“Who’s your new shift boss?” Glenister inquired of his partner, a few days later, indicating a man in the cut below, busied in setting a line of sluices1.
“That’s old ‘Slapjack’ Simms, friend of mine from up Dawson way.”
Glenister laughed immoderately, for the object was unusually tall and loose-jointed, and wore a soiled suit of yellow mackinaw. He had laid off his coat, and now the baggy4, bilious5 trousers hung precariously6 from his angular shoulders by suspenders of alarming frailty7. His legs were lost in gum boots, also loose and cavernous, and his entire costume looked relaxed and flapping, so that he gave the impression of being able to shake himself out of his raiment, and to rise like a burlesque8 Aphrodite. His face was overgrown with a grizzled tangle9 that looked as though it had been trimmed with button-hole scissors, while above the brush heap grandly soared a shiny, dome-like head.
“Has he always been bald?”
“Naw! He ain’t bald at all. He shaves his nob. In the early days he wore a long flowin’ mane which was inhabited by crickets, tree-toads, and such fauna10. It got to be a hobby with him finally, so that he growed superstitious11 about goin’ uncurried, and would back into a corner with both guns drawed if a barber came near him. But once Hank—that’s his real name—undertook to fry some slapjacks, and in givin’ the skillet a heave, the dough12 lit among his forest primeval, jest back of his ears, soft side down. Hank polluted the gulch13 with langwidge which no man had ought to keep in himself without it was fumigated14. Disreppitableness oozed15 out through him like sweat through an ice-pitcher, an’ since then he’s been known as Slapjack Simms, an’ has kept his head shingled16 smooth as a gun bar’l. He’s a good miner, though; ain’t none better—an’ square as a die.”
Sluicing17 had begun on the Midas. Long sinuous18 lengths of canvas hose wound down the creek19 bottom from the dam, like gigantic serpents, while the roll of gravel20 through the flumes mingled21 musically with the rush of waters, the tinkle22 of tools, and the song of steel on rock. There were four “strings” of boxes abreast23, and the heaving line of shovellers ate rapidly into the creek bed, while teams with scrapers splashed through the tail races in an atmosphere of softened25 profanity. In the big white tents which sat back from the bluffs26, fifty men of the night shift were asleep; for there is no respite27 here—no night, no Sunday, no halt, during the hundred days in which the Northland lends herself to pillage28.
The mine lay cradled between wonderful, mossy, willow-mottled mountains, while above and below the gulch was dotted with tents and huts, and everywhere, from basin to hill crest29, men dug and blasted, punily30, patiently, while their tracks grew daily plainer over the face of this inscrutable wilderness31.
A great contentment filled the two partners as they looked on this scene. To wrest32 from reluctant earth her richest treasures, to add to the wealth of the world, to create—here was satisfaction.
“We ain’t robbin’ no widders an’ orphans33 doin’ it, neither,” Dextry suddenly remarked, expressing his partner’s feelings closely. They looked at each other and smiled with that rare understanding that exceeds words.
Descending35 into the cut, the old man filled a gold-pan with dirt taken from under the feet of the workers, and washed it in a puddle36, while the other watched his dexterous37 whirling motions. When he had finished, they poked38 the stream of yellow grains into a pile, then, with heads together, guessed its weight, laughing again delightedly, in perfect harmony and contentment.
“I’ve been waitin’ a turrible time fer this day,” said the elder. “I’ve suffered the plagues of prospectin’ from the Mexicos to the Circle, an’ yet I don’t begretch it none, now that I’ve struck pay.”
While they spoke40, two miners struggled with a bowlder they had unearthed41, and having scraped and washed it carefully, staggered back to place it on the cleaned bed-rock behind. One of them slipped, and it crashed against a brace42 which held the sluices in place. These boxes stand more than a man’s height above the bed-rock, resting on supporting posts and running full of water. Should a sluice2 fall, the rushing stream carries out the gold which has lodged43 in the riffles and floods the bed-rock, raising havoc44. Too late the partners saw the string of boxes sway and bend at the joint3. Then, before they could reach the threatened spot to support it, Slapjack Simms, with a shriek45, plunged46 flapping down into the cut and seized the flume. His great height stood him in good stead now, for where the joint had opened, water poured forth47 in a cataract48. He dived under the breach49 unhesitatingly and, stooping, lifted the line as near to its former level as possible, holding the entire burden upon his naked pate50. He gesticulated wildly for help, while over him poured the deluge51 of icy, muddy water. It entered his gaping52 waistband, bulging53 out his yellow trousers till they were fat and full and the seams were bursting, while his yawning boot-tops became as boiling springs. Meanwhile he chattered54 forth profanity in such volume that the ear ached under it as must have ached the heroic Slapjack under the chill of the melting snow. He was relieved quickly, however, and emerged triumphant55, though blue and puckered56, his wilderness of whiskers streaming like limber stalactites, his boots loosely “squishing,” while oaths still poured from him in such profusion57 that Dextry whispered:
“Ain’t he a ring-tailed wonder? It’s plumb58 solemn an’ reverent59 the way he makes them untamed cuss-words sit up an’ beg. It’s a privilege to be present. That’s a gift, that is.”
“You’d better get some dry clothes,” they suggested, and Slapjack proceeded a few paces towards the tents, hobbling as though treading on pounded glass.
“Ow—w!” he yelled. “These blasted boots is full of gravel.”
He seated himself and tugged60 at his foot till the boot came away with a sucking sound, then, instead of emptying the accumulation at random61, he poured the contents into Dextry’s empty gold-pan, rinsing62 it out carefully. The other boot he emptied likewise. They held a surprising amount of sediment63, because the stream that had emerged from the crack in the sluices had carried with it pebbles64, sand, and all the concentration of the riffles at this point. Standing34 directly beneath the cataract, most of it had dived fairly into his inviting65 waistband, following down the lines of least resistance into his boot-legs and boiling out at the knees.
With artful passes Dextry settled it in the pan bottom and washed away the gravel, leaving a yellow, glittering pile which raised a yell from the men who had lingered curiously66.
“He pans forty dollars to the boot-leg,” one shouted.
“How much do you run to the foot, Slapjack?”
“No, he ain’t—he’s too thin. He’s nothing but a stringer, but he’ll pay to work.”
The old miner grinned toothlessly.
“Gentlemen, there ain’t no better way to save fine gold than with undercurrents an’ blanket riffles. I’ll have to wash these garments of mine an’ clean up the soapsuds ’cause there’s a hundred dollars in gold-dust clingin’ to my person this minute.” He went dripping up the bank, while the men returned to their work singing.
After lunch Dextry saddled his bronco.
“I’m goin’ to town for a pair of gold-scales, but I’ll be back by supper, then we’ll clean up between shifts. She’d ought to give us a thousand ounces, the way that ground prospects68.” He loped down the gulch, while his partner returned to the pit, the flashing shovel24 blades, and the rumbling69 undertone of the big workings that so fascinated him.
It was perhaps four o’clock when he was aroused from his labors70 by a shout from the bunk-tent, where a group of horsemen had clustered. As Glenister drew near, he saw among them Wilton Struve, the lawyer, and the big, well-dressed tenderfoot of the Northern—McNamara—the man of the heavy hand. Struve straightway engaged him.
“Say, Glenister, we’ve come out to see about the title to this claim.”
“What about it?”
“Well, it was relocated about a month ago.” He paused.
“Yes. What of that?”
“Galloway has commenced suit.”
“The ground belongs to Dextry and me. We discovered it, we opened it up, we’ve complied with the law, and we’re going to hold it.” Glenister spoke with such conviction and heat as to nonplus71 Struve, but McNamara, who had sat his horse silently until now, answered:
“Certainly, sir; if your title is good you will be protected, but the law has arrived in Alaska and we’ve got to let it take its course. There’s no need of violence—none whatever—but, briefly72, the situation is this: Mr. Galloway has commenced action against you; the court has enjoined73 you from working and has appointed me as receiver to operate the mine until the suit is settled. It’s an extraordinary procedure, of course, but the conditions are extraordinary in this country. The season is so short that it would be unjust to the rightful owner if the claim lay idle all summer—so, to avoid that, I’ve been put in charge, with instructions to operate it and preserve the proceeds subject to the court’s order. Mr. Voorhees here is the United States Marshal. He will serve the papers.”
Glenister threw up his hand in a gesture of restraint.
“Hold on! Do you mean to tell me that any court would recognize such a claim as Galloway’s?”
“The law recognizes everything. If his grounds are no good, so much the better for you.”
“You can’t put in a receiver without notice to us. Why, good Lord! we never heard of a suit being commenced. We’ve never even been served with a summons and we haven’t had a chance to argue in our own defence.”
“I have just said that this is a remarkable74 state of affairs and unusual action had to be taken,” McNamara replied, but the young miner grew excited.
“Look here—this gold won’t get away. It’s safe in the ground. We’ll knock off work and let the claim lie idle till the thing is settled. You can’t really expect us to surrender possession of our mine on the mere75 allegation of some unknown man. That’s ridiculous. We won’t do it. Why, you’ll have to let us argue our case, at least, before you try to put us off.”
Voorhees shook his head. “We’ll have to follow instructions. The thing for you to do is to appear before the court to-morrow and have the receiver dismissed. If your title is as good as you say it is, you won’t have any trouble.”
“You’re not the only ones to suffer,” added McNamara. “We’ve taken possession of all the mines below here.” He nodded down the gulch. “I’m an officer of the court and under bond—”
“How much?”
“Five thousand dollars for each claim.”
“What! Why, heavens, man, the poorest of these mines is producing that much every day!”
While he spoke, Glenister was rapidly debating what course to follow.
“The place to argue this thing is before Judge Stillman,” said Struve—but with little notion of the conflict going on within Glenister. The youth yearned76 to fight—not with words nor quibbles nor legal phrases, but with steel and blows. And he felt that the impulse was as righteous as it was natural, for he knew this process was unjust, an outrage77. Mexico Mullins’s warning recurred78 to him. And yet—. He shifted slowly as he talked till his back was to the door of the big tent. They were watching him carefully, for all their apparent languor79 and looseness in saddle; then as he started to leap within and rally his henchmen, his mind went back to the words of Judge Stillman and his niece. Surely that old man was on the square. He couldn’t be otherwise with her beside him, believing in him; and a suspicion of deeper plots behind these actions was groundless. So far, all was legal, he supposed, with his scant80 knowledge of law; though the methods seemed unreasonable81. The men might be doing what they thought to be right. Why be the first to resist? The men on the mines below had not done so. The title to this ground was capable of such easy proof that he and Dex need have no uneasiness. Courts do not rob honest people nowadays, he argued, and moreover, perhaps the girl’s words were true, perhaps she would think more of him if he gave up the old fighting ways for her sake. Certainly armed resistance to her uncle’s first edict would not please her. She had said he was too violent, so he would show her he could lay his savagery82 aside. She might smile on him approvingly, and that was Worth taking a chance for—anyway it would mean but a few days’ delay in the mine’s run. As he reasoned he heard a low voice speaking within the open door. It was Slapjack Simms.
“Step aside, lad. I’ve got the big uncovered.”
Glenister saw the men on horseback snatch at their holsters, and, just in time, leaped at his foreman, for the old man had moved out into the open, a Winchester at shoulder, his cheek cuddling the stock, his eyes cold and narrow. The young man flung the barrel up and wrenched83 the weapon from his hands.
“None of that, Hank!” he cried, sharply. “I’ll say when to shoot.” He turned to look into the muzzles84 of guns held in the hands of every horseman—every horseman save one, for Alec McNamara sat unmoved, his handsome features, nonchalant and amused, nodding approval. It was at him that Hank’s weapon had been levelled.
“This is bad enough at the best. Don’t let’s make it any worse,” said he.
“Well, of all the different kinds of damn fools,” he snorted, “you are the kindest.” He marched past the marshal and his deputies down to the cut, put on his coat, and vanished down the trail towards town, not deigning87 a backward glance either at the mine or at the man unfit to fight for.
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1
sluices
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| n.水闸( sluice的名词复数 )；（用水闸控制的）水；有闸人工水道；漂洗处v.冲洗( sluice的第三人称单数 )；（指水）喷涌而出；漂净；给…安装水闸 | |
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sluice
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| n.水闸 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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baggy
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| adj.膨胀如袋的，宽松下垂的 | |
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bilious
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| adj.胆汁过多的；易怒的 | |
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precariously
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| adv.不安全地；危险地；碰机会地；不稳定地 | |
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7
frailty
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| n.脆弱；意志薄弱 | |
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burlesque
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| v.嘲弄，戏仿；n.嘲弄，取笑，滑稽模仿 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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fauna
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| n.(一个地区或时代的)所有动物，动物区系 | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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dough
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| n.生面团；钱，现款 | |
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gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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fumigated
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| v.用化学品熏（某物）消毒( fumigate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
oozed
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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16
shingled
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| adj.盖木瓦的；贴有墙面板的v.用木瓦盖(shingle的过去式和过去分词形式) | |
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17
sluicing
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| v.冲洗( sluice的现在分词 )；（指水）喷涌而出；漂净；给…安装水闸 | |
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18
sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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21
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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22
tinkle
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| vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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24
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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25
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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26
bluffs
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| 恐吓( bluff的名词复数 )； 悬崖； 峭壁 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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pillage
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| v.抢劫；掠夺；n.抢劫，掠夺；掠夺物 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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punily
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| adv.微小的，不足取的 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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wrest
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| n.扭，拧，猛夺；v.夺取，猛扭，歪曲 | |
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orphans
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| 孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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36
puddle
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| n.(雨)水坑，泥潭 | |
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dexterous
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| adj.灵敏的；灵巧的 | |
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38
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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40
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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41
unearthed
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| 出土的（考古） | |
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42
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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43
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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44
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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45
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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46
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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47
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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48
cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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49
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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50
pate
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| n.头顶；光顶 | |
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51
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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52
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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53
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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54
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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55
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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56
puckered
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| v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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reverent
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| adj.恭敬的，虔诚的 | |
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60
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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62
rinsing
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| n.清水，残渣v.漂洗( rinse的现在分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉 | |
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sediment
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| n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物) | |
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64
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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67
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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68
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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69
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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71
nonplus
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| v.使困窘；使狼狈 | |
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72
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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73
enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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76
yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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78
recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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languor
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| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
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80
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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81
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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82
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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83
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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84
muzzles
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| 枪口( muzzle的名词复数 )； （防止动物咬人的）口套； （四足动物的）鼻口部； （狗）等凸出的鼻子和口 | |
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85
inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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deigning
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的现在分词 ) | |
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