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and washed dishes in the scullery of the PAWONA to the Puget Sound；
and from there passed coal on a P。 S。 boat to San Francisco。
It was a haggard； unkempt man who limped across the shining office
floor to raise a second mortgage from the bank people。 His hollow
cheeks betrayed themselves through the scraggy beard； and his eyes
seemed to have retired into deep caverns where they burned with cold fires。
His hands were grained from exposure and hard work； and the nails were
rimmed with tight…packed dirt and coal…dust。 He spoke vaguely of eggs
and ice…packs； winds and tides； but when they declined to let him have
more than a second thousand； his talk became incoherent； concerning itself
chiefly with the price of dogs and dog…food； and such things as snowshoes
and moccasins and winter trails。 They let him have fifteen hundred；
which was more than the cottage warranted； and breathed easier when he
scrawled his signature and passed out the door。
Two weeks later he went over Chilkoot with three dog sleds of five
dogs each。 One team he drove； the two Indians with him driving the
others。 At Lake Marsh they broke out the cache and loaded up。 But
there was no trail。 He was the first in over the ice； and to him fell the
task of packing the snow and hammering away through the rough river
jams。 Behind him he often observed a camp…fire smoke trickling thinly
up through the quiet air； and he wondered why the people did not overtake
him。 For he was a stranger to the land and did not understand。 Nor
could he understand his Indians when they tried to explain。 This they
conceived to be a hardship； but when they balked and refused to break
camp of mornings； he drove them to their work at pistol point。
When he slipped through an ice bridge near the White Horse and froze
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his foot； tender yet and oversensitive from the previous freezing； the
Indians looked for him to lie up。 But he sacrificed a blanket； and； with
his foot incased in an enormous moccasin； big as a water…bucket；
continued to take his regular turn with the front sled。 Here was the
cruellest work； and they respected him； though on the side they rapped
their foreheads with their knuckles and significantly shook their heads。
One night they tried to run away； but the zip…zip of his bullets in the snow
brought them back； snarling but convinced。 Whereupon； being only
savage Chilkat men； they put their heads together to kill him； but he slept
like a cat； and； waking or sleeping； the chance never came。 Often they
tried to tell him the import of the smoke wreath in the rear； but he could
not comprehend and grew suspicious of them。 And when they sulked or
shirked； he was quick to let drive at them between the eyes； and quick to
cool their heated souls with sight of his ready revolver。
And so it wentwith mutinous men； wild dogs； and a trail that broke
the heart。 He fought the men to stay with him； fought the dogs to keep
them away from the eggs； fought the ice； the cold； and the pain of his foot；
which would not heal。 As fast as the young tissue renewed； it was bitten
and scared by the frost； so that a running sore developed； into which he
could almost shove his fist。 In the mornings； when he first put his weight
upon it； his head went dizzy； and he was near to fainting from the pain； but
later on in the day it usually grew numb； to recommence when he crawled
into his blankets and tried to sleep。 Yet he； who had been a clerk and sat
at a desk all his days； toiled till the Indians were exhausted； and even out…
worked the dogs。 How hard he worked； how much he suffered； he did
not know。 Being a man of the one idea； now that the idea had come； it
mastered him。 In the foreground of his consciousness was Dawson； in
the background his thousand dozen eggs； and midway between the two his
ego fluttered； striving always to draw them together to a glittering golden
point。 This golden point was the five thousand dollars； the
consummation of the idea and the point of departure for whatever new
idea might present itself。 For the rest； he was a mere automaton。 He
was unaware of other things； seeing them as through a glass darkly； and
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The Faith of Men
giving them no thought。 The work of his hands he did with machine…like
wisdom； likewise the work of his head。 So the look on his face grew
very tense； till even the Indians were afraid of it； and marvelled at the
strange white man who had made them slaves and forced them to toil with
such foolishness。
Then came a snap on Lake Le Barge； when the cold of outer space
smote the tip of the planet； and the force ranged sixty and odd degrees
below zero。 Here； labouring with open mouth that he might breathe more
freely； he chilled his lungs； and for the rest of the trip he was troubled with
a dry； hacking cough； especially irritable in smoke of camp or under stress
of undue exertion。 On the Thirty Mile river he found much open water；
spanned by precarious ice bridges and fringed with narrow rim ice； tricky
and uncertain。 The rim ice was impossible to reckon on； and he dared it
without reckoning； falling back on his revolver when his drivers demurred。
But on the ice bridges； covered with snow though they were； precautions
could be taken。 These they crossed on their snowshoes； with long poles；
held crosswise in their hands； to which to cling in case of accident。 Once
over； the dogs were called to follow。 And on such a bridge； where the
absence of the centre ice was masked by the snow； one of the Indians met
his end。 He went through as quickly and neatly as a knife through thin
cream； and the current swept him from view down under the stream ice。
That night his mate fled away through the pale moonlight； Rasmunsen
futilely puncturing the silence with his revolvera thing that he handled
with more celerity than cleverness。 Thirty…six hours later the In