the faith of men-第20章

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den　you　hang　me。　　Eet　is　good；　eh？〃



Good　it　was；　they　agreed；　that　Hell's　Spawn　should　break　trail　for

his　master　across　the　last　divide；　and　the　court　was　adjourned　down

to　the　river　bank；　where　a　big　spruce　tree　stood　by　itself。

Slackwater　Charley　put　a　hangman's　knot　in　the　end　of　a　hauling…

line；　and　the　noose　was　slipped　over　Leclere's　head　and　pulled

tight　around　his　neck。　　His　hands　were　tied　behind　his　back；　and　he

was　assisted　to　the　top　of　a　cracker　box。　　Then　the　running　end　of

the　line　was　passed　over　an　over…hanging　branch；　drawn　taut；　and

made　fast。　　To　kick　the　box　out　from　under　would　leave　him　dancing

on　the　air。



〃Now　for　the　dog；〃　said　Webster　Shaw；　sometime　mining　engineer。

〃You'll　have　to　rope　him；　Slackwater。〃



Leclere　grinned。　　Slackwater　took　a　chew　of　tobacco；　rove　a　running

noose；　and　proceeded　leisurely　to　coil　a　few　turns　in　his　hand。　　He

paused　once　or　twice　to　brush　particularly　offensive　mosquitoes

from　off　his　face。　　Everybody　was　brushing　mosquitoes；　except

Leclere；　about　whose　head　a　small　cloud　was　visible。　　Even　Batard；

lying　full…stretched　on　the　ground　with　his　fore　paws　rubbed　the

pests　away　from　eyes　and　mouth。



But　while　Slackwater　waited　for　Batard　to　lift　his　head；　a　faint

call　came　from　the　quiet　air；　and　a　man　was　seen　waving　his　arms

and　running　across　the　flat　from　Sunrise。　　It　was　the　store…keeper。



〃C…call　'er　off；　boys；〃　he　panted；　as　he　came　in　among　them。



〃Little　Sandy　and　Bernadotte's　jes'　got　in；〃　he　explained　with

returning　breath。　　〃Landed　down　below　an'　come　up　by　the　short　cut。

Got　the　Beaver　with　'm。　　Picked　'm　up　in　his　canoe；　stuck　in　a　back

channel；　with　a　couple　of　bullet…holes　in　'm。　　Other　buck　was　Klok

Kutz；　the　one　that　knocked　spots　out　of　his　squaw　and　dusted。〃



〃Eh？　　W'at　Ah　say？　　Eh？〃　Leclere　cried　exultantly。　　〃Dat　de　one　fo'

sure！　　Ah　know。　　Ah　spik　true。〃



〃The　thing　to　do　is　to　teach　these　damned　Siwashes　a　little

manners；〃　spoke　Webster　Shaw。　　〃They're　getting　fat　and　sassy；　and

we'll　have　to　bring　them　down　a　peg。　　Round　in　all　the　bucks　and

string　up　the　Beaver　for　an　object　lesson。　　That's　the　programme。

Come　on　and　let's　see　what　he's　got　to　say　for　himself。〃



〃Heh；　M'sieu！〃　Leclere　called；　as　the　crowd　began　to　melt　away

through　the　twilight　in　the　direction　of　Sunrise。　　〃Ah　lak　ver'

moch　to　see　de　fon。〃



〃Oh；　we'll　turn　you　loose　when　we　come　back；〃　Webster　Shaw　shouted

over　his　shoulder。　　〃In　the　meantime　meditate　on　your　sins　and　the

ways　of　Providence。　　It　will　do　you　good；　so　be　grateful。〃



As　is　the　way　with　men　who　are　accustomed　to　great　hazards；　whose

nerves　are　healthy　and　trained　in　patience；　so　it　was　with　Leclere

who　settled　himself　to　the　long　waitwhich　is　to　say　that　he

reconciled　his　mind　to　it。　　There　was　no　settling　of　the　body；　for

the　taut　rope　forced　him　to　stand　rigidly　erect。　　The　least

relaxation　of　the　leg　muscles　pressed　the　rough…fibred　noose　into

his　neck；　while　the　upright　position　caused　him　much　pain　in　his

wounded　shoulder。　　He　projected　his　under　lip　and　expelled　his

breath　upwards　along　his　face　to　blow　the　mosquitoes　away　from　his

eyes。　　But　the　situation　had　its　compensation。　　To　be　snatched　from

the　maw　of　death　was　well　worth　a　little　bodily　suffering；　only　it

was　unfortunate　that　he　should　miss　the　hanging　of　the　Beaver。



And　so　he　mused；　till　his　eyes　chanced　to　fall　upon　Batard；　head

between　fore　paws　and　stretched　on　the　ground　asleep。　　And　their

Leclere　ceased　to　muse。　　He　studied　the　animal　closely；　striving　to

sense　if　the　sleep　were　real　or　feigned。　　Batard's　sides　were

heaving　regularly；　but　Leclere　felt　that　the　breath　came　and　went　a

shade　too　quickly；　also　he　felt　that　there　was　a　vigilance　or

alertness　to　every　hair　that　belied　unshackling　sleep。　　He　would

have　given　his　Sunrise　claim　to　be　assured　that　the　dog　was　not

awake；　and　once；　when　one　of　his　joints　cracked；　he　looked　quickly

and　guiltily　at　Batard　to　see　if　he　roused。　　He　did　not　rouse　then

but　a　few　minutes　later　he　got　up　slowly　and　lazily；　stretched；　and

looked　carefully　about　him。



〃Sacredam；〃　said　Leclere　under　his　breath。



Assured　that　no　one　was　in　sight　or　hearing；　Batard　sat　down；

curled　his　upper　lip　almost　into　a　smile；　looked　up　at　Leclere；　and

licked　his　chops。



〃Ah　see　my　feenish；〃　the　man　said；　and　laughed　sardonically　aloud。



Batard　came　nearer；　the　useless　ear　wabbling；　the　good　ear　cocked

forward　with　devilish　comprehension。　　He　thrust　his　head　on　one

side　quizzically；　and　advanced　with　mincing；　playful　steps。　　He

rubbed　his　body　gently　against　the　box　till　it　shook　and　shook

again。　　Leclere　teetered　carefully　to　maintain　his　equilibrium。



〃Batard；〃　he　said　calmly；　〃look　out。　　Ah　keel　you。〃



Batard　snarled　at　the　word　and　shook　the　box　with　greater　force。

Then　he　upreared；　and　with　his　fore　paws　threw　his　weight　against

it　higher　up。　　Leclere　kicked　out　with　one　foot；　but　the　rope　bit

into　his　neck　and　checked　so　abruptly　as　nearly　to　overbalance　him。



〃Hi；　ya！　　Chook！　　Mush…on！〃　he　screamed。



Batard　retreated；　for　twenty　feet　or　so；　with　a　fiendish　levity　in

his　bearing　that　Leclere　could　not　mistake。　　He　remembered　the　dog

often　breaking　the　scum　of　ice　on　the　water　hole　by　lifting　up　and

throwing　his　weight　upon　it；　and　remembering；　he　understood　what　he

now　had　in　mind。　　Batard　faced　about　and　paused。　　He　showed　his

white　teeth　in　a　grin；　which　Leclere　answered；　and　then　hurled　his

body　through　the　air；　in　full　charge；　straight　for　the　box。



Fifteen　minutes　later；　Slackwater　Charley　and　Webster　Shaw

returning；　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　ghostly　pendulum　swinging　back　and

forth　in　the　dim　light。　　As　they　hurriedly　drew　in　closer；　they

made　out　the　man's　inert　body；　and　a　live　thing　that　clung　to　it；

and　shook　and　worried；　and　gave　to　it　the　swaying　motion。



〃Hi；　ya！　　Chook！　you　Spawn　of　Hell！〃　yelled　Webster　Shaw。



But　Batard　glared　at　him；　and　snarled　threateningly；　without

loosing　his　jaws。



Slackwater　Charley　got　out　his　revolver；　but　his　hand　was　shaking；

as　with　a　chill；　and　he　fumbled。



〃Here　you　take　it；〃　he　said；　passing　the　weapon　over。



Webster　Shaw　laughed　shortly；　drew　a　sight　between　the　gleaming

eyes；　and　pressed　the　trigger。　　Batard's　body　twitched　with　the

shock；　threshed　the　ground　spasmodically　for　a　moment；　and　went

suddenly　limp。　　But　his　teeth　still　held　fast　locked。







THE　STORY　OF　JEES'　UCK







There　have　been　renunciations　and　renunciations。　　But；　in　its

essence；　renunciation　is　ever　the　same。　　And　the　paradox　of　it　is；

that　men　and　women　forego　the　dearest　thing　in　the　world　for

something　dearer。　　It　was　never　otherwise。　　Thus　it　was　when　Abel

brought　of　the　firstlings　of　his　flock　and　of　the　fat　thereof。　　The

firstlings　and　the　fat　thereof　were　to　him　the　dearest　things　in

the　world；　yet　he　gave　them　over　that　he　might　be　on　good　terms

with　God。　　So　it　was　with　Abraham　when　he　prepared　to　offer　up　his

son　Isaac　on　a　stone。　　Isaac　was　very　dear　to　him；　but　God；　in

incomprehensible　ways；　was　yet　dearer。　　It　may　be　that　Abraham

feared　the　Lord。　　But　whether　that　be　true　or　not　it　has　since　been

determined　by　a　few　billion　people　that　he　loved　the　Lord　and

desired　to　serve　him。



And　since　it　has　been　determined　that　love　is　service；　and　since　to

renounce　is　to　serve；　then　Jees　Uck；　who　was　merely　a　woman　of　a

swart…skinned　breed；　loved　with　a　great　love。　　She　was　unversed　in

history；　having　learned　to　read　only　the　signs　of　weather　and　of

game；　so　she　had　never　heard　of　Abel　nor　of　Abraham；　nor；　having

escaped　the　good　sisters　at　Holy　Cross；　had　she　been　told　the　story

of　Ruth；　the　Moabitess；　who　renounced　her　very　God　for　the　sake　of

a　stranger　woman　from　a　strange　land。　　Jees　Uck　had　learned　only

one　way　of　renouncing；　and　that　was　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　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　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