Chapter 7 CHAPTER VII CHILCOOT

It makes sense that Bill Steer would choose the Chilkoot Valley over the White Valley.It is true that the White Valley can be entered as soon as you leave Skagway, but the Chilcoot Valley starts from Day.However, after passing through the White Valley, it takes about 8 miles of extremely poor roads to reach Lake Bennett; it is 16 kilometers from Chilcoot Valley to Lake Lindemann, and it is easy to reach Lake Bennett from Lake Lindemann. The distance between the top of the two lakes is only 3 kilometers. Although the Chilkoot Valley is more difficult than the White Valley, climbing a thousand-foot-high almost straight-up and downhill slope, it is not difficult for people who do not carry heavy supplies.After Chilkoot there is a well maintained road leading to Lake Lindemann.The first stage of the itinerary is over the mountain. Although it is tiring, it is not too difficult.

At 6 o'clock in the morning on April 27, Bill Steer gave the signal for the road.Edith and Jane Egerton, Sammy Skinn and Ben Rado, the Scout and six of his men left Skagway and took the road to Chilcoot.A sledge drawn by two mules is sufficient for this distance to the southern end of Lake Lindemann.Bill Stell sets up his main foothold at Lake Lindemann.Under the best conditions, this journey also takes at least 3 to 4 days. One sled was loaded with luggage, and in the other sat two girls, covered with piles of quilts and furs against the very bitter wind.As might be expected, they never imagined that their travels would be accomplished in this manner.Edith poked her red nose out of the fur several times to thank Sammy Skinner, who pretended not to hear.

Both Ben Rado and he were overjoyed to be of service to them.What pleasant companions they were on such a arduous journey!Bill Steele was also very happy. Besides, the scouts didn't hide from Edith: Dawson City anxiously awaited her arrival.The hospital was overcrowded, and several of the nurses had contracted various contagious diseases that decimated the city.Typhoid fever, in particular, was decimating the city at that time.Among the unfortunate emigrants there were hundreds of dead; they had left many of their companions on the road, and arrived pale, weary, exhausted... "Lovely place, all right!" said Sammy Skinning to himself. "We, we're just passing by! .

Across the Chilkoot Valley it seems unnecessary to carry provisions to lighten the load on the steep climbs.The scout knew of several inns, which could not be called inns, but at least "lodging houses," the humblest kind of inns.There you can find food and, if necessary, even a house for the night.Of course, it's expensive.A bed with only one plank costs half a dollar, and a regular meal consisting of lard and unraised bread costs a dollar.Fortunately, for only a few days, this relative comfort is unavoidable.That won't be the case when Bill Steer's team goes through the Lake District.

The weather was very cold, with a biting wind blowing, and the temperature remained at minus 10 degrees Celsius.At least, after the sled has entered the "track", it can slide on the compacted snow.It's good conditions for sledge animals.The road up the mountain was indeed very steep, so mules, dogs, horses, cows, and reindeer fell and died in large numbers on the road.Chilcoot, like White Hollow, is littered with their dead. After leaving Skagway, the scouts moved along the east bank of the canal towards Day.His sled was less loaded than the other plateau-bound sleds and should be able to overtake them with ease.However, the roads are packed to the brim.The wind raged in the narrow valley, rolling up bursts of snow that blinded people.All kinds of vehicles, some lying on the road, some even turned upside down; despite beating and yelling, the animals refused to advance a meter; some people worked hard to open the passage, while others did not want them In the past, there was desperate resistance; supplies had to be unloaded and reloaded; there were quarrels, mutual abuse, fights, and sometimes even bullets.So many impenetrable obstacles blocked the way, and the slowest had to be followed slowly.Then the dog-sled ropes got tangled up, and it took a long time for the drivers to untie the ropes amidst the howling of these poorly domesticated beasts!

The distance from Skagway to the mountains is not long, and despite the difficulties of the road, it can be crossed in a few hours.In this way, the team of scouts rested at Day before noon. This is just a settlement of wooden houses at the end of the canal, but the degree of chaos and crowding is unbelievable! More than 3,000 immigrants live in this future city on the edge of the Chilkoot Valley. Bill Steer, intending to take advantage of the cold weather for sledding, decided to leave Day early without reason.At noon they were on their way again.Ben Rado and Sammy Skinn walked, and the two girls rode in the sledge.Every turn in the canyon reveals wild and magnificent scenery, which is hard not to appreciate.There are patches of frost-covered pine and birch trees that reach the top of the mountain in layers; and there are streams that are not frozen, and the streams bounce and splash into bottomless abysses.

The distance to "Yangying" is only 4 miles.Although the slopes in the canyon are steep and the sleds stop frequently, a few hours is enough to cover the distance.It was not easy for the sledgers to get them moving again. Ben Rado and Sammy Skin walked and chatted with the Scout.The latter answered a question they asked: "I expect to arrive at 'Sheep Camp' at 5 or 6 o'clock, and we will stay there until the next morning." "Is there an inn where our two traveling companions can rest?" asked Sammy Skin. "Yes," replied Bill Steer, "because the 'Sheep Camp' is where the immigrants stop."

"But," Ben Rado asked, "is it certain that a bed will be found?" "It's unlikely," said the scout firmly. "Besides, it's best not to stay in these hotels. Maybe it's better to pitch our tents for the night." "Gentlemen," said Edith from the sleigh, who had heard the conversation, "we don't want to trouble you." "Trouble?" answered Sammy Skin. "What trouble can you give us? Don't we have two tents? One for you and one for us." "There were two small fires burning till dawn," added Bill Steer, "and though it's cold at the moment, there's nothing to fear."

"Very well," Jane agreed, and she joined the conversation, "but it must be made clear: you don't have to take care of us. We are not guests, but your partners. We don't deserve more or less than others. Take care. If you need to hurry at night, we will go as well. We hope that you will treat us like men, and we will treat anything that can be seen as courting us as an insult to us." "Relax," declared Sammy Skin, smiling, "that we will not reduce your worries and fatigues. We will invent and invent if necessary!" The team arrived at the "Sheep Camp" around 6 o'clock.The sledge animals were exhausted when they arrived.The people under the scout quickly unholstered them and fed them.

Bill Steele was right, there was no comfort in the inn there, and besides, it was full.The scouts therefore set up two tents outside the Sheep Camp, under the trees, so as not to be disturbed by the terrible noise inside. Now Edith and Jane took their first part, carefully folding snow quilts and furs into a rather fluffy bed, the stove purring merrily.Although the meat was cold, at least the drinks were hot and there was no shortage of tea and coffee.Then the men lighted their pipes and the night continued comfortably, even though the temperature outside had dropped to minus 17 degrees. Hundreds of immigrants could not find a place to shelter from the wind and snow in the "sheep camp", how much pain they should endure!How many women and children are exhausted at the beginning of a journey, and cannot wait until it is over.

The scouts decided to start at dawn next day in order to stay ahead of the crowd in the Chilcoot Valley.The climate is cold and dry, but even if the temperature drops further, it is a hundred times stronger than the terrifying and fierce snowstorms on the North American plateau. When the two brothers came out of the tent, Jane and Edith's tent had already been down.Instantly the coffee was ready and served piping hot, and then the second tent was put up.In a few minutes, without the intervention of the men, everything was loaded on the sled, and neatly packed, so that each item occupied the least amount of space, and was easily taken out without disturbing other things.Ben Rado, Sammy Skin, and even Bill Still were all in awe of the virtuosity.Seeing the superior skills of the "partner", Ben Rado even began to think that the contract originally signed out of charity might turn into a good business in the end. As for Sammy, he gaped at the skill of his two companions.He followed closely, empty-handed, and stubbornly offered a late favor, but they refused with smiles. The pace of progress is no faster than it was yesterday.The slopes get steeper the further the valley goes toward the top of the mountain.The sturdy mules that pulled the carts were not superfluous, for the road was rough, rocky, and rutted, and the melting ice made it impossible to use. The same crowded and rowdy crowds, the same obstacles that made the Chilcoot Valley so difficult to navigate, the forced, prolonged stops when the dogs' ropes twisted and barred the way. forward.Several times Scout and his men had to use their hands to carve a passage. On both sides of the path, the corpses of mules followed one another, and the more they went up, the more corpses there were.One by one the animals fell, dying of cold, fatigue, and hunger.Regardless of the owner's stop, the sled dogs rushed towards this unexpected delicacy, roaring and fighting for the last scraps of meat and bones. There are still more tragic scenes, and the bodies of frozen and exhausted immigrants can often be seen.Tossed under a tree or at the foot of a cliff.A bump in the snow showing a foot, a hand, or a corner of a garment is a temporary grave; the first wind of spring will blow away such a grave.At first the eye was irresistibly drawn to these eerie mounds, but gradually habit worked its way, and people passed by with less and less indifference. Sometimes it's the whole family: men, women and children who can no longer walk and lie on the cold ground with no one to help them.Edith and Jane, with the help of their companions, worked tirelessly to rescue these unfortunates, bringing them back to consciousness with a little brandy.However, they are powerless in the face of hordes of poor people.Soon, it will be up to these unfortunates to resign themselves to climbing the grueling graveyard-like trail. Every five minutes, one had to stop, either to let the mules catch their breath, or the road was blocked, and in some places, at sharp turns, the valley became so narrow that some of the supplies brought by the settlers could not pass.Some of the main parts of the detachable boat exceeded the width of the ravine, so that the parts had to be unloaded from the carts and hauled across by cattle one by one.In this way, it will delay other teams for a long time. In others, the slopes are steep, with inclines of more than 45 degrees.The animal refused to go forward, or at least slipped under its hooves, despite the anti-skid shoes.Only by yelling desperately and whipping hard, they will climb up. The hooks on the horseshoes leave deep marks on the blood-stained bend. Around 5 o'clock in the evening, the scouts stopped the team.Although the mules were less loaded than the other animals, they were exhausted and could not move a step.On the right side of the valley there was a gully covered with resinous trees, and tents were pitched under their branches to protect against the gale caused by the rising temperature. Bill Steer knew the place, and he had spent the night here many times.Under his command, the bivouac was built. "Are you worried about the wind?" Ben Rado asked him. "Yes, there may be strong winds at night," the scout replied. "It is impossible for us to take more measures to prevent the snowstorm. The terrain here is like a funnel, and the wind and snow can easily pour in." "But," Sammy Skin noted, "we're safe because of the way the ditch is going." "That's why I chose this ditch," Bill Steer replied. Scout experience is correct.The blizzard started at 7:00 pm and lasted until 5:00 am.The whirlwind of snowflakes made it impossible for people to see each other within two meters.It was difficult to get the fire to burn properly, because the wind was blowing the smoke back, and it was difficult to find firewood in the wind.The tent didn't blow down because Sammy Skinner and Ben Rado stayed up half the night, always worried that the girls' tent would be blown away. This was the fate of most of the tents set up outside the gully, and after daylight the damage caused by the storm could be estimated.The sledgehammers broke their bridle-ropes and ran here and there; the sledges turned upside down, and some fell under cliffs where the stream flowed beside the road.Families cried and begged for help, but no one could help them: what a disaster. "Poor people! . . . poor people! . . . " murmured the girls, "what will become of them?" "It's none of our business," said the Scout in a gruff voice, masking a mixture of pity and resignation with an apparent ruthlessness. "Since there's nothing we can do, we'd better leave early." He immediately gave the signal to go, and the procession climbed again. The blizzard died down at dawn.The wind shifted suddenly to the northeast, and in the highlands, thermometers picked up the change in wind direction as the temperature dropped to minus 12 degrees.The thick snow on the ground immediately froze hard as ice again. The landscape of the entire region has changed.On the other side of the hillside, the woods disappeared, and it became a vast white plain, whose strong reflections blinded people's eyes.Travelers without sunglasses had to smear their eyelashes and eyelids with charcoal dust at this moment. At the Scout's suggestion, Ben Rado and Sammy Skinn took this measure, but they could not make up their minds to do the same for Edith and Jane. "Miss Jane, if you're snowblind, how are you going to find the gold nuggets?" Ben emphasized, but to no avail. "And you, Miss Edith," said Sammy emphatically, "how do you take care of the sick? Even if it's just us, miss, because I'm sure we're going to have misfortune in that damn place, and someday you'll be Our nurse at Dawson Hospital." This conversation is utter nonsense.The girls would rather have their hoods covered their heads and thus forgo the use of their eyes than have them smudged in this way.It's proof that even the staunchest feminists haven't lost their inherent love of beauty, if necessary. On the night of April 29, the party camped at the top of the Chilkoot Valley.The next day, they will take the necessary steps to descend the northern slope of the plateau. The place was completely exposed and exposed to the harsh weather, and the crowding was all the more serious.At that time, it was occupied by more than 3,000 immigrants. They were looking for some places to hide their things and hid some of their supplies first.Indeed, it is not difficult to go down the mountain. In order to avoid accidents, one should not carry too many items down the mountain.So these fantastical people who got their strength and supernatural tenacity from Klondike phantoms go down to the bottom of the mountain with the first heavy object and then climb up the mountain to pick up the second object and come down again and come up again ; if necessary, do this 15 to 20 times over many days.At this time, dogs played an inestimable role. They either pulled sleds or pulled a piece of cowhide, which slides more easily on the hard snow on the hillside. Most of the settlers descended with double pain against the northerly winds that raged on this side of the Chilcoot Valley; they bivouaced on the northern ridge of the valley. From there, all these unfortunates saw, or thought they saw, the Klondike plains unfolding at their feet.This magical land is right under their feet. Their overheated imagination has turned this land into an endless golden land. For them and only for them, the land sprouts endless wealth and superhuman power!Their hearts fly to the mysterious North with their great desires and sweet dreams, from which most of them will wake up horribly! There was no need for Bill Steer and his team to stay on the summit much longer.These blessed people don't have to look for hiding places, let alone climb up the hill after descending.Once they set foot on the plain they had only to walk a few miles to the top of Lake Lindemann. The camp was set up as usual.But this last night was the worst.At night, the temperature suddenly rose, and the wind rose again, and it became more fierce.This time, the tents were not sheltered by the gully, and they were uprooted several times by strong winds, and finally had to be folded up, otherwise, they would be swept away by the snowstorm.Everyone had to wrap up in the quilt and wait for the dawn resignedly. "Really," thought Sammy Skin, "it is not too much to use all the philosophy of ancient and modern philosophers in order to accept all the hardships of such travel, especially if it is not necessary." During brief lulls in the blizzard, cries of pain and terror and terrible curses could be heard.The groans of the wounded rolled on the ground by the wind were mixed with the barking of dogs, the neighing of horses and the howling of cattle. These animals were frightened and wandered on the plateau. Dawn finally came on April 30.Bill Steer gave the order to go.The dogs took over from the mules to pull the sled, and the sled, with no one on it, began to descend. The scouts were experienced and careful, so the descent went smoothly and without fatigue.The two sledges came safely out onto the plain at the mouth of the Chilcoot Valley.The weather turned better, the wind eased, and it blew eastward.The temperature has picked up, but fortunately remains below freezing, as the melting ice and snow will make walking more difficult. At the foot of the mountain, many immigrants gathered in a camp waiting for their supplies.That area is quite wide, not as crowded as on the plateau.The surrounding area is full of woods, and the tent can be erected safely in the forest. The team spent the night there and continued on their way the next day.Because the road was easy to walk, we arrived at the southern end of Lindemann Lake at noon.