smoke bellew-第26章

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III。

Smoke　had　travelled　in　a　leisurely　fashion　up　to　Mono　Creek；　fearing　to　tire　his　dogs　before　the　big　race。　　Also；　he　had　familiarized　himself　with　every　mile　of　the　trail　and　located　his　relay　camps。　So　many　men　had　entered　the　race；　that　the　hundred　and　ten　miles　of　its　course　was　almost　a　continuous　village。　　Relay　camps　were　everywhere　along　the　trail。　　Von　Schroeder；　who　had　gone　in　purely　for　the　sport；　had　no　less　than　eleven　dog　teamsa　fresh　one　for　every　ten　miles。　　Arizona　Bill　had　been　forced　to　content　himself　with　eight　teams。　　Big　Olaf　had　seven；　which　was　the　complement　of　Smoke。　　In　addition；　over　two…score　of　other　men　were　in　the　running。　　Not　every　day；　even　in　the　golden　north；　was　a　million　dollars　the　prize　for　a　dog　race。　　The　country　had　been　swept　of　dogs。　　No　animal　of　speed　and　endurance　escaped　the　fine…tooth　comb　that　had　raked　the　creeks　and　camps；　and　the　prices　of　dogs　had　doubled　and　quadrupled　in　the　course　of　the　frantic　speculation。

Number　Three　Below　Discovery　was　ten　miles　up　Mono　Creek　from　its　mouth。　　The　remaining　hundred　miles　was　to　be　run　on　the　frozen　breast　of　the　Yukon。　　On　Number　Three　itself　were　fifty　tents　and　over　three　hundred　dogs。　　The　old　stakes；　blazed　and　scrawled　sixty　days　before　by　Cyrus　Johnson；　still　stood；　and　every　man　had　gone　over　the　boundaries　of　the　claim　again　and　again；　for　the　race　with　dogs　was　to　be　preceded　by　a　foot　and　obstacle　race。　　Each　man　had　to　re…locate　the　claim　for　himself；　and　this　meant　that　he　must　place　two　centre…stakes　and　four　corner…stakes　and　cross　the　creek　twice；　before　he　could　start　for　Dawson　with　his　dogs。

Furthermore；　there　were　to　be　no　'sooners。'　　Not　until　the　stroke　of　midnight　of　Friday　night　was　the　claim　open　for　re…location；　and　not　until　the　stroke　of　midnight　could　a　man　plant　a　stake。　　This　was　the　ruling　of　the　Gold　Commissioner　at　Dawson；　and　Captain　Consadine　had　sent　up　a　squad　of　mounted　police　to　enforce　it。　　Discussion　had　arisen　about　the　difference　between　sun…time　and　police…time；　but　Consadine　had　sent　forth　his　fiat　that　police　time　went；　and；　further；　that　it　was　the　watch　of　Lieutenant　Pollock　that　went。

The　Mono　trail　ran　along　the　level　creek…bed；　and；　less　than　two　feet　in　width；　was　like　a　groove；　walled　on　either　side　by　the　snow…　fall　of　months。　　The　problem　of　how　forty…odd　sleds　and　three　hundred　dogs　were　to　start　in　so　narrow　a　course　was　in　everybody's　mind。

〃Huh！〃　said　Shorty。　　〃It's　goin'　to　be　the　gosh…dangdest　mix…up　that　ever　was。　　I　can't　see　no　way　out；　Smoke；　except　main　strength　an'　sweat　an'　to　plow　through。　　If　the　whole　creek　was　glare…ice　they　ain't　room　for　a　dozen　teams　abreast。　　I　got　a　hunch　right　now　they's　goin'　to　be　a　heap　of　scrappin'　before　they　get　strung　out。　An'　if　any　of　it　comes　our　way　you　got　to　let　me　do　the　punchin'。〃

Smoke　squared　his　shoulders　and　laughed　non…committally。

〃No　you　don't！〃　his　partner　cried　in　alarm。　　〃No　matter　what　happens；　you　don't　dast　hit。　　You　can't　handle　dogs　a　hundred　miles　with　a　busted　knuckle；　an'　that's　what'll　happen　if　you　land　on　somebody's　jaw。〃

Smoke　nodded　his　head。

〃You're　right；　Shorty。　　I　couldn't　risk　the　chance。〃

〃An'　just　remember；〃　Shorty　went　on；　〃that　I　got　to　do　all　the　shovin'　for　them　first　ten　miles　an'　you　got　to　take　it　easy　as　you　can。　　I'll　sure　jerk　you　through　to　the　Yukon。　　After　that　it's　up　to　you　an'　the　dogs。　　Saywhat　d'ye　think　Schroeder's　scheme　is？　He's　got　his　first　team　a　quarter　of　a　mile　down　the　creek　an'　he'll　know　it　by　a　green　lantern。　　But　we　got　him　skinned。　　Me　for　the　red　flare　every　time。〃



IV。

The　day　had　been　clear　and　cold；　but　a　blanket　of　cloud　formed　across　the　face　of　the　sky　and　the　night　came　on　warm　and　dark；　with　the　hint　of　snow　impending。　　The　thermometer　registered　fifteen　below　zero；　and　in　the　Klondike…winter　fifteen　below　is　esteemed　very　warm。

At　a　few　minutes　before　midnight；　leaving　Shorty　with　the　dogs　five　hundred　yards　down　the　creek；　Smoke　joined　the　racers　on　Number　Three。　　There　were　forty…five　of　them　waiting　the　start　for　the　thousand…thousand　dollars　Cyrus　Johnson　had　left　lying　in　the　frozen　gravel。　　Each　man　carried　six　stakes　and　a　heavy　wooden　mallet；　and　was　clad　in　a　smock…like　parka　of　heavy　cotton　drill。

Lieutenant　Pollock；　in　a　big　bearskin　coat；　looked　at　his　watch　by　the　light　of　a　fire。　　It　lacked　a　minute　of　midnight。

〃Make　ready；〃　he　said；　as　he　raised　a　revolver　in　his　right　hand　and　watched　the　second　hand　tick　around。

Forty…five　hoods　were　thrown　back　from　the　parkas。　　Forty…five　pairs　of　hands　unmittened；　and　forty…five　pairs　of　moccasins　pressed　tensely　into　the　packed　snow。　　Also；　forty…five　stakes　were　thrust　into　the　snow；　and　the　same　number　of　mallets　lifted　in　the　air。

The　shots　rang　out；　and　the　mallets　fell。　　Cyrus　Johnson's　right　to　the　million　had　expired。　　To　prevent　confusion；　Lieutenant　Pollock　had　insisted　that　the　lower　centre…stake　be　driven　first；　next　the　south…eastern；　and　so　on　around　the　four　sides；　including　the　upper　centre…stake　on　the　way。

Smoke　drove　in　his　stake　and　was　away　with　the　leading　dozen。　　Fires　had　been　lighted　at　the　corners；　and　by　each　fire　stood　a　policeman；　list　in　hand；　checking　off　the　names　of　the　runners。　　A　man　was　supposed　to　call　out　his　name　and　show　his　face。　　There　was　to　be　no　staking　by　proxy　while　the　real　racer　was　off　and　away　down　the　creek。

At　the　first　corner；　beside　Smoke's　stake；　Von　Schroeder　placed　his。　The　mallets　struck　at　the　same　instant。　　As　they　hammered；　more　arrived　from　behind　and　with　such　impetuosity　as　to　get　in　one　another's　way　and　cause　jostling　and　shoving。　　Squirming　through　the　press　and　calling　his　name　to　the　policeman；　Smoke　saw　the　Baron；　struck　in　collision　by　one　of　the　rushers；　hurled　clean　off　his　feet　into　the　snow。　　But　Smoke　did　not　wait。　　Others　were　still　ahead　of　him。　　By　the　light　of　the　vanishing　fire　he　was　certain　that　he　saw　the　back；　hugely　looming；　of　Big　Olaf；　and　at　the　south…western　corner　Big　Olaf　and　he　drove　their　stakes　side　by　side。

It　was　no　light　work；　this　preliminary　obstacle　race。　　The　boundaries　of　the　claim　totalled　nearly　a　mile；　and　most　of　it　was　over　the　uneven　surface　of　a　snow…covered；　niggerhead　flat。　　All　about　Smoke　men　tripped　and　fell；　and　several　times　he　pitched　forward　himself；　jarringly；　on　hands　and　knees。　　Once；　Big　Olaf　fell　so　immediately　in　front　of　him　as　to　bring　him　down　on　top。

The　upper　centre…stake　was　driven　by　the　edge　of　the　bank；　and　down　the　bank　the　racers　plunged；　across　the　frozen　creek…bed；　and　up　the　other　side。　　Here；　as　Smoke　clambered；　a　hand　gripped　his　ankle　and　jerked　him　back。　　In　the　flickering　light　of　a　distant　fire；　it　was　impossible　to　see　who　had　played　the　trick。　　But　Arizona　Bill；　who　had　been　treated　similarly；　rose　to　his　feet　and　drove　his　fist　with　a　crunch　into　the　offender's　face。　　Smoke　saw　and　heard　as　he　was　scrambling　to　his　feet；　but　before　he　could　make　another　lunge　for　the　bank　a　fist　dropped　him　half…stunned　into　the　snow。　　He　staggered　up；　located　the　man；　half…swung　a　hook　for　his　jaw；　then　remembered　Shorty's　warning　and　refrained。　　The　next　moment；　struck　below　the　knees　by　a　hurtling　body；　he　went　down　again。

It　was　a　foretaste　of　what　would　happen　when　the　men　reached　their　sleds。　　Men　were　pouring　over　the　other　bank　and　piling　into　the　jam。　　They　swarmed　up　the　bank　in　bunches；　and　in　bunches　were　dragged　back　by　their　impatient　fellows。　　More　blows　were　struck；　curses　rose　from　the　panting　chests　of　those　who　still　had　wind　to　spare；　and　Smoke；　curiously　visioning　the　face　of　Joy　Gastell；　hoped　that　the　mallets　would　not　be　brought　into　play。　　Overthrown；　trod　upon；　groping　in　the　snow　for　his　lost　stakes；　he　at　last　crawled　out　of　the　crush　and　attacked　the　bank　farther　along。　　Others　were　doing　this；　and　it　was　his　luck　to　have　many　men　in　advance　of　him　in　the　race　for　the　northwestern　corner。

Down　to　the　fourth　corner；　he　tripped　midway　and　in　the　long　sprawling　fall　lost　his　remaining　stake。　　For　five　minutes　he　groped　in　the　darkness　before　he　found　it；　and　all　the　time　the　panting　runners　were　passing　him。　　From　the　last　corner　to　the　creek　he　began　overtaking　men　fo