the faith of men-第21章

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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　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　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　Mile；

which　is　very　like　the　rest　of　the　posts；　is　a　log　building　the

size　of　a　corner　grocery　with　rooms　to　let　up…stairs。　　A　long…

legged　cache　on　stilts　may　be　found　in　the　back　yard；　also　a　couple

of　outhouses。　　The　back　yard　is　unfenced；　and　extends　to　the

skyline　and　an　unascertainable　bit　beyond。　　There　are　no　other

houses　in　sight；　though　the　Toyaats　sometimes　pitch　a　winter　camp　a

mile　or　two　down　the　Yukon。　　And　this　is　Twenty　Mile；　one　tentacle

of　the　many…tentacled　P。　C。　Company。　　Here　the　agent；　with　an

assistant；　barters　with　the　Indians　for　their　furs；　and　does　an

erratic　trade　on　a　gold…dust　basis　with　the　wandering　miners。

Here；　also；　the　agent　and　his　assistant　yearn　all　winter　for　the

spring；　and　when　the　spring　comes；　camp　blasphemously　on　the　roof

while　the　Yukon　washes　out　the　establishment。　　And　here；　also；　in

the　fourth　year　of　his　sojourn　in　the　land；　came　Neil　Bonner　to

take　charge。



He　had　displaced　no　agent；　for　the　man　that　previously　ran　the　post

had　made　away　with　himself；　〃because　of　the　rigours　of　the　place；〃

said　the　assistant；　who　still　remained；　though　the　Toyaats；　by

their　fires；　had　another　version。　　The　assistant　was　a　shrunken…

shouldered；　hollow…chested　man；　with　a　cadaverous　face　and

cavernous　cheeks　that　his　sparse　black　beard　could　not　hide。　　He

coughed　much；　as　though　consumption　gripped　his　lungs；　while　his

eyes　had　that　mad；　fevered　light　common　to　consumptives　in　the　last

stage。　　Pentley　was　his　nameAmos　Pentleyand　Bonner　did　not　like

him；　though　he　felt　a　pity　for　the　forlorn　and　hopeless　devil。

They　did　not　get　along　together；　these　two　men　who；　of　all　men；

should　have　been　on　good　terms　in　the　face　of　the　cold　and　silence

and　darkness　of　the　long　winter。



In　the　end；　Bonner　concluded　that　Amos　was　partly　demented；　and

left　him　alone；　doing　all　the　work　himself　except　the　cooking。

Even　then；　Amos　had　nothing　but　bitter　looks　and　an　undisguised

hatred　for　him。　　This　was　a　great　loss　to　Bonner；　for　the　smiling

face　of　one　of　his　own　kind；　the　cheery　word；　the　sympathy　of

comradeship　shared　with　misfortunethese　things　meant　much；　and

the　winter　was　yet　young　when　he　began　to　realize　the　added

reasons；　with　such　an　assistant；　that　the　previous　agent　had　found

to　impel　his　own　hand　against　his　life。



It　was　very　lonely　at　Twenty　Mile。　　The　bleak　vastness　stretched

away　on　every　side　to　the　horizon。　　The　snow；　which　was　really

frost；　flung　its　mantle　over　the　land　and　buried　everything　in　the

silence　of　death。　　For　days　it　was　clear　and　cold；　the　thermometer

steadily　recording　forty　to　fifty　degrees　below　zero。　　Then　a

change　came　over　the　face　of　things。　　What　little　moisture　had

oozed　into　the　atmosphere　gathered　into　dull　grey；　formless　clouds；

it　became　quite　warm；　the　thermometer　rising　to　twenty　below；　and

the　moisture　fell　out　of　the　sky　in　hard　frost…granules　that　hissed

like　dry　sugar　or　driving　sand　when　kicked　underfoot。　　After　that

it　became　clear　and　cold　again；　until　enough　moisture　had　gathered

to　blanket　the　earth　from　the　cold　of　outer　space。　　That　was　all。

Nothing　happened。　　No　storms；　no　churning　waters　and　threshing

forests；　nothing　but　the　machine…like　precipitation　of　accumulated

moisture。　　Possibly　the　most　notable　thing　that　occurred　through

the　weary　weeks　was　the　gliding　of　the　temperature　up　to　the

unprecedented　height　of　fifteen　below。　　To　atone　for　this；　outer

space　smote　the　earth　with　its　cold　till　the　mercury　froze　and　the

spirit　thermometer　remained　more　than　seventy　below　for　a

fortnight；　when　it　burst。　　There　was　no　telling　how　much　colder　it

was　after　that。　　Another　occurrence；　monotonous　in　its　regularity；

was　the　lengthening　of　the　nights；　till　day　became　a　mere　blink　of

light　between　the　darkness。



Neil　Bonner　was　a　social　animal。　　The　very　follies　for　which　he　was

doing　penance　had　been　bred　of　his　excessive　sociability。　　And

here；　in　the　fourth　year　of　his　exile；　he　found　himself　in　company…

…which　were　to　travesty　the　wordwith　a　morose　and　speechless

creature　in　whose　sombre　eyes　smouldered　a　hatred　as　bitter　as　it

was　unwarranted。　　And　Bonner；　to　whom　speech　and　fellowship　were　as

the　breath　of　life；　went　about　as　a　ghost　might　go；　tantalized　by

the　gregarious　revelries　of　some　former　life。　　In　the　day　his　lips

were　compressed；　his　face　stern；　but　in　the　night　he　clenched　his

hands；　rolled　about　in　his　blankets；　and　cried　aloud　like　a　little

child。　　And　he　would　remember　a　certain　man　in　authority　and　curse

him　through　the　long　hours。　　Also；　he　cursed　God。　　But　God

understands。　　He　cannot　find　it　in　his　heart　to　blame　weak　mortals

who　blaspheme　in　Alaska。



And　here；　to　the　post　of　Twenty　Mile；　came　Jees　Uck；　to　trade　for

flour　and　bacon；　and　beads；　and　bright　scarlet　cloths　for　her　fancy

work。　　And　further；　and　u