Chapter 30 Chapter Fifteen Jane Egerton, Sammy Skinner, and Ben Radeau Don't Understand A Little
A ruthless fate gave Hunter the gold he had so hard to chase, along with death.How he longed for this precious and wicked metal!How many crimes have been committed, and how many more must be committed to get some gold!Fate reincarnated like a mockery, it was gold that smashed the head full of sinful dreams!
Ben Rado could not help eyeing the astonishing projectile which had just killed the enemy for him, and which was worth no less than a hundred thousand francs.The gold which became indisputably his property was sufficient to cover the expenses of the expedition, and even to pay a small bonus to each of these brave but unfortunate pioneers.
Compared with the result everyone hoped for, what kind of ending is this!From the immeasurable treasures of the Gold Volcano, they took away only this one and only sample!
Perhaps, the hostility of the Texans disrupted Ben Lado's plans.In self-defense, he caused the volcano to erupt prematurely.However, all in all, even if he were free to choose the date and time of the eruption, the gold in the gold volcano would be lost, because the volcano threw the ejected objects into the sea.
"It is all unfortunate," the scout concluded, when his thoughts calmed down a little, "that we will not be able to approach the crater when we arrive."
"Indeed," Sammy Skinn agreed, "Jacques Ledin thought it was out, but it was just asleep. It woke up weeks early!"
It was this bad luck that cost Bin Lado all the gains from the operation.No matter what others say to him, he will never be comforted.
"Come on, poor Ben," said Sammy Skin, "have some courage and some sense! . . . Throw away your dreams and be content to live happily ever after in our lovely homeland! We've been away from it for eighteen months gone."
Ben Rado shook his cousin's hand, tried hard to dispel the sadness, and immediately led the team.
The camp should be rebuilt to avoid the attack of the volcano, even if the direction of the lava flow suddenly changes.Moreover, this camp is only a temporary existence, because there is no reason to stay in this extreme northern region.
After choosing a place on the bank of the Rube River two kilometers upstream, everyone immediately began to build the camp.A dozen men were sent across the canal to collect what was still usable from the original supplies.Others loaded the captured supplies into enemy wagons.Others went after the stray horses, and several were easily caught.
Before dark, the new camp was set up in a comfortable enough way.
The night is calm.Out of caution, and also to prevent the survivors of the broken-up gang from counterattacking, a night watchman was sent.But the silence of the night was disturbed only by the loud noise of the eruption.
What a spectacle of eruption during the dark hours!Fiery gold dust thrown with great force forms a dome over the crater.Taller than this dome of powdered gold, the flames howled up to the clouds, illuminating the region with eerie light to the very end of the horizon.
The water in the canal continued to flow into the angry land.If there is nothing to plug the wound in the mountain, will the water of the vast estuary region flow in continuously for weeks and months?
"Who knows?" said the Scout to Sammy Skin in the morning, "whether such a large quantity of water will extinguish the volcano?"
"It's quite possible," Bill went on, "but, for God's sake, don't tell Ben! He'll probably have to wait! . . . But there's nothing to pick up in the crater right now!"
Sammy Skinn needn't worry.Ben's resolution was made, and a good one was made.He bowed his head again before the forces of nature. There was nothing he could do about Lot 129 being submerged underwater and Jin Volcano throwing his contents into the sea, so he decided not to worry about it any more.He believes that these two disappointments are in the past, and he must face the future unswervingly.
The future, at least the immediate future, is Dawson City.God knows why the city the engineer missed was condensed in his mind into a hospital ward in which a fair-haired girl spoke of sensible, sweet things at her leisure.Probably a kind of contrast is at work.He was in a state of chaos, and he couldn't help recalling this calm water scene, as if for psychological balance.
At five o'clock the next day, he told his companions of his decision: he would set off for the south that very day.He expected an objection, but there was no objection.Hope was dashed, and with it courage.Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they learned that they were going home.
Before giving the order to go, Ben Rado and the scouts took one last look around the foot of the Golden Volcano.Did the volcano throw a few gold-bearing quartz stones here?
No.The gold nugget that crushed Hunt and rolled to Ben Rado's feet was the only souvenir brought back from Dominion North.
The direction of the eruption has not changed.All objects: stones, cinders, lava, volcanic ash are thrown to the north and fall incessantly into the sea, sometimes as far as two kilometers from the shore.The violence of the eruption has not abated at all, so it is impossible to climb to the top of the mountain.
While Ben Rado and the scouts searched for ore, Jane Egerton approached Sammy Skinning, who sat quietly smoking his pipe on the grass.As on the last climb not so long ago, the girl's languid, slightly exhausted gait made her all the more lovely.
"Mr. Skinning, please forgive me," she said somewhat flusteredly, "I didn't thank you properly because I just realized this morning that I should express my deep gratitude to you again."
"Who is this talkative man?" Sammy Skin asked angrily.
"Patrick told me it all," interrupted Jane mildly, "and I know that I live, first, because of your composure and alertness, and secondly, because of your bravery, to whom I owe you a debt... someday, She added with a shy, touching smile, "I venture to say that I will return your favor. I admit that this promise cannot be fulfilled at this time."
"Is it Patrick who gets you so excited? Miss Jane," Sammy said, turning the corner. "In this case, he's actually doing everything. He's so modest."
"No, Mr. Skinning," Jane emphasized more enthusiastically, "I know what he has done, and I have his rightful place in my heart for him. But I know what you have done, too."
"My role? . . . " cried Sammy. "I'm the hunter, that's all. A hunter sees something jumping in front of him. . . and he shoots. It's very simple . . . "
Sammy stopped talking suddenly, pretending to be very angry:
"Besides, enough has been said about it. I don't want it to be mentioned to me again."
"Well," agreed Jane Egerton, "no more... but I shall keep thinking of it."
The team departs around 8:00.The engineer and Sammy Skinn went first, followed by Neruto's carriage, in which Jane Egerton sat.Behind them are vehicles with camping supplies under the command of scouts.
Food was plentiful due to the constant hunting and fishing during the weeks spent at Gold Volcano, saving on canned goods.Moreover, there are many partridges, wild ducks and large wild animals available for hunting along the road.If Sammy Skin had the chance to finally shoot a long-awaited moose, would it be worth the trip?
The weather is capricious, which is no surprise, and the good season is coming to an end.Still, there's hope of reaching the Klondike capital before September, before it's too cold to camp at night.
Gold volcanoes can also be seen on the horizon when the team stops for lunch.Ben Rado turned around, unable to take his eyes off the swirling smoke and dust rising from the top of the mountain.
"Forget it, Ben, let's go," Sammy Skine told him, "like so many things in this world, the gold has gone to dust. Don't think about it any more. Not this way, but Look over there."
Sammy's hand pointed southeast, almost in the direction of dear, distant Montreal.
Ben Rado and Scout agreed to take a new route on their return.They no longer circled eastward without passing Fort MacPherson; they headed straight south.In this way, the distance is significantly shortened.There is no need to worry about finding water in this river-ridden area, especially if you are close to the headwaters of the Porcupine River.
At dusk on the first day of the march, the driver's attention was attracted by the many cracks in the ground, and he had to go around and around, which greatly extended the distance traveled.If this annoying phenomenon persists, they will be forced to veer to the right or left until they find a more favorable surface for the vehicle to drive on.
Fortunately, after a few kilometers, the situation turned in favor.Deep fissures became less and less common.Gradually they seemed to converge on each other, so that they soon became a small number of enlarged fissures, each of which was as wide as the sum of the widths of the smaller fissures of which it was composed.
This law is as rigorous as mathematics and continues to the end.At a distance of 60 kilometers from the Golden Volcano, there is only one crack left, which is so wide that it is more appropriate to call it a gully.The fissure, 15 meters deep and 60 meters wide, has jagged edges that appear to have been violently torn open; it runs from north to south, with a few degrees to the west.It seemed to be heading exactly toward Dawson City, so that the procession had to follow its east bank without deviating from the geographical straight line.
This particular situation was naturally a topic of discussion.The huge ravine stretches as far as the eye can see and is absolutely straight.There is not a single clump of grass on the slopes of the ravine, and the faults of the humus soil are very clear, and have not been washed by rain; so it can be inferred that it was made recently.What is the power to create such a grand work all of a sudden?
"It's the Gold Volcano," Ben Rado said to Sammy Skin who posed the question. "It's a secondary reaction to the volcano. Before the eruption, if you remember, we felt a strong earthquake , and for a time the southern horizon was completely obscured by dust. Now you know the cause of this dust."
"So far from the volcano!" cried Sammy Skin.
"There is nothing surprising," said the engineer affirmatively. "Volcanoes often create chaos at great distances before erupting. However, once the subterranean pressure has succeeded in opening a sufficiently large channel from the crater, Everything will calm down. That's exactly what happened here."
On August 12, they crossed the Arctic Circle.Although the road was shorter, it was also worse.On average, you can walk up to 12 to 15 kilometers a day.Scout regretted not going in the opposite direction, past Fort MacPherson.
Fortunately, everyone's health has been satisfactory.These strong-bodied Canadians have endured hardships and endured severe trials, but they are still as healthy as ever.
The Great Rift Valley, created by the force of the volcano, followed them all the way south.However, after 100 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle, the size of the rift valley began to decrease.The width is getting narrower and the depth is getting shallower.But this change is very slow, and when it slopes more to the right after 50 kilometers, it is still easy to distinguish this faithful fellow traveler; at this time, the abyss has become a general chasm and disappears on the western horizon. .
The mountains around the Klondike capital were sighted on September 3.Shortly after noon the procession stopped in front of the Northern Hotel.
This is a signal of scatter.Patrick and Neruto go to the house on the outskirts of the city, where they hope to meet their friend Lorik.Scout led his men and his supplies, plus Hunter's, to his warehouse in Dawson City.As for the original miners on Lot 129, they were scattered in the city, each looking for a place to live.
At this time, the hard test did not make Jane Egerton, Sammy Skinner and Ben Rado forget the exquisiteness of the civilized world, and they groomed carefully.Although Dawson City was expensive, they did what they had to do and bought what they had to do: bathe, get their hair cut, make clothes, buy underwear and shirts.At around three o'clock, the three of them got together again in the hall of the North Hotel. At this time, they had already had a full rest, refreshed, as if they were different people.
Eager to kiss her cousin, Jane rushes to the hospital, while Ben and Sammy go to the Anglo American Transport and Trading Company, where they deposit their cash before setting off for Gold Volcano.Money should be considered.Although the gold nuggets thrown by Golden Volcano are valuable, they currently have no cash to use.
Sammy went to the window and handed a check, which the clerk took with a sort of languid air; his eyes paled with shock as they caught sight of the signature on the check.The window was closed with a crisp sound, and then there was a chaotic sound in the guard net, and the two brothers were quite strange.
While waiting for the check to be cashed at the window, the two brothers made their way to the other window where they were going to deposit the gold nuggets sent by Gold Volcano on the tragic occasion.The staff in charge of valuables did not show extreme indifference like his colleagues in charge of daily business after taking over the huge gold nugget, but showed his surprise by this unique precious metal sample through active actions.This nugget is indeed beautiful.The gold nuggets had been washed and wiped to remove the smallest impurity, and the yellow surface shone brightly, reflecting countless flashes of light in the sunlight.
After the company representative had fully expressed his appreciation, he weighed, followed by quick calculations.
"."He said.
Ben Rado agreed with a gesture.
"The depositor is..." the clerk asked, holding up a pen.
"Sammy Skin and Ben Rado," the engineer finished.
Just like before, the window closed with a crisp sound, and there was also a chaotic sound behind the guard net, which had already aroused the curiosity of the two brothers.
A few minutes passed.The irascible Ben Rado began to ask loudly if they were being taken lightly when a higher-looking clerk came across the hall begging Mr. Sammy Skin and Mr. Ben Rado to come with him. Come on, Mr. William Broll wants to talk to them.
Although they were quite surprised, the hospitality was unfathomable, and they soon met their old acquaintance, the deputy manager.
"Gentlemen, I beg you to excuse me if I disturb you," he said. "I have ordered that I be notified as soon as one of you arrives in our office. It is my great pleasure to receive both of you."
Sammy Skin and Ben Rado greeted him, showing no surprise at the courtesy.
"You understand," continued the deputy manager, "that I cannot let our company's most important clients go without asking them to accept our congratulations."
Both brothers raised their eyes to the speaker at the same time.Has Mr. William Broll suddenly lost his mind?Or was the Anglo American Shipping and Trading Company in trouble, and their little deposits played an important role in the company's circulation?
"Ah!" said the assistant manager again, "you must have often laughed at us, and you should admit that you have this right. Our sense of smell is not good! We were frightened by the sad border problem! We valued your property at $5,000, yes, $5,000! . . . In short, don’t be afraid of accusing us of short-sightedness, because that’s why you are the lucky owners of Lot 129.”
"Number 129?" Sammy Skin and Ben Rado repeated in unison in amazement.
"Incredible, extraordinary, magical number 129!"
The chatty deputy manager uttered these three adjectives, obviously, he couldn't find a better word.
"I'm sorry, but..." Sammy Skin, almost breathless, began to speak.
Ben Rado, quick to respond to every situation in life, interrupted him.
"What do you think, Mr. Assistant Manager, there is only luck and misfortune in business," he said in the most natural tone, "you will find another opportunity."
"There will never be such an opportunity," William Broll asserted with great force. "There are no gold mines in the Klondike, nor anywhere else to match your gold mines. Of course, I think you have hesitated for a long time. During the year, you must have been groping and finding ways to fight. We regret that we have only received very few reports. Now, your efforts have been rewarded richly, a What you've been sending us every day for months is proof."
"Every day?" murmured Sammy Skin.
"At least, almost every day."
"You think so for a month?" Ben Rado asked tentatively with a more stable voice.
The deputy manager seemed to be recalling.
"My God, yes," he said, "almost a month ago we got your first batch of what you have now."
"Really!" Ben Rado said in a simple and honest voice.
"Besides," added Mr. William Broll, "if you want to know the exact date of the first delivery, we can find it in the books."
He rang the bell.A clerk appeared immediately.
"Please send me the account books of the owners of Lot 129, Mr. Sammy Skin and Mr. Ben Rado," said the deputy manager to the clerk.
The clerk is out.
"Taking this opportunity, I can tell you the exact balance. I'm afraid it will be beneficial." William Broll said with a laugh.
Someone brought the ledger, and the assistant manager opened it in front of him.
"Gentlemen, see for yourselves," he said, "I remember correctly. Today is September 3rd, and your first shipment is August 5th..."
"August 5th! . . . " said Sammy Skin, "exactly a year after Lot 129 was flooded, and not a bad day! . . . "
"As for your balance..." the assistant manager continued, scanning the long numbers with his eyes, "Look! Ah! Here it is... Do you want to write it down?"
Ben Rado grabbed a pencil, and with a strong hand wrote while listening:
"...Not counting the things you sent today, adding it to the total."
Engineers jotted down the dizzying numbers.Sammy Skin, pitying his weak head, thought nothing at all; the engineer was thinking, while William Broll continued his admiration:
"Ah! What you have sent today! . . . is the most wonderful thing, not only for its value, of course, but also for its incomparable beauty! . . . God! What a gold nugget! I really I think it is unique in the world, only Lot 129 can produce such a large gold nugget! …”
Bin Lado's thoughts are over.There is no doubt that the deputy manager is a madman who should be tied up.Anyway, there is an easy way to figure this out.He explained casually:
"My cousin and I, we're here to cash a little check for $1,000. But since we're passing through Dawson City, I think we'd better get some extra cash."
"At your command, gentlemen," replied Mr. Broll. "How much do you charge?"
"." Ben Rado said coldly.
Let's see.If the deputy manager is crazy, it is impossible for all the staff to be crazy at the same time.When the money is actually paid, the joke is over.
"At your command, gentlemen," repeated Mr. Broll, after Ben Rado's request, "it will take time to count out the $100,000, and I will send it to your hotel later, along with the receipt." .”
"We can wait for a long time." Ben Rado said to himself, and at the same time took his leave to the deputy manager, who showed great enthusiasm by sending the two guests all the way to the door.
Sammy and his cousin stood up at the same time and followed his cousin obediently like a child.
"What do you think of it, Ben?" Sammy stammered once they were out in the street.
"I didn't think about anything." Ben Rado replied, he didn't want to show his confused thoughts.
The two brothers walked back to the hotel in silence.
Entering the lobby of the hotel, they saw Jane Egerton who seemed to be waiting anxiously for them.The girl must have also experienced agitation.She frowns, expresses extreme anxiety, and bursts into tears at the same time.
Seeing this, Sammy Skin forgot his curious interview with the Deputy Director of the Anglo-American Shipping and Trading Company.He ran to Jane Egerton, and took her hands lovingly.
"Miss Jane, what's the matter with you?" he asked, "What happened?"
"My cousin is missing," replied Jane Egerton, trying to hold back her sobs, but without success.
Ben Rado was also excited.
"Miss Edith is missing?" he asked in a panicked voice. "That's impossible!"
"Not sure, though," continued Jane Egerton. "After I left you, I went to the hospital. I saw Dr. Peelcox, and it was from him that I got the news."
"Did the doctor not tell you any details?"
"He told me: In the early morning of July 25, Edith left him suddenly without saying hello in advance."
"No reason for leaving?"
"No."
"Didn't you say where she went?"
"No. She just said she was going to come back when winter started."
"Doesn't the doctor know where she went?"
"he does not know."
"This is an adventure!" exclaimed Ben Rado, who seemed very excited.
At this moment a servant came in and said that someone wanted to see Mr. Sammy and Mr. Ben.
"Bring him in," replied the engineer mechanically.
The visitor is carrying a rather large bag.
"I have been entrusted by our deputy manager, Mr. William Broll," said he, "to send these two gentlemen the $100,000 they have drawn, and have them sign the receipt."
The staff of the company took out bundles of banknotes from the bag while talking, and piled them on the table one after another.
"Gentlemen, do you want to take stock?" he suggested.
Ben Rado controlled his panic and counted the banknotes slowly.
"Okay," he said.
"Gentlemen, please sign the receipt."
Ben Rado picked up a pen and signed his name with a firm and firm hand.As for Sammy, he had to be pointed out where to sign and almost took his hand to sign.Sammy lives in a dream and is no longer in this world.
It was Ben Rado who sent the bank clerk out the door and then returned to Jane Egerton and the cousin.
He saw the two of them facing each other, examining the table piled with banknotes.
Sammy Skin still had the bewildered air of a two-foot-tall monk.Jane Egerton continued to cry, but her eyes, through the tears, seemed to be asking.
Ben Rado is not one to talk out loud in order to figure out what he doesn't understand.So far he's been in control, but now that the reaction is happening, he's starting to lose his strength.He made a weary movement, deferring all explanations until later.
The three of them stood in the middle of the hall for a moment, and then fell down in unison on the sofa that welcomed them with open arms, with their heads resting on the comfortable backrest.For a long time they remained like this, their minds strained; Oedipus, helpless, guessed at the mystery of the Sphinx Outside, the half-dark dusk fell gradually over the city, where the bustling sounds had died down.
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