospected　from　the　head…reaches　of

the　Koyokuk　northward　and　clear　across　to　the　mouth　of　the

Mackenzie　on　the　Arctic　Ocean。　　Here；　on　the　whaleships；　they　had

beheld　their　last　white　men　and　equipped　themselves　with　the　last

white　man's　grub；　consisting　principally　of　salt　and　smoking

tobacco。　　Striking　south　and　west　on　the　long　traverse　to　the

junction　of　the　Yukon　and　Porcupine　at　Fort　Yukon；　they　had　found

gold　on　this　creek　and　remained　over　to　work　the　ground。