07-the wife of a king-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　WIFE　OF　A　KING。

　　　　　　　　　　　


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I



　　ONCE；　WHEN　THE　NORTHLAND　was　very　young；　the　social　and　civic

virtues　were　remarkably　alike　for　their　paucity　and　their

simplicity。　When　the　burden　of　domestic　duties　grew　grievous；　and

the　fireside　mood　expanded　to　a　constant　protest　against　its　bleak

loneliness；　the　adventurers　from　the　Southland；　in　lieu　of　better；

paid　the　stipulated　prices　and　took　unto　themselves　native　wives。　It

was　a　foretaste　of　Paradise　to　the　women；　for　it　must　be　confessed

that　the　white　rovers　gave　far　better　care　and　treatment　of　them

than　did　their　Indian　copartners。　Of　course；　the　white　men

themselves　were　satisfied　with　such　deals；　as　were　also　the　Indian　men

for　that　matter。　Having　sold　their　daughters　and　sisters　for　cotton

blankets　and　obsolete　rifles　and　traded　their　warm　furs　for　flimsy

calico　and　bad　whisky；　the　sons　of　the　soil　promptly　and　cheerfully

succumbed　to　quick　consumption　and　other　swift　diseases　correlated

with　the　blessings　of　a　superior　civilization。

　　It　was　in　these　days　of　Arcadian　simplicity　that　Cal　Galbraith

journeyed　through　the　land　and　fell　sick　on　the　Lower　River。　It　was

a　refreshing　advent　in　the　lives　of　the　good　Sisters　of　the　Holy

Cross；　who　gave　him　shelter　and　medicine；　though　they　little　dreamed

of　the　hot　elixir　infused　into　his　veins　by　the　touch　of　their　soft

hands　and　their　gentle　ministrations。　Cal　Galbraith；　became　troubled

with　strange　thoughts　which　clamored　for　attention　till　he　laid　eyes

on　the　Mission　girl；　Madeline。　Yet　he　gave　no　sign；　biding　his　time

patiently。　He　strengthened　with　the　coming　spring；　and　when　the　sun

rode　the　heavens　in　a　golden　circle；　and　the　joy　and　throb　of　life　was

in　all　the　land；　he　gathered　his　still　weak　body　together　and

departed。

　　Now；　Madeline；　the　Mission　girl；　was　an　orphan。　Her　white　father　had

failed　to　give　a　bald…faced　grizzly　the　trail　one　day；　and　had　died

quickly。　Then　her　Indian　mother；　having　no　man　to　fill　the　winter

cache；　had　tried　the　hazardous　experiment　of　waiting　till　the

salmon…run　on　fifty　pounds　of　flour　and　half　as　many　of　bacon。　After

that；　the　baby；　Chook…ra；　went　to　live　with　the　good　Sisters；　and　to

be　thenceforth　known　by　another　name。

　　But　Madeline　still　had　kinsfolk；　the　nearest　being　a　dissolute　uncle

who　outraged　his　vitals　with　inordinate　quantities　of　the　white

man's　whisky。　He　strove　daily　to　walk　with　the　gods；　and　incidentally；

his　feet　sought　shorter　trails　to　the　grave。　When　sober　he　suffered

exquisite　torture。　He　had　no　conscience。　To　this　ancient　vagabond

Cal　Galbraith　duly　presented　himself；　and　they　consumed　many　words　and

much　tobacco　in　the　conversation　that　followed。　Promises　were　also

made；　and　in　the　end　the　old　heathen　took　a　few　pounds　of　dried　salmon

and　his　birch…bark　canoe；　and　paddled　away　to　the　Mission　of　the

Holy　Cross。

　　It　is　not　given　the　world　to　know　what　promises　he　made　and　what

lies　he　told…　the　Sisters　never　gossip；　but　when　he　returned；　upon　his

swarthy　chest　there　was　a　brass　crucifix；　and　in　his　canoe　his　niece

Madeline。　That　night　there　was　a　grand　wedding　and　a　potlach；　so

that　for　two　days　to　follow　there　was　no　fishing　done　by　the

village。　But　in　the　morning　Madeline　shook　the　dust　of　the　Lower　River

from　her　moccasins；　and　with　her　husband；　in　a　poling…boat；　went　to

live　on　the　Upper　River　in　a　place　known　as　the　Lower　Country。　And

in　the　years　which　followed　she　was　a　good　wife；　sharing　her　husband's

hardships　and　cooking　his　food。　And　she　kept　him　in　straight　trails；

till　he　learned　to　save　his　dust　and　to　work　mightily。　In　the　end；

he　struck　it　rich　and　built　a　cabin　in　Circle　City；　and　his

happiness　was　such　that　men　who　came　to　visit　him　in　his　home…circle

became　restless　at　the　sight　of　it　and　envied　him　greatly。

　　But　the　Northland　began　to　mature　and　social　amenities　to　make　their

appearance。　Hitherto；　the　Southland　had　sent　forth　its　sons；　but　it

now　belched　forth　a　new　exodus…　this　time　of　its　daughters。　Sisters

and　wives　they　were　not；　but　they　did　not　fail　to　put　new　ideas　in　the

heads　of　the　men；　and　to　elevate　the　tone　of　things　in　ways　peculiarly

their　own。　No　more　did　the　squaws　gather　at　the　dances；　go　roaring

down　the　center　in　the　good；　old　Virginia　reels；　or　make　merry　with

jolly　'Dan　Tucker。'　They　fell　back　on　their　natural　stoicism　and

uncomplainingly　watched　the　rule　of　their　white　sisters　from　their

cabins。

　　Then　another　exodus　came　over　the　mountains　from　the　prolific

Southland。　This　time　it　was　of　women　that　became　mighty　in　the　land。

Their　word　was　law；　their　law　was　steel。　They　frowned　upon　the

Indian　wives；　while　the　other　women　became　mild　and　walked　humbly。

There　were　cowards　who　became　ashamed　of　their　ancient　covenants

with　the　daughters　of　the　soil；　who　looked　with　a　new　distaste　upon

their　dark…skinned　children；　but　there　were　also　others…　men…　who

remained　true　and　proud　of　their　aboriginal　vows。　When　it　became　the

fashion　to　divorce　the　native　wives。　Cal　Galbraith　retained　his

manhood；　and　in　so　doing　felt　the　heavy　hand　of　the　women　who　had　come

last；　knew　least；　but　who　ruled　the　land。

　　One　day；　the　Upper　Country；　which　lies　far　above　Circle　City；　was

pronounced　rich。　Dog…teams　carried　the　news　to　Salt　Water；　golden

argosies　freighted　the　lure　across　the　North　Pacific；　wires　and　cables

sang　with　the　tidings；　and　the　world　heard　for　the　first　time　of　the

Klondike　River　and　the　Yukon　Country。



　　Cal　Galbraith　had　lived　the　years　quietly。　He　had　been　a　good

husband　to　Madeline；　and　she　had　blessed　him。　But　somehow　discontent

fell　upon　him；　he　felt　vague　yearnings　for　his　own　kind；　for　the

life　he　had　been　shut　out　from…　a　general　sort　of　desire；　which　men

sometimes　feel；　to　break　out　and　taste　the　prime　of　living。　Besides；

there　drifted　down　the　river　wild　rumors　of　the　wonderful　El　Dorado；

glowing　descriptions　of　the　city　of　logs　and　tents；　and　ludicrous

accounts　of　the　che…cha…quas　who　had　rushed　in　and　were　stampeding　the

whole　country。　Circle　City　was　dead。　The　world　had　moved　on　up　river

and　become　a　new　and　most　marvelous　world。

　　Cal　Galbraith　grew　restless　on　the　edge　of　things；　and　wished　to　see

with　his　own　eyes。　So；　after　the　wash…up；　he　weighed　in　a　couple　of

hundred　pounds　of　dust　on　the　Company's　big　scales；　and　took　a　draft

for　the　same　on　Dawson。　Then　he　put　Tom　Dixon　in　charge　of　his

mines；　kissed　Madeline　good…by；　promised　to　be　back　before　the　first

mush…ice　ran；　and　took　passage　on　an　up…river　steamer。

　　Madeline　waited；　waited　through　all　the　three　months　of　daylight。

She　fed　the　dogs；　gave　much　of　her　time　to　Young　Cal；　watched　the

short　summer　fade　away　and　the　sun　begin　its　long　journey　to　the

south。　And　she　prayed　much　in　the　manner　of　the　Sisters　of　the　Holy

Cross。　The　fall　came；　and　with　it　there　was　mush…ice　on　the　Yukon；　and

Circle　City　kings　returning　to　the　winter's　work　at　their　mines；　but

no　Cal　Galbraith。　Tom　Dixon　received　a　letter；　however；　for　his　men

sledded　up　her　winter's　supply　of　dry　pine。　The　Company　received　a

letter　for　its　dog…teams　filled　her　cache　with　their　best

provisions；　and　she　was　told　that　her　credit　was　limitless。

　　Through　all　the　ages　man　has　been　held　the　chief　instigator　of　the

woes　of　woman；　but　in　this　case　the　men　held　their　tongues　and　swore

harshly　at　one　of　their　number　who　was　away；　while　the　women　failed

utterly　to　emulate　them。　So；　without　needless　delay；　Madeline　heard

strange　tales　of　Cal　Galbraith's　doings；　also；　of　a　certain　Greek

dancer　who　played　with　men　as　children　did　with　bubbles。　Now

Madeline　was　an　Indian　woman；　and　further；　she　had　no　woman　friend

to　whom　to　go　for　wise　counsel。　She　prayed　and　planned　by　turns；　and

that　night；　being　quick　of　resolve　and　action；　she　harnessed　the　dogs；

and　with　Young　Cal　securely　lashed　to　the　sled；　stole　away。

　　Though　the　Yukon　still　ran　free；　the　eddy…ice　was　growing；　and

each　day　saw　the　river　dwindling　to　a　slushy　thread。　Save　him　who

has　done　the　like；　no　man　may　know　what　she　endured　in　traveling　a

hundred　miles　on　the　rim…ice；　nor　may　they　understand　the　toil　and

hardship　of　breaking　the　two　hundred　miles　of　packed　ice　which

remained　after　the　river　froze　for　good。　But　Madeline　was　an　Indian

woman；　so　she　did　these　things；　and　one　night　there　came　a　knock　at

Malemute　Kid's　door。　Thereat　he　fed　a　team　of　starving　dogs；　put　a

healthy　youngster　to　bed；　and　turned　his　attention　to　an　exhausted

woman。　He　removed　her　ice…bound　moccasins　while　he　listened　to　her

tale；　and　stuck　the　point　of　his　knife　into　her　feet　that　he　might　see

how　far　they　were　frozen。

　　Despite　his　tremendous　virility；　Malemute　Kid　was　possessed　of　a

softer；　womanly　element；　which　could　win　the　confidence　of　a

snarling　wolf…dog　or　draw　confessions　from　the　most　wintry　heart。

Nor　did　he　seek　them。　Hearts　opened　to　him　as　spontaneously　as　flowers

to　the　sun。　Even　t