the red one(红色的那人)-第17章
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Years of freighting and mining had followed； and； with a stake gleaned
from the Merced placers； he satisfied the land…hunger of his race and time
by settling in Sonoma County。
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During the ten years of carrying the mail across Tarwater Township； up
Tarwater Valley； and over Tarwater Mountain； most all of which land had
once been his； he had spent his time dreaming of winning back that land
before he died。 And now； his huge gaunt form more erect than it had
been for years； with a glinting of blue fires in his small and close…set eyes；
he was lifting his ancient chant again。
〃There he goes now … listen to him；〃 said William Tarwater。
〃Nobody at home；〃 laughed Harris Topping； day labourer； husband of
Annie Tarwater； and father of her nine children。
The kitchen door opened to admit the old man； returning from feeding
his horses。 The song had ceased from his lips； but Mary was irritable
from a burnt hand and a grandchild whose stomach refused to digest
properly diluted cows' milk。
〃Now there ain't no use you carryin' on that way； father；〃 she tackled
him。 〃The time's past for you to cut and run for a place like the Klondike；
and singing won't buy you nothing。〃
〃Just the same；〃 he answered quietly。 〃I bet I could go to that
Klondike place and pick up enough gold to buy back the Tarwater lands。〃
〃Old fool！〃 Annie contributed。
〃You couldn't buy them back for less'n three hundred thousand and
then some；〃 was William's effort at squelching him。
〃Then I could pick up three hundred thousand； and then some； if I was
only there；〃 the old man retorted placidly。
〃Thank God you can't walk there； or you'd be startin'； I know；〃 Mary
cried。 〃Ocean travel costs money。〃
〃I used to have money；〃 her father said humbly。
〃Well； you ain't got any now … so forget it；〃 William advised。 〃Them
times is past； like roping bear with Bill Ping。 There ain't no more bear。〃
〃Just the same … 〃
But Mary cut him off。 Seizing the day's paper from the kitchen table；
she flourished it savagely under her aged progenitor's nose。
〃What do those Klondikers say？ There it is in cold print。 Only the
young and robust can stand the Klondike。 It's worse than the north pole。
And they've left their dead a…plenty there themselves。 Look at their
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pictures。 You're forty years older 'n the oldest of them。〃
John Tarwater did look； but his eyes strayed to other photographs on
the highly sensational front page。
〃And look at the photys of them nuggets they brought down；〃 he said。
〃I know gold。 Didn't I gopher twenty thousand outa the Merced？ And
wouldn't it a…ben a hundred thousand if that cloudburst hadn't busted my
wing…dam？ Now if I was only in the Klondike … 〃
〃Crazy as a loon；〃 William sneered in open aside to the rest。
〃A nice way to talk to your father；〃 Old Man Tarwater censured mildly。
〃My father'd have walloped the tar out of me with a single…tree if I'd spoke
to him that way。〃
〃But you ARE crazy； father … 〃 William began。
〃Reckon you're right； son。 And that's where my father wasn't crazy。
He'd a…done it。〃
〃The old man's been reading some of them magazine articles about
men who succeeded after forty；〃 Annie jibed。
〃And why not； daughter？〃 he asked。 〃And why can't a man succeed
after he's seventy？ I was only seventy this year。 And mebbe I could
succeed if only I could get to the Klondike … 〃
〃Which you ain't going to get to；〃 Mary shut him off。
〃Oh； well； then；〃 he sighed； 〃seein's I ain't； I might just as well go to
bed。〃
He stood up； tall； gaunt； great…boned and gnarled； a splendid ruin of a
man。 His ragged hair and whiskers were not grey but snowy white； as
were the tufts of hair that stood out on the backs of his huge bony fingers。
He moved toward the door； opened it； sighed； and paused with a backward
look。
〃Just the same；〃 he murmured plaintively； 〃the bottoms of my feet is
itching something terrible。〃
Long before the family stirred next morning； his horses fed and
harnessed by lantern light； breakfast cooked and eaten by lamp fight； Old
Man Tarwater was off and away down Tarwater Valley on the road to
Kelterville。 Two things were unusual about this usual trip which he had
made a thousand and forty times since taking the mail contract。 He did
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not drive to Kelterville； but turned off on the main road south to Santa
Rosa。 Even more remarkable than this was the paper…wrapped parcel
between his feet。 It contained his one decent black suit； which Mary had
been long reluctant to see him wear any more； not because it was shabby；
but because； as he guessed what was at the back of her mind； it was decent
enough to bury him in。
And at Santa Rosa； in a second…hand clothes shop； he sold the suit
outright for two dollars and a half。 From the same obliging shopman he
received four dollars for the wedding ring of his long… dead wife。 The
span of horses and the wagon he disposed of for seventy…five dollars；
although twenty…five was all he received down in cash。 Chancing to
meet Alton Granger on the street； to whom never before had he mentioned
the ten dollars loaned him in '74； he reminded Alton Granger of the little
affair； and was promptly paid。 Also； of all unbelievable men to be in funds；
he so found the town drunkard for whom he had bought many a drink in
the old and palmy days。 And from him John Tarwater borrowed a dollar。
Finally； he took the afternoon train to San Francisco。
A dozen days later； carrying a half…empty canvas sack of blankets and
old clothes； he landed on the beach of Dyea in the thick of the great
Klondike Rush。 The beach was screaming bedlam。 Ten thousand tons
of outfit lay heaped and scattered； and twice ten thousand men struggled
with it and clamoured about it。 Freight； by Indian…back； over Chilcoot to
Lake Linderman； had jumped from sixteen to thirty cents a pound； which
latter was a rate of six hundred dollars a ton。 And the sub…arctic winter
gloomed near at hand。 All knew it； and all knew that of the twenty
thousand of them very few would get across the passes； leaving the rest to
winter and wait for the late spring thaw。
Such the beach old John Tarwater stepped upon； and straight across
the beach and up the trail toward Chilcoot he headed； cackling his ancient
chant； a very Grandfather Argus himself； with no outfit worry in the world；
for he did not possess any outfit。 That night he slept on the flats； five
miles above Dyea； at the head of canoe navigation。 Here the Dyea River
became a rushing mountain torrent； plunging out of a dark canyon from
the glaciers that fed it far above。
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And here； ea
