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portage； which represented as many days； and this； by all accounts； was
the easiest part of it。 〃Wait till you get to Chilcoot；〃 others told him as
they rested and talked； 〃where you climb with hands and feet。〃
〃They ain't going to be no Chilcoot；〃 was his answer。 〃Not for me。
Long before that I'll be at peace in my little couch beneath the moss。〃
A slip； and a violent wrenching effort at recovery； frightened him。 He
felt that everything inside him had been torn asunder。
〃If ever I fall down with this on my back I'm a goner；〃 he told another
packer。
〃That's nothing；〃 came the answer。 〃Wait till you hit the Canyon。
You'll have to cross a raging torrent on a sixty…foot pine tree。 No guide
ropes； nothing； and the water boiling at the sag of the log to your knees。
If you fall with a pack on your back； there's no getting out of the straps。
You just stay there and drown。〃
〃Sounds good to me；〃 he retorted； and out of the depths of his
exhaustion he almost half meant it。
〃They drown three or four a day there；〃 the man assured him。 〃I
helped fish a German out there。 He had four thousand in greenbacks on
him。〃
〃Cheerful； I must say；〃 said Kit； battling his way to his feet and
tottering on。
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Smoke Bellew
He and the sack of beans became a perambulating tragedy。 It
reminded him of the old man of the sea who sat on Sinbad's neck。 And this
was one of those intensely masculine vacations； he meditated。 Compared
with it； the servitude to O'Hara was sweet。 Again and again he was nearly
seduced by the thought of abandoning the sack of beans in the brush and
of sneaking around the camp to the beach and catching a steamer for
civilization。 But he didn't。 Somewhere in him was the strain of the
hard； and he repeated over and over to himself that what other men could
do； he could。 It became a nightmare chant； and he gibbered it to those
that passed him on the trail。 At other times； resting； he watched and
envied the stolid； mule…footed Indians that plodded by under heavier packs。
They never seemed to rest； but went on and on with a steadiness and
certitude that was to him appalling。
He sat and cursedhe had no breath for it when under wayand fought
the temptation to sneak back to San Francisco。 Before the mile pack was
ended he ceased cursing and took to crying。 The tears were tears of
exhaustion and of disgust with self。 If ever a man was a wreck； he was。
As the end of the pack came in sight； he strained himself in desperation；
gained the camp…site； and pitched forward on his face； the beans on his
back。 It did not kill him； but he lay for fifteen minutes before he could
summon sufficient shreds of strength to release himself from the straps。
Then he became deathly sick； and was so found by Robbie； who had
similar troubles of his own。 It was this sickness of Robbie that braced
him up。
〃What other men can do； we can do；〃 Kit told him； though down in his
heart he wondered whether or not he was bluffing。
IV。
〃And I am twenty…seven years old and a man；〃 he privately assured
himself many times in the days that followed。 There was need for it。 At
the end of a week； though he had succeeded in moving his eight hundred
pounds forward a mile a day； he had lost fifteen pounds of his own weight。
His face was lean and haggard。 All resilience had gone out of his body
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Smoke Bellew
and mind。 He no longer walked； but plodded。 And on the back…trips；
travelling light； his feet dragged almost as much as when he was loaded。
He had become a work animal。 He fell asleep over his food； and his
sleep was heavy and beastly； save when he was aroused； screaming with
agony； by the cramps in his legs。 Every part of him ached。 He tramped
on raw blisters； yet this was even easier than the fearful bruising his feet
received on the water…rounded rocks of the Dyea Flats； across which the
trail led for two miles。 These two miles represented thirty…eight miles of
travelling。 He washed his face once a day。 His nails； torn and broken
and afflicted with hangnails； were never cleaned。 His shoulders and
chest； galled by the pack…straps； made him think； and for the first time
with understanding； of the horses he had seen on city streets。
One ordeal that nearly destroyed him at first had been the food。 The
extraordinary amount of work demanded extraordinary stoking； and his
stomach was unaccustomed to great quantities of bacon and of the coarse；
highly poisonous brown beans。 As a result； his stomach went back on
him； and for several days the pain and irritation of it and of starvation
nearly broke him down。 And then came the day of joy when he could eat
like a ravenous animal； and； wolf…eyed； ask for more。
When they had moved the outfit across the foot…logs at the mouth of
the Canyon； they made a change in their plans。 Word had come across
the Pass that at Lake Linderman the last available trees for building boats
were being cut。 The two cousins； with tools； whipsaw； blankets； and grub
on their backs； went on； leaving Kit and his uncle to hustle along the outfit。
John Bellew now shared the cooking with Kit； and both packed shoulder
to shoulder。 Time was flying； and on the peaks the first snow was falling。
To be caught on the wrong side of the Pass meant a delay of nearly a year。
The older man put his iron back under a hundred pounds。 Kit was
shocked； but he gritted his teeth and fastened his own straps to a hundred
pounds。 It hurt； but he had learned the knack； and his body； purged of all
softness and fat； was beginning to harden up with lean and bitter muscle。
Also； he observed and devised。 He took note of the head…straps worn by
the Indians； and manufactured one for himself； which he used in addition
to the shoulder…straps。 It made things easier； so that he began the practice
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