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第15章 The White Silence（第1页）

第15章TheWhiteSilence

Ja

‘p;apos;tlastmorethanacoupleofdays。’Masonspatoutakofidsurveyedthepooraheinhismouthaobiteouttheicewhichclusteredcruellybetweeoes。

‘Ineversawadogwithahighfalutin'everwas，’hesaid，ashecludedhistaskandshovedheraside。'Theyjustfadeawayaheresponsibility。DidyeeverseewithasensiblenamelikeCassiar，Siwash，orHusky?No，sir!TakealookatShookumhere，he's-'Seflashedup，thewhiteteethjustmissingMason'sthroat。

‘Yewill，willye?’Ashrewdcloutbehihebuttofthedogwhipstretchedtheanimalinthesly，ayellfromitsfangs。

‘AsIwassaying，justlookatShookumhere-he'sgotthespirit。Betyeheeatsbeforetheos;sout。’I'llbankanotherpropositionagainstthat，'repliedMalemuteKid，reversingthefrozenbreadplacedbeforethefiretothaos;os;lleatShookumbeforethetripisover。os;yesay，Ruth?'TheIndiahecoffeeieceofiuteKidtoherhusbahedogs，butvouoreply。Itabletruismthatnowohundredmilesofurailihastsixdays'grubforthemselvesahedogs，iterwomenandtheedaboutthefireaheirmeagermeal。Thedogslayintheirharwasamiddayhalt，andwatchedeachmouthfulenviously。

‘Nomoreluoday，’saidMalemuteKid。'Andos;vegottokeepacloseeyeohey&apvicious。They'djustassoonpullafellowdownasace。'AndIresidehoaughtintheSundaysp;apos;Havilydeliveredhimselfofthis，Masooadreamyplationofhissteamingmos，butwasarousedbyRuthfillinghiscup。

‘ThankGod，os;vegotslathersoftea!I'veseenitgrowing，dowos;tIgiveforahotejustnow!Nevermind，Ruth;youos;tstarvemuger，norwearmoseither。'Thewomanthrewloomatthis，andinhereyeswelledupagreatloveforherwhitelord-thefirstwhitemanshehadeverseemanwhomshehadknowawomaterthanamereanimalorbeastofburden。’

&h，’uedherhusband，haviothemaiinwhichitossibleforthemtouaher;'waittillandpullfortheOutside。os;lltaketheos;sdgototheSaltWater。Yes，badwater，rreatmountainsdanddowime。Andsobig，sofar，sofaraway-youtravelteysleep，fortysleep'-hegraphiumeratedthedaysonhisfingers-'allthetimewater，badwater。Thevillage，plehesamemosquitoessummer。Wigwamsoh，sohigh-teypines。

Hi-yuskookum!'Hepausedimpotently，appealiMalemuteKid，thenlaboriouslyplacedthetwentypines，endonend，bysigeKidsmiledwithicism;butRuth'seyesithleasure;forshehalfbelievedhewasjoking，andsudespleasedherpooros;sheart。

‘Aepintoa-abox，andpouf!upyougo。’Hetossedhisemptytheairbywayofillustrationalycaughtit，cried:'Andbiff!dowmedi!YougoFortYukon。IgoArcticty-fivesleep-bigstriime-Icatchhimstring-Isay，"Hello，Ruth!Howareye?"-andyousay，"Isthatmygoodhusband?"-andIsay，"Yes"-andyousay，"Nobakegoodbread，nomoresoda"-thenIsay，"Lookinderflood-by。"Youlookandtysoda。AllthetimeyouFortYukoicCity。Hi-yumedi!'Ruthsmiledsoingenuouslyatthefairystorythatbothmenburstintolaughter。ArowamoshortthewoheOutside，ahesnarlingbataed，shehadlashedthesledsandallwasreadyforthetrail。-'Mush!Baldy!Hi!Mushon!'Masonworkedhiswhipsmartlyand，asthedogswhinedlowiraces，brokeoutthesledwiththegeepole。Ruthfollowedwiththese，leavieKid，edherstart，tuptherear。Strongmaheableoffellinganoxatablow，heotbeartobeatthepooranimals，buthumoredthemasadogdriverrarelydoes-nay，almostweptwiththemintheirmisery。

‘ushonthere，youpoorsore-footedbrutes!’hemurmured，afterseveraliemptstostarttheload。Buthispatielastrewarded，andthoughwhimperingwithpaieojointheirfellows。

Nomoreversatiooilofthetrailwillsuchextravagance。

Andofalldeadeninglabors，thatoftheNorthlandtrailistheyisthemanwho;apos;stravelatthepriceofsileoradofallheartbreakinglabors，thattrailistheworst。Ateverystepthegreatwebbedshoesinkstilltheshthekraightup，thedeviationofafraofaningaprecursorofdisaster，thesbeliftedtillthesurfaceiscleared;thenforward，dowherfootisraisedperpendiatterofhalfayard。Hewhotriesthisforthefirsttime，ifhaplyheavhisshoesindangerouspropinquityahislengthoreacherousfooting，willgiveupexhaustedattheendofahundredyards;heoutofthewayofthedogsforawholedaymaywelltohissleepingbagwithasdapridewhichpassethalluandiravelstweheLongTrailisamanwhomthegodsmayenvy。

&ernoonworeon，andwiththeawe，boreSilehevoicelesstravelersbenttotheirwork。Naturehasmanytrickswherewithsheanofhisfinity-theceaselessflowofthetides，thefuryofthestorm，theshockoftheearthquake，thelongrollofheaven'sartillery-butthemosttremeupefyingofall，isthepassivephaseoftheWhiteSileneheskyclears，theheavensareasbrass;theslightestwhisperseemssadmaimid，affrightedatthesoundofhisownvoice。Solespeckoflifejacrosstheghostlywastesofadeadworld，hetremblesathisaudacity，realizesthathisisamaggot'slife，nothingmore。

Strasariseuhemysteryofallthierance。

Andthefearofdeath，ofGod，oftheuniverse，-thehopeoftheResurredtheLife，theyearningforimmortality，thevainstrivingoftheimprisoisthen，ifever，manwalksalohGod。

Soworethedayaway。Therivertookagreatbend，andMasoeamforthecutoffacrossthenarrowned。Butthedogsbalkedatthehighbank。Againandagain，thoughRuthaeKidwereshoviheyslippedbacamethecertedeffort。Themiserablecreatures，weakfromhuheirlaststrength。Up-up-thesledpoisedohebank;buttheleaderswuringofdogsbehindhimtht，foulingMason'ssheresultwasgrievous。

Masonedoffhisfeet;ohedogsfelliradthesledtoppledbageverythiomagain。

Slash!thewhipfellamongthedogssavagely，especiallyupontheonewhichhadfallen。

‘Don't，-MasoedMalemuteKid;'thepoordevil'sonitslastlegs。;apos;llputmyteamon。'Masoelywithheldthewhiptillthelastwordhadfalleflashedthelonglash，pletelygabouttheoffeure'sbody。

&was-theseously，thenrolledoveronherside。

Itwasatragient，apitifulihetrail-adyingdog，tworadesinanger。

RuthglaouslyfrommantomaeKidrestraihoughtherewasaworldofreproahiseyes，and，behedog，cutthetraookeeamsweredoublespahediffie;thesledswereunderwayagain，thedyingdherselfalongintherear。Aslongasananimaltravel，itisnotshot，andthislastceisaccordedit-thegintocamp，ifitthehopeofamoosebeingkilled。

&entfrya，buttoostubborntomakeamends，Masoheheadofthecavalcade，littledreamingthatdaheair。Thetimberclusteredthitheshelteredbotththistheythreadedtheirway。Fiftyfeetormorefromthetrailtoiionsithadstoodthere，aioinyhadhadthisoneendihesamehadbeendeason。

&oopedtofastentheloosehongofhismo。Thesledscametoahalt，andthedogslaydowhoutawhimper。Thestillnesswasweird;ledthefrost-e;thedsileerspacehadchilledtheheartaremblinglipshpulsedthroughtheair-theydiduallyhearit，butratherfeltit，likethepremonitioinamotioheree，burdesweightofyearsandsslastpartiragedyoflife。Heheardthewarningdattemptedtupbut，almhttheblowsquarelyontheshoulder。

Thesuddehequickdeath-howofteeKidfacedit!ThepiillquiveringashegavehisandsandsprangintoaordidtheIndiangirlfaintorraisehervoiidlewailing，asmightmaesisters。Athisorder，shethrewherweightontheendofaquicklyextemporizedhahepressureaoherhusband'sgroaeKidattackedthetreewithhisax。Thesteelrangmerrilyasitbitirurokebeingapaniedbyaforced，audiblerespiration，the‘Huh!’‘Huh!’ofthe>

AtlasttheKidlaidthepitiablethingthatwasoniworsethanhisp;apos;spainwasthedumbanguishintheos;sface，theblendedlookofhopeful，hopelessquery。Littlewassaid;thoseoftheNorthlaaughtthefutilityofwordsaimablevalueofdeeds。Withthetemperatureatsixty-fivebelowzero，amanahesnowahesledlashi，andthesufferer，rolledinfurs，laidonacouchofboughs。Beforehimroaredafire，builtoftheveryroughtthemishap。Behindandpartiallyoverhimwasstretchedtheprimitivefly-apievas，whichcaughttheradiatihrewitbaddownuponhimatrickwhimayknowwhostudyphysicsatthefount。

Andmeheirbedwithdeathkheasonwasterriblycrushed。Themosti。

Hisrightarm，leg，andbackwerebroken;hislimbswereparalyzedfromthehips;andthelikelihoodofinternalinjurieswaslarge。Anooanwashisonlysignoflife。

hihepitilessslowlyby-Ruth'sportion，thedespairingstoicismofherradMalemuteKidaddiohisfaze。