the faith of men-第3章

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mammoths；　to　say　nothing　of　small　game　for　man。



〃But　to　get　back。　　Down　at　the　lower　end　of　the　valley　I　got　winded

and　gave　over。　　I　began　to　speculate；　for　when　my　wind　left　me　my

dander　got　hotter　and　hotter；　and　I　knew　I'd　never　know　peace　of

mind　till　I　dined　on　roasted　mammoth…foot。　　And　I　knew；　also；　that

that　stood　for　SKOOKUM　MAMOOK　PUKAPUKexcuse　Chinook；　I　mean　there

was　a　big　fight　coming。　　Now　the　mouth　of　my　valley　was　very

narrow；　and　the　walls　steep。　　High　up　on　one　side　was　one　of　those

big　pivot　rocks；　or　balancing　rocks；　as　some　call　them；　weighing

all　of　a　couple　of　hundred　tons。　　Just　the　thing。　　I　hit　back　for

camp；　keeping　an　eye　open　so　the　bull　couldn't　slip　past；　and　got

my　ammunition。　　It　wasn't　worth　anything　with　the　rifle　smashed；　so

I　opened　the　shells；　planted　the　powder　under　the　rock；　and　touched

it　off　with　slow　fuse。　　Wasn't　much　of　a　charge；　but　the　old

boulder　tilted　up　lazily　and　dropped　down　into　place；　with　just

space　enough　to　let　the　creek　drain　nicely。　　Now　I　had　him。〃



〃But　how　did　you　have　him？〃　I　queried。　　〃Who　ever　heard　of　a　man

killing　a　mammoth　with　a　hand…axe？　　And；　for　that　matter；　with

anything　else？〃



〃O　man；　have　I　not　told　you　I　was　mad？〃　Nimrod　replied；　with　a

slight　manifestation　of　sensitiveness。　　〃Mad　clean　through；　what　of

Klooch　and　the　gun。　　Also；　was　I　not　a　hunter？　　And　was　this　not

new　and　most　unusual　game？　　A　hand…axe？　　Pish！　　I　did　not　need　it。

Listen；　and　you　shall　hear　of　a　hunt；　such　as　might　have　happened

in　the　youth　of　the　world　when　cavemen　rounded　up　the　kill　with

hand…axe　of　stone。　　Such　would　have　served　me　as　well。　　Now　is　it

not　a　fact　that　man　can　outwalk　the　dog　or　horse？　　That　he　can　wear

them　out　with　the　intelligence　of　his　endurance？〃



I　nodded。



〃Well？〃



The　light　broke　in　on　me；　and　I　bade　him　continue。



〃My　valley　was　perhaps　five　miles　around。　　The　mouth　was　closed。

There　was　no　way　to　get　out。　　A　timid　beast　was　that　bull　mammoth；

and　I　had　him　at　my　mercy。　　I　got　on　his　heels　again　hollered　like

a　fiend；　pelted　him　with　cobbles；　and　raced　him　around　the　valley

three　times　before　I　knocked　off　for　supper。　　Don't　you　see？　　A

race…course！　　A　man　and　a　mammoth！　　A　hippodrome；　with　sun；　moon；

and　stars　to　referee！



〃It　took　me　two　months　to　do　it；　but　I　did　it。　　And　that's　no

beaver　dream。　　Round　and　round　I　ran　him；　me　travelling　on　the

inner　circle；　eating　jerked　meat　and　salmon　berries　on　the　run；　and

snatching　winks　of　sleep　between。　　Of　course；　he'd　get　desperate　at

times　and　turn。　　Then　I'd　head　for　soft　ground　where　the　creek

spread　out；　and　lay　anathema　upon　him　and　his　ancestry；　and　dare

him　to　come　on。　　But　he　was　too　wise　to　bog　in　a　mud　puddle。　　Once

he　pinned　me　in　against　the　walls；　and　I　crawled　back　into　a　deep

crevice　and　waited。　　Whenever　he　felt　for　me　with　his　trunk；　I'd

belt　him　with　the　hand…axe　till　he　pulled　out；　shrieking　fit　to

split　my　ear　drums；　he　was　that　mad。　　He　knew　he　had　me　and　didn't

have　me；　and　it　near　drove　him　wild。　　But　he　was　no　man's　fool。　　He

knew　he　was　safe　as　long　as　I　stayed　in　the　crevice；　and　he　made　up

his　mind　to　keep　me　there。　　And　he　was　dead　right；　only　he　hadn't

figured　on　the　commissary。　　There　was　neither　grub　nor　water　around

that　spot；　so　on　the　face　of　it　he　couldn't　keep　up　the　siege。

He'd　stand　before　the　opening　for　hours；　keeping　an　eye　on　me　and

flapping　mosquitoes　away　with　his　big　blanket　ears。　　Then　the

thirst　would　come　on　him　and　he'd　ramp　round　and　roar　till　the

earth　shook；　calling　me　every　name　he　could　lay　tongue　to。　　This

was　to　frighten　me；　of　course；　and　when　he　thought　I　was

sufficiently　impressed；　he'd　back　away　softly　and　try　to　make　a

sneak　for　the　creek。　　Sometimes　I'd　let　him　get　almost　thereonly

a　couple　of　hundred　yards　away　it　waswhen　out　I'd　pop　and　back

he'd　come；　lumbering　along　like　the　old　landslide　he　was。　　After

I'd　done　this　a　few　times；　and　he'd　figured　it　out；　he　changed　his

tactics。　　Grasped　the　time　element；　you　see。　　Without　a　word　of

warning；　away　he'd　go；　tearing　for　the　water　like　mad；　scheming　to

get　there　and　back　before　I　ran　away。　　Finally；　after　cursing　me

most　horribly；　he　raised　the　siege　and　deliberately　stalked　off　to

the　water…hole。



〃That　was　the　only　time　he　penned　me；three　days　of　it；but　after

that　the　hippodrome　never　stopped。　　Round；　and　round；　and　round；

like　a　six　days'　go…as…I…please；　for　he　never　pleased。　　My　clothes

went　to　rags　and　tatters；　but　I　never　stopped　to　mend；　till　at　last

I　ran　naked　as　a　son　of　earth；　with　nothing　but　the　old　hand…axe　in

one　hand　and　a　cobble　in　the　other。　　In　fact；　I　never　stopped；　save

for　peeps　of　sleep　in　the　crannies　and　ledges　of　the　cliffs。　　As

for　the　bull；　he　got　perceptibly　thinner　and　thinnermust　have

lost　several　tons　at　leastand　as　nervous　as　a　schoolmarm　on　the

wrong　side　of　matrimony。　　When　I'd　come　up　with　him　and　yell；　or

lain　him　with　a　rock　at　long　range；　he'd　jump　like　a　skittish　colt

and　tremble　all　over。　　Then　he'd　pull　out　on　the　run；　tail　and

trunk　waving　stiff；　head　over　one　shoulder　and　wicked　eyes　blazing；

and　the　way　he'd　swear　at　me　was　something　dreadful。　　A　most

immoral　beast　he　was；　a　murderer；　and　a　blasphemer。



〃But　towards　the　end　he　quit　all　this；　and　fell　to　whimpering　and

crying　like　a　baby。　　His　spirit　broke　and　he　became　a　quivering

jelly…mountain　of　misery。　　He'd　get　attacks　of　palpitation　of　the

heart；　and　stagger　around　like　a　drunken　man；　and　fall　down　and

bark　his　shins。　　And　then　he'd　cry；　but　always　on　the　run。　　O　man；

the　gods　themselves　would　have　wept　with　him；　and　you　yourself　or

any　other　man。　　It　was　pitiful；　and　there　was　so　I　much　of　it；　but

I　only　hardened　my　heart　and　hit　up　the　pace。　　At　last　I　wore　him

clean　out；　and　he　lay　down；　broken…winded；　broken…hearted；　hungry；

and　thirsty。　　When　I　found　he　wouldn't　budge；　I　hamstrung　him；　and

spent　the　better　part　of　the　day　wading　into　him　with　the　hand…axe；

he　a…sniffing　and　sobbing　till　I　worked　in　far　enough　to　shut　him

off。　　Thirty　feet　long　he　was；　and　twenty　high；　and　a　man　could

sling　a　hammock　between　his　tusks　and　sleep　comfortably。　　Barring

the　fact　that　I　had　run　most　of　the　juices　out　of　him；　he　was　fair

eating；　and　his　four　feet；　alone；　roasted　whole；　would　have　lasted

a　man　a　twelvemonth。　　I　spent　the　winter　there　myself。〃



〃And　where　is　this　valley？〃　I　asked



He　waved　his　hand　in　the　direction　of　the　north…east；　and　said：

〃Your　tobacco　is　very　good。　　I　carry　a　fair　share　of　it　in　my

pouch；　but　I　shall　carry　the　recollection　of　it　until　I　die。　　In

token　of　my　appreciation；　and　in　return　for　the　moccasins　on　your

own　feet；　I　will　present　to　you　these　muclucs。　　They　commemorate

Klooch　and　the　seven　blind　little　beggars。　　They　are　also　souvenirs

of　an　unparalleled　event　in　history；　namely；　the　destruction　of　the

oldest　breed　of　animal　on　earth；　and　the　youngest。　　And　their　chief

virtue　lies　in　that　they　will　never　wear　out。〃



Having　effected　the　exchange；　he　knocked　the　ashes　from　his　pipe；

gripped　my　hand　good…night；　and　wandered　off　through　the　snow。

Concerning　this　tale；　for　which　I　have　already　disclaimed

responsibility；　I　would　recommend　those　of　little　faith　to　make　a

visit　to　the　Smithsonian　Institute。　　If　they　bring　the　requisite

credentials　and　do　not　come　in　vacation　time；　they　will　undoubtedly

gain　an　audience　with　Professor　Dolvidson。　　The　muclucs　are　in　his

possession；　and　he　will　verify；　not　the　manner　in　which　they　were

obtained；　but　the　material　of　which　they　are　composed。　　When　he

states　that　they　are　made　from　the　skin　of　the　mammoth；　the

scientific　world　accepts　his　verdict。　　What　more　would　you　have？







A　HYPERBOREAN　BREW







＇The　story　of　a　scheming　white　man　among　the　strange　people　who

live　on　the　rim　of　the　Arctic　sea＇





Thomas　Stevens's　veracity　may　have　been　indeterminate　as　X；　and　his

imagination　the　imagination　of　ordinary　men