the faith of men-第2章

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

asked；　〃Find　hide　like　that　on　your　St　Elias　bear？〃



I　shook　my　head。　　〃Nor　on　any　other　creature　of　land　or　sea；〃　I

answered　candidly。　　The　thickness　of　it；　and　the　length　of　the

hair；　puzzled　me。



〃That；〃　he　said；　and　said　without　the　slightest　hint　of

impressiveness；　〃that　came　from　a　mammoth。〃



〃Nonsense！〃　I　exclaimed；　for　I　could　not　forbear　the　protest　of　my

unbelief。　　〃The　mammoth；　my　dear　sir；　long　ago　vanished　from　the

earth。　　We　know　it　once　existed　by　the　fossil　remains　that　we　have

unearthed；　and　by　a　frozen　carcase　that　the　Siberian　sun　saw　fit　to

melt　from　out　the　bosom　of　a　glacier；　but　we　also　know　that　no

living　specimen　exists。　　Our　explorers〃



At　this　word　he　broke　in　impatiently。　　〃Your　explorers？　　Pish！　　A

weakly　breed。　　Let　us　hear　no　more　of　them。　　But　tell　me；　O　man；

what　you　may　know　of　the　mammoth　and　his　ways。〃




Beyond　contradiction；　this　was　leading　to　a　yarn；　so　I　baited　my

hook　by　ransacking　my　memory　for　whatever　data　I　possessed　on　the

subject　in　hand。　　To　begin　with；　I　emphasized　that　the　animal　was

prehistoric；　and　marshalled　all　my　facts　in　support　of　this。　　I

mentioned　the　Siberian　sand…bars　that　abounded　with　ancient　mammoth

bones；　spoke　of　the　large　quantities　of　fossil　ivory　purchased　from

the　Innuits　by　the　Alaska　Commercial　Company；　and　acknowledged

having　myself　mined　six…　and　eight…foot　tusks　from　the　pay　gravel

of　the　Klondike　creeks。　　〃All　fossils；〃　I　concluded；　〃found　in　the

midst　of　debris　deposited　through　countless　ages。〃



〃I　remember　when　I　was　a　kid；〃　Thomas　Stevens　sniffed　（he　had　a

most　confounded　way　of　sniffing）；　〃that　I　saw　a　petrified　water…

melon。　　Hence；　though　mistaken　persons　sometimes　delude　themselves

into　thinking　that　they　are　really　raising　or　eating　them；　there

are　no　such　things　as　extant　water…melons？〃



〃But　the　question　of　food；〃　I　objected；　ignoring　his　point；　which

was　puerile　and　without　bearing。　　〃The　soil　must　bring　forth

vegetable　life　in　lavish　abundance　to　support　so　monstrous

creations。　　Nowhere　in　the　North　is　the　soil　so　prolific。　　Ergo；

the　mammoth　cannot　exist。〃



〃I　pardon　your　ignorance　concerning　many　matters　of　this　Northland；

for　you　are　a　young　man　and　have　travelled　little；　but；　at　the　same

time；　I　am　inclined　to　agree　with　you　on　one　thing。　　The　mammoth　no

longer　exists。　　How　do　I　know？　　I　killed　the　last　one　with　my　own

right　arm。〃



Thus　spake　Nimrod；　the　mighty　Hunter。　　I　threw　a　stick　of　firewood

at　the　dogs　and　bade　them　quit　their　unholy　howling；　and　waited。

Undoubtedly　this　liar　of　singular　felicity　would　open　his　mouth　and

requite　me　for　my　St。　Elias　bear。



〃It　was　this　way；〃　he　at　last　began；　after　the　appropriate　silence

had　intervened。　　〃I　was　in　camp　one　day〃



〃Where？〃　I　interrupted。



He　waved　his　hand　vaguely　in　the　direction　of　the　north…east；　where

stretched　a　TERRA　INCOGNITA　into　which　vastness　few　men　have

strayed　and　fewer　emerged。　　〃I　was　in　camp　one　day　with　Klooch。

Klooch　was　as　handsome　a　little　KAMOOKS　as　ever　whined　betwixt　the

traces　or　shoved　nose　into　a　camp　kettle。　　Her　father　was　a　full…

blood　Malemute　from　Russian　Pastilik　on　Bering　Sea；　and　I　bred　her；

and　with　understanding；　out　of　a　clean…legged　bitch　of　the　Hudson

Bay　stock。　　I　tell　you；　O　man；　she　was　a　corker　combination。　　And

now；　on　this　day　I　have　in　mind；　she　was　brought　to　pup　through　a

pure　wild　wolf　of　the　woodsgrey；　and　long　of　limb；　with　big　lungs

and　no　end　of　staying　powers。　　Say！　　Was　there　ever　the　like？　　It

was　a　new　breed　of　dog　I　had　started；　and　I　could　look　forward　to

big　things。



〃As　I　have　said；　she　was　brought　neatly　to　pup；　and　safely

delivered。　　I　was　squatting　on　my　hams　over　the　litterseven

sturdy；　blind　little　beggarswhen　from　behind　came　a　bray　of

trumpets　and　crash　of　brass。　　There　was　a　rush；　like　the　wind…

squall　that　kicks　the　heels　of　the　rain；　and　I　was　midway　to　my

feet　when　knocked　flat　on　my　face。　　At　the　same　instant　I　heard

Klooch　sigh；　very　much　as　a　man　does　when　you've　planted　your　fist

in　his　belly。　　You　can　stake　your　sack　I　lay　quiet；　but　I　twisted

my　head　around　and　saw　a　huge　bulk　swaying　above　me。　　Then　the　blue

sky　flashed　into　view　and　I　got　to　my　feet。　　A　hairy　mountain　of

flesh　was　just　disappearing　in　the　underbrush　on　the　edge　of　the

open。　　I　caught　a　rear…end　glimpse；　with　a　stiff　tail；　as　big　in

girth　as　my　body；　standing　out　straight　behind。　　The　next　second

only　a　tremendous　hole　remained　in　the　thicket；　though　I　could

still　hear　the　sounds　as　of　a　tornado　dying　quickly　away；

underbrush　ripping　and　tearing；　and　trees　snapping　and　crashing。



〃I　cast　about　for　my　rifle。　　It　had　been　lying　on　the　ground　with

the　muzzle　against　a　log；　but　now　the　stock　was　smashed；　the　barrel

out　of　line；　and　the　working…gear　in　a　thousand　bits。　　Then　I

looked　for　the　slut；　andand　what　do　you　suppose？〃



I　shook　my　head。



〃May　my　soul　burn　in　a　thousand　hells　if　there　was　anything　left　of

her！　　Klooch；　the　seven　sturdy；　blind　little　beggarsgone；　all

gone。　　Where　she　had　stretched　was　a　slimy；　bloody　depression　in

the　soft　earth；　all　of　a　yard　in　diameter；　and　around　the　edges　a

few　scattered　hairs。〃



I　measured　three　feet　on　the　snow；　threw　about　it　a　circle；　and

glanced　at　Nimrod。



〃The　beast　was　thirty　long　and　twenty　high；〃　he　answered；　〃and　its

tusks　scaled　over　six　times　three　feet。　　I　couldn't　believe；

myself；　at　the　time；　for　all　that　it　had　just　happened。　　But　if　my

senses　had　played　me；　there　was　the　broken　gun　and　the　hole　in　the

brush。　　And　there　wasor；　rather；　there　was　notKlooch　and　the

pups。　　O　man；　it　makes　me　hot　all　over　now　when　I　think　of　it

Klooch！　　Another　Eve！　　The　mother　of　a　new　race！　　And　a　rampaging；

ranting；　old　bull　mammoth；　like　a　second　flood；　wiping　them；　root

and　branch；　off　the　face　of　the　earth！　　Do　you　wonder　that　the

blood…soaked　earth　cried　out　to　high　God？　　Or　that　I　grabbed　the

hand…axe　and　took　the　trail？〃



〃The　hand…axe？〃　I　exclaimed；　startled　out　of　myself　by　the　picture。

〃The　hand…axe；　and　a　big　bull　mammoth；　thirty　feet　long；　twenty

feet〃



Nimrod　joined　me　in　my　merriment；　chuckling　gleefully。　　〃Wouldn't

it　kill　you？〃　he　cried。　　〃Wasn't　it　a　beaver's　dream？　　Many's　the

time　I've　laughed　about　it　since；　but　at　the　time　it　was　no

laughing　matter；　I　was　that　danged　mad；　what　of　the　gun　and　Klooch。

Think　of　it；　O　man！　　A　brand…new；　unclassified；　uncopyrighted

breed；　and　wiped　out　before　ever　it　opened　its　eyes　or　took　out　its

intention　papers！　　Well；　so　be　it。　　Life's　full　of　disappointments；

and　rightly　so。　　Meat　is　best　after　a　famine；　and　a　bed　soft　after

a　hard　trail。



〃As　I　was　saying；　I　took　out　after　the　beast　with　the　hand…axe；　and

hung　to　its　heels　down　the　valley；　but　when　he　circled　back　toward

the　head；　I　was　left　winded　at　the　lower　end。　　Speaking　of　grub；　I

might　as　well　stop　long　enough　to　explain　a　couple　of　points。　　Up

thereabouts；　in　the　midst　of　the　mountains；　is　an　almighty　curious

formation。　　There　is　no　end　of　little　valleys；　each　like　the　other

much　as　peas　in　a　pod；　and　all　neatly　tucked　away　with　straight；

rocky　walls　rising　on　all　sides。　　And　at　the　lower　ends　are　always

small　openings　where　the　drainage　or　glaciers　must　have　broken　out。

The　only　way　in　is　through　these　mouths；　and　they　are　all　small；

and　some　smaller　than　others。　　As　to　grubyou've　slushed　around　on

the　rain…soaked　islands　of　the　Alaskan　coast　down　Sitka　way；　most

likely；　seeing　as　you're　a　traveller。　　And　you　know　how　stuff　grows

therebig；　and　juicy；　and　jungly。　　Well；　that's　the　way　it　was

with　those　valleys。　　Thick；　rich　soil；　with　ferns　and　grasses　and

such　things　in　patches　higher　than　your　head。　　Rain　three　days　out

of　four　during　the　summer　months；　and　food　in　them　for　a　thousand

mammoths；　to　say　nothing　of　small　game　for　man。



〃But　to　get　back。　　Down　at　the　lower　end　of