the faith of men(人们的信任)-第25章
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with a club as the dynamic factor； in much the same manner as a dog is
made to renounce a stolen marrow…bone。 Yet； when the time came； she
proved herself capable of rising to the height of the fair…faced royal races
and of renouncing in right regal fashion。
So this is the story of Jees Uck； which is also the story of Neil Bonner；
and Kitty Bonner； and a couple of Neil Bonner's progeny。 Jees Uck was of
a swart…skinned breed； it is true； but she was not an Indian； nor was she an
Eskimo； nor even an Innuit。 Going backward into mouth tradition； there
appears the figure of one Skolkz； a Toyaat Indian of the Yukon； who
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journeyed down in his youth to the Great Delta where dwell the Innuits；
and where he foregathered with a woman remembered as Olillie。 Now
the woman Olillie had been bred from an Eskimo mother by an Innuit man。
And from Skolkz and Olillie came Halie； who was one…half Toyaat Indian；
one…quarter Innuit； and one…quarter Eskimo。 And Halie was the
grandmother of Jees Uck。
Now Halie； in whom three stocks had been bastardized； who cherished
no prejudice against further admixture； mated with a Russian fur trader
called Shpack； also known in his time as the Big Fat。 Shpack is herein
classed Russian for lack of a more adequate term； for Shpack's father； a
Slavonic convict from the Lower Provinces； had escaped from the
quicksilver mines into Northern Siberia； where he knew Zimba； who was a
woman of the Deer People and who became the mother of Shpack； who
became the grandfather of Jees Uck。
Now had not Shpack been captured in his boyhood by the Sea People；
who fringe the rim of the Arctic Sea with their misery； he would not have
become the grandfather of Jees Uck and there would be no story at all。
But he WAS captured by the Sea People； from whom he escaped to
Kamchatka； and thence； on a Norwegian whale…ship； to the Baltic。 Not
long after that he turned up in St。 Petersburg； and the years were not many
till he went drifting east over the same weary road his father had measured
with blood and groans a half… century before。 But Shpack was a free man；
in the employ of the great Russian Fur Company。 And in that employ he
fared farther and farther east； until he crossed Bering Sea into Russian
America； and at Pastolik； which is hard by the Great Delta of the Yukon；
became the husband of Halie； who was the grandmother of Jees Uck。
Out of this union came the woman…child； Tukesan。
Shpack； under the orders of the Company； made a canoe voyage of a
few hundred miles up the Yukon to the post of Nulato。 With him he took
Halie and the babe Tukesan。 This was in 1850； and in 1850 it was that
the river Indians fell upon Nulato and wiped it from the face of the earth。
And that was the end of Shpack and Halie。 On that terrible night
Tukesan disappeared。 To this day the Toyaats aver they had no hand in
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the trouble； but； be that as it may； the fact remains that the babe Tukesan
grew up among them。
Tukesan was married successively to two Toyaat brothers； to both of
whom she was barren。 Because of this； other women shook their heads；
and no third Toyaat man could be found to dare matrimony with the
childless widow。 But at this time； many hundred miles above； at Fort
Yukon； was a man； Spike O'Brien。 Fort Yukon was a Hudson Bay
Company post； and Spike O'Brien one of the Company's servants。 He
was a good servant； but he achieved an opinion that the service was bad；
and in the course of time vindicated that opinion by deserting。 It was a
year's journey； by the chain of posts； back to York Factory on Hudson's
Bay。 Further； being Company posts； he knew he could not evade the
Company's clutches。 Nothing retained but to go down the Yukon。 It was
true no white man had ever gone down the Yukon； and no white man knew
whether the Yukon emptied into the Arctic Ocean or Bering Sea； but Spike
O'Brien was a Celt； and the promise of danger was a lure he had ever
followed。
A few weeks later； somewhat battered； rather famished； and about dead
with river…fever； he drove the nose of his canoe into the earth bank by the
village of the Toyaats and promptly fainted away。 While getting his
strength back； in the weeks that followed； he looked upon Tukesan and
found her good。 Like the father of Shpack； who lived to a ripe old age
among the Siberian Deer People； Spike O'Brien might have left his aged
bones with the Toyaats。 But romance gripped his heart…strings and would
not let him stay。 As he had journeyed from York Factory to Fort Yukon；
so； first among men； might he journey from Fort Yukon to the sea and win
the honour of being the first man to make the North…West Passage by land。
So he departed down the river； won the honour； and was unannaled and
unsung。 In after years he ran a sailors' boarding…house in San Francisco；
where he became esteemed a most remarkable liar by virtue of the gospel
truths he told。 But a child was born to Tukesan； who had been childless。
And this child was Jees Uck。 Her lineage has been traced at length to
show that she was neither Indian； nor Eskimo； nor Innuit； nor much of
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anything else； also to show what waifs of the generations we are； all of us；
and the strange meanderings of the seed from which we spring。
What with the vagrant blood in her and the heritage compounded of
many races； Jees Uck developed a wonderful young beauty。 Bizarre；
perhaps； it was； and Oriental enough to puzzle any passing ethnologist。
A lithe and slender grace characterized her。 Beyond a quickened lilt to
the imagination； the contribution of the Celt was in no wise apparent。 It
might possibly have put the warm blood under her skin； which made her
face less swart and her body fairer； but that； in turn； might have come from
Shpack； the Big Fat； who inherited the colour of his Slavonic father。 And；
finally； she had great； blazing black eyesthe half…caste eye； round； full…
orbed； and sensuous； which marks the collision of the dark races with the
light。 Also； the white blood in her； combined with her knowledge that it
was in her； made her； in a way； ambitious。 Otherwise by upbringing and
in outlook on life； she was wholly and utterly a Toyaat Indian。
One winter； when she was a young woman； Neil Bonner came into her
life。 But he came into her life； as he had come into the country；
somewhat reluctantly。 In fact； it was very much against his will； coming
into the country。 Between a father who clipped coupons and cultivated
roses； and a mother who loved the social round； Neil Bonner had gone
rather wild。 He was not vicious； but a man with meat in his belly and
without work in the world has to expend his energy somehow； and Neil
Bonner was such a man。 And he expended his energy in such a fashion
and to such extent that when the inevitable climax came； his father； Neil
Bonner； senior； crawled out of his roses in a panic and looked on his son
with a wondering eye。 Then he hied himself away to a crony of kindred
pursuits； with whom he was wont to confer over coupons and roses； and
between the two the destiny of young Neil Bonner was made manifest。
He must go away； on probation； to live down his harmless follies in order
that he might live up to their own excellent standard。
This determined upon； and young Neil a little repentant and a great
deal ashamed； the rest was easy。 The cronies were heavy stockholders in
the P。 C。 Company。 The P。 C。 Company owned fleets of river…steamers
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and ocean…going craft； and； in addition to farming the sea； exploited a
hundred thousand square miles or so of the land that； on the maps of
geographers； usually occupies the white spaces。 So the P。 C。 Company
sent young Neil Bonner north； where the white spaces are； to do its work
and to learn to be good like his father。 〃Five years of simplicity； close to
the soil and far from temptation； will make a man of him；〃 said old Neil
Bonner； and forthwith crawled back among his roses。 Young Neil set his
jaw； pitched his chin at the proper angle； and went to work。 As an
underling he did his work well and gained the commendation of his
superiors。 Not that he delighted in the work； but that it was the one thing
that prevented him from going mad。
The first year he wished he was dead。 The second year he cursed
God。 The third year he was divided between the two emotions； and in
the confusion quarrelled with a man in authority。 He had the best of the
quarrel； though the man in authority had the last word；a word that sent
Neil Bonner into an exile that made his old billet appear as paradise。 But
he went without a whimper； for the North had succeeded in making him
into a man。
Here and there； on the white spaces on the map； little circlets like the
letter 〃o〃 are to be found； and； appended to these circlets； on one side or
the other； are names such as 〃Fort Hamilton；〃 〃Yanana Station；〃 〃Twenty
Mile；〃 thus leading one to imagine that the white spaces are plentifully
besprinkled with towns and villages。 But it is a vain imagining。 Twenty
Mil
