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boat lost headway； and Rasmunsen sprang to the bailing bucket
Several boats hurtled past them in the next half…hour；small
boats； boats of their own size； boats afraid； unable to do aught
but run madly on。 Then a ten…ton barge； at imminent risk of
destruction； lowered sail to windward and lumbered down upon them。
〃Keep off！ Keep off！〃 Rasmunsen screamed。
But his low gunwale ground against the heavy craft； and the
remaining correspondent clambered aboard。 Rasmunsen was over the
eggs like a cat and in the bow of the Alma； striving with numb
fingers to bend the hauling…lines together。
〃Come on！〃 a red…whiskered man yelled at him。
〃I've a thousand dozen eggs here；〃 he shouted back。 〃Gimme a tow！
I'll pay you！〃
〃Come on！〃 they howled in chorus。
A big whitecap broke just beyond； washing over the barge and
leaving the Alma half swamped。 The men cast off； cursing him as
they ran up their sail。 Rasmunsen cursed back and fell to bailing。
The mast and sail； like a sea anchor； still fast by the halyards；
held the boat head on to wind and sea and gave him a chance to
fight the water out。
Three hours later； numbed； exhausted； blathering like a lunatic；
but still bailing； he went ashore on an ice…strewn beach near
Cariboo Crossing。 Two men； a government courier and a half…breed
voyageur； dragged him out of the surf； saved his cargo； and beached
the Alma。 They were paddling out of the country in a Peterborough；
and gave him shelter for the night in their storm…bound camp。 Next
morning they departed； but he elected to stay by his eggs。 And
thereafter the name and fame of the man with the thousand dozen
eggs began to spread through the land。 Gold…seekers who made in
before the freeze…up carried the news of his coming。 Grizzled old…
timers of Forty Mile and Circle City； sour doughs with leathern
jaws and bean…calloused stomachs； called up dream memories of
chickens and green things at mention of his name。 Dyea and Skaguay
took an interest in his being； and questioned his progress from
every man who came over the passes； while Dawsongolden；
omeletless Dawsonfretted and worried； and way…laid every chance
arrival for word of him。
But of this Rasmunsen knew nothing。 The day after the wreck he
patched up the Alma and pulled out。 A cruel east wind blew in his
teeth from Tagish； but he got the oars over the side and bucked
manfully into it； though half the time he was drifting backward and
chopping ice from the blades。 According to the custom of the
country； he was driven ashore at Windy Arm； three times on Tagish
saw him swamped and beached； and Lake Marsh held him at the freeze…
up。 The Alma was crushed in the jamming of the floes； but the eggs
were intact。 These he back…tripped two miles across the ice to the
shore； where he built a cache； which stood for years after and was
pointed out by men who knew。
Half a thousand frozen miles stretched between him and Dawson； and
the waterway was closed。 But Rasmunsen； with a peculiar tense look
in his face； struck back up the lakes on foot。 What he suffered on
that lone trip； with nought but a single blanket； an axe； and a
handful of beans； is not given to ordinary mortals to know。 Only
the Arctic adventurer may understand。 Suffice that he was caught
in a blizzard on Chilkoot and left two of his toes with the surgeon
at Sheep Camp。 Yet he stood on his feet and washed dishes in the
scullery of the PAWONA to the Puget Sound； and from there passed
coal on a P。 S。 boat to San Francisco。
It was a haggard； unkempt man who limped across the shining office
floor to raise a second mortgage from the bank people。 His hollow
cheeks betrayed themselves through the scraggy beard； and his eyes
seemed to have retired into deep caverns where they burned with
cold fires。 His hands were grained from exposure and hard work；
and the nails were rimmed with tight…packed dirt and coal…dust。 He
spoke vaguely of eggs and ice…packs； winds and tides； but when they
declined to let him have more than a second thousand； his talk
became incoherent； concerning itself chiefly with the price of dogs
and dog…food； and such things as snowshoes and moccasins and winter
trails。 They let him have fifteen hundred； which was more than the
cottage warranted； and breathed easier when he scrawled his
signature and passed out the door。
Two weeks later he went over Chilkoot with three dog sleds of five
dogs each。 One team he drove； the two Indians with him driving the
others。 At Lake Marsh they broke out the cache and loaded up。 But
there was no trail。 He was the first in over the ice； and to him
fell the task of packing the snow and hammering away through the
rough river jams。 Behind him he often observed a camp…fire smoke
trickling thinly up through the quiet air； and he wondered why the
people did not overtake him。 For he was a stranger to the land and
did not understand。 Nor could he understand his Indians when they
tried to explain。 This they conceived to be a hardship； but when
they balked and refused to break camp of mornings； he drove them to
their work at pistol point。
When he slipped through an ice bridge near the White Horse and
froze his foot； tender yet and oversensitive from the previous
freezing； the Indians looked for him to lie up。 But he sacrificed
a blanket； and； with his foot incased in an enormous moccasin； big
as a water…bucket； continued to take his regular turn with the
front sled。 Here was the cruellest work； and they respected him；
though on the side they rapped their foreheads with their knuckles
and significantly shook their heads。 One night they tried to run
away； but the zip…zip of his bullets in the snow brought them back；
snarling but convinced。 Whereupon； being only savage Chilkat men；
they put their heads together to kill him； but he slept like a cat；
and； waking or sleeping； the chance never came。 Often they tried
to tell him the import of the smoke wreath in the rear； but he
could not comprehend and grew suspicious of them。 And when they
sulked or shirked； he was quick to let drive at them between the
eyes； and quick to cool their heated souls with sight of his ready
revolver。
And so it wentwith mutinous men； wild dogs； and a trail that
broke the heart。 He fought the men to stay with him； fought the
dogs to keep them away from the eggs； fought the ice； the cold； and
the pain of his foot； which would not heal。 As fast as the young
tissue renewed； it was bitten and scared by the frost； so that a
running sore developed； into which he could almost shove his fist。
In the mornings； when he first put his weight upon it； his head
went dizzy； and he was near to fainting from the pain； but later on
in the day it usually grew numb； to recommence when he crawled into
his blankets and tried to sleep。 Yet he； who had been a clerk and
sat at a desk all his days； toiled till the Indians were exhausted；
and even ou