Chapter 20 Chapter 5 A Boxing Lesson

Sammy Skin was destined to accompany Ben Rado to the Klondike, and to accompany him to the highest regions in North America.Sammy resisted bravely.In order to oppose this action, he created various reasons.In the end, however, a little girl overcame his unshakable resolve in ten seconds with a few words. To be honest, his failure can be said to be a bit willing.Will Sammy Skin have the nerve to make the return trip to Montreal alone?Or have the patience to wait for Ben Rado in the relative comfort of Dawson?Very unlikely. Now that Sammy decides to follow his cousin to conquer the Golden Volcano, the above question will never be answered.

"Give away once," he kept saying to himself, "and give up forever. I have only myself to blame! . . . Ah! Green Valley! Green Valley! How far away you are!" Should it be admitted?Sammy expressed his regret to himself, which is a bit out of formality and not to be disappointed by it.Of course, he has always missed Green Valley.However, there was an emotion in his heart that he couldn't put into words.He felt as happy and light as a child, and the prospect of going on a trip which on the whole was rather troublesome did not frighten him.No doubt it was the hunt that got him interested in adventure.

Since spring came early, the Scouts returned to Dawson City in early May.Chilkoot Pass earlier than usual, sailing on the lakes and the Lewis River, and the weather was good.As promised eight months ago, Bill Steer came to attend to the brothers' orders to take them back to Skagway, and from there to take a steamer to Vancouver. Bill Steer was not surprised to learn that Ben Lado's plans had changed.He knows all too well: as soon as you put your foot in the Klondike, you risk taking root there.If the engineer isn't there yet, at least he doesn't appear to be packing up and heading back to Montreal.

"So? . . . " said the Scout to Sammy Skin. "That's it, my brave Bill." That's all of Sammy's answer. When he learned that Bill Steele had agreed to join them, Sammy became more talkative.He gushed over how happy the decision brought him. That's a really good idea.Ben Rado rightly believed that he could not find a more reliable helper than the scout, and in order to make up his mind, he told him the real purpose of his trip.The secret of the Frenchman he had kept, known only to the sisters Sammy Skin and Egerton at the time, he did not hesitate to tell Bill Steele whom he had absolute confidence in.

At first, Scout doesn't believe in the existence of the Gold Volcano.He'd heard the legend, but didn't think anyone would believe it.But the scout became less suspicious when Ben Rado told him the story of Jacques Ledan and showed him the map showing the location of the Gold Volcano.Gradually, he became as convinced as the engineer. "In short, Scout," said Ben Rado at last, "there is undeniable wealth there. I have succeeded in persuading you. Why don't you come with us?" "Would you like me to accompany you to Gold Volcano?" Bill Steel asked again.

"Come with us, Scout, and lead us there. Haven't you traveled all over the northern lands? If you don't find the Golden Volcano, I'll pay you well, and if you do, Why don't you grab fistfuls of gold from this volcanic safe?" Despite his clear head and quick thinking, the Scout felt himself shaken.Such an opportunity has never appeared before him. What worried him, however, was the long distance of the trip.The best route is a zigzag line passing through Fort MacPherson, which he has visited many times, with a distance of more than 600 kilometers. "It's about the distance from Skagway to Dawson City," said the engineer. "That never frightens you."

"Probably, Mr. Rado, I should add that the area between Dawson City and Fort MacPherson is easier to walk, but going further north to the mouth of the Mackenzie River may be another Something happened." "Why do you want to think about the worst?" Ben Rado retorted, "In short, 600 kilometers can be covered in one month." Indeed, it would be possible if unexpected accidents did not occur from time to time on such a high plateau. Bill Steel hesitated. His hesitation was not long.Nice to see his boss Neruto again, the eloquent Sammy Skinn, and the persuasive and unimaginably persuasive Jane Egerton all helping Ben Rado to convince him.They all had a point: when the expedition was set, the help of scouts was invaluable, increasing the chances of success.

As for Neruto, he did not know the true purpose of this expedition which pleased him greatly.How many animals must there be to hunt in these hitherto seldom-inhabited regions! "The remaining question is who is going to kill the animals," Sammy Skin said. "Let's go fight," replied Neruto, a little surprised. "Don't let them beat us!" Sammy retorted, which showed Neruto that his answer with such certainty was not well timed. Indeed, in the warmer seasons the northern regions roamed in great numbers in great numbers.There was no good fruit to come across them; Hudson's Bay Company employees often fought them in self-defense.

It will be ready in no time.The scout, who was about to set off with his men north as well as south, had no trouble finding the necessary supplies: vehicles, portable boats, tents, mules, and there was no shortage of fodder on those grassy plains. , and mules are better to use than dogs.As for food, in addition to what hunting and fishing can provide, it is easy to find food that can last for several months.Companies serving the Klondike gold mines have just shipped a lot of grain to Dawson City after traffic to Skagway and Vancouver resumed.Ammo is also plentiful and they are not dumb if it is necessary to use the Masson.

The party was led by Scouts and included the two brothers, Jane Egerton, Neruto (plus his cart and horse), Patrick Richardson, 9 Canadians who had worked at 129 and 6 Bill Ster There are 21 people in Seoul.This limited number of people is enough to develop the gold volcano. According to Jacques Le Dan, the job there is to go to the extinguished crater to pick up gold nuggets. Everyone carefully prepared for this operation, and only Ben Rado, Sammy Skin, Jane Egerton and the scouts knew the purpose of this operation.Departure is scheduled for May 6. Before leaving Dawson City, it was not surprising that Ben Rado wanted to have a final look at the situation in the Forty Mile River area.He sent the foreman and Neruto to the place where Uncle Josias' former estate was.

The situation there remains the same. 129 and 131, like many parcels on the west side of the border, are still flooded.Rivers widened by the quake still flowed on their normal course.It may not be possible to divert the river back to its original bed, but in any case it is such a large and expensive project that no one intends to do it.Lorrick came back convinced that any hope of reopening the plots had to be abandoned. On May 5th, preparations were completed.In the afternoon, Sammy Skinner and Ben Rado bid farewell to Edith and the doctor. They first see the two sisters spending this final day together.Edith was as serene and calm as ever.What did she think of the trip?Careful people can answer this question. "I have no problem," she replied when Ben Rado asked her the question. "Everyone lives according to their own intentions. The important thing is to do what you want to do." The conversation lasted more than two hours.Oddly enough, it's basically Sammy and Jane who talk.As time went on, Ben Rado and Edith became more reticent, as if they had a fixed thought that grew heavier and heavier in their heads. When the time came to part, it was Sammy who ended the conversation happily. "The procedure is, take it easy!" he concluded in a loud voice, "that is, be cheerful. We'll be back before winter, when we'll be bent under the weight of gold!" "May God hear you," Ben Radeau murmured wearily, holding out his hand to Edith, who shook his hand without saying a word. As the door closed behind them, and they were going to see Dr. Peelcox, Sammy pressed his cousin somewhat vehemently. "What's the matter with you?" he asked. "You look like you've brought the devil down to earth, and Miss Edith seems to be copying your look of disillusioned hope. How inspiring! You don't like this time." trip?" Ben Rado seemed to be trying to get rid of the annoying thought. "You're kidding!" he said. As for Dr. Piercox, here is his opinion: "You guys are going to have a fantastic trip, because that area is more beautiful than the already good Klondike! If you go south, it's to go back to Montreal, and we'll never see each other again. At least this time when you're from there I'll see you all in Dawson when I come back." Ben Rado had a final conversation with Lorik in the evening.Luckily Sammy had no idea what the two of them were talking about, and if he knew his cousin's true state of mind, he would be furious. During months of long conversations with the Canadian foreman, the engineer had contracted the golden fever that Sammy feared so much.Loric was a mad miner who had been panning for gold all his life; gradually he got Ben Rado to accept his ideas.The foreman influences his master by poison, by slow infection, so that the latter finds and exploits gold veins or sands as his sole purpose in life.In the back of his mind, returning to Montreal was an uncertain future.His entire interest is focused solely on the Klondike: an inexhaustible source of passion that sleepy gamblers appreciate. Ben Rado decided that Lorik would not take part in the expedition farther north.He remained in Dawson City on a mission to learn all about mining.If he finds something good to try, then he can do it. After everything was arranged, at five o'clock the next morning, the team left Dawson from the northern block on the right bank of the Klondike River and marched northeast. The weather was as one would expect: clear skies, gentle breeze, and temperatures between five and six degrees above zero.Most of the snow had melted away, leaving only a few flakes of blindingly white snow on the grass. Needless to say, the route was carefully chosen.Scouts have been to Fort MacPherson from Dawson.One can trust his memory. All in all, the area to be traversed is fairly flat, with only a few tributaries or tributaries of tributaries of the Yukon and Klondike, and beyond the Arctic Circle, tributaries or tributaries of tributaries of the Peel River.The Peel River flows into the Mackenzie River along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. At least, in the first part of the journey, between Dawson City and Fort MacPherson, the road was not difficult.After the last snow melted, the level of the river dropped to its lowest point; it was easy to swim across, and the river always held enough water for the team.When they reached the Peel River, they would decide how to proceed for the final leg. With the exception of Sammy Skin and Patrick Richardson, everyone set out with hope of success due to the peculiarly human phenomenon of autosuggestion.Although Sammy Skinning refrained himself from thinking, and did not think for a moment of the purpose of his journey, after a long and fruitless hostility he happily set off, not knowing why, and Exuding irrepressible joy. As for Patrick, he had no objection, if he could.The day before departure Jane said to him: "Patrick, we're leaving tomorrow." "Yes, Monsieur Jean," replied the loyal giant, who never seemed to notice the change of sex in his young master. Others, at least those who knew: Ben Rado, Jane Egerton, Bill Steele were convinced of the existence of the Gold Volcano and its treasure.As for the rest of the team, they followed out of trust, knowing only to explore to the north; all were blinded by blind optimism, trying to figure out what would be achieved in advance.They whispered to each other that the scouts had given them "intelligence" and that they were sure to be heading for magical treasures, and that the engineers knew how to dig them out of the ground in one fell swoop. It was in such a happy mood that they left Dawson City.After leaving the city, the carriage driven by Neruto, the brothers and Jane, was going very fast at first, but soon had to slow down because the things on the carriage were too heavy.However, the rest intervals at the beginning can be lengthened, and the vast plateau is very flat, without any obstacles, and neither animals nor people are too tired.In order to reduce the burden on the mule, the people in the cart often got down and walked for a while.At this time, Ben Rado talked with the scouts about the problems they were thinking about.Sammy Skin and Neruto are running around the fields, the beasts are plentiful, and they don't waste a bullet.Then the bivouac was built until the next day before the night, which was already belated in this high country at this time of year. On May 16, 10 days after setting out, the team crossed the Arctic Circle, slightly beyond the 66th parallel.Nothing happened during the first part of the trip.Didn't even come across the hordes of Indians whom the Hudson Company clerks were still pursuing and driving further and further west. Good weather and good health.The workers are physically fit, hard-working, and travel does not seem to be hard.Mules can easily find food on grassy ground.As for the night camp, it was always possible to set it up beside a babbling river, and beside a grove of birches, aspens, and pines; The appearance of the area is slowly changing.Now the ridges of the Rockies loom in silhouette on the eastern horizon.Early tectonic movements lifted this part of North America, and the ups and downs in turn lifted nearly the entirety of the New World. After crossing the Arctic Circle for a few kilometers, the team waded at the headwaters through a creek that flows northwest into the Porcupine River. Going north after crossing this small river, the road is quite difficult; one is because of the dense river, and the other is because of the unevenness of the ground.If Neruto hadn't been very careful, the axles or wheels of the carriage would have broken several times. Moreover, no one is surprised by these difficulties.They never imagined that there would be well-lighted, gravel-paved roads in these sparsely populated areas.Only Bill Steer, who walked this way, showed some surprise. One day, when the procession entered a narrow passage, he said: "When I passed here 20 years ago, the road didn't seem so bad." "However, it hasn't changed since then," Sammy Skin replied. "This may have been caused by the severe cold last winter," said the engineer. "I think so too, Mr. Ben," replied the scout, "for the cold has cracked the ground deeply. I therefore warn you of the collapse of the stone." This did happen two or three times.Huge chunks of quartz and granite, thrown off balance by erosion, bounced and tumbled down hillsides, smashing trees in their path.A wagon and mules pulling it were narrowly missed by the huge boulders. For two days, the road was difficult to walk.The interval between two rests cannot be maintained at an average distance.Ben Rado was annoyed at the resulting delay, but Sammy Skinn approached the matter with the coolness of a philosopher. It wasn't gold that attracted him.Now that he had given up returning to warmer regions, traveling was no different from doing other things to pass the time.Besides, he had to make a deal with himself: to be a completely happy man. "Ben is amazing," Sammy said to Jane sometimes, "he's a madman." "Not at all," answered Jane, "he was only in a hurry." "In a hurry?" Sammy retorted. "Why in a hurry? He's always ruining the present by worrying about the future. Me, I'll just muddle along and do what I've done." "This is because Mr. Rado has a goal. He goes straight to the Gold Volcano, and the road to get there is just a method that doesn't interest him." "Gold Volcano, if it exists," Sammy replied, "it'll be there in 15 or 8 days. Besides, I hope we'll have a good rest at Fort MacPherson. After such a walk, it's the right to lie in a bed for a while." lie." "If only Fortress Macpherson had a hotel!" After asking the scouts, I found out that there is no hostel there. "Fort MacPherson," said the Scout, "is a camp for the company. There are rooms, though." "Where there's a room there's a bed," said Sammy Skin, "I'm happy to stretch my legs in bed for two or three nights." "Let's talk there first," Ben Rado interrupted. "Don't waste time with useless stops." Therefore, the team moved as fast as the winding and uneven road allowed.However, despite Ben Rado's repeated encouragement, it took them nearly a week to get out of the mountains and reach the Peel River. Arriving at the river on the afternoon of May 21, he immediately crossed this important tributary of the Mackenzie, taking advantage of the last ice drifts in the river during the Lingling period.Before dark, personnel and supplies had safely reached the right bank of the river, and a camp was built under the tall pine trees by the river.Once the tent is pitched, it's time for dinner, which is always in a hurry. However, fate is destined to have an accident at night.The people had just settled down when a Canadian who had gone downriver came running back, his face changed with fright. "Alarm! . . . alarm!" he yelled when people could hear him. Everyone stood up indiscriminately.Only Sammy Skinn took up his shotgun with the calmness of a professional hunter.He sprinted outside ready to fire. "Is it an Indian?" he asked. "No," replied Bill Steel, "it's a bear." Sure enough, three tall bears appeared behind the people who ran back. They looked amazing and belonged to the type of big brown bear that often haunts the canyons of the Rocky Mountains. Are these bears extremely hungry?It was so, judging from their terrible growls that terrified the mules. Everyone was in a mess, and before they had time to take precautions, the three bears were already in the camp. Jane Egerton happened to be in the front row, and she wanted to back away, but it was obviously too late.Sammy leapt in front of the girl, raised his gun and fired, two shots in succession. Sammy always hit the mark, at least that's what he said, and this time, it confirmed his statement.The two bears were hit in the heart and fell to the ground and never got up again. There was a third bear left. It was indifferent to the death of its companion and rushed forward at full speed.A second later it would have seized unfortunate Sammy Skin with its dreadful claws out of the gun.The latter decided that he would rather die than make the opponent pay a heavy price, so he grabbed the barrel of the gun, turned the shotgun into a stick, stood firm, and stood ready. The bear jerked suddenly, its flanks attacked, and it had to face a new enemy, Patrick Richardson.The latter has no other weapons, only natural hands and feet.The Irishman came to help, and according to the rules of the most orthodox French boxing, he kicked the bear hard to the right, and the impact of the beast was stopped. The bear turned a quarter of its body, gave a deafening growl, and pounced on the brave person who dared to offend it.Everyone who saw this thrilling scene screamed in fright.Only Patrick, who was bending over, was composed. It was a marvelous spectacle: on the one hand, a huge, raging beast, rushing headlong with claws and claws; However, although his cultural level is not high, he makes up for the lack of natural weapons with the unique wisdom of human beings. People thought they saw a scene from prehistoric times.At that time, our ancestors could only use muscle power to conquer strange and hostile lands. This time, again, wisdom won.Just as the bear was about to wrap its fluffy arms around Patrick, one of the latter's fists struck out like lightning, hitting the bear in the face like a stone from a catapult. It was a beautiful punch.The bear's two hind legs wobbled and fell heavily on its back to the ground.Patrick gave a small laugh, and he stood still, ready for a new attack. Another attack came immediately.As soon as the bear fell down, he stood up with blood all over his face.It was so angry that it threw itself on its opponent desperately. Patrick was composed.This time, his two fists struck at the same time, and the timing was just right.First, the left fist hit and blinded one of the bear's eyes, and then the right fist hit the bear's nose again, with great force, blood spattered out, and the crisp sound of teeth shattering was heard. The bear fell down again, and Patrick still graciously waited for the bear to stand up before fighting.So was the impartial combat of the Roman gladiators. In addition, the action of the bear getting up is not as fast as the first time.Still, it got up, just to rest heavily on the ground.It didn't move or bark, bewilderedly rubbing its blind eyes with its paws while licking its bleeding nose with its thick tongue. Patrick got impatient for waiting, he clenched his fist and took a step forward, the bear immediately backed away.The Irishman immediately took the second and third steps, and the bear kept moving back.This special pursuit lasted for three minutes, and the people around were dumbfounded. An impatient Patrick speeds things up.He knew that it was difficult to reach the enemy in retreat, and he had to use throwing weapons.He stooped to pick up a large rock, which he tossed as an insulting challenge that would undoubtedly restart the fight. That's not the case.The bear saw the action of the Irishman, and did not care about what would happen in the future.Obviously, enough of the previous lessons, it has had enough.It landed on all fours, trotted back, showed a helpless expression, and ran away with its buttocks clenched in fear; at the same time, it cast a timid glance at the victor with the remaining eye. A few minutes later, the bear disappeared in the woods. The ending was unexpected, and people burst into laughter and thunderous applause.The crowd surrounded Patrick, praising him non-stop. "Thank you, Patrick," said Sammy Skin warmly, shaking his savior's hand vigorously. "Well, thank you," said Jane also to the giant, "thank you, and congratulations!" Patrick didn't seem to notice Sammy's presence.He turned to the young mistress, whom he felt was alone in the world. "Nothing," he said modestly. "Monsieur Jean, you see, this beast can't box."