the faith of men-第4章

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

imagination　the　imagination　of　ordinary　men　increased　to　the　nth

power；　but　this；　at　least；　must　be　said：　　never　did　he　deliver

himself　of　word　nor　deed　that　could　be　branded　as　a　lie　outright。　。

。　He　may　have　played　with　probability；　and　verged　on　the　extremest

edge　of　possibility；　but　in　his　tales　the　machinery　never　creaked。

That　he　knew　the　Northland　like　a　book；　not　a　soul　can　deny。　　That

he　was　a　great　traveller；　and　had　set　foot　on　countless　unknown

trails；　many　evidences　affirm。　　Outside　of　my　own　personal

knowledge；　I　knew　men　that　had　met　him　everywhere；　but　principally

on　the　confines　of　Nowhere。　　There　was　Johnson；　the　ex…Hudson　Bay

Company　factor；　who　had　housed　him　in　a　Labrador　factory　until　his

dogs　rested　up　a　bit；　and　he　was　able　to　strike　out　again。　　There

was　McMahon；　agent　for　the　Alaska　Commercial　Company；　who　had　run

across　him　in　Dutch　Harbour；　and　later　on；　among　the　outlying

islands　of　the　Aleutian　group。　　It　was　indisputable　that　he　had

guided　one　of　the　earlier　United　States　surveys；　and　history　states

positively　that　in　a　similar　capacity　he　served　the　Western　Union

when　it　attempted　to　put　through　its　trans…Alaskan　and　Siberian

telegraph　to　Europe。　　Further；　there　was　Joe　Lamson；　the　whaling

captain；　who；　when　ice…bound　off　the　mouth　of　the　Mackenzie；　had

had　him　come　aboard　after　tobacco。　　This　last　touch　proves　Thomas

Stevens's　identity　conclusively。　　His　quest　for　tobacco　was

perennial　and　untiring。　　Ere　we　became　fairly　acquainted；　I　learned

to　greet　him　with　one　hand；　and　pass　the　pouch　with　the　other。　　But

the　night　I　met　him　in　John　O'Brien's　Dawson　saloon；　his　head　was

wreathed　in　a　nimbus　of　fifty…cent　cigar　smoke；　and　instead　of　my

pouch　he　demanded　my　sack。　　We　were　standing　by　a　faro　table；　and

forthwith　he　tossed　it　upon　the　〃high　card。〃　　〃Fifty；〃　he　said；　and

the　game…keeper　nodded。　　The　〃high　card〃　turned；　and　he　handed　back

my　sack；　called　for　a　〃tab；〃　and　drew　me　over　to　the　scales；　where

the　weigher　nonchalantly　cashed　him　out　fifty　dollars　in　dust。



〃And　now　we'll　drink；〃　he　said；　and　later；　at　the　bar；　when　he

lowered　his　glass：　　〃Reminds　me　of　a　little　brew　I　had　up　Tattarat

way。　　No；　you　have　no　knowledge　of　the　place；　nor　is　it　down　on　the

charts。　　But　it's　up　by　the　rim　of　the　Arctic　Sea；　not　so　many

hundred　miles　from　the　American　line；　and　all　of　half　a　thousand

God…forsaken　souls　live　there；　giving　and　taking　in　marriage；　and

starving　and　dying　in…between…whiles。　　Explorers　have　overlooked

them；　and　you　will　not　find　them　in　the　census　of　1890。　　A　whale…

ship　was　pinched　there　once；　but　the　men；　who　had　made　shore　over

the　ice；　pulled　out　for　the　south　and　were　never　heard　of。



〃But　it　was　a　great　brew　we　had；　Moosu　and　I；〃　he　added　a　moment

later；　with　just　the　slightest　suspicion　of　a　sigh。



I　knew　there　were　big　deeds　and　wild　doings　behind　that　sigh；　so　I

haled　him　into　a　corner；　between　a　roulette　outfit　and　a　poker

layout；　and　waited　for　his　tongue　to　thaw。



〃Had　one　objection　to　Moosu；〃　he　began；　cocking　his　head

meditatively〃one　objection；　and　only　one。　　He　was　an　Indian　from

over　on　the　edge　of　the　Chippewyan　country；　but　the　trouble　was；

he'd　picked　up　a　smattering　of　the　Scriptures。　　Been　campmate　a

season　with　a　renegade　French　Canadian　who'd　studied　for　the

church。　　Moosu'd　never　seen　applied　Christianity；　and　his　head　was

crammed　with　miracles；　battles；　and　dispensations；　and　what　not　he

didn't　understand。　　Otherwise　he　was　a　good　sort；　and　a　handy　man

on　trail　or　over　a　fire。



〃We'd　had　a　hard　time　together　and　were　badly　knocked　out　when　we

plumped　upon　Tattarat。　　Lost　outfits　and　dogs　crossing　a　divide　in

a　fall　blizzard；　and　our　bellies　clove　to　our　backs　and　our　clothes

were　in　rags　when　we　crawled　into　the　village。　　They　weren't　much

surprised　at　seeing　usbecause　of　the　whalemenand　gave　us　the

meanest　shack　in　the　village　to　live　in；　and　the　worst　of　their

leavings　to　live　on。　　What　struck　me　at　the　time　as　strange　was

that　they　left　us　strictly　alone。　　But　Moosu　explained　it。



〃'Shaman　SICK　TUMTUM；'　he　said；　meaning　the　shaman；　or　medicine

man；　was　jealous；　and　had　advised　the　people　to　have　nothing　to　do

with　us。　　From　the　little　he'd　seen　of　the　whalemen；　he'd　learned

that　mine　was　a　stronger　race；　and　a　wiser；　so　he'd　only　behaved　as

shamans　have　always　behaved　the　world　over。　　And　before　I　get　done；

you'll　see　how　near　right　he　was。



〃'These　people　have　a　law；'　said　Mosu：　　'whoso　eats　of　meat　must

hunt。　　We　be　awkward；　you　and　I；　O　master；　in　the　weapons　of　this

country；　nor　can　we　string　bows　nor　fling　spears　after　the　manner

approved。　　Wherefore　the　shaman　and　Tummasook；　who　is　chief；　have

put　their　heads　together；　and　it　has　been　decreed　that　we　work　with

the　women　and　children　in　dragging　in　the　meat　and　tending　the

wants　of　the　hunters。'



〃'And　this　is　very　wrong；'　I　made　to　answer；　'for　we　be　better　men；

Moosu；　than　these　people　who　walk　in　darkness。　　Further；　we　should

rest　and　grow　strong；　for　the　way　south　is　long；　and　on　that　trail

the　weak　cannot　prosper。'〃



〃'But　we　have　nothing；'　he　objected；　looking　about　him　at　the

rotten　timbers　of　the　igloo；　the　stench　of　the　ancient　walrus　meat

that　had　been　our　supper　disgusting　his　nostrils。　　'And　on　this

fare　we　cannot　thrive。　　We　have　nothing　save　the　bottle　of　〃pain…

killer；〃　which　will　not　fill　emptiness；　so　we　must　bend　to　the　yoke

of　the　unbeliever　and　become　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of　water。

And　there　be　good　things　in　this　place；　the　which　we　may　not　have。

Ah；　master；　never　has　my　nose　lied　to　me；　and　I　have　followed　it　to

secret　caches　and　among　the　fur…bales　of　the　igloos。　　Good

provender　did　these　people　extort　from　the　poor　whalemen；　and　this

provender　has　wandered　into　few　hands。　　The　woman　Ipsukuk；　who

dwelleth　in　the　far　end　of　the　village　next　she　igloo　of　the　chief；

possesseth　much　flour　and　sugar；　and　even　have　my　eyes　told　me　of

molasses　smeared　on　her　face。　　And　in　the　igloo　of　Tummasook；　the

chief；　there　be　teahave　I　not　seen　the　old　pig　guzzling？　　And　the

shaman　owneth　a　caddy　of　〃Star〃　and　two　buckets　of　prime　smoking。

And　what　have　we？　　Nothing！　　Nothing！'



〃But　I　was　stunned　by　the　word　he　brought　of　the　tobacco；　and　made

no　answer。



〃And　Moosu；　what　of　his　own　desire；　broke　silence：　　'And　there　be

Tukeliketa；　daughter　of　a　big　hunter　and　wealthy　man。　　A　likely

girl。　　Indeed；　a　very　nice　girl。'



〃I　figured　hard　during　the　night　while　Moosu　snored；　for　I　could

not　bear　the　thought　of　the　tobacco　so　near　which　I　could　not

smoke。　　True；　as　he　had　said；　we　had　nothing。　　But　the　way　became

clear　to　me；　and　in　the　morning　I　said　to　him：　　'Go　thou　cunningly

abroad；　after　thy　fashion；　and　procure　me　some　sort　of　bone；

crooked　like　a　goose…neck；　and　hollow。　　Also；　walk　humbly；　but　have

eyes　awake　to　the　lay　of　pots　and　pans　and　cooking　contrivances。

And　remember；　mine　is　the　white　man's　wisdom；　and　do　what　I　have

bid　you；　with　sureness　and　despatch。'



〃While　he　was　away　I　placed　the　whale…oil　cooking　lamp　in　the

middle　of　the　igloo；　and　moved　the　mangy　sleeping　furs　back　that　I

might　have　room。　　Then　I　took　apart　his　gun　and　put　the　barrel　by

handy；　and　afterwards　braided　many　wicks　from　the　cotton　that　the

women　gather　wild　in　the　summer。　　When　he　came　back；　it　was　with

the　bone　I　had　commanded；　and　with　news　that　in　the　igloo　of

Tummasook　there　was　a　five…gallon　kerosene　can　and　a　big　copper

kettle。　　So　I　said　he　had　done　well　and　we　would　tarry　through　the

day。　　And　when　midnight　was　near　I　made　harangue　to　him。



〃'This　chief；　this　Tummasook；　hath　a　copper　kettle；　likewise　a

kerosene　can。'　　I　put　a　rock；　smooth　and　wave…washed；　in　Moosu's

hand。　　'The　camp　is　hushed　and　the　stars　are　winking。　　Go　thou；

creep　into　the　chief's　igloo　softly；　and　smite　him　thus　upon　the

belly；　and　hard。　　And　let　the　meat　an