the faith of men(人们的信任)-第17章
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two for me！〃
They nodded their heads vigorously and felt sorry for the poor wretch
who remained perforce behind。
* * * * *
Kink and Bill were sweating hard。 According to the revised
Northland Scripture； the stampede is to the swift； the blazing of stakes to
the strong； and the Crown in royalties； gathers to itself the fulness thereof。
Kink and Bill were both swift and strong。 They took the soggy trail at a
long； swinging gait that broke the hearts of a couple of tender…feet who
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tried to keep up with them。 Behind； strung out between them and Dawson
（where the boats were discarded and land travel began）； was the vanguard
of the Circle City outfit。 In the race from Forty Mile the partners had
passed every boat； winning from the leading boat by a length in the
Dawson eddy； and leaving its occupants sadly behind the moment their
feet struck the trail。
〃Huh！ couldn't see us for smoke；〃 Hootchinoo Bill chuckled； flirting
the stinging sweat from his brow and glancing swiftly back along the way
they had come。
Three men emerged from where the trail broke through the trees。 Two
followed close at their heels； and then a man and a woman shot into view。
〃Come on； you Kink！ Hit her up！ Hit her up！〃
Bill quickened his pace。 Mitchell glanced back in more leisurely
fashion。
〃I declare if they ain't lopin'！〃
〃And here's one that's loped himself out；〃 said Bill； pointing to the side
of the trail。
A man was lying on his back panting in the culminating stages of
violent exhaustion。 His face was ghastly； his eyes bloodshot and glazed；
for all the world like a dying man。
〃CHECHAQUO！〃 Kink Mitchell grunted； and it was the grunt of the
old 〃sour dough〃 for the green…horn； for the man who outfitted with 〃self…
risin'〃 flour and used baking…powder in his biscuits。
The partners； true to the old…timer custom； had intended to stake down…
stream from the strike； but when they saw claim 81 BELOW blazed on a
tree；which meant fully eight miles below Discovery； they changed their
minds。 The eight miles were covered in less than two hours。 It was a
killing pace； over so rough trail； and they passed scores of exhausted men
that had fallen by the wayside。
At Discovery little was to be learned of the upper creek。 Cormack's
Indian brother…in…law； Skookum Jim； had a hazy notion that the creek was
staked as high as the 30's； but when Kink and Bill looked at the corner…
stakes of 79 ABOVE； they threw their stampeding packs off their backs
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The Faith of Men
and sat down to smoke。 All their efforts had been vain。 Bonanza was
staked from mouth to source； 〃out of sight and across the next divide。〃
Bill complained that night as they fried their bacon and boiled their coffee
over Cormack's fire at Discovery。
〃Try that pup；〃 Carmack suggested next morning。
〃That pup〃 was a broad creek that flowed into Bonanza at 7 ABOVE。
The partners received his advice with the magnificent contempt of the sour
dough for a squaw…man； and； instead； spent the day on Adam's Creek；
another and more likely…looking tributary of Bonanza。 But it was the old
story over againstaked to the sky…line。
For threes days Carmack repeated his advice； and for three days they
received it contemptuously。 But on the fourth day； there being nowhere
else to go； they went up 〃that pup。〃 They knew that it was practically
unstaked； but they had no intention of staking。 The trip was made more for
the purpose of giving vent to their ill… humour than for anything else。
They had become quite cynical； sceptical。 They jeered and scoffed at
everything； and insulted every chechaquo they met along the way。
At No。 23 the stakes ceased。 The remainder of the creek was open
for location。
〃Moose pasture；〃 sneered Kink Mitchell。
But Bill gravely paced off five hundred feet up the creek and blazed
the corner…stakes。 He had picked up the bottom of a candle… box； and on
the smooth side he wrote the notice for his centre… stake：…
THIS MOOSE PASTURE IS RESERVED FOR THE SWEDES
AND CHECHAQUOS。 … BILL RADER。
Kink read it over with approval； saying：…
〃As them's my sentiments； I reckon I might as well subscribe。〃
So the name of Charles Mitchell was added to the notice； and many an
old sour dough's face relaxed that day at sight of the handiwork of a
kindred spirit。
〃How's the pup？〃 Carmack inquired when they strolled back into
camp。
〃To hell with pups！〃 was Hootchinoo Bill's reply。 〃Me and Kink's
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The Faith of Men
goin' a…lookin' for Too Much Gold when we get rested up。〃
Too Much Gold was the fabled creek of which all sour doughs
dreamed； whereof it was said the gold was so thick that； in order to wash it；
gravel must first be shovelled into the sluice…boxes。 But the several days'
rest； preliminary to the quest for Too Much Gold； brought a slight change
in their plan； inasmuch as it brought one Ans Handerson； a Swede。
Ans Handerson had been working for wages all summer at Miller
Creek over on the Sixty Mile； and； the summer done； had strayed up
Bonanza like many another waif helplessly adrift on the gold tides that
swept willy…nilly across the land。 He was tall and lanky。 His arms were
long； like prehistoric man's； and his hands were like soup…plates； twisted
and gnarled； and big…knuckled from toil。 He was slow of utterance and
movement； and his eyes； pale blue as his hair was pale yellow； seemed
filled with an immortal dreaming； the stuff of which no man knew； and
himself least of all。 Perhaps this appearance of immortal dreaming was
due to a supreme and vacuous innocence。 At any rate； this was the
valuation men of ordinary clay put upon him； and there was nothing
extraordinary about the composition of Hootchinoo Bill and Kink
Mitchell。
The partners had spent a day of visiting and gossip； and in the evening
met in the temporary quarters of the Monte Carloa large tent were
stampeders rested their weary bones and bad whisky sold at a dollar a
drink。 Since the only money in circulation was dust； and since the house
took the 〃down…weight〃 on the scales； a drink cost something more than a
dollar。 Bill and Kink were not drinking； principally for the reason that
their one and common sack was not strong enough to stand many
excursions to the scales。
〃Say； Bill； I've got a chechaquo on the string for a sack of flour；〃
Mitchell announced jubilantly。
Bill looked interested and pleased。 Grub as scarce； and they were not
over…plentifully supplied for the quest after Too Much Gold。
〃Flour's worth a dollar a pound；〃 he answered。
