第1章

Astotheshantyitself，Canutehadbuiltitwithoutaidofanykind，forwhenhefirstsquattedalongthebanksofRattlesnakeCreektherewasnotahumanbeingwithintwentymiles。Itwasbuiltoflogssplitinhalves，thechinksstoppedwithmudandplaster。Theroofwascoveredwithearthandwassupportedbyonegiganticbeamcurvedintheshapeofaroundarch。Itwasalmostimpossiblethatanytreehadevergrowninthatshape。TheNorwegiansusedtosaythatCanutehadtakenthelogacrosshiskneeandbentitintotheshapehewished。Thereweretworooms，orrathertherewasoneroomwithapartitionmadeofashsaplingsinterwovenandboundtogetherlikebigstrawbasketwork。Inonecornertherewasacookstove，rustedandbroken。Intheotherabedmadeofunplanedplanksandpoles。itwasfullyeightfeetlong，anduponitwasaheapofdarkbedclothing。Therewasachairandabenchofcolossalproportions。

Therewasanordinarykitchencupboardwithafewcrackeddirtydishesinit，andbesideitonatallboxatinwashbasin。Underthebedwasapileofpintflasks，somebroken，somewhole，allempty。Onthewoodboxlayapairofshoesofalmostincredibledimensions。Onthewallhungasaddle，agun，andsomeraggedclothing，conspicuousamongwhichwasasuitofdarkcloth，apparentlynew，withapapercollarcarefullywrappedinaredsilkhandkerchiefandpinnedtothesleeve。Overthedoorhungawolfandabadgerskin，andonthedooritselfabraceofthirtyorfortysnakeskinswhosenoisytailsrattledominouslyeverytimeitopened。Thestrangestthingsintheshantywerethewidewindowsills。Atfirstglancetheylookedasthoughtheyhadbeenruthlesslyhackedandmutilatedwithahatchet，butoncloserinspectionallthenotchesandholesinthewoodtookformandshape。Thereseemedtobeaseriesofpictures。Theywere，inaroughway，artistic，butthefigureswereheavyandlabored，asthoughtheyhadbeencutveryslowlyandwithveryawkwardinstruments。Thereweremenplowingwithlittlehornedimpssittingontheirshouldersandontheirhorses’heads。Thereweremenprayingwithaskullhangingovertheirheadsandlittledemonsbehindthemmockingtheirattitudes。Thereweremenfightingwithbigserpents，andskeletonsdancingtogether。Allaboutthesepictureswerebloomingvinesandfoliagesuchasnevergrewinthisworld，andcoiledamongthebranchesofthevinestherewasalwaysthescalybodyofaserpent，andbehindeveryflowertherewasaserpent’shead。ItwasaveritableDanceofDeathbyonewhohadfeltitssting。Inthewoodboxlaysomeboards，andeveryinchofthemwascutupinthesamemanner。Sometimestheworkwasveryrudeandcareless，andlookedasthoughthehandoftheworkmanhadtrembled。Itwouldsometimeshavebeenhardtodistinguishthemenfromtheirevilgeniusesbutforonefact，themenwerealwaysgraveandwereeithertoilingorpraying，whilethedevilswerealwayssmilinganddancing。Severaloftheseboardshadbeensplitforkindlinganditwasevidentthattheartistdidnotvaluehisworkhighly。

ItwasthefirstdayofwinterontheDivide。Canutestumbledintohisshantycarryingabasketof。cobs，andafterfillingthestove，satdownonastoolandcrouchedhissevenfootframeoverthefire，staringdrearilyoutofthewindowatthewidegraysky。Heknewbyhearteveryindividualclumpofbunchgrassinthemilesofredshaggyprairiethatstretchedbeforehiscabin。Heknewitinallthedeceitfullovelinessofitsearlysummer，inallthebitterbarrennessofitsautumn。HehadseenitsmittenbyalltheplaguesofEgypt。Hehadseenitparchedbydrought，andsoggedbyrain，beatenbyhail，andsweptbyfire，andinthegrasshopperyearshehadseeniteatenasbareandcleanasbonesthatthevultureshaveleft。Afterthegreatfireshehadseenitstretchformilesandmiles，blackandsmokingasthefloorofhell。

Heroseslowlyandcrossedtheroom，dragginghisbigfeetheavilyasthoughtheywereburdenstohim。Helookedoutofthewindowintothehogcorralandsawthepigsburyingthemselvesinthestrawbeforetheshed。Theleadengraycloudswerebeginningtospillthemselves，andthesnowflakesweresettlingdownoverthewhiteleprouspatchesoffrozenearthwherethehogshadgnawedeventhesodaway。Heshudderedandbegantowalk，tramplingheavilywithhisungainlyfeet。HewasthewreckoftenwintersontheDivideandheknewwhatthatmeant。MenfearthewintersoftheDivideasachildfearsnightorasmenintheNorthSeasfearthestilldarkcoldofthepolartwilight。Hiseyesfelluponhisgun，andhetookitdownfromthewallandlookeditover。Hesatdownontheedgeofhisbedandheldthebarreltowardshisface，lettinghisforeheadrestuponit，andlaidhisfingeronthetrigger。Hewasperfectlycalm，therewasneitherpassionnordespairinhisface，butthethoughtfullookofamanwhoisconsidering。Presentlyhelaiddownthegun，andreachingintothecupboard，drewoutapintbottleofrawwhitealcohol。Liftingittohislips，hedrankgreedily。Hewashedhisfaceinthetinbasinandcombedhisroughhairandshaggyblondbeard。Thenhestoodinuncertaintybeforethesuitofdarkclothesthathungonthewall。Forthefiftiethtimehetooktheminhishandsandtriedtosummoncouragetoputthemon。Hetookthepapercollarthatwaspinnedtothesleeveofthecoatandcautiouslyslippeditunderhisroughbeard，lookingwithtimidexpectancyintothecracked，splashedglassthathungoverthebench。Withashortlaughhethrewitdownonthebed，andpullingonhisoldblackhat，hewentout，strikingoffacrossthelevel。

Itwasaphysicalnecessityforhimtogetawayfromhiscabinonceinawhile。Hehadbeentherefortenyears，diggingandplowingandsowing，andreapingwhatlittlethehailandthehotwindsandthefrostslefthimtoreap。InsanityandsuicideareverycommonthingsontheDivide。Theycomeonlikeanepidemicinthehotwindseason。ThosescorchingdustywindsthatblowupoverthebluffsfromKansasseemtodryupthebloodinmen’sveinsastheydothesapinthecornleaves。Whenevertheyellowscorchcreepsdownoverthetenderinsideleavesabouttheear，thenthecoronersprepareforactiveduty；fortheoilofthecountryisburnedoutanditdoesnottakelongfortheflametoeatupthewick。ItcausesnogreatsensationtherewhenaDaneisfoundswingingtohisownwindmilltower，andmostofthePolesaftertheyhavebecometoocarelessanddiscouragedtoshavethemselveskeeptheirrazorstocuttheirthroatswith。

ItmaybethatthenextgenerationontheDividewillbeveryhappy，butthepresentonecametoolateinlife。ItisuselessformenthathavecuthemlocksamongthemountainsofSwedenforfortyyearstotrytobehappyinacountryasflatandgrayandnakedasthesea。ItisnoteasyformenthathavespenttheiryouthfishingintheNorthernseastobecontentwithfollowingaplow，andmenthathaveservedintheAustrianarmyhatehardworkandcoarseclothingonthelonelinessoftheplains，andlongformarchesandexcitementandtaverncompanyandprettybarmaids。

Afteramanhaspassedhisfortiethbirthdayitisnoteasyforhimtochangethehabitsandconditionsofhislife。MostmenbringwiththemtotheDivideonlythedregsofthelivesthattheyhavesquanderedinotherlandsandamongotherpeoples。

CanuteCanutesonwasasmadasanyofthem，buthismadnessdidnottaketheformofsuicideorreligionbutofalcohol。Hehadalwaystakenliquorwhenhewantedit，asallNorwegiansdo，butafterhisfirstyearofsolitarylifehesettleddowntoitsteadily。Heexhaustedwhiskyafterawhile，andwenttoalcohol，becauseitseffectswerespeedierandsurer。Hewasabigmanandwithaterribleamountofresistantforce，andittookagreatdealofalcoholeventomovehim。Afternineyearsofdrinking，thequantitieshecouldtakewouldseemfabuloustoanordinarydrinkingman。Heneverletitinterferewithhiswork，hegenerallydrankatnightandonSundays。Everynight，assoonashischoresweredone，hebegantodrink。Whilehewasabletosituphewouldplayonhismouthharporhackawayathiswindowsillswithhisjackknife。Whentheliquorwenttohisheadhewouldliedownonhisbedandstareoutofthewindowuntilhewenttosleep。

Hedrankaloneandinsolitudenotforpleasureorgoodcheer，buttoforgettheawfullonelinessandleveloftheDivide。Miltonmadeasadblunderwhenheputmountainsinhell。Mountainspostulatefaithandaspiration。Allmountainpeoplesarereligious。Itwasthecitiesoftheplainsthat，becauseoftheirutterlackofspiritualityandthemadcapriceoftheirvice，werecursedofGod。

Alcoholisperfectlyconsistentinitseffectsuponman。

Drunkennessismerelyanexaggeration。Afoolishmandrunkbecomesmaudlin；abloodyman，vicious；acoarseman，vulgar。Canutewasnoneofthese，buthewasmoroseandgloomy，andliquortookhimthroughallthehellsofDante。Ashelayonhisgiant’sbedallthehorrorsofthisworldandeveryotherwerelaidbaretohischilledsenses。Hewasamanwhoknewnojoy，amanwhotoiledinsilenceandbitterness。Theskullandtheserpentwerealwaysbeforehim，thesymbolsofeternalfutilenessandofeternalhate。

WhenthefirstNorwegiansnearenoughtobecalledneighborscame，Canuterejoiced，andplannedtoescapefromhisbosomvice。

Buthewasnotasocialmanbynatureandhadnotthepowerofdrawingoutthesocialsideofotherpeople。Hisnewneighborsratherfearedhimbecauseofhisgreatstrengthandsize，hissilenceandhisloweringbrows。Perhaps，too，theyknewthathewasmad，madfromtheeternaltreacheryoftheplains，whicheveryspringstretchgreenandrustlewiththepromisesofEden，showinglonggrassylagoonsfullofclearwaterandcattlewhosehoofsarestainedwithwildroses。Beforeautumnthelagoonsaredriedup，andthegroundisburntdryandharduntilitblistersandcracksopen。

Soinsteadofbecomingafriendandneighbortothementhatsettledabouthim，Canutebecameamysteryandaterror。Theytoldawfulstoriesofhissizeandstrengthandofthealcoholhedrank。

Theysaidthatonenight，whenhewentouttoseetohishorsesjustbeforehewenttobed，hisstepswereunsteadyandtherottenplanksofthefloorgavewayandthrewhimbehindthefeetofafieryyoungstallion。Hisfootwascaughtfastinthefloor，andthenervoushorsebegankickingfrantically。WhenCanutefeltthebloodtricklingdownintohiseyesfromascalpwoundinhishead，herousedhimselffromhiskinglyindifference，andwiththequietstoicalcourageofadrunkenmanleanedforwardandwoundhisarmsaboutthehorse’shindlegsandheldthemagainsthisbreastwithcrushingembrace。Allthroughthedarknessandcoldofthenighthelaythere，matchingstrengthagainststrength。WhenlittleJimPetersonwentoverthenextmorningatfouro’clocktogowithhimtotheBluetocutwood，hefoundhimso，andthehorsewasonitsforeknees，tremblingandwhinnyingwithfear。ThisisthestorytheNorwegianstellofhim，andifitistrueitisnowonderthattheyfearedandhatedthisHolderoftheHeelsofHorses。

Onespringtheremovedtothenext“eighty“afamilythatmadeagreatchangeinCanute’slife。OleYensenwastoodrunkmostofthetimetobeafraidofanyone，andhiswifeMarywastoogarruloustobeafraidofanyonewholistenedtohertalk，andLena，theirprettydaughter，wasnotafraidofmannordevil。SoitcameaboutthatCanutewentovertotakehisalcoholwithOleoftenerthanhetookitalone，AfterawhilethereportspreadthathewasgoingtomarryYensen’sdaughter，andtheNorwegiangirlsbegantoteaseLenaaboutthegreatbearshewasgoingtokeephousefor。Noonecouldquiteseehowtheaffairhadcomeabout，forCanute’stacticsofcourtshipweresomewhatpeculiar。Heapparentlyneverspoketoheratall:hewouldsitforhourswithMarychatteringononesideofhimandOledrinkingontheotherandwatchLenaatherwork。Sheteasedhim，andthrewflourinhisfaceandputvinegarinhiscoffee，buthetookherroughjokeswithsilentwonder，neverevensmiling。Hetookhertochurchoccasionally，butthemostwatchfulandcuriouspeopleneversawhimspeaktoher。Hewouldsitstaringatherwhileshegiggledandflirtedwiththeothermen。

NextspringMaryLeewenttotowntoworkinasteamlaundry。

ShecamehomeeverySunday，andalwaysranacrosstoYensenstostartleLenawithstoriesoftencenttheaters，firemen’sdances，andalltheotherestheticdelightsofmetropolitanlife。InafewweeksLena’sheadwascompletelyturned，andshegaveherfathernorestuntilhelethergototowntoseekherfortuneattheironingboard。FromthetimeshecamehomeonherfirstvisitshebegantotreatCanutewithcontempt。Shehadboughtaplushcloakandkidgloves，hadherclothesmadebythedressmaker，andassumedairsandgracesthatmadetheotherwomenoftheneighborhoodcordiallydetesther。Shegenerallybroughtwithherayoungmanfromtownwhowaxedhismustacheandworearednecktie，andshedidnotevenintroducehimtoCanute。