08-an odyssey of the north-第7章

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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　to　our

two；　till　we　saw　the　rudder　lift　green　at　every　jump…　and　I　swinging

on　to　the　wheel　and　cursing；　with　my　back　to　the　Russian　shot。　For

we　knew　he　had　it　in　mind　to　run　before　us；　that　he　might　get　away

while　we　were　caught。　And　they　knocked　our　masts　out　of　us　till　we

dragged　into　the　wind　like　a　wounded　gull；　but　he　went　on　over　the

edge　of　the　sky　line…　he　and　Unga。

　　'What　could　we？　The　fresh　hides　spoke　for　themselves。　So　they　took

us　to　a　Russian　port；　and　after　that　to　a　lone　country；　where　they　set

us　to　work　in　the　mines　to　dig　salt。　And　some　died；　and…　and　some

did　not　die。'

　　Naass　swept　the　blanket　from　his　shoulders；　disclosing　the　gnarled

and　twisted　flesh；　marked　with　the　unmistakable　striations　of　the

knout。　Prince　hastily　covered　him；　for　it　was　not　nice　to　look　upon。

　　'We　were　there　a　weary　time　and　sometimes　men　got　away　to　the　south；

but　they　always　came　back。　So；　when　we　who　hailed　from　Yeddo　Bay

rose　in　the　night　and　took　the　guns　from　the　guards；　we　went　to　the

north。　And　the　land　was　very　large；　with　plains；　soggy　with　water；　and

great　forests。　And　the　cold　came；　with　much　snow　on　the　ground；　and　no

man　knew　the　way。　Weary　months　we　journeyed　through　the　endless

forest…　I　do　not　remember；　now；　for　there　was　little　food　and　often　we

lay　down　to　die。　But　at　last　we　came　to　the　cold　sea；　and　but　three

were　left　to　look　upon　it。　One　had　shipped　from　Yeddo　as　captain；

and　he　knew　in　his　head　the　lay　of　the　great　lands；　and　of　the　place

where　men　may　cross　from　one　to　the　other　on　the　ice。　And　he　led　us…　I

do　not　know；　it　was　so　long…　till　there　were　but　two。　When　we　came

to　that　place　we　found　five　of　the　strange　people　which　live　in　that

country；　and　they　had　dogs　and　skins；　and　we　were　very　poor。　We　fought

in　the　snow　till　they　died；　and　the　captain　died；　and　the　dogs　and

skins　were　mine。　Then　I　crossed　on　the　ice；　which　was　broken；　and　once

I　drifted　till　a　gale　from　the　west　put　me　upon　the　shore。　And　after

that；　Golovin　Bay；　Pastilik；　and　the　priest。　Then　south；　south；　to　the

warm　sunlands　where　first　I　wandered。

　　'But　the　sea　was　no　longer　fruitful；　and　those　who　went　upon　it

after　the　seal　went　to　little　profit　and　great　risk。　The　fleets

scattered；　and　the　captains　and　the　men　had　no　word　of　those　I　sought。

So　I　turned　away　from　the　ocean　which　never　rests；　and　went　among

the　lands；　where　the　trees；　the　houses；　and　the　mountains　sit　always

in　one　place　and　do　not　move。　I　journeyed　far；　and　came　to　learn

many　things；　even　to　the　way　of　reading　and　writing　from　books。　It　was

well　I　should　do　this；　for　it　came　upon　me　that　Unga　must　know　these

things；　and　that　someday；　when　the　time　was　met…　we…　you　understand；

when　the　time　was　met。

　　'So　I　drifted；　like　those　little　fish　which　raise　a　sail　to　the　wind

but　cannot　steer。　But　my　eyes　and　my　ears　were　open　always；　and　I　went

among　men　who　traveled　much；　for　I　knew　they　had　but　to　see　those　I

sought　to　remember。　At　last　there　came　a　man；　fresh　from　the

mountains；　with　pieces　of　rock　in　which　the　free　gold　stood　to　the

size　of　peas；　and　he　had　heard；　he　had　met；　he　knew　them。　They　were

rich；　he　said；　and　lived　in　the　place　where　they　drew　the　gold　from

the　ground。

　　'It　was　in　a　wild　country；　and　very　far　away；　but　in　time　I　came

to　the　camp；　hidden　between　the　mountains；　where　men　worked　night

and　day；　out　of　the　sight　of　the　sun。　Yet　the　time　was　not　come。　I

listened　to　the　talk　of　the　people。　He　had　gone　away…　they　had　gone

away…　to　England；　it　was　said；　in　the　matter　of　bringing　men　with　much

money　together　to　form　companies。　I　saw　the　house　they　had　lived　in；

more　like　a　palace；　such　as　one　sees　in　the　old　countries。　In　the

nighttime　I　crept　in　through　a　window　that　I　might　see　in　what

manner　he　treated　her。　I　went　from　room　to　room；　and　in　such　way

thought　kings　and　queens　must　live；　it　was　all　so　very　good。　And

they　all　said　he　treated　her　like　a　queen；　and　many　marveled　as　to

what　breed　of　woman　she　was　for　there　was　other　blood　in　her　veins；

and　she　was　different　from　the　women　of　Akatan；　and　no　one　knew　her

for　what　she　was。　Aye；　she　was　a　queen；　but　I　was　a　chief；　and　the　son

of　a　chief；　and　I　had　paid　for　her　an　untold　price　of　skin　and　boat

and　bead。

　　'But　why　so　many　words？　I　was　a　sailorman；　and　knew　the　way　of　the

ships　on　the　seas。　I　followed　to　England；　and　then　to　other　countries。

Sometimes　I　heard　of　them　by　word　of　mouth；　sometimes　I　read　of　them

in　the　papers；　yet　never　once　could　I　come　by　them；　for　they　had

much　money；　and　traveled　fast；　while　I　was　a　poor　man。　Then　came

trouble　upon　them；　and　their　wealth　slipped　away　one　day　like　a　curl

of　smoke。　The　papers　were　full　of　it　at　the　time；　but　after　that

nothing　was　said；　and　I　knew　they　had　gone　back　where　more　gold

could　be　got　from　the　ground。

　　'They　had　dropped　out　of　the　world；　being　now　poor；　and　so　I

wandered　from　camp　to　camp；　even　north　to　the　Kootenay　country；

where　I　picked　up　the　cold　scent。　They　had　come　and　gone；　some　said

this　way；　and　some　that；　and　still　others　that　they　had　gone　to　the

country　of　the　Yukon。　And　I　went　this　way；　and　I　went　that；　ever

journeying　from　place　to　place；　till　it　seemed　I　must　grow　weary　of

the　world　which　was　so　large。　But　in　the　Kootenay　I　traveled　a　bad

trail；　and　a　long　trail；　with　a　breed　of　the　Northwest；　who　saw　fit　to

die　when　the　famine　pinched。　He　had　been　to　the　Yukon　by　an　unknown

way　over　the　mountains；　and　when　he　knew　his　time　was　near　gave　me　the

map　and　the　secret　of　a　place　where　he　swore　by　his　gods　there　was

much　gold。

　　'After　that　all　the　world　began　to　flock　into　the　north。　I　was　a

poor　man；　I　sold　myself　to　be　a　driver　of　dogs。　The　rest　you　know。　I

met　him　and　her　in　Dawson。　She　did　not　know　me；　for　I　was　only　a

stripling；　and　her　life　had　been　large；　so　she　had　no　time　to　remember

the　one　who　had　paid　for　her　an　untold　price。

　　'So？　You　bought　me　from　my　term　of　service。　I　went　back　to　bring

things　about　in　my　own　way；　for　I　had　waited　long；　and　now　that　I

had　my　hand　upon　him　was　in　no　hurry。　As　I　say；　I　had　it　in　mind　to　do

my　own　way；　for　I　read　back　in　my　life；　through　all　I　had　seen　and

suffered；　and　remembered　the　cold　and　hunger　of　the　endless　forest

by　the　Russian　seas。　As　you　know；　I　led　him　into　the　east…　him　and

Unga…　into　the　east　where　many　have　gone　and　few　returned。　I　led

them　to　the　spot　where　the　bones　and　the　curses　of　men　lie　with　the

gold　which　they　may　not　have。

　　'The　way　was　long　and　the　trail　unpacked。　Our　dogs　were　many　and　ate

much；　nor　could　our　sleds　carry　till　the　break　of　spring。　We　must　come

back　before　the　river　ran　free。　So　here　and　there　we　cached　grub；　that

our　sleds　might　be　lightened　and　there　be　no　chance　of　famine　on　the

back　trip。　At　the　McQuestion　there　were　three　men；　and　near　them　we

built　a　cache；　as　also　did　we　at　the　Mayo；　where　was　a　hunting　camp　of

a　dozen　Pellys　which　had　crossed　the　divide　from　the　south。　After

that；　as　we　went　on　into　the　east；　we　saw　no　men；　only　the　sleeping

river；　the　moveless　forest；　and　the　White　Silence　of　the　North。　As　I

say；　the　way　was　long　and　the　trail　unpacked。　Sometimes；　in　a　day's

toil；　we　made　no　more　than　eight　miles；　or　ten；　and　at　night　we

slept　like　dead　men。　And　never　once　did　they　dream　that　I　was　Naass；

head　man　of　Akatan；　the　righter　of　wrongs。

　　'We　now　made　smaller　caches；　and　in　the　nighttime　it　was　a　small

matter　to　go　back　on　the　trail　we　had　broken　and　change　them　in　such

way　that　one　might　deem　the　wolverines　the　thieves。　Again　there　be

places　where　there　is　a　fall　to　the　river；　and　the　water　is　unruly；

and　the　ice　makes　above　and　is　eaten　away　beneath。　In　such　a　spot

the　sled　I　drove　broke　through；　and　the　dogs；　and　to　him　and　Unga　it

was　ill　luck；　but　no　more。　And　there　was　much　grub　on　that　sled；　and

the　dogs　the　strongest。