the faith of men-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　I　had　him　at　my　mercy。　　I　got　on　his　heels　again　hollered　like

a　fiend；　pelted　him　with　cobbles；　and　raced　him　around　the　valley

three　times　before　I　knocked　off　for　supper。　　Don't　you　see？　　A

race…course！　　A　man　and　a　mammoth！　　A　hippodrome；　with　sun；　moon；

and　stars　to　referee！



〃It　took　me　two　months　to　do　it；　but　I　did　it。　　And　that's　no

beaver　dream。　　Round　and　round　I　ran　him；　me　travelling　on　the

inner　circle；　eating　jerked　meat　and　salmon　berries　on　the　run；　and

snatching　winks　of　sleep　between。　　Of　course；　he'd　get　desperate　at

times　and　turn。　　Then　I'd　head　for　soft　ground　where　the　creek

spread　out；　and　lay　anathema　upon　him　and　his　ancestry；　and　dare

him　to　come　on。　　But　he　was　too　wise　to　bog　in　a　mud　puddle。　　Once

he　pinned　me　in　against　the　walls；　and　I　crawled　back　into　a　deep

crevice　and　waited。　　Whenever　he　felt　for　me　with　his　trunk；　I'd

belt　him　with　the　hand…axe　till　he　pulled　out；　shrieking　fit　to

split　my　ear　drums；　he　was　that　mad。　　He　knew　he　had　me　and　didn't

have　me；　and　it　near　drove　him　wild。　　But　he　was　no　man's　fool。　　He

knew　he　was　safe　as　long　as　I　stayed　in　the　crevice；　and　he　made　up

his　mind　to　keep　me　there。　　And　he　was　dead　right；　only　he　hadn't

figured　on　the　commissary。　　There　was　neither　grub　nor　water　around

that　spot；　so　on　the　face　of　it　he　couldn't　keep　up　the　siege。

He'd　stand　before　the　opening　for　hours；　keeping　an　eye　on　me　and

flapping　mosquitoes　away　with　his　big　blanket　ears。　　Then　the

thirst　would　come　on　him　and　he'd　ramp　round　and　roar　till　the

earth　shook；　calling　me　every　name　he　could　lay　tongue　to。　　This

was　to　frighten　me；　of　course；　and　when　he　thought　I　was

sufficiently　impressed；　he'd　back　away　softly　and　try　to　make　a

sneak　for　the　creek。　　Sometimes　I'd　let　him　get　almost　thereonly

a　couple　of　hundred　yards　away　it　waswhen　out　I'd　pop　and　back

he'd　come；　lumbering　along　like　the　old　landslide　he　was。　　After

I'd　done　this　a　few　times；　and　he'd　figured　it　out；　he　changed　his

tactics。　　Grasped　the　time　element；　you　see。　　Without　a　word　of

warning；　away　he'd　go；　tearing　for　the　water　like　mad；　scheming　to

get　there　and　back　before　I　ran　away。　　Finally；　after　cursing　me

most　horribly；　he　raised　the　siege　and　deliberately　stalked　off　to

the　water…hole。



〃That　was　the　only　time　he　penned　me；three　days　of　it；but　after

that　the　hippodrome　never　stopped。　　Round；　and　round；　and　round；

like　a　six　days'　go…as…I…please；　for　he　never　pleased。　　My　clothes

went　to　rags　and　tatters；　but　I　never　stopped　to　mend；　till　at　last

I　ran　naked　as　a　son　of　earth；　with　nothing　but　the　old　hand…axe　in

one　hand　and　a　cobble　in　the　other。　　In　fact；　I　never　stopped；　save

for　peeps　of　sleep　in　the　crannies　and　ledges　of　the　cliffs。　　As

for　the　bull；　he　got　perceptibly　thinner　and　thinnermust　have

lost　several　tons　at　leastand　as　nervous　as　a　schoolmarm　on　the

wrong　side　of　matrimony。　　When　I'd　come　up　with　him　and　yell；　or

lain　him　with　a　rock　at　long　range；　he'd　jump　like　a　skittish　colt

and　tremble　all　over。　　Then　he'd　pull　out　on　the　run；　tail　and

trunk　waving　stiff；　head　over　one　shoulder　and　wicked　eyes　blazing；

and　the　way　he'd　swear　at　me　was　something　dreadful。　　A　most

immoral　beast　he　was；　a　murderer；　and　a　blasphemer。



〃But　towards　the　end　he　quit　all　this；　and　fell　to　whimpering　and

crying　like　a　baby。　　His　spirit　broke　and　he　became　a　quivering

jelly…mountain　of　misery。　　He'd　get　attacks　of　palpitation　of　the

heart；　and　stagger　around　like　a　drunken　man；　and　fall　down　and

bark　his　shins。　　And　then　he'd　cry；　but　always　on　the　run。　　O　man；

the　gods　themselves　would　have　wept　with　him；　and　you　yourself　or

any　other　man。　　It　was　pitiful；　and　there　was　so　I　much　of　it；　but

I　only　hardened　my　heart　and　hit　up　the　pace。　　At　last　I　wore　him

clean　out；　and　he　lay　down；　broken…winded；　broken…hearted；　hungry；

and　thirsty。　　When　I　found　he　wouldn't　budge；　I　hamstrung　him；　and

spent　the　better　part　of　the　day　wading　into　him　with　the　hand…axe；

he　a…sniffing　and　sobbing　till　I　worked　in　far　enough　to　shut　him

off。　　Thirty　feet　long　he　was；　and　twenty　high；　and　a　man　could

sling　a　hammock　between　his　tusks　and　sleep　comfortably。　　Barring

the　fact　that　I　had　run　most　of　the　juices　out　of　him；　he　was　fair

eating；　and　his　four　feet；　alone；　roasted　whole；　would　have　lasted

a　man　a　twelvemonth。　　I　spent　the　winter　there　myself。〃



〃And　where　is　this　valley？〃　I　asked



He　waved　his　hand　in　the　direction　of　the　north…east；　and　said：

〃Your　tobacco　is　very　good。　　I　carry　a　fair　share　of　it　in　my

pouch；　but　I　shall　carry　the　recollection　of　it　until　I　die。　　In

token　of　my　appreciation；　and　in　return　for　the　moccasins　on　your

own　feet；　I　will　present　to　you　these　muclucs。　　They　commemorate

Klooch　and　the　seven　blind　little　beggars。　　They　are　also　souvenirs

of　an　unparalleled　event　in　history；　namely；　the　destruction　of　the

oldest　breed　of　animal　on　earth；　and　the　youngest。　　And　their　chief

virtue　lies　in　that　they　will　never　wear　out。〃



Having　effected　the　exchange；　he　knocked　the　ashes　from　his　pipe；

gripped　my　hand　good…night；　and　wandered　off　through　the　snow。

Concerning　this　tale；　for　which　I　have　already　disclaimed

responsibility；　I　would　recommend　those　of　little　faith　to　make　a

visit　to　the　Smithsonian　Institute。　　If　they　bring　the　requisite

credentials　and　do　not　come　in　vacation　time；　they　will　undoubtedly

gain　an　audience　with　Professor　Dolvidson。　　The　muclucs　are　in　his

possession；　and　he　will　verify；　not　the　manner　in　which　they　were

obtained；　but　the　material　of　which　they　are　composed。　　When　he

states　that　they　are　made　from　the　skin　of　the　mammoth；　the

scientific　world　accepts　his　verdict。　　What　more　would　you　have？







A　HYPERBOREAN　BREW







＇The　story　of　a　scheming　white　man　among　the　strange　people　who

live　on　the　rim　of　the　Arctic　sea＇





Thomas　Stevens's　veracity　may　have　been　indeterminate　as　X；　and　his

imagination　the　imagination　of　ordinary　men　increased　to　the　nth

power；　but　this；　at　least；　must　be　said：　　never　did　he　deliver

himself　of　word　nor　deed　that　could　be　branded　as　a　lie　outright。　。

。　He　may　have　played　with　probability；　and　verged　on　the　extremest

edge　of　possibility；　but　in　his　tales　the　machinery　never　creaked。

That　he　knew　the　Northland　like　a　book；　not　a　soul　can　deny。　　That

he　was　a　great　traveller；　and　had　set　foot　on　countless　unknown

trails；　many　evidences　affirm。　　Outside　of　my　own　personal

knowledge；　I　knew　men　that　had　met　him　everywhere；　but　principally

on　the　confines　of　Nowhere。　　There　was　Johnson；　the　ex…Hudson　Bay

Company　factor；　who　had　housed　him　in　a　Labrador　factory　until　his

dogs　rested　up　a　bit；　and　he　was　able　to　strike　out　again。　　There

was　McMahon；　agent　for　the　Alaska　Commercial　Company；　who　had　run

across　him　in　Dutch　Harbour；　and　later　on；　among　the　outlying

islands　of　the　Aleutian　group。　　It　was　indisputable　that　he　had

guided　one　of　the　earlier　United　States　surveys；　and　history　states

positively　that　in　a　similar　capacity　he　served　the　Western　Union

when　it　attempted　to　put　through　its　trans…Alaskan　and　Siberian

telegraph　to　Europe。　　Further；　there　was　Joe　Lamson；　the　whaling

captain；　who；　when　ice…bound　off　the　mouth　of　the　Mackenzie；　had

had　him　come　aboard　after　tobacco。　　This　last　touch　proves　Thomas

Stevens's　identity　conclusively。　　His　quest　for　tobacco　was

perennial　and　untiring。　　Ere　we　became　fairly　acquainted；　I　learned

to　greet　him　with　one　hand；　and　pass　the　pouch　with　the　other。　　But

the　night　I　met　him　in　John　O'Brien's　Dawson　saloon；　his　head　was

wreathed　in　a　nimbus　of　fifty…cent　cigar　smoke；　and　instead　of　my

pouch　he　demanded　my　sack。　　We　were　standing　by　a　faro　table；　and

forthwith　he　tossed　it　upon　the　〃high　card。〃　　〃Fifty；〃　he　said；　and

the　game…keeper　nodded。　　The　〃high　card〃　turned；　and　he　handed　back

my　sack；　called　for　a　〃tab；〃　and　drew　me　over　to　the　scales；　where

the　weigher　nonchalantly　cashed　him　out　fifty　dollars　in　dust。



〃And　now　we'll　drink；〃　he　said；　and　later；　at　the　bar；　when　he

lowered　his　glass：　　〃Reminds　me　of　a　little　brew　I　had　up　Tattarat

way。　　No；　you　have　no　knowledge　of　the　place；　nor　is　it　down　on　the

charts。　　But　it's　up　by　the　rim　of　the　Arctic　Sea；　not　so　many

hundred　miles　from　the　American　line；　and　all　of　half　a　thousand

God…forsaken　souls　live　there；　giving　and　taking　in　marriage；　and

starving　and　dying　in…between…whiles。　　Explorers　have　overlooked

them；　and　you　will　not　find　them　in　the　census　of　1890。　　A　whale…

ship　was　pinched　there　once；　but　the　men；　who　had　made　shore　over

the　ice；　pulled　out　for　the　south　and　were　never　heard　of。



〃But　it　was　a　great　brew　we　had；　Moosu　and　I；〃　he　added　a　moment

later；　with　just　the　slightest　suspicion　of　a　sigh。



I　knew　there　were　big　deeds　and　wild　doings　behind　that　sigh；　so　I

haled　him　into　a　corner；　between　a　roulette　outfit　and　a　poker

layout；　and　waited　for　his　tongue　to　thaw。



〃Had　one　objection