By the time they reached a level area the wind shrieked bitterly and they struggled to keep from being blown off the cliff face. Joseph knew that setting up the tent would be impossible and directed Alice to the stone wall face of the mountain. They found a spot beneath an overhang that was protected from the howling wind and Joseph took the pack from her back and told her to sit against the rock face.
Alice huddled up to the slick wall and Joseph sat next to her. He pulled the packs up against them, instructing Alice to put her legs inside the shoulder straps and tie the waistband to her ankles. With only their rucksacks to protect them, they huddled together against the mountainside and Alice put her head on Joseph’s shoulder.
The wind howled loudly into the night and the two huddled together for warmth in the fierce wind. When snow began to fall Joseph looked out through the packs into the darkness and watched the flakes swirl forcefully around them. Alice looked up at him and smiled reassuringly.
“We’ll be alright,” she said. “I’m sure it won’t last.
By sunrise they had both fallen asleep beneath what was now a natural igloo over them. Joseph opened his eyes and looked at the pure, white blanket of snow covering them.
“Look,” he said quietly and he felt her stir beside him.
“Oh no,” she whispered. “Are we trapped?”
Joseph shook the packs and the snow fell away easily.
The sun shone brightly and they emerged from the bank of snow that had encased them.
From high above the valley they looked out over the woodland behind them and the lake sparkling in the distance. The air was crisp and clean and hawks circled slowly below, winging their way towards the river and across the highland ranges. Every mountain as far as they could see had a cap of fresh white snow and the landscape that had earlier promised spring was once again covered by winter.
Joseph stretched and stomped his feet. He kicked away some of the snow and walked ahead a short distance. He could see that the snow was light and blew easily so he decided they could continue their climb to the summit and eat there.
They brushed the snow off one another and climbed back into their packs.
Alice took each step carefully and Joseph did not hurry her. His back ached from sitting against the icy stone and he decided that once they reached the summit they would camp there for the day, gathering their energy and getting some rest.
She stopped suddenly and looked at him in surprise.
“What?” he asked.
“Listen. I hear voices.”
He stopped and tried to hear what she had, thinking it was simply the wind. Then he heard it too, several voices and all of them men.
He considered his choices. He could continue up the pass to the next plateau and encounter however many people had camped there. If he returned to the outcropping where they had spent the night, eventually the group would descend and he would encounter them anyway, in a more dangerous situation on the side of the cliff. If they simply passed through the group they could continue their journey back down the other side of the mountain. There would be no rest that way, and they would have to eat along the cliff face but he decided it was his best and only choice.
He spoke quietly to Alice. “We need to try to keep going past them. Keep your hood up and pull up the face covering. I had hoped to camp for the day. Maybe they’ll move down this side of the mountain. Can you keep going?”
Alice nodded. Her legs were stiff and she needed to relieve herself, but if they could get past this group she might have a chance for a moment alone.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When they reached the top of the trail Joseph peered over the edge and tried to make out the group that camped in the small, forested highland. He studied them and then squatted down and spoke quietly to Alice.
“We’ve reached the top of the mountain and there are about two dozen men here. I would guess they aren’t all together and they just all got caught in the snow last night. We’ll try to just pass through.”
Alice kept up her hood and squared her shoulders. “Alright. I’m ready.”
Joseph climbed over the rocky edge and stood up straight. He resisted the temptation to help Alice up, instead standing where he blocked Alice from their view. One man looked up from the group and called out.
“Hey! There’s someone heading down!” He stomped over to Joseph and offered his hand.
“Found all the gold already?” He spoke loudly and several of the men on the plateau laughed heartily.
“I wish,” Joseph replied and offered his hand. “I’ve been up here couple of years. I’m going home.” He tried to sound defeated. The stiffness in his back made the charade much easier.
“Oh,” the stranger said. “I didn’t see the little guy behind you.” He offered his hand to Alice as she stood up beside Joseph.
She shoved her hand into the heavy mitten that hung from her side, stuck out her hand and shook his firmly.
“How’d you get up the cliff side so early? Did you climb all night in the snow?”
“No, we slept on the cliff face. We’re ready to keep moving and warm up a bit.”
“What’s it like? Is it real slippery?”
“I’d watch my step. The snow’s blowing away now, but there’s some icy spots. What’s it like on the other side?”
“Most of us have been up here a couple of days so I can’t say. That guy over there came up last night. Try asking him.”
Joseph thanked him and moved through the group, nodding and greeting the men with Alice behind him, standing as tall as she could.
“I’m Amish Joe,” he announced and put out his hand. “I hear you came up last night. Tell me, how’s the south face?”
“Name’s George Becket. Not bad at all. Some ice from the rain yesterday, but with this sun it should be an easy descent.”
“Thanks.” Joseph said to the man. “Let’s go, Al.” He nodded towards Alice and she nearly giggled.
When they reached the other side of the clearing Joseph looked down and groaned.
Alice stepped up and looked over the edge. A steady trail of people climbed along the face, all carrying packs.
“Welcome to the Yukon gold rush,” he muttered under his breath.
As they looked out over the valley they could see the people dotting the landscape far below with pack animals, mules and horses.
Joseph knew he’d be explaining himself all the way down. “Stay close. We’re going to need to make it down and then we’ll veer off to rest and eat. You alright?”
Alice nodded and bit her lip.
Joseph decided he’d look much less suspicious if he was friendly. He took a deep breath and sent Alice over the edge in front of him and then took the lead.
“Morning folks!” he called out as he approached the first group. Alice looked up at him and then back down quickly lest anyone see her face.
“Good luck to you all up there! We’ve been up here a couple of years now and have had enough of the damn snow. Good luck to you all!”
Joseph repeated various versions of his greeting down the entire mountainside, keeping an eye on Alice as she passed through groups of men on the more narrow passages. The sun was high in the sky when they finally reached the woodland and Alice beckoned Joseph to hurry from the crowds.
He picked up his pace behind her until they were out of view and she struggled out of her pack and ran behind a large bush.
Joseph turned away to watch for anyone coming and eventually she appeared beside him.
“Joseph,” she said.
“Yes?”
“I noticed not long after we got up this morning you managed to relieve yourself on the side of the mountain.”
“Yeah?” He looked down at her.
“I did not. It’s a bit more complicated, but just as necessary.”
“Alright,” he said.
They found a sheltered place away from the crowds and set up camp quietly. They chose to eat cold food rather than tem
pt anyone with the smell of food cooking over an open fire. Then they crawled into the tent for quiet and relief from the gathering insects. Joseph shed his parka and heavier clothing outside while Alice struggled to remove hers inside the tent. She had not seen a single woman on the trip. When she had stripped down to her long johns she called him inside.
Joseph stretched out on the bedroll and groaned low.
“You alright?” she asked.
“My back is stiff from sleeping on the cliff last night.”
“Roll over,” she said.
“Why?” he asked suspiciously.
“I’ll rub it out. Trust me. I give you my word I won’t molest you… too much.”
“Forget it,” he scowled.
“Really, roll over.”
He turned onto his stomach and Alice grasped his trousers and gave them a hard tug, pulling them to his hips.
“Oh no,” he said and tried to turn over.
She straddled his thighs quickly and pushed his shoulders to the bedroll.
At first he tightened his jaw, again aggravated by her effect on him and he struggled to concentrate on anything except wanting to be with her. But soon her touch became so relaxing he began to feel sleepy.
Alice kneaded his muscles firmly, long after she heard his soft snore. Working out the muscles while he slept would give him even more relief and she enjoyed touching him. When she was sure he slept soundly she ran her hands along his waist. Soon she was the one who had to lay down and try to contain herself.
“Joseph Southers,” she said softly in the tiny tent. “I’m just not sure how I can keep being this close to you without completely ruining you for your Yvonne.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The sun shone brightly the following morning and the voices of people heading up the mountain rose in volume. Joseph climbed from the tent and stretched. He could see them through the trees. Where there had been a few dozen people yesterday, now there was a hundred. He knew they would have to get down the pass as quickly as possible.
He reached into the tent and touched Alice’s foot and heard her soft voice. When she emerged she had already donned her tunic and parka, the hood pulled down over her face. Immediately she noticed that the temperature had risen and her clothing felt heavy and close.
“Are we climbing today?” she asked. She looked up at the surrounding hillsides.
“Not like we have been. There’s a rocky stretch we must get over. Let’s eat and get going.”
Alice insisted that they start a fire and have a decent breakfast. They had not eaten anything but cold food for days and she felt thin and empty.
When they finished and the equipment was packed they started towards the clearing which was now completely filled with fortune seekers headed north towards the mountain. Joseph considered what problems they might encounter since they were making their way in the opposite direction. When they rounded the trail and looked out over the rocks Alice caught her breath.
A wide strip lay between the steep mountainsides, covered entirely in sharp, jagged rocks. To Alice it looked like a valley of razors. It sloped down before them at an alarming angle that would make it difficult to walk upright. The people that clambered up were on their bellies, some with packs on their backs. They crawled and climbed, slowly feeling their way up the cruel incline.
“We have to crawl over that on our hands and knees?” She looked up at him.
“More on our bellies like a bug. You’ll need to make sure all of your clothing is fastened closed so as not to get cut or scratched and you’ll need your mittens for protection. That covering will help guard your face, but you have to be very careful not to set your head down on the rocks.”
“You’ve done this before?” She stood up on her tiptoes and tried to see down the passage.
“I came up this way,” he said.
“How far is it?” She looked up at him nervously. Alice was already warm in the heavy clothing and the expanse of rock was exposed to full sunlight, even in the early hour of the day.
“I’m guessing if we don’t dawdle we can get down in about four or five hours.”
Alice’s heart sank. She looked at him in only his leggings and tunic and she knew he wore only his woolen shirt over his long johns and, if he needed to, he could remove some of his clothing. If she remained in the parka her only choice on this warm day was to have nothing on underneath.
“It’s going to be hot out there in the sun. I can make the climb but I’m already so hot.”
He looked at her and could see that her cheeks were flushed beneath the hood. Now and then a woman had appeared here and there in the crowd, but they were not that different from the men. He wondered if maybe it was time to consider packing up the heavy parkas. He cursed himself again for not having left earlier in the season. “Let’s go back into the cover of the woods and see what we can do.”
They retreated to where they had privacy and Alice threw off her parka. Joseph could see that she was completely flushed and perspiring underneath the heavy clothing. Her hair clung to her face and her eyes were red.
“You’re right. Once we’re out there we can’t change.”
They decided that she should take off the parka and put on two of his shirts. That would give her some bulk without being quite as warm. Alice tucked her braids into the Amish hat, pulled it low over her head and put the face covering over her ears. Joseph thought she clearly looked like a woman, but the face covering was so grotesque he hoped no one would bother her. They set up their packs and ventured towards the pass.
Alice climbed the massive boulders that bordered the area and turned around to back down the jagged ravine. Joseph stayed close alongside her, explaining how she should plant her feet for each step as they descended. After crawling for several minutes with intense concentration, she looked up and was shocked how little distance they had covered. Alice focused as hard as she could on the task and tried to move more quickly.
About two hours into the descent Joseph said they should stop for a moment while he rolled onto his back and instructed her how to do the same. He pulled a jar from his pocket and offered her a drink. Between the two of them they emptied the container and he tossed it to the side. They rolled back onto their bellies and began down the path again.
A young man crawled up beside them and Alice put down her head so that he could not see her face. He slowed in his crawl alongside them. Unfastening his trousers, he exposed himself and urinated into the rocks. Alice looked away.
Joseph looked over to see why the man had stopped beside her and groaned. She reached over and touched his arm and shook her head silently. They resumed their descent and the man continued his climb.
“That was damned disgusting.” Alice heard Joseph curse under his breath. She was sure by the way the man had looked at her that he knew she was female.
When the rocks began to spread out the steep angle of the incline decreased, but the descent did not go any easier. Between the stones a thick muddy clay oozed in the warm sunlight. Joseph explained to Alice that if she slipped into it there were jagged rocks beneath the mud as well. The sludge would swallow up her mittens or footwear or anything else. Soon she saw examples of what he meant.
People were climbing past them, some carefully, many haphazardly, as if it were a race up the pass. Alice and Joseph worked their way to one side of the ravine while the gold hunters climbed past them. Several slipped into the mire, losing shoes and boots and cursing loudly. Others had attempted the climb in bare hands and now had bloodied rags wrapped over their palms. Joseph explained that there was a salt of some kind in the stones that could make a wound fester.
Alice saw a madness in the people’s eyes that seemed to affect the expression of many who climbed past her. She was overcome with relief when they finally reached the end of the ravine.
Joseph helped her to her feet and she struggled to stand upright. She saw that he staggered oddly as well and they headed for a wooded area to one side of
the pass. The temperature was several degrees cooler in the woodland and Alice pulled her parka from the top of her pack and slipped it over her head. The man that had stopped on the climb beside her had unnerved her. His crude display was intentional, she was certain. She’d met men like him before, men who had odd ideas about what excited them. The peculiar look in the eye of the people they were seeing convinced her that she should be careful. Although the trail was dangerous the bigger danger might very well be the people passing them by.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Alice looked up and saw a man approaching them through the woodland. She was certain he was inebriated and she turned her face to Joseph’s chest and felt him put his hand protectively on her back.
“I’ll give you good money for a few minutes with your squaw there,” the man said, stepping up to them. “I’ve been on this damn trail for days and I sure could use a good toss with a nice little thing like that.” He pointed to Alice.
Alice could feel Joseph’s muscles tighten. She knew that if Joseph simply said no to the man he would persist and not accept Joseph’s reasoning. She slipped her hand into the hem of her parka and pulled out the lipstick. She let the face protector fall and put on the cosmetic quickly and carefully.
She turned to face the man and threw off her hood. Joseph grabbed her arm and stiffened. Alice cuddled up against his chest and spoke to the stranger sweetly.
“I’m not his squaw. I’m from the whorehouse at the top of the ravine there. We have a whole bunch of tents up there and they’d just love your money.” Her voice was syrupy smooth.
Joseph looked down at her in shock.
“Now this fella’s been up there for over two years and he hasn’t had any loving all that time. He paid good money for me and I climbed all the way down here to give him the full day and night he paid for. Now don’t you ruin it for me. You don’t want to take anything away from a hard-working girl, do you? Why don’t you just climb up and get you some of whatever you want at the top of the hill?” Alice rubbed her hand over Joseph’s chest provocatively and kissed his cheek brazenly.
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