the faith of men-第30节

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Uck　feared　lest　hers　should　crumble　to　pieces　beneath　her　fingers。

Never　had　she　seen　such　cups；　so　delicate　and　dainty。　　In　her　mind

she　compared　them　with　the　woman　who　poured　the　tea；　and　there

uprose　in　contrast　the　gourds　and　pannikins　of　the　Toyaat　village

and　the　clumsy　mugs　of　Twenty　Mile；　to　which　she　likened　herself。

And　in　such　fashion　and　such　terms　the　problem　presented　itself。

She　was　beaten。　　There　was　a　woman　other　than　herself　better　fitted

to　bear　and　upbring　Neil　Bonner's　children。　　Just　as　his　people

exceeded　her　people；　so　did　his　womankind　exceed　her。　　They　were

the　man　compellers；　as　their　men　were　the　world　compellers。　　She

looked　at　the　rose…white　tenderness　of　Kitty　Bonner's　skin　and

remembered　the　sun…beat　on　her　own　face。　　Likewise　she　looked　from

brown　hand　to　whitethe　one；　work…worn　and　hardened　by　whip…handle

and　paddle；　the　other　as　guiltless　of　toil　and　soft　as　a　newborn

babe's。　　And；　for　all　the　obvious　softness　and　apparent　weakness；

Jees　Uck　looked　into　the　blue　eyes　and　saw　the　mastery　she　had　seen

in　Neil　Bonner's　eyes　and　in　the　eyes　of　Neil　Bonner's　people。



〃Why；　it's　Jees　Uck！〃　Neil　Bonner　said；　when　he　entered。　　He　said

it　calmly；　with　even　a　ring　of　joyful　cordiality；　coming　over　to

her　and　shaking　both　her　hands；　but　looking　into　her　eyes　with　a

worry　in　his　own　that　she　understood。



〃Hello；　Neil！〃　she　said。　　〃You　look　much　good。〃



〃Fine；　fine；　Jees　Uck；〃　he　answered　heartily；　though　secretly

studying　Kitty　for　some　sign　of　what　had　passed　between　the　two。

Yet　he　knew　his　wife　too　well　to　expect；　even　though　the　worst　had

passed；　such　a　sign。



〃Well；　I　can't　say　how　glad　I　am　to　see　you；〃　he　went　on。　　〃What's

happened？　　Did　you　strike　a　mine？　　And　when　did　you　get　in？〃



〃Oo…a；　I　get　in　to…day；〃　she　replied；　her　voice　instinctively

seeking　its　guttural　parts。　　〃I　no　strike　it；　Neil。　　You　known

Cap'n　Markheim；　Unalaska？　　I　cook；　his　house；　long　time。　　No　spend

money。　　Bime…by；　plenty。　　Pretty　good；　I　think；　go　down　and　see

White　Man's　Land。　　Very　fine；　White　Man's　Land；　very　fine；〃　she

added。　　Her　English　puzzled　him；　for　Sandy　and　he　had　sought；

constantly；　to　better　her　speech；　and　she　had　proved　an　apt　pupil。

Now　it　seemed　that　she　had　sunk　back　into　her　race。　　Her　face　was

guileless；　stolidly　guileless；　giving　no　cue。　　Kitty's　untroubled

brow　likewise　baffled　him。　　What　had　happened？　　How　much　had　been

said？　and　how　much　guessed？



While　he　wrestled　with　these　questions　and　while　Jees　Uck　wrestled

with　her　problemnever　had　he　looked　so　wonderful　and　greata

silence　fell。



〃To　think　that　you　knew　my　husband　in　Alaska！〃　Kitty　said　softly。



Knew　him！　　Jees　Uck　could　not　forbear　a　glance　at　the　boy　she　had

borne　him；　and　his　eyes　followed　hers　mechanically　to　the　window

where　played　the　two　children。　　An　iron　hand　seemed　to　tighten

across　his　forehead。　　His　knees　went　weak　and　his　heart　leaped　up

and　pounded　like　a　fist　against　his　breast。　　His　boy！　　He　had　never

dreamed　it！



Little　Kitty　Bonner；　fairylike　in　gauzy　lawn；　with　pinkest　of

cheeks　and　bluest　of　dancing　eyes；　arms　outstretched　and　lips

puckered　in　invitation；　was　striving　to　kiss　the　boy。　　And　the　boy；

lean　and　lithe；　sunbeaten　and　browned；　skin…clad　and　in　hair…

fringed　and　hair…tufted　MUCLUCS　that　showed　the　wear　of　the　sea　and

rough　work；　coolly　withstood　her　advances；　his　body　straight　and

stiff　with　the　peculiar　erectness　common　to　children　of　savage

people。　　A　stranger　in　a　strange　land；　unabashed　and　unafraid；　he

appeared　more　like　an　untamed　animal；　silent　and　watchful；　his

black　eyes　flashing　from　face　to　face；　quiet　so　long　as　quiet

endured；　but　prepared　to　spring　and　fight　and　tear　and　scratch　for

life；　at　the　first　sign　of　danger。



The　contrast　between　boy　and　girl　was　striking；　but　not　pitiful。

There　was　too　much　strength　in　the　boy　for　that；　waif　that　he　was

of　the　generations　of　Shpack；　Spike　O'Brien；　and　Bonner。　　In　his

features；　clean　cut　as　a　cameo　and　almost　classic　in　their

severity；　there　were　the　power　and　achievement　of　his　father；　and

his　grandfather；　and　the　one　known　as　the　Big　Fat；　who　was　captured

by　the　Sea　people　and　escaped　to　Kamchatka。



Neil　Bonner　fought　his　emotion　down；　swallowed　it　down；　and　choked

over　it；　though　his　face　smiled　with　good…humour　and　the　joy　with

which　one　meets　a　friend。



〃Your　boy；　eh；　Jees　Uck？〃　he　said。　　And　then　turning　to　Kitty：

〃Handsome　fellow！　　He'll　do　something　with　those　two　hands　of　his

in　this　our　world。〃



Kitty　nodded　concurrence。　　〃What　is　your　name？〃　she　asked。



The　young　savage　flashed　his　quick　eyes　upon　her　and　dwelt　over　her

for　a　space；　seeking　out；　as　it　were；　the　motive　beneath　the

question。



〃Neil；〃　he　answered　deliberately　when　the　scrutiny　had　satisfied

him。



〃Injun　talk；〃　Jees　Uck　interposed；　glibly　manufacturing　languages

on　the　spur　of　the　moment。　　〃Him　Injun　talk；　NEE…AL　all　the　same

'cracker。'　　Him　baby；　him　like　cracker；　him　cry　for　cracker。　　Him

say；　'NEE…AL；　NEE…AL；'　all　time　him　say；　'NEE…AL。'　　Then　I　say　that

um　name。　　So　um　name　all　time　Nee…al。〃



Never　did　sound　more　blessed　fall　upon　Neil　Bonner's　ear　than　that

lie　from　Jees　Uck's　lips。　　It　was　the　cue；　and　he　knew　there　was

reason　for　Kitty's　untroubled　brow。



〃And　his　father？〃　Kitty　asked。　　〃He　must　be　a　fine　man。〃



〃Oo…a；　yes；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃Um　father　fine　man。　　Sure！〃



〃Did　you　know　him；　Neil？〃　queried　Kitty。



〃Know　him？　　Most　intimately；〃　Neil　answered；　and　harked　back　to

dreary　Twenty　Mile　and　the　man　alone　in　the　silence　with　his

thoughts。



And　here　might　well　end　the　story　of　Jees　Uck　but　for　the　crown　she

put　upon　her　renunciation。　　When　she　returned　to　the　North　to　dwell

in　her　grand　log…house；　John　Thompson　found　that　the　P。　C。　Company

could　make　a　shift　somehow　to　carry　on　its　business　without　his

aid。　　Also；　the　new　agent　and　the　succeeding　agents　received

instructions　that　the　woman　Jees　Uck　should　be　given　whatsoever

goods　and　grub　she　desired；　in　whatsoever　quantities　she　ordered；

and　that　no　charge　should　be　placed　upon　the　books。　　Further；　the

Company　paid　yearly　to　the　woman　Jees　Uck　a　pension　of　five

thousand　dollars。



When　he　had　attained　suitable　age；　Father　Champreau　laid　hands　upon

the　boy；　and　the　time　was　not　long　when　Jees　Uck　received　letters

regularly　from　the　Jesuit　college　in　Maryland。　　Later　on　these

letters　came　from　Italy；　and　still　later　from　France。　　And　in　the

end　there　returned　to　Alaska　one　Father　Neil；　a　man　mighty　for　good

in　the　land；　who　loved　his　mother　and　who　ultimately　went　into　a

wider　field　and　rose　to　high　authority　in　the　order。



Jees　Uck　was　a　young　woman　when　she　went　back　into　the　North；　and

men　still　looked　upon　her　and　yearned。　　But　she　lived　straight；　and

no　breath　was　ever　raised　save　in　commendation。　　She　stayed　for　a

while　with　the　good　sisters　at　Holy　Cross；　where　she　learned　to

read　and　write　and　became　versed　in　practical　medicine　and　surgery。

After　that　she　returned　to　her　grand　log…house　and　gathered　about

her　the　young　girls　of　the　Toyaat　village；　to　show　them　the　way　of

their　feet　in　the　world。　　It　is　neither　Protestant　nor　Catholic；

this　school　in　the　house　built　by　Neil　Bonner　for　Jees　Uck；　his

wife；　but　the　missionaries　of　all　the　sects　look　upon　it　with　equal

favour。　　The　latchstring　is　always　out；　and　tired　prospectors　and

trail…weary　men　turn　aside　from　the　flowing　river　or　frozen　trail

to　rest　there　for　a　space　and　be　warm　by　her　fire。　　And；　down　in

the　States；　Kitty　Bonner　is　pleased　at　the　interest　her　husband

takes　in　Alaskan　education　and　the　large　sums　he　devotes　to　that

purpose；　and；　though　she　often　smiles　and　chaffs；　deep　down　and

secretly　she　is　but　the　prouder　of　him。











End