“Man here, sir, from up-country. Calls himself Davis. Wants to see you, sir.”
“What about?” snapped the inspector.
“He didn’t say, sir, except that it was something important. Says he knows you.”
“Davis—Davis——” mused4 Cameron, chewing reflectively on his cigar. “Perhaps I do. Yes—young prospector5 from up near Garrison6. Show him in.”
Inspector Cameron’s brow wrinkled when the man appeared. If he had ever seen this uncouth7 fellow before, he could not place him. Surely this was not the Davis he knew. Why this man looked old—a heavy black beard, hair unkempt, disreputable, dirty clothing. But the voice—hah!——Davis after all, the Davis he knew. He extended a hand.
“Heavens, man, how you deceived me. You look terrible. What’s happened? Nothing serious, I hope.”
12
The visitor dropped into a seat with a sigh of weariness.
“Couldn’t be much worse, inspector. I’ve trekked8 three hundred miles. Tired. Sleepy. About all in. You see——”
“Yes, Davis. What is it?”
“Smallpox9!”
Cameron’s face blanched10.
“You don’t say. How bad?”
“Terrible. My country’s rotten with it. Whole villages gone. Mostly among the Indians so far. But the whites are getting it too. Fort Garrison has closed its doors. I saw the red flag of quarantine waving from twenty different cabins on my way here.”
Cameron’s jaws11 clamped over his cigar and his steel eyes flecked.
“Why haven’t I heard about this before?” he demanded. “It’s only two months since we patroled that region.”
“There wasn’t a trace of it then,” Davis informed him. “You know how these things come. Suddenly. No explaining it. Two weeks after I heard about the first case, it had ravaged12 the whole countryside.”
“Have you been exposed yourself?”
“Not that I know of.”
13
The inspector leaned back in his chair, his arms folded, his gaze seeming to rest upon the papers in the letter-tray on his desk. He picked up his fountain pen and turned it thoughtfully in his hand.
“This thing couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. Richardson is off on patrol and won’t be back for three weeks. Three days ago a murder was committed over at Run River, and Pearly has gone to investigate. Corporal Rand is confined to barracks here, suffering from an attack of pneumonia13. I haven’t an available man right now.”
“But what’s to be done? How do you propose to combat this thing? Haven’t you a supply of medicine here at barracks?”
“If I had a room full of it, it wouldn’t help us in the least. There’s only one antidote14. You inject it in the arm with a hypodermic needle.”
“Where can this stuff be obtained?”
“Big cities outside. The only places. Edmonton is the closest.”
“Hopeless!” gasped15 Davis. “Half the population of the North will be swept out of existence before you can get help from there.”
Cameron shook his head.
“Not quite as bad as that, I hope. We have the government telegraph and the radio. Within twenty-four hours Edmonton will send out a relief expedition. We’ll meet them.”
14
As he spoke16, the inspector reached forward and touched the buzzer17 on his desk. The orderly appeared, saluted.
“Get me the swiftest Indian runner you can find. Send him here. I want you to hurry, constable18.”
Then Cameron drew a sheet of paper towards him and began to write. When he had finished, Davis inquired:
“I suppose it will be necessary to wait until one of your men returns before you send out someone to meet that relief party?”
“No, not in this emergency. I’ve already decided19. There are three young men living over at Fort Good Faith who will be glad to help me. One is a nephew of Factor MacClaren, another a young chap named Dick Kent, while the third boy is a young Indian scout20 called Toma. Two of them, Kent and Toma, we had planned to send to the mounted police training barracks at Regina last year, but the school was crowded and they have been compelled to remain here awaiting further word from the commissioner21.”
“These boys are dependable, you say?”
“Absolutely.”
Davis eyed the other reflectively.
“I can go myself if you wish, inspector.”
“You’re in no condition,” Cameron replied promptly22. “What you need is a rest. But don’t worry about this thing, Davis. We’ll be able to check it before many weeks.”
15
“Weeks!” Davis’ voice was sepulchral23.
“Yes, weeks,” Cameron reiterated24. “And we can be glad that it isn’t months.”
He turned to the papers lying on his desk with a gesture of dismissal.
“drop in at the barracks and they’ll fix you up. I’d like to thank you for bringing me this information, Mr. Davis.”
Soon after Davis had gone, the orderly entered the room, accompanied by a tall, sinewy25 young man, the Indian runner. The police official greeted the native with a curt26 nod, rose and pressed an envelope in his hand.
“Take this to Dick Kent at Fort Good Faith. He’s a young man about your own age. Hurry through as quickly as you can. It is very important. I will pay you well.”
The Indian smiled as he tucked the letter away in an inner pocket, grinned again for no apparent reason and stalked silently out of the room. The orderly still stood, waiting for his own dismissal. Cameron regarded his subordinate for a moment, then turned quickly and hurried over to his desk.
“Constable, we have much to do. Smallpox epidemic27 in the country north of us. Sweeping28 down this way. Very serious condition. We must move quickly. I’ll ask you to wait here while I write a message to be sent out by telegraph to Edmonton. Instruct Mr. Cooley, the operator, to repeat his message at least three times.”
16
The orderly saluted, but made no reply. Like a red-coated statue, he stood while Cameron wrote quickly. He received the message with another salute2, turned on his heel, his spurs clattering29 as he strode to the door. The inspector breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well, that’s settled.”
His brow wrinkled with thought. Slowly he turned again to the work before him. He was busy when the door opened and the orderly reappeared. One look at the face of his subordinate told him that something was amiss.
“Yes, Whitehall, what’s the matter now?”
The orderly hesitated, clearing his throat.
“I’m sorry to report, sir, that we won’t be able to establish communication with Edmonton or outside points. The wires are down. Big forest fire raging to the south of us, sir. The operator says it will be days before the damage can be repaired.”
In his agitation30, the inspector again rose to his feet. His eyes snapped.
“Tell Mr. O’Malley, our radio expert, I want to see him. Bring him here at once.”
Whitehall saluted and went out.
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1
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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2
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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prospector
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| n.探矿者 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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7
uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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8
trekked
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| v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水 | |
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9
smallpox
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| n.天花 | |
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10
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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11
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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12
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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13
pneumonia
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| n.肺炎 | |
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14
antidote
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| n.解毒药，解毒剂 | |
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15
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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16
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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17
buzzer
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| n.蜂鸣器；汽笛 | |
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18
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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19
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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20
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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21
commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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22
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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23
sepulchral
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| adj.坟墓的，阴深的 | |
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24
reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
sinewy
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| adj.多腱的，强壮有力的 | |
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26
curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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27
epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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28
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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29
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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30
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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