the faith of men(人们的信任)-第35章
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rather wild。 He was not vicious； but a man with meat in his belly and
without work in the world has to expend his energy somehow； and Neil
Bonner was such a man。 And he expended his energy in such a fashion
and to such extent that when the inevitable climax came； his father； Neil
Bonner； senior； crawled out of his roses in a panic and looked on his son
with a wondering eye。 Then he hied himself away to a crony of kindred
pursuits； with whom he was wont to confer over coupons and roses； and
between the two the destiny of young Neil Bonner was made manifest。
He must go away； on probation； to live down his harmless follies in order
that he might live up to their own excellent standard。
This determined upon； and young Neil a little repentant and a great
deal ashamed； the rest was easy。 The cronies were heavy stockholders in
the P。 C。 Company。 The P。 C。 Company owned fleets of river…steamers
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and ocean…going craft； and； in addition to farming the sea； exploited a
hundred thousand square miles or so of the land that； on the maps of
geographers； usually occupies the white spaces。 So the P。 C。 Company
sent young Neil Bonner north； where the white spaces are； to do its work
and to learn to be good like his father。 〃Five years of simplicity； close to
the soil and far from temptation； will make a man of him；〃 said old Neil
Bonner； and forthwith crawled back among his roses。 Young Neil set his
jaw； pitched his chin at the proper angle； and went to work。 As an
underling he did his work well and gained the commendation of his
superiors。 Not that he delighted in the work； but that it was the one thing
that prevented him from going mad。
The first year he wished he was dead。 The second year he cursed
God。 The third year he was divided between the two emotions； and in
the confusion quarrelled with a man in authority。 He had the best of the
quarrel； though the man in authority had the last word；a word that sent
Neil Bonner into an exile that made his old billet appear as paradise。 But
he went without a whimper； for the North had succeeded in making him
into a man。
Here and there； on the white spaces on the map； little circlets like the
letter 〃o〃 are to be found； and； appended to these circlets； on one side or
the other； are names such as 〃Fort Hamilton；〃 〃Yanana Station；〃 〃Twenty
Mile；〃 thus leading one to imagine that the white spaces are plentifully
besprinkled with towns and villages。 But it is a vain imagining。 Twenty
Mile； which is very like the rest of the posts； is a log building the size of a
corner grocery with rooms to let up…stairs。 A long… legged cache on stilts
may be found in the back yard； also a couple of outhouses。 The back
yard is unfenced； and extends to the skyline and an unascertainable bit
beyond。 There are no other houses in sight； though the Toyaats
sometimes pitch a winter camp a mile or two down the Yukon。 And this
is Twenty Mile； one tentacle of the many…tentacled P。 C。 Company。 Here
the agent； with an assistant； barters with the Indians for their furs； and does
an erratic trade on a gold…dust basis with the wandering miners。 Here； also；
the agent and his assistant yearn all winter for the spring； and when the
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spring comes； camp blasphemously on the roof while the Yukon washes
out the establishment。 And here； also； in the fourth year of his sojourn in
the land； came Neil Bonner to take charge。
He had displaced no agent； for the man that previously ran the post
had made away with himself； 〃because of the rigours of the place；〃 said
the assistant； who still remained； though the Toyaats； by their fires； had
another version。 The assistant was a shrunken… shouldered； hollow…
chested man； with a cadaverous face and cavernous cheeks that his sparse
black beard could not hide。 He coughed much； as though consumption
gripped his lungs； while his eyes had that mad； fevered light common to
consumptives in the last stage。 Pentley was his nameAmos Pentley
and Bonner did not like him； though he felt a pity for the forlorn and
hopeless devil。 They did not get along together； these two men who； of all
men； should have been on good terms in the face of the cold and silence
and darkness of the long winter。
In the end； Bonner concluded that Amos was partly demented； and left
him alone； doing all the work himself except the cooking。 Even then；
Amos had nothing but bitter looks and an undisguised hatred for him。
This was a great loss to Bonner； for the smiling face of one of his own
kind； the cheery word； the sympathy of comradeship shared with
misfortunethese things meant much； and the winter was yet young when
he began to realize the added reasons； with such an assistant； that the
previous agent had found to impel his own hand against his life。
It was very lonely at Twenty Mile。 The bleak vastness stretched
away on every side to the horizon。 The snow； which was really frost；
flung its mantle over the land and buried everything in the silence of death。
For days it was clear and cold； the thermometer steadily recording forty to
fifty degrees below zero。 Then a change came over the face of things。
What little moisture had oozed into the atmosphere gathered into dull grey；
formless clouds； it became quite warm； the thermometer rising to twenty
below； and the moisture fell out of the sky in hard frost…granules that
hissed like dry sugar or driving sand when kicked underfoot。 After that it
became clear and cold again； until enough moisture had gathered to
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blanket the earth from the cold of outer space。 That was all。 Nothing
happened。 No storms； no churning waters and threshing forests； nothing
but the machine…like precipitation of accumulated moisture。 Possibly the
most notable thing that occurred through the weary weeks was the gliding
of the temperature up to the unprecedented height of fifteen below。 To
atone for this； outer space smote the earth with its cold till the mercury
froze and the spirit thermometer remained more than seventy below for a
fortnight； when it burst。 There was no telling how much colder it was
after that。 Another occurrence； monotonous in its regularity； was the
lengthening of the nights； till day became a mere blink of light between
the darkness。
Neil Bonner was a social animal。 The very follies for which he was
doing penance had been bred of his excessive sociability。 And here； in
the fourth year of his exile； he found himself in company… …which were to
