第15章 The White Silence (第1/2页)

吴文智主编提示您：看后求收藏（宜小说jmvip3.com），接着再看更方便。

kLondon

‘Carmenwon&aos;tlastmorethanacouleofdays.’Masonsatoutachunkoficeandsurveyedtheooranimalruefully,thenutherfootinhismouthandroceededtobiteouttheicewhichclusteredcruellybetweenthetoes.

‘Ineversawadogwithahighfalutin&aos;namethateverwasworthara,’hesaid,asheconcludedhistaskandshovedheraside.&aos;Theyjustfadeawayanddieundertheresonsibility.DidyeeverseeonegowrongwithasensiblenamelikeCassiar,Siwash,orHusky?No,sir!TakealookatShookumhere,he&aos;s-&aos;Sna!Theleanbruteflashedu,thewhiteteethjustmissingMason&aos;sthroat.

‘Yewill,willye?’Ashrewdcloutbehindtheearwiththebuttofthedogwhistretchedtheanimalinthesnow,quiveringsoftly,ayellowslaverdriingfromitsfangs.

‘AsIwassaying,justlookatShookumhere-he&aos;sgotthesirit.BetyeheeatsCarmenbeforetheweek&aos;sout.’I&aos;llbankanotherroositionagainstthat,&aos;reliedMalemuteKid,reversingthefrozenbreadlacedbeforethefiretothaw.&aos;We&aos;lleatShookumbeforethetriisover.Whatd&aos;yesay,Ruth?&aos;TheIndianwomansettledthecoffeewithaieceofice,glancedfromMalemuteKidtoherhusband,thenatthedogs,butvouchsafednorely.Itwassuchaalabletruismthatnonewasnecessary.Twohundredmilesofunbrokentrailinrosect,withascantsixdays&aos;grubforthemselvesandnoneforthedogs,couldadmitnootheralternative.Thetwomenandthewomangrouedaboutthefireandbegantheirmeagermeal.Thedogslayintheirharnessesforitwasamiddayhalt,andwatchedeachmouthfulenviously.

‘Nomorelunchesaftertoday,’saidMalemuteKid.&aos;Andwe&aos;vegottokeeacloseeyeonthedogs-they&aos;regettingvicious.They&aos;djustassoonullafellowdownasnot,iftheygetachance.&aos;AndIwasresidentofanEworthonce,andtaughtintheSundayschool.&aos;Havingirrelevantlydeliveredhimselfofthis,Masonfellintoadreamycontemlationofhissteamingmoccasins,butwasarousedbyRuthfillinghiscu.

‘ThankGod,we&aos;vegotslathersoftea!I&aos;veseenitgrowing,downinTennessee.Whatwouldn&aos;tIgiveforahotcornonejustnow!Nevermind,Ruth;youwon&aos;tstarvemuchlonger,norwearmoccasinseither.&aos;Thewomanthrewoffhergloomatthis,andinhereyeswelleduagreatloveforherwhitelord-thefirstwhitemanshehadeverseen-thefirstmanwhomshehadknowntotreatawomanassomethingbetterthanamereanimalorbeastofburden.’

‘Yes,Ruth,’continuedherhusband,havingrecoursetothemacaronicjargoninwhichitwasaloneossibleforthemtounderstandeachother;&aos;waittillwecleanuandullfortheOutside.We&aos;lltaketheWhiteMan&aos;scanoeandgototheSaltWater.Yes,badwater,roughwater-greatmountainsdanceuanddownallthetime.Andsobig,sofar,sofaraway-youtraveltenslee,twentyslee,fortyslee&aos;-hegrahicallyenumeratedthedaysonhisfingers-&aos;allthetimewater,badwater.Thenyoucometogreatvillage,lentyeole,justthesamemosquitoesnextsummer.Wigwamsoh,sohigh-ten,twentyines.

Hi-yuskookum!&aos;Heausedimotently,castanaealingglanceatMalemuteKid,thenlaboriouslylacedthetwentyines,endonend,bysignlanguage.MalemuteKidsmiledwithcheerycynicism;butRuth&aos;seyeswerewidewithwonder,andwithleasure;forshehalfbelievedhewasjoking,andsuchcondescensionleasedheroorwoman&aos;sheart.

‘Andthenyousteintoa-abox,andouf!uyougo.’Hetossedhisemtycuintheairbywayofillustrationand,ashedeftlycaughtit,cried:&aos;Andbiff!downyoucome.Oh,greatmedicinemen!YougoFortYukon.IgoArcticCity-twenty-fiveslee-bigstring,allthetime-Icatchhimstring-Isay,

"Hello,Ruth!Howareye?

"-andyousay,

"Isthatmygoodhusband?

"-andIsay,

"Yes

"-andyousay,

"Nocanbakegoodbread,nomoresoda

"-thenIsay,

"Lookincache,underflour;good-by.

"Youlookandcatchlentysoda.AllthetimeyouFortYukon,meArcticCity.Hi-yumedicineman!&aos;Ruthsmiledsoingenuouslyatthefairystorythatbothmenburstintolaughter.ArowamongthedogscutshortthewondersoftheOutside,andbythetimethesnarlingcombatantsweresearated,shehadlashedthesledsandallwasreadyforthetrail.-&aos;Mush!Baldy!Hi!Mushon!&aos;Masonworkedhiswhismartlyand,asthedogswhinedlowinthetraces,brokeoutthesledwiththegeeole.Ruthfollowedwiththesecondteam,leavingMalemuteKid,whohadheledherstart,tobringutherear.Strongman,brutethathewas,caableoffellinganoxatablow,hecouldnotbeartobeattheooranimals,buthumoredthemasadogdriverrarelydoes-nay,almostwetwiththemintheirmisery.

‘Come,mushonthere,youoorsore-footedbrutes!’hemurmured,afterseveralineffectualattemtstostarttheload.Buthisatiencewasatlastrewarded,andthoughwhimeringwithain,theyhastenedtojointheirfellows.

Nomoreconversation;thetoilofthetrailwillnotermitsuchextravagance.

Andofalldeadeninglabors,thatoftheNorthlandtrailistheworst.Hayisthemanwhocanweatheraday&aos;stravelatthericeofsilence,andthatonabeatentrack.Andofallheartbreakinglabors,thatofbreakingtrailistheworst.Ateverystethegreatwebbedshoesinkstillthesnowislevelwiththeknee.Thenu,straightu,thedeviationofafractionofaninchbeingacertainrecursorofdisaster,thesnowshoemustbeliftedtillthesurfaceiscleared;thenforward,down,andtheotherfootisraisederendicularlyforthematterofhalfayard.Hewhotriesthisforthefirsttime,ifhalyheavoidsbringinghisshoesindangerousroinquityandmeasuresnothislengthonthetreacherousfooting,willgiveuexhaustedattheendofahundredyards;hewhocankeeoutofthewayofthedogsforawholedaymaywellcrawlintohissleeingbagwithaclearconscienceandaridewhichassethallunderstanding;andhewhotravelstwentysleesontheLongTrailisamanwhomthegodsmayenvy.

Theafternoonworeon,andwiththeawe,bornoftheWhiteSilence,thevoicelesstravelersbenttotheirwork.Naturehasmanytrickswherewithsheconvincesmanofhisfinity-theceaselessflowofthetides,thefuryofthestorm,theshockoftheearthquake,thelongrollofheaven&aos;sartillery-butthemosttremendous,themoststuefyingofall,istheassivehaseoftheWhiteSilence.Allmovementceases,theskyclears,theheavensareasbrass;theslightestwhiserseemssacrilege,andmanbecomestimid,affrightedatthesoundofhisownvoice.Soleseckoflifejourneyingacrosstheghostlywastesofadeadworld,hetremblesathisaudacity,realizesthathisisamaggot&aos;slife,nothingmore.

Strangethoughtsariseunsummoned,andthemysteryofallthingsstrivesforutterance.

Andthefearofdeath,ofGod,oftheuniverse,comesoverhim-thehoeoftheResurrectionandtheLife,theyearningforimmortality,thevainstrivingoftheimrisonedessence-itisthen,ifever,manwalksalonewithGod.

Soworethedayaway.Therivertookagreatbend,andMasonheadedhisteamforthecutoffacrossthenarrowneckofland.Butthedogsbalkedatthehighbank.Againandagain,thoughRuthandMalemuteKidwereshovingonthesled,theysliedback.Thencametheconcertedeffort.Themiserablecreatures,weakfromhunger,exertedtheirlaststrength.U-u-thesledoisedonthetoofthebank;buttheleaderswungthestringofdogsbehindhimtotheright,foulingMason&aos;ssnowshoes.Theresultwasgrievous.

Masonwaswhiedoffhisfeet;oneofthedogsfellinthetraces;andthesledtoledback,draggingeverythingtothebottomagain.

Slash!thewhifellamongthedogssavagely,eseciallyuontheonewhichhadfallen.

‘Don&aos;t,-Mason,’entreatedMalemuteKid;&aos;theoordevil&aos;sonitslastlegs.Waitandwe&aos;llutmyteamon.&aos;Masondeliberatelywithheldthewhitillthelastwordhadfallen,thenoutflashedthelonglash,comletelycurlingabouttheoffendingcreature&aos;sbody.

Carmen-foritwasCarmen-coweredinthesnow,criediteously,thenrolledoveronherside.

Itwasatragicmoment,aitifulincidentofthetrail-adyingdog,twocomradesinanger.

Ruthglancedsolicitouslyfrommantoman.ButMalemuteKidrestrainedhimself,thoughtherewasaworldofreroachinhiseyes,and,bendingoverthedog,cutthetraces.Nowordwassoken.Theteamsweredoublesannedandthedifficultyovercome;thesledswereunderwayagain,thedyingdogdraggingherselfalongintherear.Aslongasananimalcantravel,itisnotshot,andthislastchanceisaccordedit-thecrawlingintocam,ifitcan,inthehoeofamoosebeingkilled.

Alreadyenitentforhisangryaction,buttoostubborntomakeamends,Masontoiledonattheheadofthecavalcade,littledreamingthatdangerhoveredintheair.Thetimberclusteredthickintheshelteredbottom,andthroughthistheythreadedtheirway.Fiftyfeetormorefromthetrailtoweredaloftyine.Forgenerationsithadstoodthere,andforgenerationsdestinyhadhadthisoneendinview-erhasthesamehadbeendecreedofMason.

Hestooedtofastentheloosenedthongofhismoccasin.Thesledscametoahalt,andthedogslaydowninthesnowwithoutawhimer.Thestillnesswasweird;notabreathrustledthefrost-encrustedforest;thecoldandsilenceofoutersacehadchilledtheheartandsmotethetremblinglisofnature.Asighulsedthroughtheair-theydidnotseemtoactuallyhearit,butratherfeltit,liketheremonitionofmovementinamotionlessvoid.Thenthegreattree,burdenedwithitsweightofyearsandsnow,layeditslastartinthetragedyoflife.Heheardthewarningcrashandattemtedtosringubut,almosterect,caughttheblowsquarelyontheshoulder.

Thesuddendanger,thequickdeath-howoftenhadMalemuteKidfacedit!Theineneedleswerestillquiveringashegavehiscommandsandsrangintoaction.NordidtheIndiangirlfaintorraisehervoiceinidlewailing,asmightmanyofherwhitesisters.Athisorder,shethrewherweightontheendofaquicklyextemorizedhandsike,easingtheressureandlisteningtoherhusband&aos;sgroans,whileMalemuteKidattackedthetreewithhisax.Thesteelrangmerrilyasitbitintothefrozentrunk,eachstrokebeingaccomaniedbyaforced,audibleresiration,the‘Huh!’‘Huh!’ofthewoodsman.

AtlasttheKidlaidtheitiablethingthatwasonceamaninthesnow.Butworsethanhiscomrade&aos;sainwasthedumbanguishinthewoman&aos;sface,theblendedlookofhoeful,hoelessquery.Littlewassaid;thoseoftheNorthlandareearlytaughtthefutilityofwordsandtheinestimablevalueofdeeds.Withthetemeratureatsixty-fivebelowzero,amancannotliemanyminutesinthesnowandlive.Sothesledlashingswerecut,andthesufferer,rolledinfurs,laidonacouchofboughs.Beforehimroaredafire,builtoftheverywoodwhichwroughtthemisha.Behindandartiallyoverhimwasstretchedtherimitivefly-aieceofcanvas,whichcaughttheradiatingheatandthrewitbackanddownuonhimatrickwhichmenmayknowwhostudyhysicsatthefount.