the faith of men-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





The　Faith　of　Men



by　Jack　London








Contents：



A　Relic　of　the　Pliocene

A　Hyperborean　Brew

The　Faith　of　Men

Too　Much　Gold

The　One　Thousand　Dozen

The　Marriage　of　Lit…lit

Batard

The　Story　of　Jees　Uck









A　RELIC　OF　THE　PLIOCENE







I　wash　my　hands　of　him　at　the　start。　　I　cannot　father　his　tales；

nor　will　I　be　responsible　for　them。　　I　make　these　preliminary

reservations；　observe；　as　a　guard　upon　my　own　integrity。　　I　possess

a　certain　definite　position　in　a　small　way；　also　a　wife；　and　for

the　good　name　of　the　community　that　honours　my　existence　with　its

approval；　and　for　the　sake　of　her　posterity　and　mine；　I　cannot　take

the　chances　I　once　did；　nor　foster　probabilities　with　the　careless

improvidence　of　youth。　　So；　I　repeat；　I　wash　my　hands　of　him；　this

Nimrod；　this　mighty　hunter；　this　homely；　blue…eyed；　freckle…faced

Thomas　Stevens。



Having　been　honest　to　myself；　and　to　whatever　prospective　olive

branches　my　wife　may　be　pleased　to　tender　me；　I　can　now　afford　to

be　generous。　　I　shall　not　criticize　the　tales　told　me　by　Thomas

Stevens；　and；　further；　I　shall　withhold　my　judgment。　　If　it　be

asked　why；　I　can　only　add　that　judgment　I　have　none。　　Long　have　I

pondered；　weighed；　and　balanced；　but　never　have　my　conclusions　been

twice　the　sameforsooth！　because　Thomas　Stevens　is　a　greater　man

than　I。　　If　he　have　told　truths；　well　and　good；　if　untruths；　still

well　and　good。　　For　who　can　prove？　or　who　disprove？　　I　eliminate

myself　from　the　proposition；　while　those　of　little　faith　may　do　as

I　have　donego　find　the　same　Thomas　Stevens；　and　discuss　to　his

face　the　various　matters　which；　if　fortune　serve；　I　shall　relate。

As　to　where　he　may　be　found？　　The　directions　are　simple：　　anywhere

between　53　north　latitude　and　the　Pole；　on　the　one　hand；　and；　on

the　other；　the　likeliest　hunting　grounds　that　lie　between　the　east

coast　of　Siberia　and　farthermost　Labrador。　　That　he　is　there；

somewhere；　within　that　clearly　defined　territory；　I　pledge　the　word

of　an　honourable　man　whose　expectations　entail　straight　speaking

and　right　living。



Thomas　Stevens　may　have　toyed　prodigiously　with　truth；　but　when　we

first　met　（it　were　well　to　mark　this　point）；　he　wandered　into　my

camp　when　I　thought　myself　a　thousand　miles　beyond　the　outermost

post　of　civilization。　　At　the　sight　of　his　human　face；　the　first　in

weary　months；　I　could　have　sprung　forward　and　folded　him　in　my　arms

（and　I　am　not　by　any　means　a　demonstrative　man）；　but　to　him　his

visit　seemed　the　most　casual　thing　under　the　sun。　　He　just　strolled

into　the　light　of　my　camp；　passed　the　time　of　day　after　the　custom

of　men　on　beaten　trails；　threw　my　snowshoes　the　one　way　and　a

couple　of　dogs　the　other；　and　so　made　room　for　himself　by　the　fire。

Said　he'd　just　dropped　in　to　borrow　a　pinch　of　soda　and　to　see　if　I

had　any　decent　tobacco。　　He　plucked　forth　an　ancient　pipe；　loaded

it　with　painstaking　care；　and；　without　as　much　as　by　your　leave；

whacked　half　the　tobacco　of　my　pouch　into　his。　　Yes；　the　stuff　was

fairly　good。　　He　sighed　with　the　contentment　of　the　just；　and

literally　absorbed　the　smoke　from　the　crisping　yellow　flakes；　and

it　did　my　smoker's　heart　good　to　behold　him。



Hunter？　　Trapper？　　Prospector？　　He　shrugged　his　shoulders　No；　just

sort　of　knocking　round　a　bit。　　Had　come　up　from　the　Great　Slave

some　time　since；　and　was　thinking　of　trapsing　over　into　the　Yukon

country。　　The　factor　of　Koshim　had　spoken　about　the　discoveries　on

the　Klondike；　and　he　was　of　a　mind　to　run　over　for　a　peep。　　I

noticed　that　he　spoke　of　the　Klondike　in　the　archaic　vernacular；

calling　it　the　Reindeer　Rivera　conceited　custom　that　the　Old

Timers　employ　against　the　CHECHAQUAS　and　all　tenderfeet　in　general。

But　he　did　it　so　naively　and　as　such　a　matter　of　course；　that　there

was　no　sting；　and　I　forgave　him。　　He　also　had　it　in　view；　he　said；

before　he　crossed　the　divide　into　the　Yukon；　to　make　a　little　run

up　Fort　o'　Good　Hope　way。



Now　Fort　o'　Good　Hope　is　a　far　journey　to　the　north；　over　and

beyond　the　Circle；　in　a　place　where　the　feet　of　few　men　have　trod；

and　when　a　nondescript　ragamuffin　comes　in　out　of　the　night；　from

nowhere　in　particular；　to　sit　by　one's　fire　and　discourse　on　such

in　terms　of　〃trapsing〃　and　〃a　little　run；〃　it　is　fair　time　to　rouse

up　and　shake　off　the　dream。　　Wherefore　I　looked　about　me；　saw　the

fly　and；　underneath；　the　pine　boughs　spread　for　the　sleeping　furs；

saw　the　grub　sacks；　the　camera；　the　frosty　breaths　of　the　dogs

circling　on　the　edge　of　the　light；　and；　above；　a　great　streamer　of

the　aurora；　bridging　the　zenith　from　south…east　to　north…west。　　I

shivered。　　There　is　a　magic　in　the　Northland　night；　that　steals　in

on　one　like　fevers　from　malarial　marshes。　　You　are　clutched　and

downed　before　you　are　aware。　　Then　I　looked　to　the　snowshoes；　lying

prone　and　crossed　where　he　had　flung　them。　　Also　I　had　an　eye　to　my

tobacco　pouch。　　Half；　at　least；　of　its　goodly　store　had　vamosed。

That　settled　it。　　Fancy　had　not　tricked　me　after　all。



Crazed　with　suffering；　I　thought；　looking　steadfastly　at　the　man

one　of　those　wild　stampeders；　strayed　far　from　his　bearings　and

wandering　like　a　lost　soul　through　great　vastnesses　and　unknown

deeps。　　Oh；　well；　let　his　moods　slip　on；　until；　mayhap；　he　gathers

his　tangled　wits　together。　　Who　knows？the　mere　sound　of　a　fellow…

creature's　voice　may　bring　all　straight　again。



So　I　led　him　on　in　talk；　and　soon　I　marvelled；　for　he　talked　of

game　and　the　ways　thereof。　　He　had　killed　the　Siberian　wolf　of

westernmost　Alaska；　and　the　chamois　in　the　secret　Rockies。　　He

averred　he　knew　the　haunts　where　the　last　buffalo　still　roamed；

that　he　had　hung　on　the　flanks　of　the　caribou　when　they　ran　by　the

hundred　thousand；　and　slept　in　the　Great　Barrens　on　the　musk…ox's

winter　trail。



And　I　shifted　my　judgment　accordingly　（the　first　revision；　but　by

no　account　the　last）；　and　deemed　him　a　monumental　effigy　of　truth。

Why　it　was　I　know　not；　but　the　spirit　moved　me　to　repeat　a　tale

told　to　me　by　a　man　who　had　dwelt　in　the　land　too　long　to　know

better。　　It　was　of　the　great　bear　that　hugs　the　steep　slopes　of　St

Elias；　never　descending　to　the　levels　of　the　gentler　inclines。　　Now

God　so　constituted　this　creature　for　its　hillside　habitat　that　the

legs　of　one　side　are　all　of　a　foot　longer　than　those　of　the　other。

This　is　mighty　convenient；　as　will　be　reality　admitted。　　So　I

hunted　this　rare　beast　in　my　own　name；　told　it　in　the　first　person；

present　tense；　painted　the　requisite　locale；　gave　it　the　necessary

garnishings　and　touches　of　verisimilitude；　and　looked　to　see　the

man　stunned　by　the　recital。



Not　he。　　Had　he　doubted；　I　could　have　forgiven　him。　　Had　he

objected；　denying　the　dangers　of　such　a　hunt　by　virtue　of　the

animal's　inability　to　turn　about　and　go　the　other　wayhad　he　done

this；　I　say；　I　could　have　taken　him　by　the　hand　for　the　true

sportsman　that　he　was。　　Not　he。　　He　sniffed；　looked　on　me；　and

sniffed　again；　then　gave　my　tobacco　due　praise；　thrust　one　foot

into　my　lap；　and　bade　me　examine　the　gear。　　It　was　a　MUCLUC　of　the

Innuit　pattern；　sewed　together　with　sinew　threads；　and　devoid　of

beads　or　furbelows。　　But　it　was　the　skin　itself　that　was

remarkable。　　In　that　it　was　all　of　half　an　inch　thick；　it　reminded

me　of　walrus…hide；　but　there　the　resemblance　ceased；　for　no　walrus

ever　bore　so　marvellous　a　growth　of　hair。　　On　the　side　and　ankles

this　hair　was　well…nigh　worn　away；　what　of　friction　with　underbrush

and　snow；　but　around　the　top　and　down　the　more　sheltered　back　it

was　coarse；　dirty　black；　and　very　thick。　　I　parted　it　with

difficulty　and　looked　beneath　for　the　fine　fur　that　is　common　with

northern　animals；　but　found　it　in　this　case　to　be　absent。　　This；

however；　was　compensated　for　by　the　length。　　Indeed；　the　tufts　that

had　survived　wear　and　tear　measured　all　of　seven　or　eight　inches。



I　looked　up　into　the　man's　face；　and　he　pulled　his　foot　down　and

asked；　〃Fin