08-an odyssey of the north-第8章

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

the　dogs　the　strongest。　But　he　laughed；　for　he　was　strong　of　life；　and

gave　the　dogs　that　were　left　little　grub　till　we　cut　them　from　the

harnesses　one　by　one　and　fed　them　to　their　mates。　We　would　go　home

light；　he　said；　traveling　and　eating　from　cache　to　cache；　with　neither

dogs　nor　sleds；　which　was　true；　for　our　grub　was　very　short；　and　the

last　dog　died　in　the　traces　the　night　we　came　to　the　gold　and　the

bones　and　the　curses　of　men。

　　'To　reach　that　place…　and　the　map　spoke　true…　in　the　heart　of　the

great　mountains；　we　cut　ice　steps　against　the　wall　of　a　divide。　One

looked　for　a　valley　beyond；　but　there　was　no　valley；　the　snow　spread

away；　level　as　the　great　harvest　plains；　and　here　and　there　about　us

mighty　mountains　shoved　their　white　heads　among　the　stars。　And

midway　on　that　strange　plain　which　should　have　been　a　valley　the　earth

and　the　snow　fell　away；　straight　down　toward　the　heart　of　the　world。

Had　we　not　been　sailormen　our　heads　would　have　swung　round　with　the

sight；　but　we　stood　on　the　dizzy　edge　that　we　might　see　a　way　to　get

down。　And　on　one　side；　and　one　side　only；　the　wall　had　fallen　away

till　it　was　like　the　slope　of　the　decks　in　a　topsail　breeze。　I　do

not　know　why　this　thing　should　be　so；　but　it　was　so。　〃It　is　the

mouth　of　hell；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　go　down。〃　And　we　went　down。

　　'And　on　the　bottom　there　was　a　cabin；　built　by　some　man；　of　logs

which　he　had　cast　down　from　above。　It　was　a　very　old　cabin；　for　men

had　died　there　alone　at　different　times；　and　on　pieces　of　birch　bark

which　were　there　we　read　their　last　words　and　their　curses。　One　had

died　of　scurvy；　another's　partner　had　robbed　him　of　his　last　grub

and　powder　and　stolen　away；　a　third　had　been　mauled　by　a　baldface

grizzly；　a　fourth　had　hunted　for　game　and　starved…　and　so　it　went；　and

they　had　been　loath　to　leave　the　gold；　and　had　died　by　the　side　of

it　in　one　way　or　another。　And　the　worthless　gold　they　had　gathered

yellowed　the　floor　of　the　cabin　like　in　a　dream。

　　'But　his　soul　was　steady；　and　his　head　clear；　this　man　I　had　led

thus　far。　〃We　have　nothing　to　eat；〃　he　said；　〃and　we　will　only　look

upon　this　gold；　and　see　whence　it　comes　and　how　much　there　be。　Then　we

will　go　away　quick；　before　it　gets　into　our　eyes　and　steals　away　our

judgment。　And　in　this　way　we　may　return　in　the　end；　with　more　grub；

and　possess　it　all。〃　So　we　looked　upon　the　great　vein；　which　cut　the

wall　of　the　pit　as　a　true　vein　should；　and　we　measured　it；　and

traced　it　from　above　and　below；　and　drove　the　stakes　of　the　claims　and

blazed　the　trees　in　token　of　our　rights。　Then；　our　knees　shaking

with　lack　of　food；　and　a　sickness　in　our　bellies；　and　our　hearts

chugging　close　to　our　mouths；　we　climbed　the　mighty　wall　for　the

last　time　and　turned　our　faces　to　the　back　trip。

　　'The　last　stretch　we　dragged　Unga　between　us；　and　we　fell　often；　but

in　the　end　we　made　the　cache。　And　lo；　there　was　no　grub。　It　was　well

done；　for　he　thought　it　the　wolverines；　and　damned　them　and　his　gods

in　one　breath。　But　Unga　was　brave；　and　smiled；　and　put　her　hand　in

his；　till　I　turned　away　that　I　might　hold　myself。　〃We　will　rest　by　the

fire；〃　she　said；　〃till　morning；　and　we　will　gather　strength　from　our

moccasins。〃　So　we　cut　the　tops　of　our　moccasins　in　strips；　and

boiled　them　half　of　the　night；　that　we　might　chew　them　and　swallow

them。　And　in　the　morning　we　talked　of　our　chance。　The　next　cache　was

five　days'　journey；　we　could　not　make　it。　We　must　find　game。

　　'〃We　will　go　forth　and　hunt；〃　he　said。

　　'〃Yes；〃　said　I；　〃we　will　go　forth　and　hunt。〃

　　'And　he　ruled　that　Unga　stay　by　the　fire　and　save　her　strength。

And　we　went　forth；　he　in　quest　of　the　moose　and　I　to　the　cache　I　had

changed。　But　I　ate　little；　so　they　might　not　see　in　me　much

strength。　And　in　the　night　he　fell　many　times　as　he　drew　into　camp。

And　I；　too；　made　to　suffer　great　weakness；　stumbling　over　my　snowshoes

as　though　each　step　might　be　my　last。　And　we　gathered　strength　from

our　moccasins。

　　'He　was　a　great　man。　His　soul　lifted　his　body　to　the　last；　nor　did

he　cry　aloud；　save　for　the　sake　of　Unga。　On　the　second　day　I

followed　him；　that　I　might　not　miss　the　end。　And　he　lay　down　to　rest

often。　That　night　he　was　near　gone；　but　in　the　morning　he　swore　weakly

and　went　forth　again。　He　was　like　a　drunken　man；　and　I　looked　many

times　for　him　to　give　up；　but　his　was　the　strength　of　the　strong；

and　his　soul　the　soul　of　a　giant；　for　he　lifted　his　body　through　all

the　weary　day。　And　he　shot　two　ptarmigan；　but　would　not　eat　them。　He

needed　no　fire；　they　meant　life；　but　his　thought　was　for　Unga；　and

he　turned　toward　camp。　He　no　longer　walked；　but　crawled　on　hand　and

knee　through　the　snow。　I　came　to　him；　and　read　death　in　his　eyes。　Even

then　it　was　not　too　late　to　eat　of　the　ptarmigan。　He　cast　away　his

rifle　and　carried　the　birds　in　his　mouth　like　a　dog。　I　walked　by　his

side；　upright。　And　he　looked　at　me　during　the　moments　he　rested；　and

wondered　that　I　was　so　strong。　I　could　see　it；　though　he　no　longer

spoke；　and　when　his　lips　moved；　they　moved　without　sound。　As　I　say；　he

was　a　great　man；　and　my　heart　spoke　for　softness；　but　I　read　back　in

my　life；　and　remembered　the　cold　and　hunger　of　the　endless　forest　by

the　Russian　seas。　Besides；　Unga　was　mine；　and　I　had　paid　for　her　an

untold　price　of　skin　and　boat　and　bead。

　　'And　in　this　manner　we　came　through　the　white　forest；　with　the

silence　heavy　upon　us　like　a　damp　sea　mist。　And　the　ghosts　of　the　past

were　in　the　air　and　all　about　us；　and　I　saw　the　yellow　beach　of

Akatan；　and　the　kayaks　racing　home　from　the　fishing；　and　the　houses　on

the　rim　of　the　forest。　And　the　men　who　had　made　themselves　chiefs　were

there；　the　lawgivers　whose　blood　I　bore　and　whose　blood　I　had　wedded

in　Unga。　Aye；　and　Yash…Noosh　walked　with　me；　the　wet　sand　in　his　hair；

and　his　war　spear；　broken　as　he　fell　upon　it；　still　in　his　hand。　And　I

knew　the　time　was　meet；　and　saw　in　the　eyes　of　Unga　the　promise。

　　'As　I　say；　we　came　thus　through　the　forest；　till　the　smell　of　the

camp　smoke　was　in　our　nostrils。　And　I　bent　above　him；　and　tore　the

ptarmigan　from　his　teeth。　He　turned　on　his　side　and　rested；　the　wonder

mounting　in　his　eyes；　and　the　hand　which　was　under　slipping　slow

toward　the　knife　at　his　hip。　But　I　took　it　from　him；　smiling　close

in　his　face。　Even　then　he　did　not　understand。　So　I　made　to　drink

from　black　bottles；　and　to　build　high　upon　the　snow　a　pile…　of

goods；　and　to　live　again　the　things　which　had　happened　on　the　night　of

my　marriage。　I　spoke　no　word；　but　he　understood。　Yet　was　he

unafraid。　There　was　a　sneer　to　his　lips；　and　cold　anger；　and　he

gathered　new　strength　with　the　knowledge。　It　was　not　far；　but　the　snow

was　deep；　and　he　dragged　himself　very　slow。　Once　he　lay　so　long　I

turned　him　over　and　gazed　into　his　eyes。　And　sometimes　he　looked

forth；　and　sometimes　death。　And　when　I　loosed　him　he　struggled　on

again。　In　this　way　we　came　to　the　fire。　Unga　was　at　his　side　on　the

instant。　His　lips　moved　without　sound；　then　he　pointed　at　me；　that

Unga　might　understand。　And　after　that　he　lay　in　the　snow；　very

still；　for　a　long　while。　Even　now　is　he　there　in　the　snow。

　　'I　said　no　word　till　I　had　cooked　the　ptarmigan。　Then　I　spoke　to

her；　in　her　own　tongue；　which　she　had　not　heard　in　many　years。　She

straightened　herself；　so；　and　her　eyes　were　wonder…wide；　and　she　asked

who　I　was；　and　where　I　had　learned　that　speech。

　　'〃I　am　Naass；〃　I　said。

　　'〃You？〃　she　said。　〃You？〃　And　she　crept　close　that　she　might　look

upon　me。

　　'〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃I　am　Naass；　head　man　of　Akatan；　the　last　of　the

blood；　as　you　are　the　last　of　the　blood。〃

　　'And　she　laughed。　By　all　the　things　I　have　seen　and　the　deeds　I　have

done　may　I　never　hear　such　a　laugh　again。　It　put　the　chill　to　my　soul；

sitting　there　in　the　White　Silence；　alone　with　death　and　this　woman

who　laughed。

　　'〃Come！〃　I　said；　for　I　thought　she　wandered。　〃Eat　of　the　food　and

let　us　be　gon