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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。
They hailed the advent of Tarwater with