02-the son of the wolf-第1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！






　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　SON　OF　THE　WOLF。



　　MAN　RARELY　PLACES　A　PROPER　valuation　upon　his　womankind；　at　least

not　until　deprived　of　them。　He　has　no　conception　of　the　subtle

atmosphere　exhaled　by　the　sex　feminine；　so　long　as　he　bathes　in　it；

but　let　it　be　withdrawn；　and　an　ever…growing　void　begins　to　manifest

itself　in　his　existence；　and　he　becomes　hungry；　in　a　vague　sort　of

way；　for　a　something　so　indefinite　that　he　cannot　characterize　it。

If　his　comrades　have　no　more　experience　than　himself；　they　will

shake　their　heads　dubiously　and　dose　him　with　strong　physic。　But　the

hunger　will　continue　and　become　stronger；　he　will　lose　interest　in　the

things　of　his　everyday　life　and　wax　morbid；　and　one　day；　when　the

emptiness　has　become　unbearable；　a　revelation　will　dawn　upon　him。

　　In　the　Yukon　country；　when　this　comes　to　pass；　the　man　usually

provisions　a　poling　boat；　if　it　is　summer；　and　if　winter；　harnesses

his　dogs；　and　heads　for　the　Southland。　A　few　months　later；　supposing

him　to　be　possessed　of　a　faith　in　the　country；　he　returns　with　a

wife　to　share　with　him　in　that　faith；　and　incidentally　in　his

hardships。　This　but　serves　to　show　the　innate　selfishness　of　man。　It

also　brings　us　to　the　trouble　of　'Scruff'　Mackenzie；　which　occurred　in

the　old　days；　before　the　country　was　stampeded　and　staked　by　a

tidal…wave　of　the　che…cha…quas；　and　when　the　Klondike's　only　claim

to　notice　was　its　salmon　fisheries。

　　'Scruff'　Mackenzie　bore　the　earmarks　of　a　frontier　birth　and　a

frontier　life。　His　face　was　stamped　with　twenty…five　years　of

incessant　struggle　with　Nature　in　her　wildest　moods；…　the　last　two；

the　wildest　and　hardest　of　all；　having　been　spent　in　groping　for　the

gold　which　lies　in　the　shadow　of　the　Arctic　Circle。　When　the

yearning　sickness　came　upon　him；　he　was　not　surprised；　for　he　was　a

practical　man　and　had　seen　other　men　thus　stricken。　But　he　showed　no

sign　of　his　malady；　save　that　he　worked　harder。　All　summer　he　fought

mosquitoes　and　washed　the　sure…thing　bars　of　the　Stuart　River　for　a

double　grubstake。　Then　he　floated　a　raft　of　houselogs　down　the　Yukon

to　Forty　Mile；　and　put　together　as　comfortable　a　cabin　as　any　the　camp

could　boast　of。　In　fact；　it　showed　such　cozy　promise　that　many　men

elected　to　be　his　partner　and　to　come　and　live　with　him。　But　he

crushed　their　aspirations　with　rough　speech；　peculiar　for　its　strength

and　brevity；　and　bought　a　double　supply　of　grub　from　the　trading…post。

　　As　has　been　noted；　'Scruff'　Mackenzie　was　a　practical　man。　If　he

wanted　a　thing　he　usually　got　it；　but　in　doing　so；　went　no　farther　out

of　his　way　than　was　necessary。　Though　a　son　of　toil　and　hardship；　he

was　averse　to　a　journey　of　six　hundred　miles　on　the　ice；　a　second　of

two　thousand　miles　on　the　ocean；　and　still　a　third　thousand　miles　or

so　to　his　last　stamping…grounds；…　all　in　the　mere　quest　of　a　wife。

Life　was　too　short。　So　he　rounded　up　his　dogs；　lashed　a　curious

freight　to　his　sled；　and　faced　across　the　divide　whose　westward　slopes

were　drained　by　the　head…reaches　of　the　Tanana。

　　He　was　a　sturdy　traveler；　and　his　wolf…dogs　could　work　harder　and

travel　farther　on　less　grub　than　any　other　team　in　the　Yukon。　Three

weeks　later　he　strode　into　a　hunting…camp　of　the　Upper　Tanana

Sticks。　They　marveled　at　his　temerity；　for　they　had　a　bad　name　and　had

been　known　to　kill　white　men　for　as　trifling　a　thing　as　a　sharp　ax

or　a　broken　rifle。　But　he　went　among　them　single…handed；　his　bearing

being　a　delicious　composite　of　humility；　familiarity；　sang…froid；

and　insolence。　It　required　a　deft　hand　and　deep　knowledge　of　the

barbaric　mind　effectually　to　handle　such　diverse　weapons；　but　he　was　a

past…master　in　the　art；　knowing　when　to　conciliate　and　when　to

threaten　with　Jove…like　wrath。

　　He　first　made　obeisance　to　the　Chief　Thling…Tinneh；　presenting　him

with　a　couple　of　pounds　of　black　tea　and　tobacco；　and　thereby

winning　his　most　cordial　regard。　Then　he　mingled　with　the　men　and

maidens；　and　that　night　gave　a　potlach。　The　snow　was　beaten　down　in

the　form　of　an　oblong；　perhaps　a　hundred　feet　in　length　and　quarter　as

many　across。　Down　the　center　a　long　fire　was　built；　while　either

side　was　carpeted　with　spruce　boughs。　The　lodges　were　forsaken；　and

the　fivescore　or　so　members　of　the　tribe　gave　tongue　to　their

folk…chants　in　honor　of　their　guest。

　　'Scruff'　Mackenzie's　two　years　had　taught　him　the　not　many　hundred

words　of　their　vocabulary；　and　he　had　likewise　conquered　their　deep

gutturals；　their　Japanese　idioms；　constructions；　and　honorific　and

agglutinative　particles。　So　he　made　oration　after　their　manner；

satisfying　their　instinctive　poetry…love　with　crude　flights　of

eloquence　and　metaphorical　contortions。　After　Thling…Tinneh　and　the

Shaman　had　responded　in　kind；　he　made　trifling　presents　to　the

menfolk；　joined　in　their　singing；　and　proved　an　expert　in　their

fifty…two…stick　gambling　game。

　　And　they　smoked　his　tobacco　and　were　pleased。　But　among　the

younger　men　there　was　a　defiant　attitude；　a　spirit　of　braggadocio；

easily　understood　by　the　raw　insinuations　of　the　toothless　squaws

and　the　giggling　of　the　maidens。　They　had　known　few　white　men；　'Sons

of　the　Wolf；'　but　from　those　few　they　had　learned　strange　lessons。

　　Nor　had　'Scruff'　Mackenzie；　for　all　his　seeming　carelessness；　failed

to　note　these　phenomena。　In　truth；　rolled　in　his　sleeping…furs；　he

thought　it　all　over；　thought　seriously；　and　emptied　many　pipes　in

mapping　out　a　campaign。　One　maiden　only　had　caught　his　fancy；…　none

other　than　Zarinska；　daughter　to　the　chief。　In　features；　form；　and

poise；　answering　more　nearly　to　the　white　man's　type　of　beauty；　she

was　almost　an　anomaly　among　her　tribal　sisters。　He　would　possess

her；　make　her　his　wife；　and　name　her…　ah；　he　would　name　her

Gertrude！　Having　thus　decided；　he　rolled　over　on　his　side　and

dropped　off　to　sleep；　a　true　son　of　his　all…conquering　race；　a

Samson　among　the　Philistines。

　　It　was　slow　work　and　a　stiff　game；　but　'Scruff'　Mackenzie　maneuvered

cunningly；　with　an　unconcern　which　served　to　puzzle　the　Sticks。　He

took　great　care　to　impress　the　men　that　he　was　a　sure　shot　and　a

mighty　hunter；　and　the　camp　rang　with　his　plaudits　when　he　brought

down　a　moose　at　six　hundred　yards。　Of　a　night　he　visited　in　Chief

Thling…Tinneh's　lodge　of　moose　and　cariboo　skins；　talking　big　and

dispensing　tobacco　with　a　lavish　hand。　Nor　did　he　fail　to　likewise

honor　the　Shaman；　for　he　realized　the　medicine…man's　influence　with

his　people；　and　was　anxious　to　make　of　him　an　ally。　But　that　worthy

was　high　and　mighty；　refused　to　be　propitiated；　and　was　unerringly

marked　down　as　a　prospective　enemy。

　　Though　no　opening　presented　for　an　interview　with　Zarinska；

Mackenzie　stole　many　a　glance　to　her；　giving　fair　warning　of　his

intent。　And　well　she　knew；　yet　coquettishly　surrounded　herself　with

a　ring　of　women　whenever　the　men　were　away　and　he　had　a　chance。　But　he

was　in　no　hurry；　besides；　he　knew　she　could　not　help　but　think　of　him；

and　a　few　days　of　such　thought　would　only　better　his　suit。

　　At　last；　one　night；　when　he　deemed　the　time　to　be　ripe；　he

abruptly　left　the　chief's　smoky　dwelling　and　hastened　to　a　neighboring

lodge。　As　usual；　she　sat　with　squaws　and　maidens　about　her；　all

engaged　in　sewing　moccasins　and　beadwork。　They　laughed　at　his

entrance；　and　badinage；　which　linked　Zarinska　to　him；　ran　high。　But

one　after　the　other　they　were　unceremoniously　bundled　into　the　outer

snow；　whence　they　hurried　to　spread　the　tale　through　all　the　camp。

　　His　cause　was　well　pleaded；　in　her　tongue；　for　she　did　not　know　his；

and　at　the　end　of　two　hours　he　rose　to　go。

　　'So　Zarinska　will　come　to　the　White　Man's　lodge？　Good！　I　go　now　to

have　talk　with　thy　father；　for　he　may　not　be　so　minded。　And　I　will

give　him　many　tokens；　but　he　must　not　ask　too　much。　If　he　say　no？

Good！　Zarinska　shall　yet　come　to　the　White　Man's　lodge。'

　　He　had　already　lifted　the　skin　flap　to　depart；　when　a　low

exclamation　brought　him　back　to　the　girl's　side。　She　brought　herself

to　her　knees　on　the　bearskin　mat；　her　face　aglow　with　true

Eve…light；　and　shyly　unbuckled　his　heavy　belt。　He　looked　down；

perplexed；　suspicious；　his　ears　alert　for　the　slightest　sound　without。

But　her　next　move　disarmed　his　doubt；　and　he　smiled　with　pleasure。　She

took　from　her　sewing　bag　a　moosehide　sheath；　brave　with　bright

beadwork；　fantastically　designed。　She　drew　his　great　hunting…knife；

gazed　reverently　along　the　keen　edge；　half　tempted　to　try　it　with

her　thumb；　and　shot　it　into　place　in　its　new　home。　Then　she　slipped

the　sheath　along　the　belt　to　its　customary　resting…place；　just　above

the　hip。

　　For　all　the　world；　it　was　like　a　scene　of　olden　time；…　a　lady　and

her　knight。　Mackenzie　drew　her　up　full　height　and　swept　her　red　lips

with　his　moustache；…　the；　to　her；　foreign　caress　of　the　Wolf。　It　was　a

meeting　of　the　stone　age　and　the　steel；　but　she　was　none　the　less　a

woman；　as　her　crimson　cheeks　and　the　luminous　softness　of　her　eyes

atteste