按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
exchanged； and； though its progress was slow； a half…hour saw it out of
50
… Page 51…
The Faith of Men
sight up river。
Still they came from below； boat after boat； in endless procession。 The
uneasiness of Bill and Kink increased。 They stole speculative； tentative
glances at each other； and when their eyes met looked away in
embarrassment。 Finally； however； their eyes met and neither looked
away。
Kink opened his mouth to speak； but words failed him and his mouth
remained open while he continued to gaze at his partner。
〃Just what I was thinken'； Kink；〃 said Bill。
They grinned sheepishly at each other； and by tacit consent started to
walk away。 Their pace quickened； and by the time they arrived at their
cabin they were on the run。
〃Can't lose no time with all that multitude a…rushin' by；〃 Kink
spluttered； as he jabbed the sour…dough can into the beanpot with one hand
and with the other gathered in the frying…pan and coffee… pot。
〃Should say not；〃 gasped Bill； his head and shoulders buried in a
clothes…sack wherein were stored winter socks and underwear。 〃I say；
Kink； don't forget the saleratus on the corner shelf back of the stove。〃
Half…an…hour later they were launching the canoe and loading up；
while the storekeeper made jocular remarks about poor； weak mortals and
the contagiousness of 〃stampedin' fever。〃 But when Bill and Kink thrust
their long poles to bottom and started the canoe against the current； he
called after them：…
〃Well； so…long and good luck！ And don't forget to blaze a stake or
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
51
… Page 52…
The Faith of Men
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
52
… Page 53…
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 si