08-an odyssey of the north-第4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　tell　a　tale　besides。'

　　As　they　cut　his　garments　from　him；　near　his　right　breast　could　be

seen　two　unhealed；　hard…lipped　knife　thrusts。










　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III



　　'I　will　talk　of　the　things　which　were　in　my　own　way；　but　you　will

understand。　I　will　begin　at　the　beginning；　and　tell　of　myself　and

the　woman；　and；　after　that；　of　the　man。'

　　He　of　the　Otter　Skins　drew　over　to　the　stove　as　do　men　who　have　been

deprived　of　fire　and　are　afraid　the　Promethean　gift　may　vanish　at

any　moment。　Malemute　Kid　picked　up　the　slush　lamp　and　placed　it　so　its

light　might　fall　upon　the　face　of　the　narrator。　Prince　slid　his　body

over　the　edge　of　the　bunk　and　joined　them。

　　'I　am　Naass；　a　chief；　and　the　son　of　a　chief；　born　between　a

sunset　and　a　rising；　on　the　dark　seas；　in　my　father's　oomiak。　All　of　a

night　the　men　toiled　at　the　paddles；　and　the　women　cast　out　the

waves　which　threw　in　upon　us；　and　we　fought　with　the　storm。　The　salt

spray　froze　upon　my　mother's　breast　till　her　breath　passed　with　the

passing　of　the　tide。　But　I…　I　raised　my　voice　with　the　wind　and　the

storm；　and　lived。

　　'We　dwelt　in　Akatan…'

　　'Where？'　asked　Malemute　Kid。

　　'Akatan；　which　is　in　the　Aleutians；　Akatan；　beyond　Chignik；　beyond

Kardalak；　beyond　Unimak。　As　I　say；　we　dwelt　in　Akatan；　which　lies　in

the　midst　of　the　sea　on　the　edge　of　the　world。　We　farmed　the　salt　seas

for　the　fish；　the　seal；　and　the　otter；　and　our　homes　shouldered

about　one　another　on　the　rocky　strip　between　the　rim　of　the　forest　and

the　yellow　beach　where　our　kayaks　lay。　We　were　not　many；　and　the　world

was　very　small。　There　were　strange　lands　to　the　east…　islands　like

Akatan；　so　we　thought　all　the　world　was　islands　and　did　not　mind。

　　'I　was　different　from　my　people。　In　the　sands　of　the　beach　were

the　crooked　timbers　and　wave…warped　planks　of　a　boat　such　as　my　people

never　built；　and　I　remember　on　the　point　of　the　island　which

overlooked　the　ocean　three　ways　there　stood　a　pine　tree　which　never

grew　there；　smooth　and　straight　and　tall。　It　is　said　the　two　men

came　to　that　spot；　turn　about；　through　many　days；　and　watched　with　the

passing　of　the　light。　These　two　men　came　from　out　of　the　sea　in　the

boat　which　lay　in　pieces　on　the　beach。　And　they　were　white　like　you；

and　weak　as　the　little　children　when　the　seal　have　gone　away　and　the

hunters　come　home　empty。　I　know　of　these　things　from　the　old　men　and

the　old　women；　who　got　them　from　their　fathers　and　mothers　before

them。　These　strange　white　men　did　not　take　kindly　to　our　ways　at

first；　but　they　grew　strong；　what　of　the　fish　and　the　oil；　and　fierce。

And　they　built　them　each　his　own　house；　and　took　the　pick　of　our

women；　and　in　time　children　came。　Thus　he　was　born　who　was　to　become

the　father　of　my　father's　father。

　　'As　I　said；　I　was　different　from　my　people；　for　I　carried　the

strong；　strange　blood　of　this　white　man　who　came　out　of　the　sea。　It　is

said　we　had　other　laws　in　the　days　before　these　men；　but　they　were

fierce　and　quarrelsome；　and　fought　with　our　men　till　there　were　no

more　left　who　dared　to　fight。　Then　they　made　themselves　chiefs；　and

took　away　our　old　laws；　and　gave　us　new　ones；　insomuch　that　the　man

was　the　son　of　his　father；　and　not　his　mother；　as　our　way　had　been。

They　also　ruled　that　the　son；　first…born；　should　have　all　things　which

were　his　father's　before　him；　and　that　the　brothers　and　sisters　should

shift　for　themselves。　And　they　gave　us　other　laws。　They　showed　us

new　ways　in　the　catching　of　fish　and　the　killing　of　bear　which　were

thick　in　the　woods；　and　they　taught　us　to　lay　by　bigger　stores　for　the

time　of　famine。　And　these　things　were　good。

　　'But　when　they　had　become　chiefs；　and　there　were　no　more　men　to　face

their　anger；　they　fought；　these　strange　white　men；　each　with　the

other。　And　the　one　whose　blood　I　carry　drove　his　seal　spear　the　length

of　an　arm　through　the　other's　body。　Their　children　took　up　the

fight；　and　their　children's　children；　and　there　was　great　hatred

between　them；　and　black　doings；　even　to　my　time；　so　that　in　each

family　but　one　lived　to　pass　down　the　blood　of　them　that　went

before。　Of　my　blood　I　was　alone；　of　the　other　man's　there　was　but　a

girl。　Unga；　who　lived　with　her　mother。　Her　father　and　my　father　did

not　come　back　from　the　fishing　one　night；　but　afterward　they　washed　up

to　the　beach　on　the　big　tides；　and　they　held　very　close　to　each　other。

　　'The　people　wondered；　because　of　the　hatred　between　the　houses；

and　the　old　men　shook　their　heads　and　said　the　fight　would　go　on

when　children　were　born　to　her　and　children　to　me。　They　told　me　this

as　a　boy；　till　I　came　to　believe；　and　to　look　upon　Unga　as　a　foe；

who　was　to　be　the　mother　of　children　which　were　to　fight　with　mine。

I　thought　of　these　things　day　by　day；　and　when　I　grew　to　a　stripling　I

came　to　ask　why　this　should　be　so。　And　they　answered；　〃We　do　not　know；

but　that　in　such　way　your　fathers　did。〃　And　I　marveled　that　those

which　were　to　come　should　fight　the　battles　of　those　that　were　gone；

and　in　it　I　could　see　no　right。　But　the　people　said　it　must　be；　and

I　was　only　a　stripling。

　　'And　they　said　I　must　hurry；　that　my　blood　might　be　the　older　and

grow　strong　before　hers。　This　was　easy；　for　I　was　head　man；　and　the

people　looked　up　to　me　because　of　the　deeds　and　the　laws　of　my

fathers；　and　the　wealth　which　was　mine。　Any　maiden　would　come　to　me；

but　I　found　none　to　my　liking。　And　the　old　men　and　the　mothers　of

maidens　told　me　to　hurry；　for　even　then　were　the　hunters　bidding

high　to　the　mother　of　Unga；　and　should　her　children　grow　strong　before

mine；　mine　would　surely　die。

　　'Nor　did　I　find　a　maiden　till　one　night　coming　back　from　the

fishing。　The　sunlight　was　lying；　so；　low　and　full　in　the　eyes；　the

wind　free；　and　the　kayacks　racing　with　the　white　seas。　Of　a　sudden　the

kayak　of　Unga　came　driving　past　me；　and　she　looked　upon　me；　so；　with

her　black　hair　flying　like　a　cloud　of　night　and　the　spray　wet　on　her

cheek。　As　I　say；　the　sunlight　was　full　in　the　eyes；　and　I　was　a

stripling；　but　somehow　it　was　all　clear；　and　I　knew　it　to　be　the

call　of　kind　to　kind。　As　she　whipped　ahead　she　looked　back　within

the　space　of　two　strokes…　looked　as　only　the　woman　Unga　could　look…

and　again　I　knew　it　as　the　call　of　kind。　The　people　shouted　as　we

ripped　past　the　lazy　oomiaks　and　left　them　far　behind。　But　she　was

quick　at　the　paddle；　and　my　heart　was　like　the　belly　of　a　sail；　and

I　did　not　gain。　The　wind　freshened；　the　sea　whitened；　and；　leaping

like　the　seals　on　the　windward　breech；　we　roared　down　the　golden

pathway　of　the　sun。'

　　Naass　was　crouched　half　out　of　his　stool；　in　the　attitude　of　one

driving　a　paddle；　as　he　ran　the　race　anew。　Somewhere　across　the

stove　he　beheld　the　tossing　kayak　and　the　flying　hair　of　Unga。　The

voice　of　the　wind　was　in　his　ears；　and　its　salt　beat　fresh　upon　his

nostrils。

　　'But　she　made　the　shore；　and　ran　up　the　sand；　laughing；　to　the　house

of　her　mother。　And　a　great　thought　came　to　me　that　night…　a　thought

worthy　of　him　that　was　chief　over　all　the　people　of　Akatan。　So；　when

the　moon　was　up；　I　went　down　to　the　house　of　her　mother；　and　looked

upon　the　goods　of　Yash…Noosh；　which　were　piled　by　the　door…　the

goods　of　Yash…Noosh；　a　strong　hunter　who　had　it　in　mind　to　be　the

father　of　the　children　of　Unga。　Other　young　men　had　piled　their

goods　there　and　taken　them　away　again；　and　each　young　man　had　made　a

pile　greater　than　the　one　before。

　　'And　I　laughed　to　the　moon　and　the　stars；　and　went　to　my　own　house

where　my　wealth　was　stored。　And　many　trips　I　made；　till　my　pile　was

greater　by　the　fingers　of　one　hand　than　the　pile　of　Yash…Noosh。

There　were　fish；　dried　in　the　sun　and　smoked；　and　forty　hides　of　the

hair　seal；　and　half　as　many　of　the　fur；　and　each　hide　was　tied　at

the　mouth　and　big　bellied　with　oil；　and　ten　skins　of　bear　which　I

killed　in　the　woods　when　they　came　out　in　the　spring。　And　there　were

beads　and　blankets　and　scarlet　cloths；　such　as　I　got　in　trade　from　the

people　who　lived　to　the　east；　and　who　got　them　in　trade　from　the

people　who　lived　still　beyond　in　the　east。　And　I　looked　upon　the

pile　of　Yash…Noosh　and　laughed；　for　I　was　head　man　in　Akatan；　and　my

wealth　was　greater　than　the　wealth　of　all　my　young　men；　and　my　fathers

had　done　deeds；　and　given　laws；　and　put　their　names　for　all　time　in

the　mouths　of　the　people。

　　'So；　when　the　morning　came；　I　went　down　to　the　beach；　casting　out　of

the　corner　of　my　eye　at　the　house　of　the　mother　of　Unga。　My　offer

yet　stood　untouched。　And　the　women　smiled；　and　said　sly　things　one

to　the　other。　I　wondered；　for　never　had　such　a　price　been　offered；　and

that　night　I　added　more　to　the　pile；　and　put　beside　it　a　kayak　of

well…tanned　skins　which　never　yet　had　swam　in　the　sea。　But　in　the

day　it　was　yet　there；　open　to　the　laughter　of　all　men。　The　mother　of

Unga　was　crafty；　and　I　grew　angry　at　the　shame　in　which　I　stood　before

my　people。　So　that　night　I　added　till　it　became　a　great　pile；　and　I

h