the faith of men-第24章

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and　they　met　with　snap　and　snarl；　and　wicked　looks；　for　Leclere's

upper　lip　had　a　wolfish　way　of　lifting　and　showing　the　white；　cruel

teeth。　　And　it　lifted　then；　and　his　eyes　glinted　viciously；　as　he

reached　for　Batard　and　dragged　him　out　from　the　squirming　litter。

It　was　certain　that　they　divined　each　other；　for　on　the　instant

Batard　had　buried　his　puppy　fangs　in　Leclere's　hand；　and　Leclere；

thumb　and　finger；　was　coolly　choking　his　young　life　out　of　him。



〃SACREDAM；〃　the　Frenchman　said　softly；　flirting　the　quick　blood

from　his　bitten　hand　and　gazing　down　on　the　little　puppy　choking

and　gasping　in　the　snow。



Leclere　turned　to　John　Hamlin；　storekeeper　of　the　Sixty　Mile　Post。

〃Dat　fo'　w'at　Ah　lak　heem。　　'Ow　moch；　eh；　you；　M'sieu'？　　'Ow　moch？

Ah　buy　heem；　now；　Ah　buy　heem　queek。〃



And　because　he　hated　him　with　an　exceeding　bitter　hate；　Leclere

bought　Batard　and　gave　him　his　shameful　name。　　And　for　five　years

the　twain　adventured　across　the　Northland；　from　St。　Michael's　and

the　Yukon　delta　to　the　head…reaches　of　the　Pelly　and　even　so　far　as

the　Peace　River；　Athabasca；　and　the　Great　Slave。　　And　they　acquired

a　reputation　for　uncompromising　wickedness；　the　like　of　which　never

before　attached　itself　to　man　and　dog。



Batard　did　not　know　his　fatherhence　his　namebut；　as　John　Hamlin

knew；　his　father　was　a　great　grey　timber　wolf。　　But　the　mother　of

Batard；　as　he　dimly　remembered　her；　was　snarling；　bickering；

obscene；　husky；　full…fronted　and　heavy…chested；　with　a　malign　eye；

a　cat…like　grip　on　life；　and　a　genius　for　trickery　and　evil。　　There

was　neither　faith　nor　trust　in　her。　　Her　treachery　alone　could　be

relied　upon；　and　her　wild…wood　amours　attested　her　general

depravity。　　Much　of　evil　and　much　of　strength　were　there　in　these；

Batard's　progenitors；　and；　bone　and　flesh　of　their　bone　and　flesh；

he　had　inherited　it　all。　　And　then　came　Black　Leclere；　to　lay　his

heavy　hand　on　the　bit　of　pulsating　puppy　life；　to　press　and　prod

and　mould　till　it　became　a　big　bristling　beast；　acute　in　knavery；

overspilling　with　hate；　sinister；　malignant；　diabolical。　　With　a

proper　master　Batard　might　have　made　an　ordinary；　fairly　efficient

sled…dog。　　He　never　got　the　chance：　　Leclere　but　confirmed　him　in

his　congenital　iniquity。



The　history　of　Batard　and　Leclere　is　a　history　of　warof　five

cruel；　relentless　years；　of　which　their　first　meeting　is　fit

summary。　　To　begin　with；　it　was　Leclere's　fault；　for　he　hated　with

understanding　and　intelligence；　while　the　long…legged；　ungainly

puppy　hated　only　blindly；　instinctively；　without　reason　or　method。

At　first　there　were　no　refinements　of　cruelty　（these　were　to　come

later）；　but　simple　beatings　and　crude　brutalities。　　In　one　of　these

Batard　had　an　ear　injured。　　He　never　regained　control　of　the　riven

muscles；　and　ever　after　the　ear　drooped　limply　down　to　keep　keen

the　memory　of　his　tormentor。　　And　he　never　forgot。



His　puppyhood　was　a　period　of　foolish　rebellion。　　He　was　always

worsted；　but　he　fought　back　because　it　was　his　nature　to　fight

back。　　And　he　was　unconquerable。　　Yelping　shrilly　from　the　pain　of

lash　and　club；　he　none　the　less　contrived　always　to　throw　in　the

defiant　snarl；　the　bitter　vindictive　menace　of　his　soul　which

fetched　without　fail　more　blows　and　beatings。　　But　his　was　his

mother's　tenacious　grip　on　life。　　Nothing　could　kill　him。　　He

flourished　under　misfortune；　grew　fat　with　famine；　and　out　of　his

terrible　struggle　for　life　developed　a　preternatural　intelligence。

His　were　the　stealth　and　cunning　of　the　husky；　his　mother；　and　the

fierceness　and　valour　of　the　wolf；　his　father。



Possibly　it　was　because　of　his　father　that　he　never　wailed。　　His

puppy　yelps　passed　with　his　lanky　legs；　so　that　he　became　grim　and

taciturn；　quick　to　strike；　slow　to　warn。　　He　answered　curse　with

snarl；　and　blow　with　snap；　grinning　the　while　his　implacable

hatred；　but　never　again；　under　the　extremest　agony；　did　Leclere

bring　from　him　the　cry　of　fear　nor　of　pain。　　This　unconquerableness

but　fanned　Leclere's　wrath　and　stirred　him　to　greater　deviltries。



Did　Leclere　give　Batard　half　a　fish　and　to　his　mates　whole　ones；

Batard　went　forth　to　rob　other　dogs　of　their　fish。　　Also　he　robbed

caches　and　expressed　himself　in　a　thousand　rogueries；　till　he

became　a　terror　to　all　dogs　and　masters　of　dogs。　　Did　Leclere　beat

Batard　and　fondle　BabetteBabette　who　was　not　half　the　worker　he

waswhy；　Batard　threw　her　down　in　the　snow　and　broke　her　hind　leg

in　his　heavy　jaws；　so　that　Leclere　was　forced　to　shoot　her。

Likewise；　in　bloody　battles；　Batard　mastered　all　his　team…mates；

set　them　the　law　of　trail　and　forage；　and　made　them　live　to　the　law

he　set。



In　five　years　he　heard　but　one　kind　word；　received　but　one　soft

stroke　of　a　hand；　and　then　he　did　not　know　what　manner　of　things

they　were。　　He　leaped　like　the　untamed　thing　he　was；　and　his　jaws

were　together　in　a　flash。　　It　was　the　missionary　at　Sunrise；　a

newcomer　in　the　country；　who　spoke　the　kind　word　and　gave　the　soft

stroke　of　the　hand。　　And　for　six　months　after；　he　wrote　no　letters

home　to　the　States；　and　the　surgeon　at　McQuestion　travelled　two

hundred　miles　on　the　ice　to　save　him　from　blood…poisoning。



Men　and　dogs　looked　askance　at　Batard　when　he　drifted　into　their

camps　and　posts。　　The　men　greeted　him　with　feet　threateningly

lifted　for　the　kick；　the　dogs　with　bristling　manes　and　bared　fangs。

Once　a　man　did　kick　Batard；　and　Batard；　with　quick　wolf　snap；

closed　his　jaws　like　a　steel　trap　on　the　man's　calf　and　crunched

down　to　the　bone。　　Whereat　the　man　was　determined　to　have　his　life；

only　Black　Leclere；　with　ominous　eyes　and　naked　hunting…knife；

stepped　in　between。　　The　killing　of　Batardah；　SACREDAM；　THAT　was

a　pleasure　Leclere　reserved　for　himself。　　Some　day　it　would　happen；

or　elsebah！　who　was　to　know？　　Anyway；　the　problem　would　be

solved。



For　they　had　become　problems　to　each　other。　　The　very　breath　each

drew　was　a　challenge　and　a　menace　to　the　other。　　Their　hate　bound

them　together　as　love　could　never　bind。　　Leclere　was　bent　on　the

coming　of　the　day　when　Batard　should　wilt　in　spirit　and　cringe　and

whimper　at　his　feet。　　And　BatardLeclere　knew　what　was　in　Batard's

mind；　and　more　than　once　had　read　it　in　Batard's　eyes。　　And　so

clearly　had　he　read；　that　when　Batard　was　at　his　back；　he　made　it　a

point　to　glance　often　over　his　shoulder。



Men　marvelled　when　Leclere　refused　large　money　for　the　dog。　　〃Some

day　you'll　kill　him　and　be　out　his　price；〃　said　John　Hamlin　once；

when　Batard　lay　panting　in　the　snow　where　Leclere　had　kicked　him；

and　no　one　knew　whether　his　ribs　were　broken；　and　no　one　dared　look

to　see。



〃Dat；〃　said　Leclere；　dryly；　〃dat　is　my　biz'ness；　M'sieu'。〃



And　the　men　marvelled　that　Batard　did　not　run　away。　　They　did　not

understand。　　But　Leclere　understood。　　He　was　a　man　who　lived　much

in　the　open；　beyond　the　sound　of　human　tongue；　and　he　had　learned

the　voices　of　wind　and　storm；　the　sigh　of　night；　the　whisper　of

dawn；　the　clash　of　day。　　In　a　dim　way　he　could　hear　the　green

things　growing；　the　running　of　the　sap；　the　bursting　of　the　bud。

And　he　knew　the　subtle　speech　of　the　things　that　moved；　of　the

rabbit　in　the　snare；　the　moody　raven　beating　the　air　with　hollow

wing；　the　baldface　shuffling　under　the　moon；　the　wolf　like　a　grey

shadow　gliding　betwixt　the　twilight　and　the　dark。　　And　to　him

Batard　spoke　clear　and　direct。　　Full　well　he　understood　why　Batard

did　not　run　away；　and　he　looked　more　often　over　his　shoulder。



When　in　anger；　Batard　was　not　nice　to　look　upon；　and　more　than　once

had　he　leapt　for　Leclere's　throat；　to　be　stretched　quivering　and

senseless　in　the　snow；　by　the　butt　of　the　ever　ready　dogwhip。　　And

so　Batard　learned　to　bide　his　time。　　When　he　reached　his　full

strength　and　prime　of　youth；　he　thought　the　time　had　come。　　He　was

broad…chested；　powerfully　muscled；　of　far　more　than　ordinary　size；

and　his　neck　from　head　to　shoulders　was　a　mass　of　bristling　hair

to　all