08-an odyssey of the north-第6章

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sound　like　that　of　the　big　bull　seal　in　the　rut。

　　'I　crawled　to　the　beach　and　called　upon　my　people；　but　they　were

afraid。　Only　Yash…Noosh　was　a　man；　and　they　struck　him　on　the　head

with　an　oar；　till　he　lay　with　his　face　in　the　sand　and　did　not　move。

And　they　raised　the　sails　to　the　sound　of　their　songs；　and　the　ship

went　away　on　the　wind。

　　'The　people　said　it　was　good；　for　there　would　be　no　more　war　of

the　bloods　in　Akatan；　but　I　said　never　a　word；　waiting　till　the　time

of　the　full　moon；　when　I　put　fish　and　oil　in　my　kayak　and　went　away　to

the　east。　I　saw　many　islands　and　many　people；　and　I；　who　had　lived

on　the　edge；　saw　that　the　world　was　very　large。　I　talked　by　signs；　but

they　had　not　seen　a　schooner　nor　a　man　with　the　mane　of　a　sea　lion；

and　they　pointed　always　to　the　east。　And　I　slept　in　queer　places；

and　ate　odd　things；　and　met　strange　faces。　Many　laughed；　for　they

thought　me　light　of　head；　but　sometimes　old　men　turned　my　face　to

the　light　and　blessed　me；　and　the　eyes　of　the　young　women　grew　soft　as

they　asked　me　of　the　strange　ship；　and　Unga；　and　the　men　of　the　sea。

　　'And　in　this　manner；　through　rough　seas　and　great　storms；　I　came

to　Unalaska。　There　were　two　schooners　there；　but　neither　was　the　one　I

sought。　So　I　passed　on　to　the　east；　with　the　world　growing　ever

larger；　and　in　the　island　of　Unamok　there　was　no　word　of　the　ship；　nor

in　Kadiak；　nor　in　Atognak。　And　so　I　came　one　day　to　a　rocky　land；

where　men　dug　great　holes　in　the　mountain。　And　there　was　a　schooner；

but　not　my　schooner；　and　men　loaded　upon　it　the　rocks　which　they

dug。　This　I　thought　childish；　for　all　the　world　was　made　of　rocks；　but

they　gave　me　food　and　set　me　to　work。　When　the　schooner　was　deep　in

the　water；　the　captain　gave　me　money　and　told　me　to　go；　but　I　asked

which　way　he　went；　and　he　pointed　south。　I　made　signs　that　I　would

go　with　him；　and　he　laughed　at　first；　but　then；　being　short　of　men；

took　me　to　help　work　the　ship。　So　I　came　to　talk　after　their　manner；

and　to　heave　on　ropes；　and　to　reef　the　stiff　sails　in　sudden

squalls；　and　to　take　my　turn　at　the　wheel。　But　it　was　not　strange；　for

the　blood　of　my　fathers　was　the　blood　of　the　men　of　the　sea。

　　'I　had　thought　it　an　easy　task　to　find　him　I　sought；　once　I　got

among　his　own　people；　and　when　we　raised　the　land　one　day；　and

passed　between　a　gateway　of　the　sea　to　a　port；　I　looked　for　perhaps　as

many　schooners　as　there　were　fingers　to　my　hands。　But　the　ships　lay

against　the　wharves　for　miles；　packed　like　so　many　little　fish；　and

when　I　went　among　them　to　ask　for　a　man　with　the　mane　of　a　sea　lion；

they　laughed；　and　answered　me　in　the　tongues　of　many　peoples。　And　I

found　that　they　hailed　from　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　earth。

　　'And　I　went　into　the　city　to　look　upon　the　face　of　every　man。　But

they　were　like　the　cod　when　they　run　thick　on　the　banks；　and　I　could

not　count　them。　And　the　noise　smote　upon　me　till　I　could　not　hear；　and

my　head　was　dizzy　with　much　movement。　So　I　went　on　and　on；　through　the

lands　which　sang　in　the　warm　sunshine；　where　the　harvests　lay　rich

on　the　plains；　and　where　great　cities　were　fat　with　men　that　lived

like　women；　with　false　words　in　their　mouths　and　their　hearts　black

with　the　lust　of　gold。　And　all　the　while　my　people　of　Akatan　hunted

and　fished；　and　were　happy　in　the　thought　that　the　world　was　small。

　　'But　the　look　in　the　eyes　of　Unga　coming　home　from　the　fishing　was

with　me　always；　and　I　knew　I　would　find　her　when　the　time　was　met。　She

walked　down　quiet　lanes　in　the　dusk　of　the　evening；　or　led　me　chases

across　the　thick　fields　wet　with　the　morning　dew；　and　there　was　a

promise　in　her　eyes　such　as　only　the　woman　Unga　could　give。

　　'So　I　wandered　through　a　thousand　cities。　Some　were　gentle　and

gave　me　food；　and　others　laughed；　and　still　others　cursed；　but　I

kept　my　tongue　between　my　teeth；　and　went　strange　ways　and　saw　strange

sights。　Sometimes　I；　who　was　a　chief　and　the　son　of　a　chief；　toiled

for　men…　men　rough　of　speech　and　hard　as　iron；　who　wrung　gold　from　the

sweat　and　sorrow　of　their　fellow　men。　Yet　no　word　did　I　get　of　my

quest　till　I　came　back　to　the　sea　like　a　homing　seal　to　the　rookeries。

But　this　was　at　another　port；　in　another　country　which　lay　to　the

north。　And　there　I　heard　dim　tales　of　the　yellow…haired　sea

wanderer；　and　I　learned　that　he　was　a　hunter　of　seals；　and　that　even

then　he　was　abroad　on　the　ocean。

　　'So　I　shipped　on　a　seal　schooner　with　the　lazy　Siwashes；　and

followed　his　trackless　trail　to　the　north　where　the　hunt　was　then

warm。　And　we　were　away　weary　months；　and　spoke　many　of　the　fleet；

and　heard　much　of　the　wild　doings　of　him　I　sought；　but　never　once

did　we　raise　him　above　the　sea。　We　went　north；　even　to　the

Pribilofs；　and　killed　the　seals　in　herds　on　the　beach；　and　brought

their　warm　bodies　aboard　till　our　scuppers　ran　grease　and　blood　and　no

man　could　stand　upon　the　deck。　Then　were　we　chased　by　a　ship　of　slow

steam；　which　fired　upon　us　with　great　guns。　But　we　put　sail　till　the

sea　was　over　our　decks　and　washed　them　clean；　and　lost　ourselves　in

a　fog。

　　'It　is　said；　at　this　time；　while　we　fled　with　fear　at　our　hearts；

that　the　yellow…haired　sea　wanderer　put　in　to　the　Pribilofs；　right

to　the　factory；　and　while　the　part　of　his　men　held　the　servants　of　the

company；　the　rest　loaded　ten　thousand　green　skins　from　the　salt

houses。　I　say　it　is　said；　but　I　believe；　for　in　the　voyages　I　made

on　the　coast　with　never　a　meeting　the　northern　seas　rang　with　his

wildness　and　daring；　till　the　three　nations　which　have　lands　there

sought　him　with　their　ships。　And　I　heard　of　Unga；　for　the　captains

sang　loud　in　her　praise；　and　she　was　always　with　him。　She　had

learned　the　ways　of　his　people；　they　said；　and　was　happy。　But　I　knew

better…　knew　that　her　heart　harked　back　to　her　own　people　by　the

yellow　beach　of　Akatan。

　　'So；　after　a　long　time；　I　went　back　to　the　port　which　is　by　a

gateway　of　the　sea；　and　there　I　learned　that　he　had　gone　across　the

girth　of　the　great　ocean　to　hunt　for　the　seal　to　the　east　of　the

warm　land　which　runs　south　from　the　Russian　seas。　And　I；　who　was

become　a　sailorman；　shipped　with　men　of　his　own　race；　and　went　after

him　in　the　hunt　of　the　seal。　And　there　were　few　ships　off　that　new

land；　but　we　hung　on　the　flank　of　the　seal　pack　and　harried　it　north

through　all　the　spring　of　the　year。　And　when　the　cows　were　heavy

with　pup　and　crossed　the　Russian　line；　our　men　grumbled　and　were

afraid。　For　there　was　much　fog；　and　every　day　men　were　lost　in　the

boats。　They　would　not　work；　so　the　captain　turned　the　ship　back　toward

the　way　it　came。　But　I　knew　the　yellow…haired　sea　wanderer　was

unafraid；　and　would　hang　by　the　pack；　even　to　the　Russian　Isles；　where

few　men　go。　So　I　took　a　boat；　in　the　black　of　night；　when　the

lookout　dozed　on　the　fo'c'slehead；　and　went　alone　to　the　warm；　long

land。　And　I　journeyed　south　to　meet　the　men　by　Yeddo　Bay；　who　are　wild

and　unafraid。　And　the　Yoshiwara　girls　were　small；　and　bright　like

steel；　and　good　to　look　upon；　but　I　could　not　stop；　for　I　knew　that

Unga　rolled　on　the　tossing　floor　by　the　rookeries　of　the　north。

　　'The　men　by　Yeddo　Bay　had　met　from　the　ends　of　the　earth；　and　had

neither　gods　nor　homes；　sailing　under　the　flag　of　the　Japanese。　And

with　them　I　went　to　the　rich　beaches　of　Copper　Island；　where　our

salt　piles　became　high　with　skins。　And　in　that　silent　sea　we　saw　no

man　till　we　were　ready　to　come　away。　Then　one　day　the　fog　lifted　on

the　edge　of　a　heavy　wind；　and　there　jammed　down　upon　us　a　schooner；

with　close　in　her　wake　the　cloudy　funnels　of　a　Russian　man…of…war。

We　fled　away　on　the　beam　of　the　wind；　with　the　schooner　jamming

still　closer　and　plunging　ahead　three　feet　to　our　two。　And　upon　her

poop　was　the　man　with　the　mane　of　the　sea　lion；　pressing　the　rails

under　with　the　canvas　and　laughing　in　his　strength　of　life。　And　Unga

was　there…　I　knew　her　on　the　moment…　but　he　sent　her　below　when　the

cannons　began　to　talk　across　the　sea。　As　I　say；　with　three　feet