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s loose； and head back。 Fill all your barrels 。at that trickle we crossed earlier today。 After that； don't stop for anything； roll all day from dawn till dark。 You should reach Separation in half the time it took to get us up here。 Okay？〃 …
〃No； sir。〃
Minerva； a few centuries earlier I would have started to boil up at that point。 But I had learned。 It took me about a tenth of …a second to realize that I could not …make her do anything…if I were … gone…and that a promise made under duress won't hold。 〃All right； Dora； tell me why not and what you intend to do instead~ If I don't like it； perhaps we both will start back for Separation。〃
〃Woodrow； while you did not say so； you are asking me to do what I should' do…and 。1 would do！…if I were a widow。〃
I nodded。 〃Yes； that's right。 Dearest； if I'm not back in a week； you're a widow。 No possible doubt。〃
〃I understand that。 I also understand why you are leaving the wagons here； you can't be sure that you can turn them around higher up。〃
〃Yes。 That's probably what happened to earlier parties… reached a place where they couldn't go forward and couldn't turn around 。 …。 then tried one or the other and went over。〃
〃Yes。 But； my husband； you mean to be gone only one day…half a day out； half a day back。 Woodrow； I won't assume that' you are dead…I can't！〃 She looked at me steadily and her eyes filled with tears； but she did not cry。 〃I must see your dear body； I must be certain。 If I am certain； I will go back to Separation as fast and as safely as possible。 And then to~ the Magees as you have told me；' …and have your child and
…bring him up to be as much like his father as possible。 But I must know。〃 … …
〃Dora； Dora！ In one week you will know。 No need to look for my bones。〃
〃May 1 finish； sir？ If you aren't back tonight； I'm on my own。 At dawn tomorrow I start out on Betty； with another saddle mule following。 At noon I turn back。
〃Perhaps； if I can't find you； I'll find a spot higher up where I can take one wagon and turn it around。 If I find such a spot； I'll move one wagon up and use it as a base and look farther。 I could have missed your track。 Or I might have followed mule tracks…but you aren't on the mule。 Whatever
…it is； I'll search and search again。 Until there's no hope at all！ Then 。 。 I will go to Separation as fast ~as mules can get me there。 …
〃But； my darling； if you are alive…maybe with a broken leg but alive…if you still have a knife or even your bare hands； I don't believe that a loper or anything 〃can kill you。 If you are alive； I'll find you。 I will！〃
So I backed down and checked watches with her and agreed on what time I would turn back。 Then Buck and I； with me up on Beulah； set out to scout ahead。
Minerva； at least four parties had tried that pass； none had e back。 I'm certain enough that they each failed from being too eager； not patient enough； unwilling to turn back when the risk was too great。 …
Patience I have learned。 The centuries may not give a man wisdom； but h？ acquires patience or he doesn't live through them~ That first morning we found the first spot that was too tight。 Oh； someone had blasted there and probably got around that turn。 But it was too narrow to be safe； so I blasted some more。 Nobody in his right mind takes a wagon into the mountains without dynamite or some such； you can't nibble at solid rock with a toothpick； or even a pickax； without riskmg being still up there when the snows e。
I was not using dynamite。 Oh； anyone with a modicum of
chemistry cati make both dynamite ；and black powder； and planned to do both…later。 What I had with me was a mon
eflicient and more flexible blasting jelly…and not shock…sensitive； perfectly safe in wagon and saddlebag。
I placed that first charge in a crack where I thought ii would do the most good； set the fuse but did not light it then walked both mules back around the bend and exertec rhy histrionic talent to its limit to explain to Buck and BeulaF~ that there was going … to be a loud noise； a ban g！…but ii could not hurt them； so don't worry。 Then I went back； lii the fuse； hurried back to them and was in time to have as ~rm on each neck…watched my watch。 〃Now！〃 I said； and the mountain obliged me with Ka…boom！
Beulah shivered but was steady。 Buck said inquiringly； 〃Paaang？〃
I agreed。 He nodded and went back to cropping leaves。
We three went up and took a look。 Nice and wide now… Not very level； but three tiny blasts took care of that。 〃What do you think； Buck？〃 …
He looked carefully up and down trail。 〃Doo wagon？〃
第41节
〃One wagon。〃
〃Ogay。〃
We explored a little farther； planned the next day's work~ then I turned back at the time promised； was home early。
It took me a week to make a couple of kilometers safe to another little alp； a grassy pocket big enough to turn one wagon around at a time。 Then it took all of a long day to move our wagons； one at a time； to this next base。 Someone had made it that far； I found a broken wagon wheel…salvaged the steel tire and the hub。 It went on that way； day after day； slowly； tediously； and at last we were through the notch and headed…mostly……downhill。
But that was worse； not better。 The river I had been sure was there； by photomaps from space； was far below us； and we still had to go down； down； down； and follow it a long way before we would reach the place where the gorge opened out into valley suitable for homesteading。 More blasting； lots of brush chopping； and sometimes I had to blast trees。。 But the nastiest ' part was rappelling those wagons down the steepest places。 I didn't mind steep places going uphill （which we still encountered）； a twelve…mule team can drag a single wagon up any slope they can dig their hooves into。 But downhill…
Certainly those wagons had brakes。 But if the… grade is steep； the wagon slides on its tires…then goes over the edge； mules and all。 …
I couldn't let that happen even once。 Not ever risk letting it happen。 We could lose one wagon and six mules and still go on。 But 1 was not expendable。 （Dora would not be in the wagon。） If that wagon cut loose； my chances of jumping clear would be so…so。 …
If the grade was steep enough to give me even a trace of doubt that I could hold a wagon with its brakes；… we did it the hard way： ；used that expensive imported line to check it down such pitches。 Lead the line out fair and free for running； pass the bitter end three times around a tree stout enough to anchor it； secure。 it to the rear axle…then our four steadiest mules； Ken and Daisy； Beau and Belle；… would take the wagcn down at a slow walk （no driver） following Buck； while I kept tension on the line； paying it out very slowly。
… If terrain permitted； Dora on Betty would take station halfway down to relay orders to Buck。 But I c。uld not permit her to be on the trail itself； if that line parted； t would whip。 So maybe half the time Buck and I worked without liaison； doing it dead