the faith of men-第6章

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power　among　them；　so　it　were　well　that　we　trade；　you　and　I；　even　as

you　have　traded　with　them；　for　molasses　and　flour。'



〃And　I　made　answer：　　'This　be　good　talk；　and　wisdom　abideth　in　thy

mouth。　　We　will　trade。　　For　this　much　of　flour　and　molasses　givest

thou　me　the　caddy　of　〃Star〃　and　the　two　buckets　of　smoking。'



〃And　Moosu　groaned；　and　when　the　trade　was　made　and　the　shaman

departed；　he　upbraided　me：　　'Now；　because　of　thy　madness　are　we；

indeed；　lost！　　Neewak　maketh　hooch　on　his　own　account；　and　when　the

time　is　ripe；　he　will　command　the　people　to　drink　of　no　hooch　but

his　hooch。　　And　in　this　way　are　we　undone；　and　our　goods　worthless；

and　our　igloo　mean；　and　the　bed　of　Moosu　cold　and　empty！'



〃And　I　answered：　　'By　the　body　of　the　wolf；　say　I；　thou　art　a　fool；

and　thy　father　before　thee；　and　thy　children　after　thee；　down　to

the　last　generation。　　Thy　wisdom　is　worse　than　no　wisdom　and　thine

eyes　blinded　to　business；　of　which　I　have　spoken　and　whereof　thou

knowest　nothing。　　Go；　thou　son　of　a　thousand　fools；　and　drink　of

the　hooch　that　Neewak　brews　in　his　igloo；　and　thank　thy　gods　that

thou　hast　a　white　man's　wisdom　to　make　soft　the　bed　thou　liest　in。

Go！　and　when　thou　hast　drunken；　return　with　the　taste　still　on　thy

lips；　that　I　may　know。'



〃And　two　days　after；　Neewak　sent　greeting　and　invitation　to　his

igloo。　　Moosu　went；　but　I　sat　alone；　with　the　song　of　the　still　in

my　ears；　and　the　air　thick　with　the　shaman's　tobacco；　for　trade　was

slack　that　night；　and　no　one　dropped　in　but　Angeit；　a　young　hunter

that　had　faith　in　me。　　Later；　Moosu　came　back；　his　speech　thick

with　chuckling　and　his　eyes　wrinkling　with　laughter。



〃'Thou　art　a　great　man；'　he　said。　　'Thou　art　a　great　man；　O　master；

and　because　of　thy　greatness　thou　wilt　not　condemn　Moosu；　thy

servant；　who　ofttimes　doubts　and　cannot　be　made　to　understand。'



〃'And　wherefore　now？'　I　demanded。　　'Hast　thou　drunk　overmuch？　　And

are　they　sleeping　sound　in　the　igloo　of　Neewak；　the　shaman？'



〃'Nay；　they　are　angered　and　sore　of　body；　and　Chief　Tummasook　has

thrust　his　thumbs　in　the　throat　of　Neewak；　and　sworn　by　the　bones

of　his　ancestors　to　look　upon　his　face　no　more。　　For　behold！　I　went

to　the　igloo；　and　the　brew　simmered　and　bubbled；　and　the　steam

journeyed　through　the　gooseneck　even　as　thy　steam；　and　even　as

thine　it　became　water　where　it　met　the　ice；　and　dropped　into　the

pot　at　the　far　end。　　And　Neewak　gave　us　to　drink；　and　lo；　it　was

not　like　thine；　for　there　was　no　bite　to　the　tongue　nor　tingling　to

the　eyeballs；　and　of　a　truth　it　was　water。　　So　we　drank；　and　we

drank　overmuch；　yet　did　we　sit　with　cold　hearts　and　solemn。　　And

Neewak　was　perplexed　and　a　cloud　came　on　his　brow。　　And　he　took

Tummasook　and　Ipsukuk　alone　of　all　the　company　and　set　them　apart；

and　bade　them　drink　and　drink　and　drink。　　And　they　drank　and　drank

and　drank；　and　yet　sat　solemn　and　cold；　till　Tummasook　arose　in

wrath　and　demanded　back　the　furs　and　the　tea　he　had　paid。　　And

Ipsukuk　raised　her　voice；　thin　and　angry。　　And　the　company　demanded

back　what　they　had　given；　and　there　was　a　great　commotion。'



〃'Does　the　son　of　a　dog　deem　me　a　whale？'　demanded　Tummasook；

shoving　back　the　skin　flap　and　standing　erect；　his　face　black　and

his　brows　angry。　　'Wherefore　I　am　filled；　like　a　fish…bladder；　to

bursting；　till　I　can　scarce　walk；　what　of　the　weight　within　me。

Lalah！　　I　have　drunken　as　never　before；　yet　are　my　eyes　clear；　my

knees　strong；　my　hand　steady。'



〃'The　shaman　cannot　send　us　to　sleep　with　the　gods；'　the　people

complained；　stringing　in　and　joining　us；　'and　only　in　thy　igloo　may

the　thing　be　done。'



〃So　I　laughed　to　myself　as　I　passed　the　hooch　around　and　the　guests

made　merry。　　For　in　the　flour　I　had　traded　to　Neewak　I　had　mixed

much　soda　that　I　had　got　from　the　woman　Ipsukuk。　　So　how　could　his

brew　ferment　when　the　soda　kept　it　sweet？　　Or　his　hooch　be　hooch

when　it　would　not　sour？



〃After　that　our　wealth　flowed　in　without　let　or　hindrance。　　Furs　we

had　without　number；　and　the　fancy…work　of　the　women；　all　of　the

chief's　tea；　and　no　end　of　meat。　　One　day　Moosu　retold　for　my

benefit；　and　sadly　mangled；　the　story　of　Joseph　in　Egypt；　but　from

it　I　got　an　idea；　and　soon　I　had　half　the　tribe　at　work　building　me

great　meat　caches。　　And　of　all　they　hunted　I　got　the　lion's　share

and　stored　it　away。　　Nor　was　Moosu　idle。　　He　made　himself　a　pack　of

cards　from　birch　bark；　and　taught　Neewak　the　way　to　play　seven…up。

He　also　inveigled　the　father　of　Tukeliketa　into　the　game。　　And　one

day　he　married　the　maiden；　and　the　next　day　he　moved　into　the

shaman's　house；　which　was　the　finest　in　the　village。　　The　fall　of

Neewak　was　complete；　for　he　lost　all　his　possessions；　his　walrus…

hide　drums；　his　incantation　toolseverything。　　And　in　the　end　he

became　a　hewer　of　wood　and　drawer　of　water　at　the　beck　and　call　of

Moosu。　　And　Moosuhe　set　himself　up　as　shaman；　or　high　priest；　and

out　of　his　garbled　Scripture　created　new　gods　and　made　incantation

before　strange　altars。



〃And　I　was　well　pleased；　for　I　thought　it　good　that　church　and

state　go　hand　in　hand；　and　I　had　certain　plans　of　my　own　concerning

the　state。　　Events　were　shaping　as　I　had　foreseen。　　Good　temper　and

smiling　faces　had　vanished　from　the　village。　　The　people　were

morose　and　sullen。　　There　were　quarrels　and　fighting；　and　things

were　in　an　uproar　night　and　day。　　Moosu's　cards　were　duplicated　and

the　hunters　fell　to　gambling　among　themselves。　　Tummasook　beat　his

wife　horribly；　and　his　mother's　brother　objected　and　smote　him　with

a　tusk　of　walrus　till　he　cried　aloud　in　the　night　and　was　shamed

before　the　people。　　Also；　amid　such　diversions　no　hunting　was　done；

and　famine　fell　upon　the　land。　　The　nights　were　long　and　dark；　and

without　meat　no　hooch　could　be　bought；　so　they　murmured　against　the

chief。　　This　I　had　played　for；　and　when　they　were　well　and　hungry；

I　summoned　the　whole　village；　made　a　great　harangue；　posed　as

patriarch；　and　fed　the　famishing。　　Moosu　made　harangue　likewise；

and　because　of　this　and　the　thing　I　had　done　I　was　made　chief。

Moosu；　who　had　the　ear　of　God　and　decreed　his　judgments；　anointed

me　with　whale　blubber；　and　right　blubberly　he　did　it；　not

understanding　the　ceremony。　　And　between　us　we　interpreted　to　the

people　the　new　theory　of　the　divine　right　of　kings。　　There　was

hooch　galore；　and　meat　and　feastings；　and　they　took　kindly　to　the

new　order。



〃So　you　see；　O　man；　I　have　sat　in　the　high　places；　and　worn　the

purple；　and　ruled　populations。　　And　I　might　yet　be　a　king　had　the

tobacco　held　out；　or　had　Moosu　been　more　fool　and　less　knave。　　For

he　cast　eyes　upon　Esanetuk；　eldest　daughter　to　Tummasook；　and　I

objected。



〃'O　brother；'　he　explained；　'thou　hast　seen　fit　to　speak　of

introducing　new　institutions　amongst　this　people；　and　I　have

listened　to　thy　words　and　gained　wisdom　thereby。　　Thou　rulest　by

the　God…given　right；　and　by　the　God…given　right　I　marry。'



〃I　noted　that　he　'brothered'　me；　and　was　angry　and　put　my　foot

down。　　But　he　fell　back　upon　the　people　and　made　incantations　for

three　days；　in　which　all　hands　joined；　and　then；　speaking　with　the

voice　of　God；　he　decreed　polygamy　by　divine　fiat。　　But　he　was

shrewd；　for　he　limited　the　number　of　wives　by　a　property

qualification；　and　because　of　which　he；　above　all　men；　was　favoured

by　his　wealth。　　Nor　could　I　fail　to　admire；　though　it　was　plain

that　power　had　turned　his　head；　and　he　would　not　be　satisfied　till

all　the　power　and　all　the　wealth　rested　in　his　own　hands。　　So　he

became　swollen　with　pride；　forgot　it　was　I　that　had　placed　him

there；　and　made　preparations　to　destroy　me。



〃But　it　was　interesting；　for　the　beggar　was　working　out　in　his　own

way　an　evolution　of　primitive　society。　　Now　I；　by　virtue　of　the

hooch　monopoly；　drew　a　revenue　in　which　I　no　longer　permitted　him

to　share。　　So　he　meditated　for　a　while　and　evolved　a　system　of

ecclesiastical　taxation。　　He　laid　tithes　upon　the　people；　haran