the faith of men-第21节

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At　this　moment　the　Factor　entered　the　room　and　again　helped

Snettishane　on　his　way　to　the　heavenly　antipodes。



That　night　the　raven　croaked　more　persistently　than　ever。　　Lit…lit；

who　was　a　light　sleeper；　heard　and　smiled。　　John　Fox　tossed

restlessly。　　Then　he　awoke　and　tossed　about　with　greater

restlessness。　　He　grumbled　and　snorted；　swore　under　his　breath　and

over　his　breath；　and　finally　flung　out　of　bed。　　He　groped　his　way

to　the　great　living…room；　and　from　the　rack　took　down　a　loaded

shot…gunloaded　with　bird…shot；　left　therein　by　the　careless

McTavish。



The　Factor　crept　carefully　out　of　the　Fort　and　down　to　the　river。

The　croaking　had　ceased；　but　he　stretched　out　in　the　long　grass　and

waited。　　The　air　seemed　a　chilly　balm；　and　the　earth；　after　the

heat　of　the　day；　now　and　again　breathed　soothingly　against　him。

The　Factor；　gathered　into　the　rhythm　of　it　all；　dozed　off；　with　his

head　upon　his　arm；　and　slept。



Fifty　yards　away；　head　resting　on　knees；　and　with　his　back　to　John

Fox；　Snettishane　likewise　slept；　gently　conquered　by　the　quietude

of　the　night。　　An　hour　slipped　by　and　then　he　awoke；　and；　without

lifting　his　head；　set　the　night　vibrating　with　the　hoarse　gutturals

of　the　raven　call。



The　Factor　roused；　not　with　the　abrupt　start　of　civilized　man；　but

with　the　swift　and　comprehensive　glide　from　sleep　to　waking　of　the

savage。　　In　the　night…light　he　made　out　a　dark　object　in　the　midst

of　the　grass　and　brought　his　gun　to　bear　upon　it。　　A　second　croak

began　to　rise；　and　he　pulled　the　trigger。　　The　crickets　ceased　from

their　sing…song　chant；　the　wildfowl　from　their　squabbling；　and　the

raven　croak　broke　midmost　and　died　away　in　gasping　silence。



John　Fox　ran　to　the　spot　and　reached　for　the　thing　he　had　killed；

but　his　fingers　closed　on　a　coarse　mop　of　hair　and　he　turned

Snettishane's　face　upward　to　the　starlight。　　He　knew　how　a　shotgun

scattered　at　fifty　yards；　and　he　knew　that　he　had　peppered

Snettishane　across　the　shoulders　and　in　the　small　of　the　back。　　And

Snettishane　knew　that　he　knew；　but　neither　referred　to　it



〃What　dost　thou　here？〃　the　Factor　demanded。　　〃It　were　time　old

bones　should　be　in　bed。〃



But　Snettishane　was　stately　in　spite　of　the　bird…shot　burning　under

his　skin。



〃Old　bones　will　not　sleep；〃　he　said　solemnly。　　〃I　weep　for　my

daughter；　for　my　daughter　Lit…lit；　who　liveth　and　who　yet　is　dead；

and　who　goeth　without　doubt　to　the　white　man's　hell。〃



〃Weep　henceforth　on　the　far　bank；　beyond　ear…shot　of　the　Fort；〃

said　John　Fox；　turning　on　his　heel；　〃for　the　noise　of　thy　weeping

is　exceeding　great　and　will　not　let　one　sleep　of　nights。〃



〃My　heart　is　sore；〃　Snettishane　answered；　〃and　my　days　and　nights

be　black　with　sorrow。〃



〃As　the　raven　is　black；〃　said　John　Fox。



〃As　the　raven　is　black；〃　Snettishane　said。



Never　again　was　the　voice　of　the　raven　heard　by　the　river　bank。

Lit…lit　grows　matronly　day　by　day　and　is　very　happy。　　Also；　there

are　sisters　to　the　sons　of　John　Fox's　first　wife　who　lies　buried　in

a　tree。　　Old　Snettishane　is　no　longer　a　visitor　at　the　Fort；　and

spends　long　hours　raising　a　thin；　aged　voice　against　the　filial

ingratitude　of　children　in　general　and　of　his　daughter　Lit…lit　in

particular。　　His　declining　years　are　embittered　by　the　knowledge

that　he　was　cheated；　and　even　John　Fox　has　withdrawn　the　assertion

that　the　price　for　Lit…lit　was　too　much　by　ten　blankets　and　a　gun。







BATARD







Batard　was　a　devil。　　This　was　recognized　throughout　the　Northland。

〃Hell's　Spawn〃　he　was　called　by　many　men；　but　his　master；　Black

Leclere；　chose　for　him　the　shameful　name　〃Batard。〃　　Now　Black

Leclere　was　also　a　devil；　and　the　twain　were　well　matched。　　There

is　a　saying　that　when　two　devils　come　together；　hell　is　to　pay。

This　is　to　be　expected；　and　this　certainly　was　to　be　expected　when

Batard　and　Black　Leclere　came　together。　　The　first　time　they　met；

Batard　was　a　part…grown　puppy；　lean　and　hungry；　with　bitter　eyes；

and　they　met　with　snap　and　snarl；　and　wicked　looks；　for　Leclere's

upper　lip　had　a　wolfish　way　of　lifting　and　showing　the　white；　cruel

teeth。　　And　it　lifted　then；　and　his　eyes　glinted　viciously；　as　he

reached　for　Batard　and　dragged　him　out　from　the　squirming　litter。

It　was　certain　that　they　divined　each　other；　for　on　the　instant

Batard　had　buried　his　puppy　fangs　in　Leclere's　hand；　and　Leclere；

thumb　and　finger；　was　coolly　choking　his　young　life　out　of　him。



〃SACREDAM；〃　the　Frenchman　said　softly；　flirting　the　quick　blood

from　his　bitten　hand　and　gazing　down　on　the　little　puppy　choking

and　gasping　in　the　snow。



Leclere　turned　to　John　Hamlin；　storekeeper　of　the　Sixty　Mile　Post。

〃Dat　fo'　w'at　Ah　lak　heem。　　'Ow　moch；　eh；　you；　M'sieu'？　　'Ow　moch？

Ah　buy　heem；　now；　Ah　buy　heem　queek。〃



And　because　he　hated　him　with　an　exceeding　bitter　hate；　Leclere

bought　Batard　and　gave　him　his　shameful　name。　　And　for　five　years

the　twain　adventured　across　the　Northland；　from　St。　Michael's　and

the　Yukon　delta　to　the　head…reaches　of　the　Pelly　and　even　so　far　as

the　Peace　River；　Athabasca；　and　the　Great　Slave。　　And　they　acquired

a　reputation　for　uncompromising　wickedness；　the　like　of　which　never

before　attached　itself　to　man　and　dog。



Batard　did　not　know　his　fatherhence　his　namebut；　as　John　Hamlin

knew；　his　father　was　a　great　grey　timber　wolf。　　But　the　mother　of

Batard；　as　he　dimly　remembered　her；　was　snarling；　bickering；

obscene；　husky；　full…fronted　and　heavy…chested；　with　a　malign　eye；

a　cat…like　grip　on　life；　and　a　genius　for　trickery　and　evil。　　There

was　neither　faith　nor　trust　in　her。　　Her　treachery　alone　could　be

relied　upon；　and　her　wild…wood　amours　attested　her　general

depravity。　　Much　of　evil　and　much　of　strength　were　there　in　these；

Batard's　progenitors；　and；　bone　and　flesh　of　their　bone　and　flesh；

he　had　inherited　it　all。　　And　then　came　Black　Leclere；　to　lay　his

heavy　hand　on　the　bit　of　pulsating　puppy　life；　to　press　and　prod

and　mould　till　it　became　a　big　bristling　beast；　acute　in　knavery；

overspilling　with　hate；　sinister；　malignant；　diabolical。　　With　a

proper　master　Batard　might　have　made　an　ordinary；　fairly　efficient

sled…dog。　　He　never　got　the　chance：　　Leclere　but　confirmed　him　in

his　congenital　iniquity。



The　history　of　Batard　and　Leclere　is　a　history　of　warof　five

cruel；　relentless　years；　of　which　their　first　meeting　is　fit

summary。　　To　begin　with；　it　was　Leclere's　fault；　for　he　hated　with

understanding　and　intelligence；　while　the　long…legged；　ungainly

puppy　hated　only　blindly；　instinctively；　without　reason　or　method。

At　first　there　were　no　refinements　of　cruelty　（these　were　to　come

later）；　but　simple　beatings　and　crude　brutalities。　　In　one　of　these

Batard　had　an　ear　injured。　　He　never　regained　control　of　the　riven

muscles；　and　ever　after　the　ear　drooped　limply　down　to　keep　keen

the　memory　of　his　tormentor。　　And　he　never　forgot。



His　puppyhood　was　a　period　of　foolish　rebellion。　　He　was　always

worsted；　but　he　fought　back　because　it　was　his　nature　to　fight

back。　　And　he　was　unconquerable。　　Yelping　shrilly　from　the　pain　of

lash　and　club；　he　none　the　less　contrived　always　to　throw　in　the

defiant　snarl；　the　bitter　vindictive　menace　of　his　soul　which

fetched　without　fail　more　blows　and　beatings。　　But　his　was　his

mother's　tenacious　grip　on　life。　　Nothing　could　kill　him。　　He

flourished　under　misfortune；　grew　fat　with　famine；　and　out　of　his

terrible　struggle　for　life　developed　a　preternatural　intelligence。

His　were　the　stealth　and　cunning　of　the　husky；　his　mother；　and　the

fierceness　and　valour　of　the　wolf；　his　father。



Possibly　it　was　because　of　his　father　that　he　never　wailed。　　His

puppy　yelps　passed　with　his　lanky　legs；　so　that　he　became　grim　and

taciturn；　quick　to　strike；　slow　to　warn。　　He　answered　curse　with

snarl；　and　blow　with　snap；　grinning　the　while　his　implacable

hatred；　but　never　again；　under　the　extremest　agony；　did　Leclere

bring　from　him　the　cry　of　fear　nor　of　pain。　　This　unconquerableness

but　fanned　Leclere's　wrath　and　stirred　him　to　greater　deviltries。



Did　Leclere　give　Batard　half　a　fish　and　to　his　mates　whole　ones；

Batard　went　forth　to　rob　other　dogs　of　their　fish。　　Also　he　robbed

caches　and　expressed　himself　in　a　thousand　rogueries；　till　he

became　a　terror　to　all　dogs　and　masters　of　dogs。　　Did　Leclere　beat

Batard　and　fondle　BabetteBabette　who　was　not　half　the　worker　he

waswhy；　Batard　threw　her　down　in　the　snow　and　broke　her　hind　leg

in　his　heavy　jaws；　so　that　Leclere　was　forced　to　shoot　her。

Likewise；　in　bloody　battles；　Batard　mastered　all　his　team…mates；

set　them　the　law　of　trail　and　forage；　and　made　them　live　to　the　law

he　set。



In　five　years　he　heard　but　one　kind　word；　received　but　one　soft

stroke　of　a　hand；　and　then　he　did　not　know　what　manner　of　things

they　were。　　He　leaped　like　the　untamed　thing　he　was；　and　his　jaws

were　together　in　a　flash。　　It　was　the　missionary　at　Sunrise；　a

newcomer　in　the　country