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carry the United States mail； twice a week； from Kelterville up over
Tarwater Mountain to Old Almaden … which was a sporadically worked
quick…silver mine in the upland cattle country。 With his old horses it took
all his time to make the two weekly round trips。 And for ten years； rain
or shine； he had never missed a trip。 Nor had he failed once to pay his
week's board into Mary's hand。 This board he had insisted on； in the
convalescence from his Patagonian fever； and he had paid it strictly；
though he had given up tobacco in order to be able to do it。
〃Huh！〃 he confided to the ruined water wheel of the old Tarwater Mill；
which he had built from the standing timber and which had ground wheat
for the first settlers。 〃Huh！ They'll never put me in the poor farm so
long as I support myself。 And without a penny to my name it ain't likely
any lawyer fellows'll come snoopin' around after me。〃
And yet； precisely because of these highly rational acts； it was held
that John Tarwater was mildly crazy！
The first time he had lifted the chant of 〃Like Argus of the Ancient
Times；〃 had been in 1849； when； twenty…two years' of age； violently
attacked by the Californian fever； he had sold two hundred and forty
Michigan acres； forty of it cleared； for the price of four yoke of oxen； and
a wagon； and had started across the Plains。
〃And we turned off at Fort Hall； where the Oregon emigration went
north'ard； and swung south for Californy；〃 was his way of concluding the
narrative of that arduous journey。 And Bill Ping and me used to rope
grizzlies out of the underbrush of Cache Slough in the Sacramento Valley。〃
Years of freighting and mining had followed； and； with a stake gleaned
from the Merced placers； he satisfied the land…hunger of his race and time
by settling in Sonoma County。
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During the ten years of carrying the mail across Tarwater Township； up
Tarwater Valley； and over Tarwater Mountain； most all of which land had
once been his； he had spent his time dreaming of winning back that land
before he died。 And now； his huge gaunt form more erect than it had
been for years； with a glinting of blue fires in his small and close…set eyes；
he was lifting his ancient chant again。
〃There he goes now … listen to him；〃 said William Tarwater。
〃Nobody at home；〃 laughed Harris Topping； day labourer； husband of
Annie Tarwater； and father of her nine children。
The kitchen door opened to admit the old man； returning from feeding
his horses。 The song had ceased from his lips； but Mary was irritable
from a burnt hand and a grandchild whose stomach refused to digest
properly diluted cows' milk。
〃Now there ain't no use you carryin' on that way； father；〃 she tackled
him。 〃The time's past for you to cut and run for a place like the Klondike；
and singing won't buy you nothing。〃
〃Just the same；〃 he answered quietly。 〃I bet I could go to that
Klondike place and pick up enough gold to buy back the Tarwater lands。〃
〃Old fool！〃 Annie contributed。
〃You couldn't buy them back for less'n three hundred thousand and
then some；〃 was William's effort at squelching him。
〃Then I could pick up three hundred thousand； and then some； if I was
only there；〃 the old man retorted placidly。
〃Thank God you can't walk there； or you'd be startin'； I know；〃 Mary
cried。 〃Ocean travel costs money。〃
〃I used to have money；〃 her father said humbly。
〃Well； you ain't got any now … so forget it；〃 William advised。 〃Them
times is past； like roping bear with Bill Ping。 There ain't no more bear。〃
〃Just the same … 〃
But Mary cut him off。 Seizing the day's paper from the kitchen table；
she flourished it savagely under her aged progenitor's nose。
〃What do those Klondikers say？ There it is in cold print。 Only the
young and robust can stand the Klondike。 It's worse than the north pole。
And they've left their dead a…plenty there themselves。 Look at their
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pictures。 You're forty years older 'n the oldest of them。〃
John Tarwater did look； but his eyes strayed to other photographs on
the highly sensational front page。
〃And look at the photys of them nuggets they brought down；〃 he said。
〃I know gold。 Didn't I gopher twenty thousand outa the Merced？ And
wouldn't it a…ben a hundred thousand if that cloudburst hadn't busted my
wing…dam？ Now if I was only in the Klondike … 〃
〃Crazy as a loon；〃 William sneered in open aside to the rest。
〃A nice way to talk to your father；〃 Old Man Tarwater censured mildly。
〃My father'd have walloped the tar out of me with a single…tree if I'd spoke
to him that way。〃
〃But you ARE crazy； father … 〃 William began。
〃Reckon you're right； son。 And that's where my father wasn't crazy。
He'd a…done it。〃
〃The old man's been reading some of them magazine articles about
men who succeeded after forty；〃 Annie jibed。
〃And why not； daughter？〃 he asked。 〃And why can't a man succeed
after he's seventy？ I was only seventy this year。 And mebbe I could
succeed if only I could get to the Klondike … 〃
〃Which you ain't going to get to；〃 Mary shut him off。
〃Oh； well； then；〃 he sighed； 〃seein's I ain't； I might just as well go to
bed。〃
He stood up； tall； gaunt； great…boned and gnarled； a splendid ruin of a
man。 His ragged hair and whiskers were not grey but snowy white； as
were the tufts of hair that stood out on the backs of his huge bony fingers。
He moved toward the door； opened it； sighed； and paused with a backward
look。
〃Just the same；〃 he murmured plaintively； 〃the bottoms of my feet is
itching something terrible。〃
Long before the family stirred next morning； his horses fed and
harnessed by lantern light； breakfast cooked and eaten by lamp fight； Old
Man Tarwater was off and away down Tarwater Valley on the road to
Kelterville。 Two things were unusual about this usual trip which he had
made a thousand and forty times since taking the mail contract。 He did
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not drive to Kelterville； but turned off on the main road south to Santa
Rosa。 Even more remarkable than this was the paper…wrapped parcel
between his feet。 It contained his one decent black suit； which Mary had
been long reluctant to see him wear any more； not because it was shabby；
but because； as he guessed what was at the back of her mind； it was decent
enough to bury him in。
And at Santa Rosa； in a second…hand clothes shop； he sold the suit
outright for two dollars and a half。 From the same obliging shopman he
received four dollars for the wedding ring of his long… dead wife。 The
span of horses and the wagon he disposed of for seventy…five dollars；
although twenty…five was all he received down in cash。 Chancing to
meet Alton Granger on the street； to whom never before had he mentioned
the ten dollars loaned him in '74； he reminded Alton Granger of the little
affair； and was promptly paid。 Also； of all unbelievable men to be in funds；
he so found the town drunkard for whom he had bought many a drink in
the old and palmy days。 And from him John Tarwater borrowed a dollar。
Finally； he took the afternoon train to San Francisco。
A dozen days later； carrying a half…empty canvas sack of blankets and
old clothes； he landed on the beach of Dyea in the thick of the great
Klondike Rush。 The beach was screaming bedlam。 Ten thousand tons
of outfit lay heaped and scattered； and twice ten thousand men struggled
with it and clamoured about it。 Freight； by Indian…back； over Chilcoot to
Lake Linderman； had jumped from sixteen to thirty cents a pound； which
latter was a rate of six h