smoke bellew-第24部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

ing　and　refrained。　　The　next　moment；　struck　below　the　knees　by　a　hurtling　body；　he　went　down　again。

It　was　a　foretaste　of　what　would　happen　when　the　men　reached　their　sleds。　　Men　were　pouring　over　the　other　bank　and　piling　into　the　jam。　　They　swarmed　up　the　bank　in　bunches；　and　in　bunches　were　dragged　back　by　their　impatient　fellows。　　More　blows　were　struck；　curses　rose　from　the　panting　chests　of　those　who　still　had　wind　to　spare；　and　Smoke；　curiously　visioning　the　face　of　Joy　Gastell；　hoped　that　the　mallets　would　not　be　brought　into　play。　　Overthrown；　trod　upon；　groping　in　the　snow　for　his　lost　stakes；　he　at　last　crawled　out　of　the　crush　and　attacked　the　bank　farther　along。　　Others　were　doing　this；　and　it　was　his　luck　to　have　many　men　in　advance　of　him　in　the　race　for　the　northwestern　corner。

Down　to　the　fourth　corner；　he　tripped　midway　and　in　the　long　sprawling　fall　lost　his　remaining　stake。　　For　five　minutes　he　groped　in　the　darkness　before　he　found　it；　and　all　the　time　the　panting　runners　were　passing　him。　　From　the　last　corner　to　the　creek　he　began　overtaking　men　for　whom　the　mile…run　had　been　too　much。　　In　the　creek　itself　Bedlam　had　broken　loose。　　A　dozen　sleds　were　piled　up　and　overturned；　and　nearly　a　hundred　dogs　were　locked　in　combat。　Among　them　men　struggled；　tearing　the　tangled　animals　apart；　or　beating　them　apart　with　clubs。　　In　the　fleeting　glimpse　he　caught　of　it；　Smoke　wondered　if　he　had　ever　seen　a　Dore　grotesquery　to　compare。

Leaping　down　the　bank　beyond　the　glutted　passage；　he　gained　the　hard…footing　of　the　sled…trail　and　made　better　time。　　Here；　in　packed　harbours　beside　the　narrow　trail；　sleds　and　men　waited　for　runners　that　were　still　behind。　　From　the　rear　came　the　whine　and　rush　of　dogs；　and　Smoke　had　barely　time　to　leap　aside　into　the　deep　snow。　　A　sled　tore　past；　and　he　made　out　the　man；　kneeling　and　shouting　madly。　　Scarcely　was　it　by　when　it　stopped　with　a　crash　of　battle。　　The　excited　dogs　of　a　harboured　sled；　resenting　the　passing　animals；　had　got　out　of　hand　and　sprung　upon　them。

Smoke　plunged　around　and　by。　　He　could　see　the　green　lantern　of　Von　Schroeder；　and；　just　below　it；　the　red　flare　that　marked　his　own　team。　　Two　men　were　guarding　Schroeder's　dogs；　with　short　clubs　interposed　between　them　and　the　trail。

〃Come　on；　you　Smoke！　　Come　on；　you　Smoke！〃　he　could　hear　Shorty　calling　anxiously。

〃Coming！〃　he　gasped。

By　the　red　flare　he　could　see　the　snow　torn　up　and　trampled；　and　from　the　way　his　partner　breathed　he　knew　a　battle　had　been　fought。　He　staggered　to　the　sled；　and；　in　a　moment　he　was　falling　on　it；　Shorty's　whip　snapped　as　he　yelled：　　〃Mush！　you　devils！　　Mush！〃

The　dogs　sprang　into　the　breast…bands；　and　the　sled　jerked　abruptly　ahead。　　They　were　big　animalsHanson's　prize　team　of　Hudson　Bays　and　Smoke　had　selected　them　for　the　first　stage；　which　included　the　ten　miles　of　Mono；　the　heavy…going　of　the　cut…off　across　the　flat　at　the　mouth；　and　the　first　ten　miles　of　the　Yukon　stretch。

〃How　many　are　ahead？〃　he　asked。

〃You　shut　up　an'　save　your　wind；〃　Shorty　answered。　　〃Hi！　you　brutes！　Hit　her　up！　　Hit　her　up！〃

He　was　running　behind　the　sled；　towing　on　a　short　rope。　　Smoke　could　not　see　him；　nor　could　he　see　the　sled　on　which　he　lay　at　full　length。　　The　fires　had　been　left　in　the　rear；　and　they　were　tearing　through　a　wall　of　blackness　as　fast　as　the　dogs　could　spring　into　it。　　This　blackness　was　almost　sticky；　so　nearly　did　it　take　on　the　seeming　of　substance。

Smoke　felt　the　sled　heel　up　on　one　runner　as　it　rounded　an　invisible　curve；　and　from　ahead　came　the　snarls　of　beasts　and　the　oaths　of　men。　　This　was　known　afterward　as　the　Barnes…Slocum　Jam。　　It　was　the　teams　of　these　two　men　which　first　collided；　and　into　it；　at　full　career；　piled　Smoke's　seven　big　fighters。　　Scarcely　more　than　semi…　domesticated　wolves；　the　excitement　of　that　night　on　Mono　Creek　had　sent　every　dog　fighting…mad。　　The　Klondike　dogs；　driven　without　reins；　cannot　be　stopped　except　by　voice；　so　that　there　was　no　stopping　this　glut　of　struggle　that　heaped　itself　between　the　narrow　rims　of　the　creek。　　From　behind；　sled　after　sled　hurled　into　the　turmoil。　　Men　who　had　their　teams　nearly　extricated　were　overwhelmed　by　fresh　avalanches　of　dogseach　animal　well…fed；　well…rested；　and　ripe　for　battle。

〃It's　knock　down　an'　drag　out　an'　plow　through！〃　Shorty　yelled　in　his　partner's　ear。　　〃An'　watch　out　for　your　knuckles！　　You　drag　out　an'　let　me　do　the　punchin'！〃

What　happened　in　the　next　half　hour　Smoke　never　distinctly　remembered。　　At　the　end　he　emerged　exhausted；　sobbing　for　breath；　his　jaw　sore　from　a　first…blow；　his　shoulder　aching　from　the　bruise　of　a　club；　the　blood　running　warmly　down　one　leg　from　the　rip　of　a　dog's　fangs；　and　both　sleeves　of　his　parka　torn　to　shreds。　　As　in　a　dream；　while　the　battle　still　raged　behind；　he　helped　Shorty　reharness　the　dogs。　　One；　dying；　they　cut　from　the　traces；　and　in　the　darkness　they　felt　their　way　to　the　repair　of　the　disrupted　harnesses。

〃Now　you　lie　down　an'　get　your　wind　back；〃　Shorty　commanded。

And　through　the　darkness　the　dogs　sped；　with　unabated　strength；　down　Mono　Creek；　across　the　long　cut…off；　and　to　the　Yukon。　　Here；　at　the　junction　with　the　main　river…trail；　somebody　had　lighted　a　fire；　and　here　Shorty　said　good　bye。　　By　the　light　of　the　fire；　as　the　sled　leaped　behind　the　flying　dogs；　Smoke　caught　another　of　the　unforgettable　pictures　of　the　North　Land。　　It　was　of　Shorty；　swaying　and　sinking　down　limply　in　the　snow；　yelling　his　parting　encouragement；　one　eye　blackened　and　closed；　knuckles　bruised　and　broken；　and　one　arm；　ripped　and　fang…torn；　gushing　forth　a　steady　stream　of　blood。



V。

〃How　many　ahead？〃　Smoke　asked；　as　he　dropped　his　tired　Hudson　Bays　and　sprang　on　the　waiting　sled　at　the　first　relay　station。

〃I　counted　eleven；〃　the　man　called　after　him；　for　he　was　already　away　behind　the　leaping　dogs。

Fifteen　miles　they　were　to　carry　him　on　the　next　stage；　which　would　fetch　him　to　the　mouth　of　White　River。　　There　were　nine　of　them；　but　they　composed　his　weakest　team。　　The　twenty…five　miles　between　White　River　and　Sixty　Mile　he　had　broken　into　two　stages　because　of　ice…　jams；　and　here　two　of　his　heaviest；　toughest　teams　were　stationed。

He　lay　on　the　sled　at　full　length；　face…down；　holding　on　with　both　hands。　　Whenever　the　dogs　slacked　from　topmost　speed　he　rose　to　his　knees；　and；　yelling　and　urging；　clinging　precariously　with　one　hand；　threw　his　whip　into　them。　　Poor　team　that　it　was；　he　passed　two　sleds　before　White　River　was　reached。　　Here；　at　the　freeze…up；　a　jam　had　piled　a　barrier　allowing　the　open　water；　that　formed　for　half　a　mile　below；　to　freeze　smoothly。　　This　smooth　stretch　enabled　the　racers　to　make　flying　exchanges　of　sleds；　and　down　all　the　course　they　had　placed　their　relays　below　the　jams。

Over　the　jam　and　out　on　to　the　smooth；　Smoke　tore　along；　calling　loudly；　〃Billy！　　Billy！〃

Billy　heard　and　answered；　and　by　the　light　of　the　many　fires　on　the　ice；　Smoke　saw　a　sled　swing　in　from　the　side　and　come　abreast。　　Its　dogs　were　fresh　and　overhauled　his。　　As　the　sleds　swerved　toward　each　other　he　leaped　across　and　Billy　promptly　rolled　off。

〃Where's　Big　Olaf？〃　Smoke　cried。

〃Leading！〃　Billy's　voice　answered；　and　the　fires　were　left　behind　and　Smoke　was　again　flying　through　the　wall　of　blackness。

In　the　jams　of　that　relay；　where　the　way　led　across　a　chaos　of　up…　ended　ice…cakes；　and　where　Smoke　slipped　off　the　forward　end　of　the　sled　and　with　a　haul…rope　toiled　behind　the　wheel…dog；　he　passed　three　sleds。　　Accidents　had　happened；　and　he　could　hear　the　men　cutting　out　dogs　and　mending　harnesses。

Among　the　jams　of　the　next　short　relay　into　Sixty　Mile；　he　passed　two　more　teams。　　And　that　he　might　know　adequately　what　had　happened　to　them；　one　of　his　own　dogs　wrenched　a　shoulder；　was　unable　to　keep　up；　and　was　dragged　in　the　harness。　　Its　team…mates；　angered；　fell　upon　it　with　their　fangs；　and　Smoke　was　forced　to　club　them　off　with　the　heavy　butt　of　his　whip。　　As　he　cut　the　injured　animal　out；　he　heard　the　whining　cries　of　dogs　behind　him　and　the　voice　of　a　man　that　was　familiar。　　It　was　Von　Schroeder。　　Smoke　called　a　warning　to　prevent　a　rear…end　collision；　and　the　Baron；　hawing　his　animals　and　swinging　on　the　gee…pole；　went　by　a　dozen　feet　to　the　side。　　Yet　so　impenetrable　was　the　blackness　that　Smoke　heard　him　pass　but　never　saw　him。

On　the　smooth　stretch　of　ice　beside　the　trading　post　at　Sixty　Mile；　Smoke　overtook　two　more　sleds。　　All　had　just　changed　teams；　and　for　five　minutes　they　ran　abreast；　each　man　on　his　knees　and　pouring　whip　and　voice　into　the　maddened　dogs。　　But　Smoke　had　studied　out　that　portion　of　the　trail；　and　now　marked　the　tall　pine　on　the　bank　that　showed　faintly　in　the　light　of　the　many　fires。　　Below　that　pine　was　not　merely　darkness；　but　an　abrupt　cessation　of　the　smooth　stretch。　　There　the　trail；　he　knew；　narrowed　to　a　single　sled…width。　Leaning　out　ahead；　he　caught　the　haul…rope　and　drew　his　leaping　sled　up　to　the　wheel…dog。　　He　caught　the　animal　by　the　hind…legs　and　threw　it。　　With　a　snarl　of　rage　it　tried　to　slash　him　with　its　fangs；　but　was　dragged　on　by　the　rest　of　the　team。　　Its　body　proved　an　efficient　brake；　and　the　two　other　teams；　still　abreast；　dashed　ahead　into　the