the faith of men-第32章

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

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

new　agent；　he　gave　orders　for　the　extension　of　unlimited　credit　to

his　wife；　Jees　Uck。　　Also；　with　his　last　look　from　the　deck　of　the

Yukon　Belle；　he　saw　a　dozen　men　at　work　rearing　the　logs　that　were

to　make　the　most　comfortable　house　along　a　thousand　miles　of　river

frontthe　house　of　Jees　Uck；　and　likewise　the　house　of　Neil

Bonnerere　the　first　flurry　of　snow。　　For　he　fully　and　fondly

meant　to　come　back。　　Jees　Uck　was　dear　to　him；　and；　further；　a

golden　future　awaited　the　north。　　With　his　father's　money　he

intended　to　verify　that　future。　　An　ambitious　dream　allured　him。

With　his　four　years　of　experience；　and　aided　by　the　friendly

cooperation　of　the　P。　C。　Company；　he　would　return　to　become　the

Rhodes　of　Alaska。　　And　he　would　return；　fast　as　steam　could　drive；

as　soon　as　he　had　put　into　shape　the　affairs　of　his　father；　whom　he

had　never　known；　and　comforted　his　mother；　whom　he　had　forgotten。



There　was　much　ado　when　Neil　Bonner　came　back　from　the　Arctic。　　The

fires　were　lighted　and　the　fleshpots　slung；　and　he　took　of　it　all

and　called　it　good。　　Not　only　was　he　bronzed　and　creased；　but　he

was　a　new　man　under　his　skin；　with　a　grip　on　things　and　a

seriousness　and　control。　　His　old　companions　were　amazed　when　he

declined　to　hit　up　the　pace　in　the　good　old　way；　while　his　father's

crony　rubbed　hands　gleefully；　and　became　an　authority　upon　the

reclamation　of　wayward　and　idle　youth。



For　four　years　Neil　Bonner's　mind　had　lain　fallow。　　Little　that　was

new　had　been　added　to　it；　but　it　had　undergone　a　process　of

selection。　　It　had；　so　to　say；　been　purged　of　the　trivial　and

superfluous。　　He　had　lived　quick　years；　down　in　the　world；　and；　up

in　the　wilds；　time　had　been　given　him　to　organize　the　confused　mass

of　his　experiences。　　His　superficial　standards　had　been　flung　to

the　winds　and　new　standards　erected　on　deeper　and　broader

generalizations。　　Concerning　civilization；　he　had　gone　away　with

one　set　of　values；　had　returned　with　another　set　of　values。　　Aided；

also；　by　the　earth　smells　in　his　nostrils　and　the　earth　sights　in

his　eyes；　he　laid　hold　of　the　inner　significance　of　civilization；

beholding　with　clear　vision　its　futilities　and　powers。　　It　was　a

simple　little　philosophy　he　evolved。　　Clean　living　was　the　way　to

grace。　　Duty　performed　was　sanctification。　　One　must　live　clean　and

do　his　duty　in　order　that　he　might　work。　　Work　was　salvation。　　And

to　work　toward　life　abundant；　and　more　abundant；　was　to　be　in　line

with　the　scheme　of　things　and　the　will　of　God。



Primarily；　he　was　of　the　city。　　And　his　fresh　earth　grip　and　virile

conception　of　humanity　gave　him　a　finer　sense　of　civilization　and

endeared　civilization　to　him。　　Day　by　day　the　people　of　the　city

clung　closer　to　him　and　the　world　loomed　more　colossal。　　And；　day

by　day；　Alaska　grew　more　remote　and　less　real。　　And　then　he　met

Kitty　Sharona　woman　of　his　own　flesh　and　blood　and　kind；　a　woman

who　put　her　hand　into　his　hand　and　drew　him　to　her；　till　he　forgot

the　day　and　hour　and　the　time　of　the　year　the　first　snow　flies　on

the　Yukon。



Jees　Uck　moved　into　her　grand　log…house　and　dreamed　away　three

golden　summer　months。　　Then　came　the　autumn；　post…haste　before　the

down　rush　of　winter。　　The　air　grew　thin　and　sharp；　the　days　thin

and　short。　　The　river　ran　sluggishly；　and　skin　ice　formed　in　the

quiet　eddies。　　All　migratory　life　departed　south；　and　silence　fell

upon　the　land。　　The　first　snow　flurries　came；　and　the　last　homing

steamboat　bucked　desperately　into　the　running　mush　ice。　　Then　came

the　hard　ice；　solid　cakes　and　sheets；　till　the　Yukon　ran　level　with

its　banks。　　And　when　all　this　ceased　the　river　stood　still　and　the

blinking　days　lost　themselves　in　the　darkness。



John　Thompson；　the　new　agent；　laughed；　but　Jees　Uck　had　faith　in

the　mischances　of　sea　and　river。　　Neil　Bonner　might　be　frozen　in

anywhere　between　Chilkoot　Pass　and　St。　Michael's；　for　the　last

travellers　of　the　year　are　always　caught　by　the　ice；　when　they

exchange　boat　for　sled　and　dash　on　through　the　long　hours　behind

the　flying　dogs。



But　no　flying　dogs　came　up　the　trail；　nor　down　the　trail；　to　Twenty

Mile。　　And　John　Thompson　told　Jees　Uck；　with　a　certain　gladness　ill

concealed；　that　Bonner　would　never　come　back　again。　　Also；　and

brutally；　he　suggested　his　own　eligibility。　　Jees　Uck　laughed　in

his　face　and　went　back　to　her　grand　log…house。　　But　when　midwinter

came；　when　hope　dies　down　and　life　is　at　its　lowest　ebb；　Jees　Uck

found　she　had　no　credit　at　the　store。　　This　was　Thompson's　doing；

and　he　rubbed　his　hands；　and　walked　up　and　down；　and　came　to　his

door　and　looked　up　at　Jees　Uck's　house　and　waited。　　And　he

continued　to　wait。　　She　sold　her　dog…team　to　a　party　of　miners　and

paid　cash　for　her　food。　　And　when　Thompson　refused　to　honour　even

her　coin；　Toyaat　Indians　made　her　purchases；　and　sledded　them　up　to

her　house　in　the　dark。



In　February　the　first　post　came　in　over　the　ice；　and　John　Thompson

read　in　the　society　column　of　a　five…months…old　paper　of　the

marriage　of　Neil　Bonner　and　Kitty　Sharon。　　Jees　Uck　held　the　door

ajar　and　him　outside　while　he　imparted　the　information；　and；　when

he　had　done；　laughed　pridefully　and　did　not　believe。　　In　March；　and

all　alone；　she　gave　birth　to　a　man…child；　a　brave　bit　of　new　life

at　which　she　marvelled。　　And　at　that　hour；　a　year　later；　Neil

Bonner　sat　by　another　bed；　marvelling　at　another　bit　of　new　life

that　had　fared　into　the　world。



The　snow　went　off　the　ground　and　the　ice　broke　out　of　the　Yukon。

The　sun　journeyed　north；　and　journeyed　south　again；　and；　the　money

from　the　being　spent；　Jees　Uck　went　back　to　her　own　people。　　Oche

Ish；　a　shrewd　hunter；　proposed　to　kill　the　meat　for　her　and　her

babe；　and　catch　the　salmon；　if　she　would　marry　him。　　And　Imego　and

Hah　Yo　and　Wy　Nooch；　husky　young　hunters　all；　made　similar

proposals。　　But　she　elected　to　live　alone　and　seek　her　own　meat　and

fish。　　She　sewed　moccasins　and　PARKAS　and　mittenswarm；

serviceable　things；　and　pleasing　to　the　eye；　withal；　what　of　the

ornamental　hair…tufts　and　bead…work。　　These　she　sold　to　the　miners；

who　were　drifting　faster　into　the　land　each　year。　　And　not　only　did

she　win　food　that　was　good　and　plentiful；　but　she　laid　money　by；

and　one　day　took　passage　on　the　Yukon　Belle　down　the　river。



At　St。　Michael's　she　washed　dishes　in　the　kitchen　of　the　post。　　The

servants　of　the　Company　wondered　at　the　remarkable　woman　with　the

remarkable　child；　though　they　asked　no　questions　and　she　vouchsafed

nothing。　　But　just　before　Bering　Sea　closed　in　for　the　year；　she

bought　a　passage　south　on　a　strayed　sealing　schooner。　　That　winter

she　cooked　for　Captain　Markheim's　household　at　Unalaska；　and　in　the

spring　continued　south　to　Sitka　on　a　whisky　sloop。　　Later　on

appeared　at　Metlakahtla；　which　is　near　to　St。　Mary's　on　the　end　of

the　Pan…Handle；　where　she　worked　in　the　cannery　through　the　salmon

season。　　When　autumn　came　and　the　Siwash　fishermen　prepared　to

return　to　Puget　Sound；　she　embarked　with　a　couple　of　families　in　a

big　cedar　canoe；　and　with　them　she　threaded　the　hazardous　chaos　of

the　Alaskan　and　Canadian　coasts；　till　the　Straits　of　Juan　de　Fuca

were　passed　and　she　led　her　boy　by　the　hand　up　the　hard　pave　of

Seattle。



There　she　met　Sandy　MacPherson；　on　a　windy　corner；　very　much

surprised　and；　when　he　had　heard　her　story；　very　wrothnot　so

wroth　as　he　might　have　been；　had　he　known　of　Kitty　Sharon；　but　of

her　Jees　Uck　breathed　not　a　word；　for　she　had　never　believed。

Sandy；　who　read　commonplace　and　sordid　desertion　into　the

circumstance；　strove　to　dissuade　her　from　her　trip　to　San

Francisco；　where　Neil　Bonner　was　supposed　to　live　when　he　was　at

home。　　And；　having　striven；　he　made　her　comfortable；　bought　her

tickets　and　saw　her　off；　the　while　smiling　in　her　face　and

muttering　〃dam…shame〃　into　his　beard。



W