Allnodded。\"Well,then,Igotaproposition,boys。Youcantakeitorleaveit,butjustlistenkindlytoit。You’reinahurrytogetinbeforethefreeze-up。Halfthetimeiswastedoverthecookingbyoneofyouthathemightbeputtin’inpackin’outfit。
IfIdothecookin’foryou,youall’llgetonthatmuchfaster。
Also,thecookin’’llbebetter,andthat’llmakeyoupackbetter。
AndIcanpackquiteabitmyselfinbetweentimes,quiteabit,yes,sir,quiteabit。\"
BigBillandAnsonwerejustbeginningtonodtheirheadsinagreement,whenCharlesstoppedthem。
\"Whatdoyouexpectofusinreturn?\"hedemandedoftheoldman。
\"Oh,Ileaveituptotheboys。\"
\"Thatain’tbusiness,\"Charlesreprimandedsharply。\"Youmadetheproposition。Nowfinishit。\"
\"Well,it’sthisway-\"
\"Youexpectustofeedyouallwinter,eh?\"Charlesinterrupted。
\"No,siree,Idon’t。AllIreckonisapassagetoKlondikeinyourboatwouldbemightysquareofyou。\"
\"Youhaven’tanounceofgrub,oldman。You’llstarvetodeathwhenyougetthere。\"
\"I’vebeenfeedin’somelongtimeprettysuccessful,\"OldTarwaterreplied,awhimsicallightinhiseyes。\"I’mseventy,andain’tstarvedtodeathneveryet。\"
\"WillyousignapapertotheeffectthatyoushiftforyourselfassoonasyougettoDawson?\"thebusinessonedemanded。
\"Oh,sure,\"wastheresponse。
AgainCharlescheckedhistwopartners’expressionsofsatisfactionwiththearrangement。
\"Oneotherthing,oldman。We’reapartyoffour,andweallhaveavoteonquestionslikethis。YoungLiverpoolisaheadwiththemainoutfit。He’sgotasayso,andheisn’theretosayit。\"
\"Whatkindofapartymighthebe?\"Tarwaterinquired。
\"He’sarough-necksailor,andhe’sgotaquick,badtemper。\"
\"Someturbulent,\"Ansoncontributed。
\"AndthewayhecancussissimplyGod-awful,\"BigBilltestified。
\"Buthe’ssquare,\"BigBilladded。
Ansonnoddedheartilytothisappraisal。
\"Well,boys,\"Tarwatersummedup,\"IsetoutforCalifornyandI
gotthere。AndI’mgoingtogettoKlondike。Ain’tathingcanstopme,ain’tathing。I’mgoingtogetthreehundredthousandoutatheground,too。Ain’tathingcanstopme,ain’tathing,becauseIjustnaturallyneedthemoney。Idon’tmindabadtempersolong’stheboyissquare。I’lltakemychance,an’I’llworkalongwithyoutillwecatchupwithhim。Then,ifhesaysnototheproposition,IreckonI’lllose。ButsomehowIjustcan’tsee’msayin’no,becausethat’dmeantoocloseuptofreeze-upandtoolateformetofindanotherchancelikethis。And,asI’msuregoingtogettoKlondike,it’sjustplumbimpossibleforhimtosayno。\"
OldJohnTarwaterbecameastrikingfigureonatrailunusuallyrepletewithstrikingfigures。Withthousandsofmen,eachback-
trippinghalfatonofoutfit,retracingeverymileofthetrailtwentytimes,allcametoknowhimandtohailhimas\"FatherChristmas。\"And,asheworked,everheraisedhischantwithhisage-falsettovoice。Noneofthethreemenhehadjoinedcouldcomplainabouthiswork。True,hisjointswerestiff-headmittedtoatrifleofrheumatism。Hemovedslowly,andseemedtocreakandcracklewhenhemoved;buthekeptonmoving。Lastintotheblanketsatnight,hewasfirstoutinthemorning,sothattheotherthreehadhotcoffeebeforetheironebefore-breakfastpack。
And,betweenbreakfastanddinnerandbetweendinnerandsupper,healwaysmanagedtoback-tripforseveralpackshimself。Sixtypoundswasthelimitofhisburden,however。Hecouldmanageseventy-five,buthecouldnotkeepitup。Once,hetriedninety,butcollapsedonthetrailandwasseriouslyshakyforacoupleofdaysafterward。
Work!Onatrailwherehard-workingmenlearnedforthefirsttimewhatworkwas,nomanworkedharderinproportiontohisstrengththanOldTarwater。Drivendesperatelyonbythenear-thrustofwinter,andluredmadlyonbythedreamofgold,theyworkedtotheirlastounceofstrengthandfellbytheway。Others,whenfailuremadecertain,blewouttheirbrains。Somewentmad,andstillothers,undertheirkoftheman-destroyingstrain,brokepartnershipsanddissolvedlife-timefriendshipswithfellowsjustasgoodasthemselvesandjustasstrainedandmad。
Work!OldTarwatercouldshamethemall,despitehiscreakingandcracklingandthenastyhackingcoughhehaddeveloped。Earlyandlate,ontrailorincampbesidethetrailhewaseverinevidence,everbusyatsomething,everresponsivetothehailof\"FatherChristmas。\"Wearyback-tripperswouldresttheirpacksonalogorrockalongsideofwhereherestedhis,andwouldsay:\"Singusthatsongofyourn,dad,aboutForty-Nine。\"And,whenhehadwheezinglycomplied,theywouldariseundertheirloads,remarkthatitwasrealheartening,andhittheforwardtrailagain。
\"Ifeveramanworkedhispassageandearnedit,\"BigBillconfidedtohistwopartners,\"thatman’souroldSkeezicks。\"
\"Youbet,\"Ansonconfirmed。\"He’savaluableadditiontotheparty,andI,forone,ain’tatalldisagreeabletothenotionofmakinghimaregularpartner-\"
\"Noneofthat!\"CharlesCraytoncutin。\"WhenwegettoDawsonwe’requitofhim-that’stheagreement。We’donlyhavetoburyhimifwelethimstayonwithus。Besides,there’sgoingtobeafamine,andeveryounceofgrub’llcount。Remember,we’refeedinghimoutofourownsupplyallthewayin。Andifwerunshortinthepinchnextyear,you’llknowthereason。Steamboatscan’tgetupgrubtoDawsontillthemiddleofJune,andthat’sninemonthsaway。\"
\"Well,youputasmuchmoneyandoutfitinastherestofus,\"BigBillconceded,\"andyou’veasayaccording。\"
\"AndI’mgoingtohavemysay,\"Charlesassertedwithincreasingirritability。\"Andit’sluckyforyouwithyourfoolsentimentsthatyou’vegotsomebodytothinkaheadforyou,elseyou’dallstarvetodeath。Itellyouthatfamine’scoming。I’vebeenstudyingthesituation。Flourwillbetwodollarsapound,orten,andnosellers。Youmarkmywords。\"
Acrosstherubble-coveredflats,upthedarkcanyontoSheepCamp,pasttheover-hangingandever-threateningglacierstotheScales,andfromtheScalesupthesteeppitchesofice-scouredrockwherepackersclimbedwithhandsandfeet,OldTarwatercamp-cookedandpackedandsang。HeblewacrossChilcootPass,abovetimberline,inthefirstswirlofautumnsnow。Thosebelow,withoutfirewood,onthebitterrimofCraterLake,heardfromthedrivingobscurityabovethemaweirdvoicechanting:
\"LikeArgusoftheancienttimes,WeleavethismodernGreece,Tum-tum,tum-tum,tum,tum,tum-tum,TosheartheGoldenFleece。\"
Andoutofthesnowflurriestheysawappearatall,gauntform,withwhiskersofflyingwhitethatblendedwiththestorm,bendingunderasixty-poundpackofcampdunnage。
\"FatherChristmas!\"wasthehail。Andthen:\"ThreerousingcheersforFatherChristmas!\"
TwomilesbeyondCraterLakelayHappyCamp-sonamedbecauseherewasfoundtheuppermostfringeofthetimberline,wheremenmightwarmthemselvesbyfireagain。Scarcelycoulditbecalledtimber,foritwasadwarfrock-sprucethatneverraiseditsloftiestbrancheshigherthanafootabovethemoss,andthattwistedandgrovelledlikeapig-vegetableunderthemoss。Here,onthetrailleadingintoHappyCamp,inthefirstsunshineofhalfadozendays,OldTarwaterrestedhispackagainstahugeboulderandcaughthisbreath。Aroundthisboulderthetrailpassed,ladenmentoilingslowlyforwardandmenwithemptypack-strapslimpingrapidlybackforfreshloads。TwiceOldTarwateressayedtoriseandgoon,andeachtime,warnedbyhisshakiness,sankbacktorecovermorestrength。Fromaroundtheboulderheheardvoicesingreeting,recognizedCharlesCrayton’svoice,andrealizedthatatlasttheyhadmetupwithYoungLiverpool。Quickly,Charlesplungedintobusiness,andTarwaterheardwithgreatdistinctnesseverywordofCharles’unflatteringdescriptionofhimandthepropositiontogivehimpassagetoDawson。
\"Adamfoolproposition,\"wasLiverpool’sjudgment,whenCharleshadconcluded。\"Anoldgranddadofseventy!Ifhe’sonhislastlegs,whyinhelldidyouhookupwithhim?Ifthere’sgoingtobeafamine,anditlookslikeit,weneedeveryounceofgrubforourselves。Weonlyout-fittedforfour,notfive。\"
\"It’sallright,\"TarwaterheardCharlesassuringtheother。
\"Don’tgetexcited。Theoldcodgeragreedtoleavethefinaldecisiontoyouwhenwecaughtupwithyou。Allyou’vegottodoisputyourfootdownandsayno。\"
\"Youmeanit’suptometoturntheoldonedown,afteryourencouraginghimandtakingadvantageofhisworkclearfromDyeahere?\"
\"It’sahardtrail,Liverpool,andonlythementhatarehardwillgetthrough,\"Charlesstrovetopalliate。
\"AndI’mtodothedirtywork?\"Liverpoolcomplained,whileTarwater’sheartsank。
\"That’sjustaboutthesizeofit,\"Charlessaid。\"You’vegotthedeciding。\"
ThenoldTarwater’sheartuproseagainastheairwasrentbyacycloneofprofanity,fromthemidstofwhichcrackledsentenceslike:-\"Dirtyskunks!……Seeyouinhellfirst!……Mymind’smadeup!……Hell’sfireandcorruption!……TheoldcodgergoesdowntheYukonwithus,stackonthat,myhearty!……
Hard?Youdon’tknowwhathardisunlessIshowyou!……I’llbustthewholeoutfittohellandgoneifanyofyoutrytoside-
trackhim!……Justtrytoside-trackhim,thatisall,andyou’llthinktheDayofJudgmentandallGod’sblastingnesshashitthecampinonechunk!\"
SuchwastheinvigoratingnessofLiverpool’sflowofspeechthat,quitewithoutconsciousnessofeffort,theoldmanaroseeasilyunderhisloadandstrodeontowardHappyCamp。
FromHappyCamptoLongLake,fromLongLaketoDeepLake,andfromDeepLakeupovertheenormoushog-backanddowntoLinderman,theman-killingraceagainstwinterkepton。Menbroketheirheartsandbacksandweptbesidethetrailinsheerexhaustion。Butwinterneverfaltered。Thefallgalesblew,andamidbittersoakingrainsandever-increasingsnowflurries,Tarwaterandthepartytowhichhewasattachedpiledthelastoftheiroutfitonthebeach。
Therewasnorest。Acrossthelake,amileabovearoaringtorrent,theylocatedapatchofspruceandbuilttheirsaw-pit。
Here,byhand,withaninadequatewhipsaw,theysawedthespruce-
trunksintolumber。Theyworkednightandday。Thrice,onthenight-shift,underneathinthesaw-pit,OldTarwaterfainted。Bydayhecookedaswell,and,inthebetweenwhiles,helpedAnsoninthebuildingoftheboatbesidethetorrentasthegreenplankscamedown。
Thedaysgrewshorter。Thewindshiftedintothenorthandblewunendinggales。InthemorningsthewearymencrawledfromtheirblanketsandintheirsocksthawedouttheirfrozenshoesbythefireTarwateralwayshadburningforthem。EverarosetheincreasingtaleoffamineontheInside。ThelastgrubsteamboatsupfromBeringSeawerestalledbylowwateratthebeginningoftheYukonFlatshundredsofmilesnorthofDawson。Infact,theylayattheoldHudsonBayCompany’spostatFortYukoninsidetheArcticCircle。FlourinDawsonwasuptotwodollarsapound,butnoonewouldsell。BonanzaandEldoradoKings,withmoneytoburn,wereleavingfortheOutsidebecausetheycouldbuynogrub。
Miners’Committeeswereconfiscatingallgrubandputtingthepopulationonstrictrations。Amanwhoheldoutanounceofgrubwasshotlikeadog。Ascorehadbeensoexecutedalready。
And,underastrainwhichhadbrokensomanyyoungermen,OldTarwaterbegantobreak。Hiscoughhadbecometerrible,andhadnothisexhaustedcomradessleptlikethedead,hewouldhavekeptthemawakenights。Also,hebegantotakechills,sothathedresseduptogotobed。Whenhehadfinishedsodressing,notaragofgarmentremainedinhisclothesbag。Allhepossessedwasonhisbackandswathedaroundhisgauntoldform。
\"Gee!\"saidBigBill。\"Ifheputsallhe’sgotonnow,whenitain’tlowerthantwentyabove,what’llhedolateronwhenitgoesdowntofiftyandsixtybelow?\"
Theylinedtherough-madeboatdownthemountaintorrent,nearlylosingitadozentimes,androwedacrossthesouthendofLakeLindermaninthethickofafallblizzard。Nextmorningtheyplannedtoloadandstart,squarelyintotheteethofthenorth,ontheirperiloustraverseofhalfathousandmilesoflakesandrapidsandboxcanyons。Butbeforehewenttobedthatnight,YoungLiverpoolwasoutoverthecamp。Hereturnedtofindhiswholepartyasleep。RousingTarwater,hetalkedwithhiminlowtones。
\"Listen,dad,\"hesaid-\"You’vegotapassageinourboat,andifeveramanearnedapassageyouhave。Butyouknowyourselfyou’reprettywellalonginyears,andyourhealthrightnowain’texciting。Ifyougoonwithusyou’llcroaksurer’nhell-NowwaittillIfinish,dad。Thepriceforapassagehasjumpedtofivehundreddollars。I’vebeenthrowingmyfeetandI’vehustledapassenger。He’sanofficialoftheAlaskaCommercialandjusthastogetin。He’sbiduptosixhundredtogowithmeinourboat。Nowthepassageisyours。Yousellittohim,pokethesixhundredintoyourjeans,andpullSouthforCaliforniawhilethegoin’sgood。YoucanbeinDyeaintwodays,andinCaliforniainaweekmore。Whatd’yesay?\"
Tarwatercoughedandshiveredforaspace,erehecouldgetfreedomofbreathforspeech。
\"Son,\"hesaid,\"Ijustwanttotellyouonething。IdrovemyfouryokeofoxenacrossthePlainsinForty-nineandlostnaryaone。IdrovethemplumbtoCaliforny,andIfreightedwiththemafterwardoutofSutter’sForttoAmericanBar。NowI’mgoingtoKlondike。Ain’tnothingcanstopme,ain’tnothingatall。I’mgoingtoridethatboat,withyouatthesteeringsweep,cleantoKlondike,andI’mgoingtoshakethreehundredthousandoutofthemoss-roots。Thatbeingso,it’scontrarytoreasonandcommonsenseformetoselloutmypassage。ButIthankyoukindly,son,Ithankyoukindly。\"
Theyoungsailorshotouthishandimpulsivelyandgrippedtheoldman’s。
\"ByGod,dad!\"hecried。\"You’resuregoingtogothen。You’retherealstuff。\"HelookedwithundisguisedcontemptacrossthesleeperstowhereCharlesCraytonsnoredinhisredbeard。\"Theydon’tseemtomakeyourkindanymore,dad。\"
Intothenorththeyfoughttheirway,althoughold-timers,comingout,shooktheirheadsandprophesiedtheywouldbefrozeninonthelakes。Thatthefreeze-upmightcomeanydaywaspatent,anddelaysofsafetywerenolongerconsidered。Forthisreason,LiverpooldecidedtoshoottherapidstreamconnectingLindermantoLakeBennettwiththefullyloadedboat。Itwasthecustomtolinetheemptyboatsdownandtoportagethecargoesacross。Eventhenmanyemptyboatshadbeenwrecked。Butthetimewaspastforsuchprecaution。
\"Climbout,dad,\"Liverpoolcommandedashepreparedtoswingfromthebankandentertherapids。
OldTarwatershookhiswhitehead。
\"I’mstickingtotheoutfit,\"hedeclared。\"It’stheonlywaytogetthrough。Yousee,son,I’mgoingtoKlondike。IfIstickbytheboat,thentheboatjustnaturallygoestoKlondike,too。IfI
getout,thenmostlikelyyou’lllosetheboat。\"
\"Well,there’snouseinoverloading,\"Charlesannounced,springingabruptlyoutonthebankastheboatcastoff。
\"Nexttimeyouwaitformyorders!\"Liverpoolshoutedashoreasthecurrentgrippedtheboat。\"Andtherewon’tbeanymorewalkingaroundrapidsandlosingtimewaitingtopickyouup!\"
Whattookthemtenminutesbyriver,tookCharleshalfanhourbyland,andwhiletheywaitedforhimattheheadofLakeBennetttheypassedthetimeofdaywithseveraldilapidatedold-timersontheirwayout。Thefaminenewswasgraverthanever。TheNorth-
westMountedPolice,stationedatthefootofLakeMarshwherethegold-rushersenteredCanadianterritory,wererefusingtoletamanpastwhodidnotcarrywithhimsevenhundredpoundsofgrub。InDawsonCityathousandmen,withdog-teams,werewaitingthefreeze-uptocomeoutovertheice。Thetradingcompaniescouldnotfilltheirgrub-contracts,andpartnerswerecuttingthecardstoseewhichshouldgoandwhichshouldstayandworktheclaims。
\"Thatsettlesit,\"Charlesannounced,whenhelearnedoftheactionofthemountedpoliceontheboundary。\"OldMan,youmightaswellstartbacknow。\"
\"Climbaboard!\"Liverpoolcommanded。\"We’regoingtoKlondike,andolddadisgoingalong。\"
AshiftofgaletothesouthgavethemafairwinddownLakeBennett,beforewhichtheyranunderahugesailmadebyLiverpool。
Theheavyweightofoutfitgavesuchballastthathecrackedonasadaringsailorshouldwhenmomentscounted。Ashiftoffourpointsintothesouth-west,comingjustattherighttimeastheyentereduponCaribouCrossing,drovethemdownthatconnectinglinktolakesTagishandMarsh。Instormysunsetandtwilight-theymadethedangerouscrossingofGreatWindyArm,whereintheybeheldtwootherboat-loadsofgold-rusherscapsizeanddrown。
Charleswasforbeachingforthenight,butLiverpoolheldon,steeringdownTagishbythesoundofthesurfontheshoalsandbytheoccasionalshore-firesthatadvertisedwreckedortimidargonauts。Atfourinthemorning,hearousedCharles。OldTarwater,shiveringlyawake,heardLiverpoolorderCraytonaftbesidehimatthesteering-sweep,andalsoheardtheone-sidedconversation。
\"Justlisten,friendCharles,andkeepyourownmouthshut,\"
Liverpoolbegan。\"Iwantyoutogetonethingintoyourheadandkeepitthere:OLDDAD’SGOINGBYTHEPOLICE。UNDERSTAND?HE’S
GOINGBY。Whentheyexamineouroutfit,olddad’sgotafifthshareinit,savvee?That’llputusall’wayunderwhatweoughttohave,butwecanbluffitthrough。Nowgetthis,andgetithard:THEREAIN’TGOINGTOBEANYFALL-DOWNONTHISBLUFF-\"
\"IfyouthinkI’dgiveawayontheoldcodger-\"Charlesbeganindignantly。
\"Youthoughtthat,\"Liverpoolcheckedhim,\"becauseInevermentionedanysuchthing。Now-getmeandgetmehard:Idon’tcarewhatyou’vebeenthinking。It’swhatyou’regoingtothink。
We’llmakethepolicepostsometimethisafternoon,andwe’vegottogetreadytopullthebluffwithoutahitch,andawordtothewiseisplenty。\"
\"IfyouthinkI’vegotitinmymind-\"Charlesbeganagain。
\"Lookhere,\"Liverpoolshuthimoff。\"Idon’tknowwhat’sinyourmind。Idon’twanttoknow。Iwantyoutoknowwhat’sinmymind。
Ifthere’sanyslip-up,ifolddadgetsturnedbackbythepolice,I’mgoingtopickoutthefirstquietbitoflandscapeandtakeyouashoreonit。AndthenI’mgoingtobeatyouuptotheQueen’staste。Getme,andgetmehard。Itain’tgoingtobeanyhalf-waybeating,butareal,two-legged,two-fisted,he-manbeating。I
don’texpectI’llkillyou,butI’llcomedamnneartohalf-killingyou。\"
\"ButwhatcanIdo?\"Charlesalmostwhimpered。
\"Justonething,\"wasLiverpool’sfinalword。\"Youjustpray。Youpraysohardthatolddadgetsbythepolicethathedoesgetby。
That’sall。Gobacktoyourblankets。\"
BeforetheygainedLakeLeBarge,thelandwassheetedwithsnowthatwouldnotmeltforhalfayear。Norcouldtheylaytheirboatatwillagainstthebank,fortherim-icewasalreadyforming。
Insidethemouthoftheriver,justereitenteredLakeLeBarge,theyfoundahundredstorm-boundboatsoftheargonauts。Outofthenorth,acrossthefullsweepofthegreatlake,blewanunendingsnowgale。Threemorningstheyputoutandfoughtitandthecrestingseasitdrovethatturnedtoiceastheyfellin-
board。Whiletheothersbroketheirheartsattheoars,OldTarwatermanagedtokeepupjustsufficientcirculationtosurvivebychoppingiceandthrowingitoverboard。
Eachdayforthreedays,beatentohelplessness,theyturnedtailonthebattleandranbackintotheshelteringriver。Bythefourthday,thehundredboatshadincreasedtothreehundred,andthetwothousandargonautsonboardknewthatthegreatgaleheraldedthefreeze-upofLeBarge。Beyond,therapidriverswouldcontinuetorunfordays,butunlesstheygotbeyond,andimmediately,theyweredoomedtobefrozeninforsixmonthstocome。
\"Thisdaywegothrough,\"Liverpoolannounced。\"Weturnbackfornothing。Andthoseofusthatdiesattheoarswillliveagainandgoonpulling。\"
Andtheywentthrough,winninghalfthelengthofthelakebynightfallandpullingonthroughallthenighthoursasthewindwentdown,fallingasleepattheoarsandbeingrappedawakebyLiverpool,toilingonthroughanage-longnightmarewhilethestarscameoutandthesurfaceofthelaketurnedtotheunrufflednessofasheetofpaperandfrozeskin-icethattinkledlikebrokenglassastheiroar-bladesshatteredit。
Asdaybrokeclearandcold,theyenteredtheriver,withbehindthemaseaofice。Liverpoolexaminedhisagedpassengerandfoundhimhelplessandalmostgone。Whenheroundedtheboattoagainsttherim-icetobuildafireandwarmupTarwaterinsideandout,Charlesprotestedagainstsuchlossoftime。
\"Thisain’tbusiness,sodon’tyoucomehorningin,\"Liverpoolinformedhim。\"I’mrunningtheboattrip。Soyoujustclimboutandchopfirewood,andplentyofit。I’lltakecareofdad。You,Anson,makeafireonthebank。Andyou,Bill,setuptheYukonstoveintheboat。Olddadain’tasyoungastherestofus,andfortherestofthisvoyagehe’sgoingtohaveafireonboardtositby。\"
Allofwhichcametopass;andtheboat,inthegripofthecurrent,likeariversteamerwithsmokerisingfromthetwojointsofstove-pipe,groundedonshoals,hunguponsplitcurrents,andchargedrapidsandcanyons,asitdrovedeeperintotheNorthlandwinter。TheBigandLittleSalmonriverswerethrowingmush-iceintothemainriverastheypassed,and,belowtheriffles,anchor-
icearosefromtheriverbottomandcoatedthesurfacewithcrystalscum。Nightanddaytherim-icegrew,till,inquietplaces,itextendedoutahundredyardsfromshore。AndOldTarwater,withallhisclotheson,satbythestoveandkeptthefiregoing。
Nightandday,notdaringtostopforfearoftheimminentfreeze-
up,theydaredtorun,anincreasingmushinessoficerunningwiththem。
\"Whatho,oldhearty?\"Liverpoolwouldcalloutattimes。
\"CheerO,\"OldTarwaterhadlearnedtorespond。
\"WhatcanIeverdoforyou,son,inpayment?\"Tarwater,stokingthefire,wouldsometimesaskLiverpool,beatingnowonereleasedhandandnowtheotherashefoughtforcirculationwherehesteeredinthefreezingstern-sheets。
\"Justbreakoutthatregularsongofyours,oldForty-Niner,\"wastheinvariablereply。
AndTarwaterwouldlifthisvoiceinthecacklingchant,ashelifteditattheend,whentheboatswunginthroughdrivingcake-
iceandmooredtotheDawsonCitybank,andallwaterfrontDawsonprickeditsearstohearthetriumphantpaean:
LikeArgusoftheancienttimes,WeleavethismodernGreece,Tum-tum,tum-tum,tum,tum,tum-tum,TosheartheGoldenFleece,Charlesdidit,buthediditsodiscreetlythatnoneofhisparty,leastofallthesailor,everlearnedofit。Hesawtwogreatopenbargesbeingfilledupwithmen,and,oninquiry,learnedthattheseweregrublessonesbeingroundedupandsentdowntheYukonbytheCommitteeofSafety。ThebargesweretobetowedbythelastlittlesteamboatinDawson,andthehopewasthatFortYukon,wherelaythestrandedsteamboats,wouldbegainedbeforetheriverfroze。Atanyrate,nomatterwhathappenedtothem,Dawsonwouldberelievedoftheirgrub-consumingpresence。SototheCommitteeofSafetyCharleswent,privilytodropafleainitsearconcerningTarwater’sgrubless,moneyless,andagedcondition。
Tarwaterwasoneofthelastgatheredin,andwhenYoungLiverpoolreturnedtotheboat,fromthebankhesawthebargesinarunofcake-ice,disappearingaroundthebendbelowMoose-hideMountain。
Runningincake-icealltheway,andseveraltimesescapingjamsintheYukonFlats,thebargesmadetheirhundredsofmilesofprogressfartherintothenorthandfrozeupcheekbyjowlwiththegrub-fleet。Here,insidetheArcticCircle,OldTarwatersettleddowntopassthelongwinter。Severalhours’workaday,choppingfirewoodforthesteamboatcompanies,sufficedtokeephiminfood。
Fortherestofthetimetherewasnothingtodobuthibernateinhislogcabin。
Warmth,rest,andplentytoeat,curedhishackingcoughandputhiminasgoodphysicalconditionaswaspossibleforhisadvancedyears。But,evenbeforeChristmas,thelackoffreshvegetablescausedscurvytobreakout,anddisappointedadventurerafterdisappointedadventurertooktohisbunkinabjectsurrendertothisculminatingmisfortune。NotsoTarwater。Evenbeforethefirstsymptomsappearedonhim,hewasputtingintopracticehisoneprescription,namely,exercise。Fromthejunkoftheoldtradingpostheresurrectedanumberofrustytraps,andfromoneofthesteamboatcaptainsheborrowedarifle。
Thusequipped,heceasedfromwood-chopping,andbegantomakemorethanamereliving。Norwashedownheartedwhenthescurvybrokeoutonhisownbody。Everheranhistrap-linesandsanghisancientchant。NorcouldthepessimistshakehissuretyofthethreehundredthousandofAlaskangoldheasgoingtoshakeoutofthemoss-roots。
\"Butthisain’tgold-country,\"theytoldhim。
\"Goldiswhereyoufindit,son,asIshouldknowwhowasminingbeforeyouwasborn,’waybackinForty-Nine,\"washisreply。
\"WhatwasBonanzaCreekbutamoose-pasture?Nominer’dlookatit;yettheywashedfive-hundred-dollarpansandtookoutfiftymilliondollars。Eldoradowasjustasbad。Forallyouknow,rightunderthisherecabin,orrightoverthenexthill,ismillionsjustwaitingforaluckyonelikemetocomeandshakeitout。\"
AttheendofJanuarycamehisdisaster。Somepowerfulanimalthathedecidedwasabob-cat,managingtogetcaughtinoneofhissmallertraps,draggeditaway。Aheavysnow-fallputastopmidwaytohispursuit,losingthetrailforhimandlosinghimself。
Therewerebutseveralhoursofdaylighteachdaybetweenthetwentyhoursofinterveningdarkness,andhiseffortsinthegreylightandcontinuallyfallingsnowsucceededonlyinlosinghimmorethoroughly。Fortunately,whenwintersnowfallsintheNorthlandthethermometerinvariablyrises;so,insteadofthecustomaryfortyandfiftyandevensixtydegreesbelowzero,thetemperatureremainedfifteenbelow。Also,hewaswarmlycladandhadafullmatchbox。Furthertomitigatehispredicament,onthefifthdayhekilledawoundedmoosethatweighedoverhalfaton。
Makinghiscampbesideitonaspruce-bottom,hewaspreparedtolastoutthewinter,unlessasearchingpartyfoundhimorhisscurvygrewworse。
Butattheendoftwoweekstherehadbeennosignofsearch,whilehisscurvyhadundeniablygrownworse。Againsthisfire,bankedfromoutercoldbyashelter-wallofspruce-boughs,hecrouchedlonghoursinsleepandlonghoursinwaking。Butthewakinghoursgrewless,becomingsemi-wakingorhalf-dreaminghoursastheprocessofhibernationworkedtheirwaywithhim。SlowlythesparklepointofconsciousnessandidentitythatwasJohnTarwatersank,deeperanddeeper,intotheprofoundsofhisbeingthathadbeencompoundederemanwasman,andwhilehewasbecomingman,whenhe,firstofallanimals,regardedhimselfwithanintrospectiveeyeandlaidthebeginningsofmoralityinfoundationsofnightmarepeopledbythemonstersofhisownethic-
thwarteddesires。
Likeamaninfever,wakingtointervalsofconsciousness,soOldTarwaterawoke,cookedhismoose-meat,andfedthefire;butmoreandmoretimehespentinhistorpor,unawareofwhatwasday-dreamandwhatwassleep-dreaminthecontentofhisunconsciousness。
Andhere,intheunforgetablecryptsofman’sunwrittenhistory,unthinkableandunrealizable,likepassagesofnightmareorimpossibleadventuresoflunacy,heencounteredthemonsterscreatedofman’sfirstmoralitythateversincehavevexedhimintothespinningoffantasiestoeludethemordobattlewiththem。
Inshort,weightedbyhisseventyyears,inthevastandsilentlonelinessoftheNorth,OldTarwater,asinthedeliriumofdrugoranaesthetic,recoveredwithinhimself,theinfantilemindofthechild-manoftheearlyworld。ItwasintheduskofDeath’sflutterywingsthatTarwaterthuscrouched,and,likehisremoteforebear,thechild-man,wenttomyth-making,andsun-heroizing,himselfhero-makerandtheheroinquestoftheimmemorabletreasuredifficultofattainment。
Eithermustheattainthetreasure-forsorantheinexorablelogicoftheshadow-landoftheunconscious-orelsesinkintotheall-devouringsea,theblacknesseaterofthelightthatswallowedtoextinctionthesuneachnight……thesunthataroseeverinrebirthnextmorningintheeast,andthathadbecometomanman’sfirstsymbolofimmortalitythroughrebirth。Allthis,inthedeepsofhisunconsciousness(theshadowywesternlandofdescendinglight),wasthenearduskofDeathdownintowhichheslowlyebbed。
Buthowtoescapethismonsterofthedarkthatfromwithinhimslowlyswallowedhim?Toodeep-sunkwashetodreamofescapeorfeeltheprodofdesiretoescape。Forhimrealityhadceased。
Norfromwithinthedarkenedchamberofhimselfcouldrealityrecrudesce。Hisyearsweretooheavyuponhim,thedebilityofdiseaseandthelethargyandtorporofthesilenceandthecoldweretooprofound。Onlyfromwithoutcouldrealityimpactuponhimandreawakewithinhimanawarenessofreality。Otherwisehewouldoozedownthroughtheshadow-realmoftheunconsciousintotheall-
darknessofextinction。
Butitcame,thesmashofrealityfromwithout,crashinguponhiseardrumsinaloud,explosivesnort。Fortwentydays,inatemperaturethathadneverrisenabovefiftybelow,nobreathofwindhadblownmovement,noslightestsoundhadbrokenthesilence。
Likethesmokerontheopiumcouchrefocusinghiseyesfromthespaciouswallsofdreamtothenarrowconfinesofthemeanlittleroom,soOldTarwaterstaredvague-eyedbeforehimacrosshisdyingfire,atahugemoosethatstaredathiminstartlement,draggingawoundedleg,manifestingallsignsofextremeexhaustion;it,too,hadbeenstrayingblindlyintheshadow-land,andhadwakenedtorealityonlyjustereitsteppedintoTarwater’sfire。
Hefeeblyslippedthelargefurmittenlinedwiththicknessofwoolfromhisrighthand。Upontrialhefoundthetriggerfingertoonumbformovement。Carefully,slowly,throughlongminutes,heworkedthebarehandinsidehisblankets,upunderhisfurPARKA,throughthechestopeningsofhisshirts,andintotheslightlywarmhollowofhisleftarm-pit。Longminutespassederethefingercouldmove,when,withequalslownessofcaution,hegatheredhisrifletohisshoulderanddrewbeaduponthegreatanimalacrossthefire。
Attheshot,ofthetwoshadow-wanderers,theonereeleddownwardtothedarkandtheotherreeledupwardtothelight,swayingdrunkenlyonhisscurvy-ravagedlegs,shiveringwithnervousnessandcold,rubbingswimmingeyeswithshakingfingers,andstaringattherealworldallabouthimthathadreturnedtohimwithsuchsickeningsuddenness。Heshookhimselftogether,andrealizedthatforlong,howlonghedidnotknow,hehadbeddedinthearmsofDeath。Hespat,withdefiniteintention,heardthespittlecrackleinthefrost,andjudgeditmustbebelowandfarbelowsixtybelow。Intruth,thatdayatFortYukon,thespiritthermometerregisteredseventy-fivedegreesbelowzero,which,sincefreezing-
pointisthirty-twoabove,wasequivalenttoonehundredandsevendegreesoffrost。
SlowlyTarwater’sbrainreasonedtoaction。Here,inthevastalone,dweltDeath。Herehadcometwowoundedmoose。Withtheclearingoftheskyafterthegreatcoldcameon,hehadlocatedhisbearings,andheknewthatbothwoundedmoosehadtrailedtohimfromtheeast。Therefore,intheeast,weremen-whitesorIndianshecouldnottell,butatanyratemenwhomightstandbyhiminhisneedandhelpmoorhimtorealityabovetheseaofdark。
Hemovedslowly,buthemovedinreality,girdinghimselfwithrifle,ammunition,matches,andapackoftwentypoundsofmoose-
meat。Then,anArgusrejuvenated,albeitlameofbothlegsandtottery,heturnedhisbackontheperilouswestandlimpedintothesun-arising,re-birthingeast……
Dayslater-howmanydayslaterhewasnevertoknow-dreamingdreamsandseeingvisions,cacklinghisoldgold-chantofForty-
Nine,likeonedrowningandswimmingfeeblytokeephisconsciousnessabovetheengulfingdark,hecameoutuponthesnow-
slopetoacanyonandsawbelowsmokerisingandmenwhoceasedfromworktogazeathim。Hetottereddownthehilltothem,stillsinging;andwhenheceasedfromlackofbreaththeycalledhimvariously:SantaClaus,OldChristmas,Whiskers,theLastoftheMohicans,andFatherChristmas。Andwhenhestoodamongthemhestoodverystill,withoutspeech,whilegreattearswelledoutofhiseyes。Hecriedsilently,alongtime,till,asifsuddenlybethinkinghimself,hesatdowninthesnowwithmuchcreakingandcracklingofhisjoints,andfromthislowvantagepointtoppledsidewiseandfaintedcalmlyandeasilyaway。
InlessthanaweekOldTarwaterwasupandlimpingaboutthehouseworkofthecabin,cookinganddish-washingforthefivemenofthecreek。Genuinesourdoughs(pioneers)theywere,toughandhard-bitten,whohadbeenburiedsodeeplyinsidetheCirclethattheydidnotknowtherewasaKlondikeStrike。Thenewshebroughtthemwastheirfirstwordofit。Theylivedonanalmoststraight-
meatdietofmoose,caribou,andsmokedsalmon,ekedoutwithwildberriesandsomewhatsucculentwildrootstheyhadstockedupwithinthesummer。Theyhadforgottenthetasteofcoffee,madefirewithaburningglass,carriedlivefire-stickswiththemwherevertheytravelled,andintheirpipessmokeddryleavesthatbitthetongueandwerepungenttothenostrils。
Threeyearsbefore,theyhadprospectedfromthehead-reachesoftheKoyokuknorthwardandclearacrosstothemouthoftheMackenzieontheArcticOcean。Here,onthewhaleships,theyhadbeheldtheirlastwhitemenandequippedthemselveswiththelastwhiteman’sgrub,consistingprincipallyofsaltandsmokingtobacco。StrikingsouthandwestonthelongtraversetothejunctionoftheYukonandPorcupineatFortYukon,theyhadfoundgoldonthiscreekandremainedovertoworktheground。
TheyhailedtheadventofTarwaterwithjoy,nevertiredoflisteningtohistalesofForty-Nine,andrechristenedhimOldHero。Also,withteamadefromspruceneedles,withconcoctionsbrewedfromtheinnerwillowbark,andwithsourandbitterrootsandbulbsfromtheground,theydosedhisscurvyoutofhim,sothatheceasedlimpingandbegantolayonfleshoverhisbonyframework。Further,theysawnoreasonatallwhyheshouldnotgatherarichtreasureofgoldfromtheground。
\"Don’tknowaboutallofthreehundredthousand,\"theytoldhimonemorning,atbreakfast,eretheydepartedtotheirwork,\"buthow’dahundredthousanddo,OldHero?That’swhatwefigureaclaimisworth,thegroundbeingbadlyspotted,andwe’vealreadystakedyourlocationnotices。\"
\"Well,boys,\"OldTarwateranswered,\"andthankingyoukindly,allIcansayisthatahundredthousandwilldonicely,andverynicely,forastarter。Ofcourse,Iain’tgoin’tostoptillIgetthefullthreehundredthousand。That’swhatIcomeintothecountryfor。\"
Theylaughedandapplaudedhisambitionandreckonedthey’dhavetohuntarichercreekforhim。AndOldHeroreckonedthatasthespringcameonandhegrewspryer,he’dhavetogetoutanddoalittlesnoopingaroundhimself。
\"Forallanybodyknows,\"hesaid,pointingtoahillsideacrossthecreekbottom,\"themossunderthesnowtheremaybeplumbrootedinnuggetgold。\"
Hesaidnomore,butasthesunrosehigherandthedaysgrewlongerandwarmer,hegazedoftenacrossthecreekatthedefinitebench-formationhalfwayupthehill。And,oneday,whenthethawwasinfullswing,hecrossedthestreamandclimbedtothebench。
Exposedpatchesofgroundhadalreadythawedaninchdeep。Ononesuchpatchhestopped,gatheredabunchofmossinhisbiggnarledhands,andrippeditoutbytheroots。Thesunsmoulderedondullyglisteningyellow。Heshookthehandfulofmoss,andcoarsenuggets,likegravel,felltotheground。ItwastheGoldenFleecereadyfortheshearing。
NotentirelyunrememberedinAlaskanannalsisthesummerstampedeof1898fromFortYukontothebenchdiggingsofTarwaterHill。
AndwhenTarwatersoldhisholdingstotheBowdieinterestsforasheerhalf-millionandfacedforCalifornia,herodeamuleoveranew-cuttrail,withconvenientroadhousesalongtheway,cleartothesteamboatlandingatFortYukon。
Atthefirstmealontheocean-goingsteamshipoutofSt。Michaels,awaiter,greyish-haired,pain-ravagedofface,scurvy-twistedofbody,servedhim。OldTarwaterwascompelledtolookhimovertwiceinordertomakecertainhewasCharlesCrayton。
\"Gotitbad,eh,son?\"Tarwaterqueried。
\"Justmyluck,\"theothercomplained,afterrecognitionandgreeting。\"Onlyoneofthepartythatthescurvyattacked。I’vebeenthroughhell。Theotherthreeareallatworkandhealthy,gettinggrub-staketoprospectupWhiteRiverthiswinter。Anson’searningtwenty-fiveadayatcarpentering,Liverpoolgettingtwentyloggingforthesaw-mill,andBigBill’sgettingfortyadayaschiefsawyer。Itriedmybest,andifithadn’tbeenforscurvy……\"
\"Sure,son,youdoneyourbest,whichain’tmuch,youbeingnaturallyirritableandhardfromtoomuchbusiness。NowI’lltellyouwhat。Youain’tfittoworkcrippledupthisway。I’llpayyourpassagewiththecaptaininkindremembranceofthevoyageyougaveme,andyoucanlayupandtakeiteasytherestofthetrip。
AndwhatareyourcircumstanceswhenyoulandatSanFrancisco?\"
CharlesCraytonshruggedhisshoulders。
\"Tellyouwhat,\"Tarwatercontinued。\"There’sworkontheranchforyoutillyoucanstartbusinessagain。\"
\"Icouldmanageyourbusinessforyou-\"Charlesbeganeagerly。
\"No,siree,\"Tarwaterdeclaredemphatically。\"Butthere’salwayspost-holestodig,andcordwoodtochop,andtheclimate’sfine……\"
Tarwaterarrivedhomeatrueprodigalgrandfatherforwhomthefattedcalfwaskilledandready。Butfirst,erehesatdownattable,hemuststrolloutandaround。Andsonsanddaughtersofhisfleshandofthelawneedsmustgowithhimfulsomelyeatingoutofthegnarledoldhandthathadhalfamilliontodisburse。
Heledtheway,andnoopinionheslylyutteredwaspreposterousorimpossibleenoughtodrawdissentfromhisfollowing。Pausingbytheruinedwaterwheelwhichhehadbuiltfromthestandingtimber,hisfacebeamedashegazedacrossthestretchesofTarwaterValley,andonandupthefarheightstothesummitofTarwaterMountain-nowallhisagain。
Athoughtcametohimthatmadehimaverthisfaceandblowhisnoseinordertohidethetwinkleinhiseyes。Stillattendedbytheentirefamily,hestrolledontothedilapidatedbarn。Hepickedupanage-weatheredsingle-treefromtheground。
\"William,\"hesaid。\"RememberthatlittleconversationwehadjustbeforeIstartedtoKlondike?Sure,William,youremember。YoutoldmeIwascrazy。AndIsaidmyfather’dhavewallopedthetaroutofmewithasingle-treeifI’dspoketohimthatway。\"
\"Aw,butthatwasonlyfoolin’,\"Williamtemporized。
Williamwasagrizzledmanofforty-five,andhiswifeandgrownsonsstoodinthegroup,curiouslywatchingGrandfatherTarwatertakeoffhiscoatandhandittoMarytohold。
\"William-comehere,\"hecommandedimperatively。
Nomatterhowreluctantly,Williamcame。
\"Justataste,William,son,ofwhatmyfathergivemeoftenenough,\"OldTarwatercrooned,ashelaidonhisson’sbackandshoulderswiththesingle-tree。\"Observe,Iain’thittingyouonthehead。Myfatherhadagosh-wollickin’temperandneverdrewthelineatheadswhenhewentaftertar-Don’tjerkyourelbowsbackthatway!You’relikelytogetacrackononebyaccident。
Andjusttellmeonething,William,son:istherenarynotioninyourheadthatI’mcrazy?\"
\"No!\"Williamyelpedoutinpain,ashedancedabout。\"Youain’tcrazy,fatherofcourseyouain’tcrazy!\"
\"Yousaidit,\"OldTarwaterremarkedsententiously,tossingthesingle-treeasideandstartingtostruggleintohiscoat。
\"Nowlet’sallgoinandeat。\"
GlenEllen,California,SEPTEMBER14,1916。
STORY:THEPRINCESS
AFIREburnedcheerfullyinthejunglecamp,andbesidethefirelolledacheerful-seemingthoughhorrible-appearingman。Thiswasahobojungle,pitchedinathinstripofwoodsthatlaybetweenarailroadembankmentandthebankofariver。Butnohobowastheman。Sodeep-sunkwasheinthesocialabyssthataproperhobowouldnotsitbythesamefirewithhim。Agay-cat,whoisanignorantnew-comeronthe\"Road,\"mightsitwithsuchashe,butonlylongenoughtolearnbetter。Evenlowdownbindle-stiffsandstew-bums,afteraonce-over,wouldhavepassedthismanby。A
genuinehobo,acoupleofpunks,orabunchoftender-yearedroad-
kidsmighthavegonethroughhisragsforanystraypenniesornickelsandkickedhimoutintothedarkness。Evenanalki-stiffwouldhavereckonedhimselfimmeasurablysuperior。
Forthismanwasthathybridoftramp-land,analki-stiffthathasdegeneratedintoastew-bum,withsolittleself-respectthathewillnever\"boil-up,\"andwithsolittlepridethathewilleatoutofagarbagecan。Hewastrulyhorrible-appearing。Hemighthavebeensixtyyearsofage;hemighthavebeenninety。Hisgarmentsmighthavebeendiscardedbyarag-picker。Besidehim,anunrolledbundleshoweditselfasconsistingofaraggedovercoatandcontaininganemptyandsmoke-blackenedtomatocan,anemptyandbatteredcondensedmilkcan,somedog-meatpartlywrappedinbrownpaperandevidentlybeggedfromsomebutcher-shop,acarrotthathadbeenrunoverinthestreetbyawagon-wheel,threegreenish-
cankeredanddecayedpotatoes,andasugar-bunwithamouthfulbittenfromitandrescuedfromthegutter,aswasmadepatentbythegutter-filththatstillencrustedit。
Aprodigiousgrowthofwhiskers,greyish-dirtyanduntrimmedforyears,sproutedfromhisface。Thishirsutegrowthshouldhavebeenwhite,buttheseasonwassummerandithadnotbeenexposedtoarain-showerforsometime。Whatwasvisibleofthefacelookedasifatsomeperiodithadstoppedahand-grenade。Thenosewassovariouslymalformedinitshealedbrokennessthattherewasnobridge,whileonenostril,thesizeofapea,openeddownward,andtheother,thesizeofarobin’segg,tiltedupwardtothesky。Oneeye,ofnormalsize,dim-brownandmisty,bulgedtothevergeofpoppingout,andasiffromsenilityweptcopiouslyandcontinuously。Theothereye,scarcelylargerthanasquirrel’sandasuncannilybright,twistedupobliquelyintothehairyscarofabone-crushedeyebrow。Andhehadbutonearm。
Yetwashecheerful。Onhisface,inmilddegree,wasdepictedsensuouspleasureashelethargicallyscratchedhisribswithhisonehand。Hepawedoverhisfood-scraps,debated,thendrewatwelve-ouncedruggistbottlefromhisinsidecoat-pocket。Thebottlewasfullofacolourlessliquid,thecontemplationofwhichmadehislittleeyeburnbrighterandquickenedhismovements。
Pickingupthetomatocan,hearose,wentdowntheshortpathtotheriver,andreturnedwiththecanfilledwithnot-niceriverwater。Inthecondensedmilkcanhemixedonepartofwaterwithtwopartsoffluidfromthebottle。Thiscolourlessfluidwasdruggist’salcohol,andassuchisknownintramp-landas\"alki。\"
Slowfootsteps,comingdownthesideoftherailroadembankment,alarmedhimerehecoulddrink。Placingthecancarefullyuponthegroundbetweenhislegs,hecovereditwithhishatandwaitedanxiouslywhateverimpended。
Outofthedarknessemergedamanasfilthyraggedashe。Thenew-
comer,whomighthavebeenfifty,andmighthavebeensixty,wasgrotesquelyfat。Hebulgedeverywhere。Hewascomposedofbulges。
Hisbulbousnosewasthesizeandshapeofaturnip。Hiseyelidsbulgedandhisblueeyesbulgedincompetitionwiththem。Inmanyplacestheseamsofhisgarmentshadpartedacrossthebulgesofbody。Hiscalvesgrewintohisfeet,forthebrokenelasticsidesofhisCongressgaiterswereswelledfullwiththefatofhim。Onearmonlyhesported,fromtheshoulderofwhichwassuspendedasmallandtatteredbundlewiththemudcakeddryontheoutercoveringfromthelastplacehehadpitchedhisdoss。Headvancedwithtentativecaution,madesureoftheharmlessnessofthemanbesidethefire,andjoinedhim。
\"Hello,grandpa,\"thenew-comergreeted,thenpausedtostareattheother’sflaring,sky-opennostril。\"Say,Whiskers,how’dyekeepthenightdewoutofthatnoseo’yourn?\"
Whiskersgrowledanincoherencedeepinhisthroatandspatintothefireintokenthathewasnotpleasedbythequestion。
\"FortheloveofMike,\"thefatmanchuckled,\"ifyougotcaughtoutinarainstormwithoutanumbrellayou’dsuredrown,wouldn’tyou?\"
\"Canit,Fatty,canit,\"Whiskersmutteredwearily。\"Theyain’tnothin’newinthatlineofchatter。Eventhebullshanditouttome。\"
\"Butyoucanstilldrink,Ihope\";Fattyatthesametimemollifiedandinvited,withhisonehanddeftlypullingtheslip-knotsthatfastenedhisbundle。
Fromwithinthebundlehebroughttolightatwelve-ouncebottleofalki。Footstepscomingdowntheembankmentalarmedhim,andhehidthebottleunderhishatonthegroundbetweenhislegs。
Butthenextcomerprovedtobenotmerelyoneoftheirownilk,butlikewisetohaveonlyonearm。Soforbiddingofaspectwashethatgreetingsconsistedofnomorethangrunts。Huge-boned,tall,gaunttocadaverousness,hisfaceadirtydeath’shead,hewasasrepellentanightmareofoldageaseverDoreimagined。Histoothless,thin-lippedmouthwasacruelandbitterslashunderagreatcurvednosethatalmostmetthechinandthatwaslikeabuzzard’sbeak。Hisonehand,leanandcrooked,wasatalon。Thebeadygreyeyes,unblinkingandunwavering,werebitterasdeath,asbleakasabsolutezeroandasmerciless。Hispresencewasachill,andWhiskersandFattyinstinctivelydrewtogetherforprotectionagainsttheunguessedthreatofhim。Watchinghischance,privily,Whiskerssnuggledachunkofrockseveralpoundsinweighclosetohishandifneedforactionshouldarise。Fattyduplicatedtheperformance。
Thenbothsatlickingtheirlips,guiltilyembarrassed,whiletheunblinkingeyesoftheterribleoneboredintothem,nowintoone,nowintoanother,andthendownattherock-chunksoftheirpreparedness。
\"Huh!\"sneeredtheterribleone,withsuchdreadfulnessofmenaceastocauseWhiskersandFattyinvoluntarilytoclosetheirhandsdownontheircave-man’sweapons。
\"Huh!\"theotherrepeated,reachinghisonetalonintohissidecoatpocketwithswiftdefiniteness。\"Ahellofachanceyoutwocheapbums’dhavewithme。\"
Thetalonemerged,clutchingreadyforactionasix-poundironquoit。
\"Weain’tlookin’fortrouble,Slim,\"Fattyquavered。
\"Whoinhellareyoutocallme’Slim’?\"camethesnarlinganswer。
\"Me?I’mjustFatty,an’seein’’sIneverseenyoubefore-\"
\"An’Isupposethat’sWhiskers,there,withthegayan’festivelamptan-goingintohiseyebrowan’theGod-forgive-usnosejoy-
ridingalloverhismug?\"
\"It’lldo,it’lldo,\"Whiskersmuttereduncomfortably。\"Onemonica’sasgoodasanother,Ifind,atmytimeoflife。Andeverybodyhandsitouttomeanyway。AndIneedanumbrellawhenitrainstokeepfromgettingdrowned,an’alltherestofit。\"
\"Iain’tusedtocompany-don’tlikeit,\"Slimgrowled。\"Soifyouguyswanttostickaround,mindyourstep,that’sall,mindyourstep。\"
Hefishedfromhispocketacigarstump,self-evidentlyshotfromthegutter,andpreparedtoputitinhismouthtochew。Thenhechangedhismind,glaredathiscompanionssavagely,andunrolledhisbundle。Appearedinhishandadruggist’sbottleofalki。
\"Well,\"hesnarled,\"IsupposeIgottagiveyoucheapskatesadrinkwhenIain’tgotmore’nenoughforagoodpetrificationformyself。\"
Almostasofteningflickeroflightwasimminentinhiswitheredfaceashebeheldtheothersproudlylifttheirhatsandexhibittheirownsupplies。
\"Here’ssomewaterforthemixin’s,\"Whiskerssaid,profferinghistomato-canofriverslush。\"Stockyardsjustabove,\"headdedapologetically。\"Buttheysay-\"
\"Huh!\"Slimsnappedshort,mixingthedrink。\"I’vedrunkworse’nstockyardsinmytime。\"
Yetwhenallwasready,cansofalkiintheirsolitaryhands,thethreethingsthathadoncebeenmenhesitated,asifofoldhabit,andnextbetrayedshameasifatself-exposure。
Whiskerswasthefirsttobrazenit。
\"I’vesatinatmanyafinerdrinking,\"hebragged。
\"Withthepewter,\"Slimsneered。
\"Withthesilver,\"Whiskerscorrected。
Slimturnedascorchingeye-interrogationonFatty。
Fattynodded。
\"Beneaththesalt,\"saidSlim。
\"Aboveit,\"cameFatty’scorrection。\"Iwasbornaboveit,andI’venevertravelledsecondclass。Firstorsteerage,butnointermediateinmine。\"
\"Yourself?\"WhiskersqueriedofSlim。
\"InbrokenglasstotheQueen,Godblessher,\"Slimanswered,solemnly,withoutsnarlorsneer。
\"Inthepantry?\"Fattyinsinuated。
SimultaneouslySlimreachedforhisquoit,andWhiskersandFattyfortheirrocks。