08-an odyssey of the north-第4章

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into　the　sugar　caddy　which　Malemute　Kid　placed　before　him。　After　his

appetite　had　been　somewhat　cloyed；　Prince；　shuddering　as　he　did　so；

passed　him　a　mug　of　weak　beef　tea。

　　The　creature's　eyes　were　alight　with　a　somber　frenzy；　which　blazed

and　waned　with　every　mouthful。　There　was　very　little　skin　to　the　face。

The　face；　for　that　matter；　sunken　and　emaciated；　bore　little

likeness　to　human　countenance。　Frost　after　frost　had　bitten　deeply；

each　depositing　its　stratum　of　scab　upon　the　half…healed　scar　that

went　before。　This　dry；　hard　surface　was　of　a　bloody…black　color；

serrated　by　grievous　cracks　wherein　the　raw　red　flesh　peeped　forth。

His　skin　garments　were　dirty　and　in　tatters；　and　the　fur　of　one　side

was　singed　and　burned　away；　showing　where　he　had　lain　upon　his　fire。

　　Malemute　Kid　pointed　to　where　the　sun…tanned　hide　had　been　cut　away；

strip　by　strip…　the　grim　signature　of　famine。

　　'Who…　are…　you？'　slowly　and　distinctly　enunciated　the　Kid。

　　The　man　paid　no　heed。

　　'Where　do　you　come　from？'

　　'Yan…kee　ship　come　down　de　ri…ib…er；'　was　the　quavering　response。

　　'Don't　doubt　the　beggar　came　down　the　river；'　the　Kid　said；

shaking　him　in　an　endeavor　to　start　a　more　lucid　flow　of　talk。

　　But　the　man　shrieked　at　the　contact；　clapping　a　hand　to　his　side

in　evident　pain。　He　rose　slowly　to　his　feet；　half　leaning　on　the

table。

　　'She　laughed　at　me…　so…　with　the　hate　in　her　eye；　and　she…　would…

not…　come。'

　　His　voice　died　away；　and　he　was　sinking　back　when　Malemute　Kid

gripped　him　by　the　wrist　and　shouted；　'Who？　Who　would　not　come？'

　　'She；　Unga。　She　laughed；　and　struck　at　me；　so；　and　so。　And　then…'

　　'Yes？'

　　'And　then…'

　　'And　then　what？'

　　'And　then　he　lay　very　still　in　the　snow　a　long　time。　He　is…　still

in…　the…　snow。'

　　The　two　men　looked　at　each　other　helplessly。

　　'Who　is　in　the　snow？'

　　'She；　Unga。　She　looked　at　me　with　the　hate　in　her　eye；　and　then…'

　　'Yes；　yes。'

　　'And　then　she　took　the　knife；　so；　and　once；　twice…　she　was　weak。　I

traveled　very　slow。　And　there　is　much　gold　in　that　place；　very　much

gold。'

　　'Where　is　Unga？'　For　all　Malemute　Kid　knew；　she　might　be　dying　a

mile　away。　He　shook　the　man　savagely；　repeating　again　and　again；

'Where　is　Unga？　Who　is　Unga？'

　　'She…　is…　in…　the…　snow。'

　　'Go　on！'　The　Kid　was　pressing　his　wrist　cruelly。

　　'So…　I…　would…　be…　in…　the　snow…　but…　I…　had…　a…　debt…　to…　pay。

It…　was…　heavy…　I…　had…　a…　debt…　to…　pay…　a…　debt…　to…　pay　I…　had…'

The　faltering　monosyllables　ceased　as　he　fumbled　in　his　pouch　and　drew

forth　a　buckskin　sack。　'A…　debt…　to…　pay…　five…　pounds…　of…　gold…

grub…　stake…　Mal…　e…　mute…　Kid…　I…'　The　exhausted　head　dropped　upon

the　table；　nor　could　Malemute　Kid　rouse　it　again。

　　'It's　Ulysses；'　he　said　quietly；　tossing　the　bag　of　dust　on　the

table。　'Guess　it's　all　day　with　Axel　Gunderson　and　the　woman。　Come　on；

let's　get　him　between　the　blankets。　He's　Indian；　he'll　pull　through

and　tell　a　tale　besides。'

　　As　they　cut　his　garments　from　him；　near　his　right　breast　could　be

seen　two　unhealed；　hard…lipped　knife　thrusts。










　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III



　　'I　will　talk　of　the　things　which　were　in　my　own　way；　but　you　will

understand。　I　will　begin　at　the　beginning；　and　tell　of　myself　and

the　woman；　and；　after　that；　of　the　man。'

　　He　of　the　Otter　Skins　drew　over　to　the　stove　as　do　men　who　have　been

deprived　of　fire　and　are　afraid　the　Promethean　gift　may　vanish　at

any　moment。　Malemute　Kid　picked　up　the　slush　lamp　and　placed　it　so　its

light　might　fall　upon　the　face　of　the　narrator。　Prince　slid　his　body

over　the　edge　of　the　bunk　and　joined　them。

　　'I　am　Naass；　a　chief；　and　the　son　of　a　chief；　born　between　a

sunset　and　a　rising；　on　the　dark　seas；　in　my　father's　oomiak。　All　of　a

night　the　men　toiled　at　the　paddles；　and　the　women　cast　out　the

waves　which　threw　in　upon　us；　and　we　fought　with　the　storm。　The　salt

spray　froze　upon　my　mother's　breast　till　her　breath　passed　with　the

passing　of　the　tide。　But　I…　I　raised　my　voice　with　the　wind　and　the

storm；　and　lived。

　　'We　dwelt　in　Akatan…'

　　'Where？'　asked　Malemute　Kid。

　　'Akatan；　which　is　in　the　Aleutians；　Akatan；　beyond　Chignik；　beyond

Kardalak；　beyond　Unimak。　As　I　say；　we　dwelt　in　Akatan；　which　lies　in

the　midst　of　the　sea　on　the　edge　of　the　world。　We　farmed　the　salt　seas

for　the　fish；　the　seal；　and　the　otter；　and　our　homes　shouldered

about　one　another　on　the　rocky　strip　between　the　rim　of　the　forest　and

the　yellow　beach　where　our　kayaks　lay。　We　were　not　many；　and　the　world

was　very　small。　There　were　strange　lands　to　the　east…　islands　like

Akatan；　so　we　thought　all　the　world　was　islands　and　did　not　mind。

　　'I　was　different　from　my　people。　In　the　sands　of　the　beach　were

the　crooked　timbers　and　wave…warped　planks　of　a　boat　such　as　my　people

never　built；　and　I　remember　on　the　point　of　the　island　which

overlooked　the　ocean　three　ways　there　stood　a　pine　tree　which　never

grew　there；　smooth　and　straight　and　tall。　It　is　said　the　two　men

came　to　that　spot；　turn　about；　through　many　days；　and　watched　with　the

passing　of　the　light。　These　two　men　came　from　out　of　the　sea　in　the

boat　which　lay　in　pieces　on　the　beach。　And　they　were　white　like　you；

and　weak　as　the　little　children　when　the　seal　have　gone　away　and　the

hunters　come　home　empty。　I　know　of　these　things　from　the　old　men　and

the　old　women；　who　got　them　from　their　fathers　and　mothers　before

them。　These　strange　white　men　did　not　take　kindly　to　our　ways　at

first；　but　they　grew　strong；　what　of　the　fish　and　the　oil；　and　fierce。

And　they　built　them　each　his　own　house；　and　took　the　pick　of　our

women；　and　in　time　children　came。　Thus　he　was　born　who　was　to　become

the　father　of　my　father's　father。

　　'As　I　said；　I　was　different　from　my　people；　for　I　carried　the

strong；　strange　blood　of　this　white　man　who　came　out　of　the　sea。　It　is

said　we　had　other　laws　in　the　days　before　these　men；　but　they　were

fierce　and　quarrelsome；　and　fought　with　our　men　till　there　were　no

more　left　who　dared　to　fight。　Then　they　made　themselves　chiefs；　and

took　away　our　old　laws；　and　gave　us　new　ones；　insomuch　that　the　man

was　the　son　of　his　father；　and　not　his　mother；　as　our　way　had　been。

They　also　ruled　that　the　son；　first…born；　should　have　all　things　which

were　his　father's　before　him；　and　that　the　brothers　and　sisters　should

shift　for　themselves。　And　they　gave　us　other　laws。　They　showed　us

new　ways　in　the　catching　of　fish　and　the　killing　of　bear　which　were

thick　in　the　woods；　and　they　taught　us　to　lay　by　bigger　stores　for　the

time　of　famine。　And　these　things　were　good。

　　'But　when　they　had　become　chiefs；　and　there　were　no　more　men　to　face

their　anger；　they　fought；　these　strange　white　men；　each　with　the

other。　And　the　one　whose　blood　I　carry　drove　his　seal　spear　the　length

of　an　arm　through　the　other's　body。　Their　children　took　up　the

fight；　and　their　children's　children；　and　there　was　great　hatred

between　them；　and　black　doings；　even　to　my　time；　so　that　in　each

family　but　one　lived　to　pass　down　the　blood　of　them　that　went

before。　Of　my　blood　I　was　alone；　of　the　other　man's　there　was　but　a

girl。　Unga；　who　lived　with　her　mother。　Her　father　and　my　father　did

not　come　back　from　the　fishing　one　night；　but　afterward　they　washed　up

to　the　beach　on　the　big　tides；　and　they　held　very　close　to　each　other。

　　'The　people　wondered；　because　of　the　hatred　between　the　houses；

and　the　old　men　shook　their　heads　and　said　the　fight　would　go　on

when　children　were　born　to　her　and　children　to　me。　They　told　me　this

as　a　boy；　till　I　came　to　believe；　and　to　look　upon　Unga　as　a　foe；

who　was　to　be　the　mother　of　children　which　were　to　fight　with　mine。

I　thought　of　these　things　day　by　day；　and　when　I　grew　to　a　stripling　I

came　to　ask　why　this　should　be　so。　And　they　answered；　〃We　do　not　know；

but　that　in　such　way　your　fathers　did。〃　And　I　marveled　that　those

which　were　to　come　should　fight　the　battles　of　those　that　were　gone；

and　in　it　I　could　see　no　right。　But　the　p