the faith of men-第31章

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Holy　Cross。　　You　can　make　it　if　you're　careful　not　to　over…exert。

I'll　give　you　grub；　a　sled；　and　three　dogs。　　You'll　be　as　safe　as

if　you　were　in　jail；　for　you　can't　get　out　of　the　country。　　And

I'll　give　you　one　chance。　　You're　almost　dead。　　Very　well。　　I　shall

send　no　word　to　the　Company　until　the　spring。　　In　the　meantime；　the

thing　for　you　to　do　is　to　die。　　Now　MUSH！〃



〃You　go　to　bed！〃　Jees　Uck　insisted；　when　Amos　had　churned　away　into

the　night　towards　Holy　Cross。　　〃You　sick　man　yet；　Neil。〃



〃And　you're　a　good　girl；　Jees　Uck；〃　he　answered。　　〃And　here's　my

hand　on　it。　　But　you　must　go　home。〃



〃You　don't　like　me；〃　she　said　simply。



He　smiled；　helped　her　on　with　her　PARKA；　and　led　her　to　the　door。

〃Only　too　well；　Jees　Uck；〃　he　said　softly；　〃only　too　well。〃



After　that　the　pall　of　the　Arctic　night　fell　deeper　and　blacker　on

the　land。　　Neil　Bonner　discovered　that　he　had　failed　to　put　proper

valuation　upon　even　the　sullen　face　of　the　murderous　and　death…

stricken　Amos。　　It　became　very　lonely　at　Twenty　Mile。　　〃For　the

love　of　God；　Prentiss；　send　me　a　man；〃　he　wrote　to　the　agent　at

Fort　Hamilton；　three　hundred　miles　up　river。　　Six　weeks　later　the

Indian　messenger　brought　back　a　reply。　　It　was　characteristic：

〃Hell。　　Both　feet　frozen。　　Need　him　myselfPrentiss。〃



To　make　matters　worse；　most　of　the　Toyaats　were　in　the　back　country

on　the　flanks　of　a　caribou　herd；　and　Jees　Uck　was　with　them。

Removing　to　a　distance　seemed　to　bring　her　closer　than　ever；　and

Neil　Bonner　found　himself　picturing　her；　day　by　day；　in　camp　and　on

trail。　　It　is　not　good　to　be　alone。　　Often　he　went　out　of　the　quiet

store；　bare…headed　and　frantic；　and　shook　his　fist　at　the　blink　of

day　that　came　over　the　southern　sky…line。　　And　on　still；　cold

nights　he　left　his　bed　and　stumbled　into　the　frost；　where　he

assaulted　the　silence　at　the　top　of　his　lungs；　as　though　it　were

some　tangible；　sentiment　thing　that　he　might　arouse；　or　he　shouted

at　the　sleeping　dogs　till　they　howled　and　howled　again。　　One　shaggy

brute　he　brought　into　the　post；　playing　that　it　was　the　new　man

sent　by　Prentiss。　　He　strove　to　make　it　sleep　decently　under

blankets　at　nights　and　to　sit　at　table　and　eat　as　a　man　should；　but

the　beast；　mere　domesticated　wolf　that　it　was；　rebelled；　and　sought

out　dark　corners　and　snarled　and　bit　him　in　the　leg；　and　was

finally　beaten　and　driven　forth。



Then　the　trick　of　personification　seized　upon　Neil　Bonner　and

mastered　him。　　All　the　forces　of　his　environment　metamorphosed　into

living；　breathing　entities　and　came　to　live　with　him。　　He　recreated

the　primitive　pantheon；　reared　an　altar　to　the　sun　and　burned

candle　fat　and　bacon　grease　thereon；　and　in　the　unfenced　yard；　by

the　long…legged　cache；　made　a　frost　devil；　which　he　was　wont　to

make　faces　at　and　mock　when　the　mercury　oozed　down　into　the　bulb。

All　this　in　play；　of　course。　　He　said　it　to　himself　that　it　was　in

play；　and　repeated　it　over　and　over　to　make　sure；　unaware　that

madness　is　ever　prone　to　express　itself　in　make…believe　and　play。



One　midwinter　day；　Father　Champreau；　a　Jesuit　missionary；　pulled

into　Twenty　Mile。　　Bonner　fell　upon　him　and　dragged　him　into　the

post；　and　clung　to　him　and　wept；　until　the　priest　wept　with　him

from　sheer　compassion。　　Then　Bonner　became　madly　hilarious　and　made

lavish　entertainment；　swearing　valiantly　that　his　guest　should　not

depart。　　But　Father　Champreau　was　pressing　to　Salt　Water　on　urgent

business　for　his　order；　and　pulled　out　next　morning；　with　Bonner's

blood　threatened　on　his　head。



And　the　threat　was　in　a　fair　way　toward　realization；　when　the

Toyaats　returned　from　their　long　hunt　to　the　winter　camp。　　They　had

many　furs；　and　there　was　much　trading　and　stir　at　Twenty　Mile。

Also；　Jees　Uck　came　to　buy　beads　and　scarlet　cloths　and　things；　and

Bonner　began　to　find　himself　again。　　He　fought　for　a　week　against

her。　　Then　the　end　came　one　night　when　she　rose　to　leave。　　She　had

not　forgotten　her　repulse；　and　the　pride　that　drove　Spike　O'Brien

on　to　complete　the　North…West　Passage　by　land　was　her　pride。



〃I　go　now；〃　she　said；　〃good…night；　Neil。〃



But　he　came　up　behind　her。　　〃Nay；　it　is　not　well；〃　he　said。



And　as　she　turned　her　face　toward　his　with　a　sudden　joyful　flash；

he　bent　forward；　slowly　and　gravely；　as　it　were　a　sacred　thing；　and

kissed　her　on　the　lips。　　The　Toyaats　had　never　taught　her　the

meaning　of　a　kiss　upon　the　lips；　but　she　understood　and　was　glad。



With　the　coming　of　Jees　Uck；　at　once　things　brightened　up。　　She　was

regal　in　her　happiness；　a　source　of　unending　delight。　　The

elemental　workings　of　her　mind　and　her　naive　little　ways　made　an

immense　sum　of　pleasurable　surprise　to　the　over…civilized　man　that

had　stooped　to　catch　her　up。　　Not　alone　was　she　solace　to　his

loneliness；　but　her　primitiveness　rejuvenated　his　jaded　mind。　　It

was　as　though；　after　long　wandering；　he　had　returned　to　pillow　his

head　in　the　lap　of　Mother　Earth。　　In　short；　in　Jees　Uck　he　found

the　youth　of　the　worldthe　youth　and　the　strength　and　the　joy。



And　to　fill　the　full　round　of　his　need；　and　that　they　might　not　see

overmuch　of　each　other；　there　arrived　at　Twenty　Mile　one　Sandy

MacPherson；　as　companionable　a　man　as　ever　whistled　along　the　trail

or　raised　a　ballad　by　a　camp…fire。　　A　Jesuit　priest　had　run　into

his　camp；　a　couple　of　hundred　miles　up　the　Yukon；　in　the　nick　of

time　to　say　a　last　word　over　the　body　of　Sandy's　partner。　　And　on

departing；　the　priest　had　said；　〃My　son；　you　will　be　lonely　now。〃

And　Sandy　had　bowed　his　head　brokenly。　　〃At　Twenty　Mile；〃　the

priest　added；　〃there　is　a　lonely　man。　　You　have　need　of　each　other；

my　son。〃



So　it　was　that　Sandy　became　a　welcome　third　at　the　post；　brother　to

the　man　and　woman　that　resided　there。　　He　took　Bonner　moose…hunting

and　wolf…trapping；　and；　in　return；　Bonner　resurrected　a　battered

and　way…worn　volume　and　made　him　friends　with　Shakespeare；　till

Sandy　declaimed　iambic　pentameters　to　his　sled…dogs　whenever　they

waxed　mutinous。　　And　of　the　long　evenings　they　played　cribbage　and

talked　and　disagreed　about　the　universe；　the　while　Jees　Uck　rocked

matronly　in　an　easy…chair　and　darned　their　moccasins　and　socks。



Spring　came。　　The　sun　shot　up　out　of　the　south。　　The　land　exchanged

its　austere　robes　for　the　garb　of　a　smiling　wanton。　　Everywhere

light　laughed　and　life　invited。　　The　days　stretched　out　their　balmy

length　and　the　nights　passed　from　blinks　of　darkness　to　no　darkness

at　all。　　The　river　bared　its　bosom；　and　snorting　steamboats

challenged　the　wilderness。　　There　were　stir　and　bustle；　new　faces；

and　fresh　facts。　　An　assistant　arrived　at　Twenty　Mile；　and　Sandy

MacPherson　wandered　off　with　a　bunch　of　prospectors　to　invade　the

Koyokuk　country。　　And　there　were　newspapers　and　magazines　and

letters　for　Neil　Bonner。　　And　Jees　Uck　looked　on　in　worriment；　for

she　knew　his　kindred　talked　with　him　across　the　world。



Without　much　shock；　it　came　to　him　that　his　father　was　dead。　　There

was　a　sweet　letter　of　forgiveness；　dictated　in　his　last　hours。

There　were　official　letters　from　the　Company；　graciously　ordering

him　to　turn　the　post　over　to　the　assistant　and　permitting　him　to

depart　at　his　earliest　pleasure。　　A　long；　legal　affair　from　the

lawyers　informed　him　of　interminable　lists　of　stocks　and　bonds；

real　estate；　rents；　and　chattels　that　were　his　by　his　father's

will。　　And　a　dainty　bit　of　stationery；　sealed　and　monogramed；

implored　dear　Neil's　return　to　his　heart…broken　and　loving　mother。



Neil　Bonner　did　some　swift　thinking；　and　when　the　Yukon　Belle

coughed　in　to　the　bank　on　her　way　down　to　Bering　Sea；　he　departed

departed　with　the　ancient　lie　of　quick　return　young　and　blithe　on

his　lips。



〃I'll　come　back；　dear　Jees　Uck；　before　the　first　snow　flies；〃　he

promised　her；　between　the　last　kisses　at　the　gang…plank。



And　not　only　did　he　promise；　but；　like　the　majority　of　men　under

the　same　circumstances；　he　really　meant　it。　　To　John　Thompson；　the