beasts, men and gods-第5章

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ustom　of　the　bears　of　housing　during　the　winter　under　the　trunks　of　fallen　trees。　　I　shouted　and　struck　my　kettle　with　the　ax。　　My　early　visitor　made　off　with　all　his　energy；　but　his　visit　did　not　please　me。　　It　was　very　early　in　the　spring　that　this　occurred　and　the　bear　should　not　yet　have　left　his　hibernating　place。　　He　was　the　so…called　〃ant…eater；〃　an　abnormal　type　of　bear　lacking　in　all　the　etiquette　of　the　first　families　of　the　bear　clan。

I　knew　that　the　〃ant…eaters〃　were　very　irritable　and　audacious　and　quickly　I　prepared　myself　for　both　the　defence　and　the　charge。　　My　preparations　were　short。　　I　rubbed　off　the　ends　of　five　of　my　cartridges；　thus　making　dum…dums　out　of　them；　a　sufficiently　intelligible　argument　for　so　unwelcome　a　guest。　　Putting　on　my　coat　I　went　to　the　place　where　I　had　first　met　the　bear　and　where　there　were　many　ant…hills。　　I　made　a　detour　of　the　whole　mountain；　looked　in　all　the　ravines　but　nowhere　found　my　caller。　　Disappointed　and　tired；　I　was　approaching　my　shelter　quite　off　my　guard　when　I　suddenly　discovered　the　king　of　the　forest　himself　just　coming　out　of　my　lowly　dwelling　and　sniffing　all　around　the　entrance　to　it。　　I　shot。　　The　bullet　pierced　his　side。　　He　roared　with　pain　and　anger　and　stood　up　on　his　hind　legs。　　As　the　second　bullet　broke　one　of　these；　he　squatted　down　but　immediately；　dragging　the　leg　and　endeavoring　to　stand　upright；　moved　to　attack　me。　　Only　the　third　bullet　in　his　breast　stopped　him。　　He　weighed　about　two　hundred　to　two　hundred　fifty　pounds；　as　near　as　I　could　guess；　and　was　very　tasty。　　He　appeared　at　his　best　in　cutlets　but　only　a　little　less　wonderful　in　the　Hamburg　steaks　which　I　rolled　and　roasted　on　hot　stones；　watching　them　swell　out　into　great　balls　that　were　as　light　as　the　finest　souffle　omelettes　we　used　to　have　at　the　〃Medved〃　in　Petrograd。　　On　this　welcome　addition　to　my　larder　I　lived　from　then　until　the　ground　dried　out　and　the　stream　ran　down　enough　so　that　I　could　travel　down　along　the　river　to　the　country　whither　Ivan　had　directed　me。

Ever　traveling　with　the　greatest　precautions　I　made　the　journey　down　along　the　river　on　foot；　carrying　from　my　winter　quarters　all　my　household　furniture　and　goods；　wrapped　up　in　the　deerskin　bag　which　I　formed　by　tying　the　legs　together　in　an　awkward　knot；　and　thus　laden　fording　the　small　streams　and　wading　through　the　swamps　that　lay　across　my　path。　　After　fifty　odd　miles　of　this　I　came　to　the　country　called　Sifkova；　where　I　found　the　cabin　of　a　peasant　named　Tropoff；　located　closest　to　the　forest　that　came　to　be　my　natural　environment。　　With　him　I　lived　for　a　time。

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Now　in　these　unimaginable　surroundings　of　safety　and　peace；　summing　up　the　total　of　my　experience　in　the　Siberian　taiga；　I　make　the　following　deductions。　　In　every　healthy　spiritual　individual　of　our　times；　occasions　of　necessity　resurrect　the　traits　of　primitive　man；　hunter　and　warrior；　and　help　him　in　the　struggle　with　nature。　It　is　the　prerogative　of　the　man　with　the　trained　mind　and　spirit　over　the　untrained；　who　does　not　possess　sufficient　science　and　will　power　to　carry　him　through。　　But　the　price　that　the　cultured　man　must　pay　is　that　for　him　there　exists　nothing　more　awful　than　absolute　solitude　and　the　knowledge　of　complete　isolation　from　human　society　and　the　life　of　moral　and　aesthetic　culture。　　One　step；　one　moment　of　weakness　and　dark　madness　will　seize　a　man　and　carry　him　to　inevitable　destruction。　　I　spent　awful　days　of　struggle　with　the　cold　and　hunger　but　I　passed　more　terrible　days　in　the　struggle　of　the　will　to　kill　weakening　destructive　thoughts。　The　memories　of　these　days　freeze　my　heart　and　mind　and　even　now；　as　I　revive　them　so　clearly　by　writing　of　my　experiences；　they　throw　me　back　into　a　state　of　fear　and　apprehension。　　Moreover；　I　am　compelled　to　observe　that　the　people　in　highly　civilized　states　give　too　little　regard　to　the　training　that　is　useful　to　man　in　primitive　conditions；　in　conditions　incident　to　the　struggle　against　nature　for　existence。　　It　is　the　single　normal　way　to　develop　a　new　generation　of　strong；　healthy；　iron　men；　with　at　the　same　time　sensitive　souls。

Nature　destroys　the　weak　but　helps　the　strong；　awakening　in　the　soul　emotions　which　remain　dormant　under　the　urban　conditions　of　modern　life。


CHAPTER　VI

A　RIVER　IN　TRAVAIL


My　presence　in　the　Sifkova　country　was　not　for　long　but　I　used　it　in　full　measure。　　First；　I　sent　a　man　in　whom　I　had　confidence　and　whom　I　considered　trustworthy　to　my　friends　in　the　town　that　I　had　left　and　received　from　them　linen；　boots；　money　and　a　small　case　of　first　aid　materials　and　essential　medicines；　and；　what　was　most　important；　a　passport　in　another　name；　since　I　was　dead　for　the　Bolsheviki。　　Secondly；　in　these　more　or　less　favorable　conditions　I　reflected　upon　the　plan　for　my　future　actions。　　Soon　in　Sifkova　the　people　heard　that　the　Bolshevik　commissar　would　come　for　the　requisition　of　cattle　for　the　Red　Army。　　It　was　dangerous　to　remain　longer。　　I　waited　only　until　the　Yenisei　should　lose　its　massive　lock　of　ice；　which　kept　it　sealed　long　after　the　small　rivulets　had　opened　and　the　trees　had　taken　on　their　spring　foliage。　　For　one　thousand　roubles　I　engaged　a　fisherman　who　agreed　to　take　me　fifty…　five　miles　up　the　river　to　an　abandoned　gold　mine　as　soon　as　the　river；　which　had　then　only　opened　in　places；　should　be　entirely　clear　of　ice。　　At　last　one　morning　I　heard　a　deafening　roar　like　a　tremendous　cannonade　and　ran　out　to　find　the　river　had　lifted　its　great　bulk　of　ice　and　then　given　way　to　break　it　up。　　I　rushed　on　down　to　the　bank；　where　I　witnessed　an　awe…inspiring　but　magnificent　scene。　　The　river　had　brought　down　the　great　volume　of　ice　that　had　been　dislodged　in　the　south　and　was　carrying　it　northward　under　the　thick　layer　which　still　covered　parts　of　the　stream　until　finally　its　weight　had　broken　the　winter　dam　to　the　north　and　released　the　whole　grand　mass　in　one　last　rush　for　the　Arctic。　　The　Yenisei；　〃Father　Yenisei；〃　〃Hero　Yenisei；〃　is　one　of　the　longest　rivers　in　Asia；　deep　and　magnificent；　especially　through　the　middle　range　of　its　course；　where　it　is　flanked　and　held　in　canyon…like　by　great　towering　ranges。　　The　huge　stream　had　brought　down　whole　miles　of　ice　fields；　breaking　them　up　on　the　rapids　and　on　isolated　rocks；　twisting　them　with　angry　swirls；　throwing　up　sections　of　the　black　winter　roads；　carrying　down　the　tepees　built　for　the　use　of　passing　caravans　which　in　the　Winter　always　go　from　Minnusinsk　to　Krasnoyarsk　on　the　frozen　river。　　From　time　to　time　the　stream　stopped　in　its　flow；　the　roar　began　and　the　great　fields　of　ice　were　squeezed　and　piled　upward；　sometimes　as　high　as　thirty　feet；　damming　up　the　water　behind；　so　that　it　rapidly　rose　and　ran　out　over　the　low　places；　casting　on　the　shore　great　masses　of　ice。　　Then　the　power　of　the　reinforced　waters　conquered　the　towering　dam　of　ice　and　carried　it　downward　with　a　sound　like　breaking　glass。　　At　the　bends　in　the　river　and　round　the　great　rocks　developed　terrifying　chaos。　　Huge　blocks　of　ice　jammed　and　jostled　until　some　were　thrown　clear　into　the　air；　crashing　against　others　already　there；　or　were　hurled　against　the　curving　cliffs　and　banks；　tearing　out　boulders；　earth　and　trees　high　up　the　sides。　　All　along　the　low　embankments　this　giant　of　nature　flung　upward　with　a　suddenness　that　leaves　man　but　a　pigmy　in　force　a　great　wall　of　ice　fifteen　to　twenty　feet　high；　which　the　peasants　call　〃Zaberega〃　and　through　which　they　cannot　get　to　the　river　without　cutting　out　a　road。　　One　incredible　feat　I　saw　the　giant　perform；　when　a　block　many　feet　thick　and　many　yards　square　was　hurled　through　the　air　and　dropped　to　crush　saplings　and　little　trees　more　than　a　half　hundred　feet　from　the　bank。

Watching　this　glorious　withdrawal　of　the　ice；　I　was　filled　with　terror　and　revolt　at　seeing　the　awful　spoils　which　the　Yenisei　bore　away　in　this　annual　retreat。　　These　were　the　bodies　of　the　executed　counter…revolutionariesofficers；　soldiers　and　Cossacks　of　the　former　army　of　the　Superior　Governor　of　all　anti…Bolshevik　Russia；　Admiral　Kolchak。　　They　were　the　results　of　the　bloody　work　of　the　〃Cheka〃　at　Minnusinsk。　　Hundreds　of　these　bodies　wi