the faith of men-第6章

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〃'And　yet　further；　my　heart　is　softened；　and　I　have　repented　me　of

my　madness。　　I；　who　am　a　fool　and　a　son　of　fools；　I；　who　am　the

slave　of　the　bad　god　Biz…e…Nass；　I；　who　see　thy　empty　bellies　and

knew　not　wherewith　to　fill　themwhy　shall　I　be　chief；　and　sit

above　thee；　and　rule　to　thine　own　destruction？　　Why　should　I　do

this；　which　is　not　good？　　But　Moosu；　who　is　shaman；　and　who　is　wise

above　men；　is　so　made　that　he　can　rule　with　a　soft　hand　and　justly。

And　because　of　the　things　I　have　related　do　I　make　abdication　and

give　my　chiefship　to　Moosu；　who　alone　knoweth　how　ye　may　be　fed　in

this　day　when　there　be　no　meat　in　the　land。'



〃At　this　there　was　a　great　clapping　of　hands；　and　the　people　cried；

'KLOSHE！　　KLOSHE！'　which　means　'good。'　　I　had　seen　the　wonder…worry

in　Moosu's　eyes；　for　he　could　not　understand；　and　was　fearful　of　my

white　man's　wisdom。　　I　had　met　his　wishes　all　along　the　line；　and

even　anticipated　some；　and　standing　there；　self…shorn　of　all　my

power；　he　knew　the　time　did　not　favour　to　stir　the　people　against

me。



〃Before　they　could　disperse　I　made　announcement　that　while　the

still　went　to　Moosu；　whatever　hooch　I　possessed　went　to　the　people。

Moosu　tried　to　protest　at　this；　for　never　had　we　permitted　more

than　a　handful　to　be　drunk　at　a　time；　but　they　cried；　'KLOSHE！

KLOSHE！'　and　made　festival　before　my　door。　　And　while　they　waxed

uproarious　without；　as　the　liquor　went　to　their　heads；　I　held

council　within　with　Angeit　and　the　faithful　ones。　　I　set　them　the

tasks　they　were　to　do；　and　put　into　their　mouths　the　words　they

were　to　say。　　Then　I　slipped　away　to　a　place　back　in　the　woods

where　I　had　two　sleds；　well　loaded；　with　teams　of　dogs　that　were

not　overfed。　　Spring　was　at　hand；　you　see；　and　there　was　a　crust　to

the　snow；　so　it　was　the　best　time　to　take　the　way　south。　　Moreover；

the　tobacco　was　gone。　　There　I　waited；　for　I　had　nothing　to　fear。

Did　they　bestir　themselves　on　my　trail；　their　dogs　were　too　fat；

and　themselves　too　lean；　to　overtake　me；　also；　I　deemed　their

bestirring　would　be　of　an　order　for　which　I　had　made　due

preparation。



〃First　came　a　faithful　one；　running；　and　after　him　another。　　'O

master；'　the　first　cried；　breathless；　'there　be　great　confusion　in

the　village；　and　no　man　knoweth　his　own　mind；　and　they　be　of　many

minds。　　Everybody　hath　drunken　overmuch；　and　some　be　stringing

bows；　and　some　be　quarrelling　one　with　another。　　Never　was　there

such　a　trouble。'



〃And　the　second　one：　　'And　I　did　as　thou　biddest；　O　master；

whispering　shrewd　words　in　thirsty　ears；　and　raising　memories　of

the　things　that　were　of　old　time。　　The　woman　Ipsukuk　waileth　her

poverty　and　the　wealth　that　no　longer　is　hers。　　And　Tummasook

thinketh　himself　once　again　chief；　and　the　people　are　hungry　and

rage　up　and　down。'



〃And　a　third　one：　　'And　Neewak　hath　overthrown　the　altars　of　Moosu；

and　maketh　incantation　before　the　time…honoured　and　ancient　gods。

And　all　the　people　remember　the　wealth　that　ran　down　their　throats；

and　which　they　possess　no　more。　　And　first；　Esanetuk；　who　be　SICK

TUMTUM；　fought　with　Kluktu；　and　there　was　much　noise。　　And　next；

being　daughters　of　the　one　mother；　did　they　fight　with　Tukeliketa。

And　after　that　did　they　three　fall　upon　Moosu；　like　wind…squalls；

from　every　hand；　till　he　ran　forth　from　the　igloo；　and　the　people

mocked　him。　　For　a　man　who　cannot　command　his　womankind　is　a　fool。'



〃Then　came　Angeit：　　'Great　trouble　hath　befallen　Moosu；　O　master；

for　I　have　whispered　to　advantage；　till　the　people　came　to　Moosu；

saying　they　were　hungry　and　demanding　the　fulfilment　of　prophecy。

And　there　was　a　loud　shout　of　〃Itlwillie！　Itlwillie！〃　　（Meat。）　　So

he　cried　peace　to　his　womenfolk；　who　were　overwrought　with　anger

and　with　hooch；　and　led　the　tribe　even　to　thy　meat　caches。　　And　he

bade　the　men　open　them　and　be　fed。　　And　lo；　the　caches　were　empty。

There　was　no　meat。　　They　stood　without　sound；　the　people　being

frightened；　and　in　the　silence　I　lifted　my　voice。　　〃O　Moosu；　where

is　the　meat？　　That　there　was　meat　we　know。　　Did　we　not　hunt　it　and

drag　it　in　from　the　hunt？　　And　it　were　a　lie　to　say　one　man　hath

eaten　it；　yet　have　we　seen　nor　hide　nor　hair。　　Where　is　the　meat；　O

Moosu？　　Thou　hast　the　ear　of　God。　　Where　is　the　meat？〃



〃'And　the　people　cried；　〃Thou　hast　the　ear　of　God。　　Where　is　the

meat？〃　　And　they　put　their　heads　together　and　were　afraid。　　Then　I

went　among　them；　speaking　fearsomely　of　the　unknown　things；　of　the

dead　that　come　and　go　like　shadows　and　do　evil　deeds；　till　they

cried　aloud　in　terror　and　gathered　all　together；　like　little

children　afraid　of　the　dark。　　Neewak　made　harangue；　laying　this

evil　that　had　come　upon　them　at　the　door　of　Moosu。　　When　he　had

done；　there　was　a　furious　commotion；　and　they　took　spears　in　their

hands；　and　tusks　of　walrus；　and　clubs；　and　stones　from　the　beach。

But　Moosu　ran　away　home；　and　because　he　had　not　drunken　of　hooch

they　could　not　catch　him；　and　fell　one　over　another　and　made　haste

slowly。　　Even　now　they　do　howl　without　his　igloo；　and　his　woman…

folk　within；　and　what　of　the　noise；　he　cannot　make　himself　heard。'



〃'O　Angeit；　thou　hast　done　well；'　I　commanded。　　'Go　now；　taking

this　empty　sled　and　the　lean　dogs；　and　ride　fast　to　the　igloo　of

Moosu；　and　before　the　people；　who　are　drunken；　are　aware；　throw　him

quick　upon　the　sled　and　bring　him　to　me。'



〃I　waited　and　gave　good　advice　to　the　faithful　ones　till　Angeit

returned。　　Moosu　was　on　the　sled；　and　I　saw　by　the　fingermarks　on

his　face　that　his　womankind　had　done　well　by　him。　　But　he　tumbled

off　and　fell　in　the　snow　at　my　feet；　crying：　　'O　master；　thou　wilt

forgive　Moosu；　thy　servant；　for　the　wrong　things　he　has　done！　　Thou

art　a　great　man！　　Surely　wilt　thou　forgive！'



〃'Call　me　〃brother；〃　Moosucall　me　〃brother；〃'　I　chided；　lifting

him　to　his　feet　with　the　toe　of　my　moccasin。　　'Wilt　thou　evermore

obey？'



〃'Yea；　master；'　he　whimpered；　'evermore。'



〃'Then　dispose　thy　body；　so；　across　the　sled；'　I　shifted　the

dogwhip　to　my　right　hand。　　'And　direct　thy　face　downwards；　toward

the　snow。　　And　make　haste；　for　we　journey　south　this　day。'　　And

when　he　was　well　fixed　I　laid　the　lash　upon　him；　reciting；　at　every

stroke；　the　wrongs　he　had　done　me。　'This　for　thy　disobedience　in

generalwhack！　　And　this　for　thy　disobedience　in　particular

whack！　whack！　　And　this　for　Esanetuk！　　And　this　for　thy　soul's

welfare！　　And　this　for　the　grace　of　thy　authority！　　And　this　for

Kluktu！　　And　this　for　thy　rights　God…given！　　And　this　for　thy　fat

firstlings！　　And　this　and　this　for　thy　income…tax　and　thy　loaves

and　fishes！　　And　this　for　all　thy　disobedience！　　And　this；　finally；

that　thou　mayest　henceforth　walk　softly　and　with　understanding！

Now　cease　thy　sniffling　and　get　up！　　Gird　on　thy　snowshoes　and　go

to　the　fore　and　break　trail　for　the　dogs。　　CHOOK！　　MUSH…ON！　　Git！'〃



Thomas　Stevens　smiled　quietly　to　himself　as　he　lighted　his　fifth

cigar　and　sent　curling　smoke…rings　ceilingward。



〃But　how　about　the　people　of　Tattarat？〃　I　asked。　　〃Kind　of　rough；

wasn't　it；　to　leave　them　flat　with　famine？〃



And　he　answered；　laughing；　between　two　smoke…rings；　〃Were　there　not

the　fat　dogs？〃







THE　FAITH　OF　MEN







〃Tell　you　what　we'll　do；　we'll　shake　for　it。〃



〃That　suits　me；〃　said　the　second　man；　turning；　as　he　spoke；　to　the

Indian　that　was　mending　snow…shoes　in　a　corner　of　the　cabin。

〃Here；　you　Billebedam；　take　a　run　down　to　Oleson's　cabin　like　a

good　fellow；　and　tell　him　we　want　to　borrow　his　dice　box。〃



This　sudden　request　in　the　midst　of　a　council　on　wages　of　men；

wood；　and　grub　surprised　Billebedam。　　Besides；　it　was　early　in　the

day；　and　he　had　never　known　white　men　of　the　calibre　of　Pentfield

and　Hutchinson　to　dice　and　play　till　the　day's　work　was　done。　　But

his　face　was　impassive　as　a　Yukon　Indian's　should　be；　as　he　pulled

on　his　mittens　and　went　out　the　door。



Though　eight　o'clock；　it　was　still　dark　outside；　and　the　cabin　was

lighted　by　a　tallow　candle　thrust　into　an　empty　whisky　bottle。　　It

stood　on　the　pine…board　table　in　the　middle　of　a　disarray　of　dirty

tin　dishes。　　Tallow　from　innumerable　candles　had　dripped　down　the

long　neck　of　the　bottle　and　hardened　into　a　miniature　glacier。　　The

small　room；　which　composed　the　entire　cabin；　was　as　badly　littered

as　the　table；　while　at　one　end；　against　the　wall；　were　two　bunks；

one　above　the　other；　with　the　blankets　turned　down　just　as　the　two

men　had　crawled　out　in　the　morning。



Lawrence　Pentfield　and　Corry　Hutchinson　were　millionaires；　though

they　did　not　look　it。　　There　seemed　nothing　unusual　about　them；

while　they　would　have　passed　muster　as　fair　specimens　of　lumbermen

in　any　Michigan　camp。　　But　outside；　in　the　darkness；　where　holes

yawned　in　the　ground；　were　many　men　engaged　in　windlassing　muck　and

gravel　and　gold　from　the　bottoms　of　the　holes　where　other　men

received　fifteen　dollars　per　day　for　scraping　it　from　off　the

bedrock。　　Each　day　thousands　of　dollars'　worth　of　gold　were　scraped

from　bedrock　and　windlassed　to　the　surface；　and　it　all　belonged　to

Pentfield　and　Hutchinson；　who　took　their　rank　among　the　richest

kings　of　Bonanza。



Pentfield　broke　the　silence　that　followed　on　Billebedam's　departure

by　heaping　the　dirty　plates　higher　on　the　table　and　drumming　a

tattoo　on　the　cleared　space　with　his　knuckles。　　Hutchinson　snuffed

the　smoky　candle　and　reflectively　rubbed　the　soot　from　the　wick

between　thumb　and　forefinger。



〃By　Jove；　I　wish　we　could　both　go　out！〃　he　abruptly　exclaimed。

〃That　would　settle　it　all。〃



Pentfield　looked　at　him　darkly。



〃If　it　weren't　for　your　cursed　obstinacy；　it'd　be　settled　anyway。

All　you　have　to　do　is　get　up　and　go。　　I'll　look　after　things；　and

next　year　I　can　go　out。〃



〃Why　should　I　go？　　I've　no　one　waiting　for　me〃



〃Your　people；〃　Pentfield　broke　in　roughly。



〃Like　you　have；〃　Hutchinson　went　on。　　〃A　girl；　I　mean；　and　you　know

it。〃



Pentfield　shrugged　his　shoulders　gloomily。　　〃She　can　wait；　I

guess。〃



〃But　she's　been　waiting　two　years　now。〃



〃And　another　won't　age　her　beyond　recognition。〃



〃That'd　be　three　years。　　Think　of　it；　old　man；　three　years　in　this

end　of　the　earth；　this　falling…off　place　for　the　damned！〃

Hutchinson　threw　up　his　arm　in　an　almost　articulate　groan。



He　was　several　years　younger　than　his　partner；　not　more　than

twenty…six；　and　there　was　a　certain　wistfulness　in　his　face　that

comes　into　the　faces　of　men　when　they　yearn　vainly　for　the　things

they　have　been　long　denied。　　This　same　wistfulness　was　in

Pentfield's　face；　and　the　groan　of　it　was　articulate　in　the　heave

of　his　shoulders。



〃I　dreamed　last　night　I　was　in　Zinkand's；〃　he　said。　　〃The　music

playing；　glasses　clinking；　voices　humming；　women　laughing；　and　I

was　ordering　eggsyes；　sir；　eggs；　fried　and　boiled　and　poached　and

scrambled；　and　in　all　sorts　of　ways；　and　downing　them　as　fast　as

they　arri