08-an odyssey of the north-第6部分

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skins　were　mine。　Then　I　crossed　on　the　ice；　which　was　broken；　and　once

I　drifted　till　a　gale　from　the　west　put　me　upon　the　shore。　And　after

that；　Golovin　Bay；　Pastilik；　and　the　priest。　Then　south；　south；　to　the

warm　sunlands　where　first　I　wandered。

　　'But　the　sea　was　no　longer　fruitful；　and　those　who　went　upon　it

after　the　seal　went　to　little　profit　and　great　risk。　The　fleets

scattered；　and　the　captains　and　the　men　had　no　word　of　those　I　sought。

So　I　turned　away　from　the　ocean　which　never　rests；　and　went　among

the　lands；　where　the　trees；　the　houses；　and　the　mountains　sit　always

in　one　place　and　do　not　move。　I　journeyed　far；　and　came　to　learn

many　things；　even　to　the　way　of　reading　and　writing　from　books。　It　was

well　I　should　do　this；　for　it　came　upon　me　that　Unga　must　know　these

things；　and　that　someday；　when　the　time　was　met…　we…　you　understand；

when　the　time　was　met。

　　'So　I　drifted；　like　those　little　fish　which　raise　a　sail　to　the　wind

but　cannot　steer。　But　my　eyes　and　my　ears　were　open　always；　and　I　went

among　men　who　traveled　much；　for　I　knew　they　had　but　to　see　those　I

sought　to　remember。　At　last　there　came　a　man；　fresh　from　the

mountains；　with　pieces　of　rock　in　which　the　free　gold　stood　to　the

size　of　peas；　and　he　had　heard；　he　had　met；　he　knew　them。　They　were

rich；　he　said；　and　lived　in　the　place　where　they　drew　the　gold　from

the　ground。

　　'It　was　in　a　wild　country；　and　very　far　away；　but　in　time　I　came

to　the　camp；　hidden　between　the　mountains；　where　men　worked　night

and　day；　out　of　the　sight　of　the　sun。　Yet　the　time　was　not　come。　I

listened　to　the　talk　of　the　people。　He　had　gone　away…　they　had　gone

away…　to　England；　it　was　said；　in　the　matter　of　bringing　men　with　much

money　together　to　form　companies。　I　saw　the　house　they　had　lived　in；

more　like　a　palace；　such　as　one　sees　in　the　old　countries。　In　the

nighttime　I　crept　in　through　a　window　that　I　might　see　in　what

manner　he　treated　her。　I　went　from　room　to　room；　and　in　such　way

thought　kings　and　queens　must　live；　it　was　all　so　very　good。　And

they　all　said　he　treated　her　like　a　queen；　and　many　marveled　as　to

what　breed　of　woman　she　was　for　there　was　other　blood　in　her　veins；

and　she　was　different　from　the　women　of　Akatan；　and　no　one　knew　her

for　what　she　was。　Aye；　she　was　a　queen；　but　I　was　a　chief；　and　the　son

of　a　chief；　and　I　had　paid　for　her　an　untold　price　of　skin　and　boat

and　bead。

　　'But　why　so　many　words？　I　was　a　sailorman；　and　knew　the　way　of　the

ships　on　the　seas。　I　followed　to　England；　and　then　to　other　countries。

Sometimes　I　heard　of　them　by　word　of　mouth；　sometimes　I　read　of　them

in　the　papers；　yet　never　once　could　I　come　by　them；　for　they　had

much　money；　and　traveled　fast；　while　I　was　a　poor　man。　Then　came

trouble　upon　them；　and　their　wealth　slipped　away　one　day　like　a　curl

of　smoke。　The　papers　were　full　of　it　at　the　time；　but　after　that

nothing　was　said；　and　I　knew　they　had　gone　back　where　more　gold

could　be　got　from　the　ground。

　　'They　had　dropped　out　of　the　world；　being　now　poor；　and　so　I

wandered　from　camp　to　camp；　even　north　to　the　Kootenay　country；

where　I　picked　up　the　cold　scent。　They　had　come　and　gone；　some　said

this　way；　and　some　that；　and　still　others　that　they　had　gone　to　the

country　of　the　Yukon。　And　I　went　this　way；　and　I　went　that；　ever

journeying　from　place　to　place；　till　it　seemed　I　must　grow　weary　of

the　world　which　was　so　large。　But　in　the　Kootenay　I　traveled　a　bad

trail；　and　a　long　trail；　with　a　breed　of　the　Northwest；　who　saw　fit　to

die　when　the　famine　pinched。　He　had　been　to　the　Yukon　by　an　unknown

way　over　the　mountains；　and　when　he　knew　his　time　was　near　gave　me　the

map　and　the　secret　of　a　place　where　he　swore　by　his　gods　there　was

much　gold。

　　'After　that　all　the　world　began　to　flock　into　the　north。　I　was　a

poor　man；　I　sold　myself　to　be　a　driver　of　dogs。　The　rest　you　know。　I

met　him　and　her　in　Dawson。　She　did　not　know　me；　for　I　was　only　a

stripling；　and　her　life　had　been　large；　so　she　had　no　time　to　remember

the　one　who　had　paid　for　her　an　untold　price。

　　'So？　You　bought　me　from　my　term　of　service。　I　went　back　to　bring

things　about　in　my　own　way；　for　I　had　waited　long；　and　now　that　I

had　my　hand　upon　him　was　in　no　hurry。　As　I　say；　I　had　it　in　mind　to　do

my　own　way；　for　I　read　back　in　my　life；　through　all　I　had　seen　and

suffered；　and　remembered　the　cold　and　hunger　of　the　endless　forest

by　the　Russian　seas。　As　you　know；　I　led　him　into　the　east…　him　and

Unga…　into　the　east　where　many　have　gone　and　few　returned。　I　led

them　to　the　spot　where　the　bones　and　the　curses　of　men　lie　with　the

gold　which　they　may　not　have。

　　'The　way　was　long　and　the　trail　unpacked。　Our　dogs　were　many　and　ate

much；　nor　could　our　sleds　carry　till　the　break　of　spring。　We　must　come

back　before　the　river　ran　free。　So　here　and　there　we　cached　grub；　that

our　sleds　might　be　lightened　and　there　be　no　chance　of　famine　on　the

back　trip。　At　the　McQuestion　there　were　three　men；　and　near　them　we

built　a　cache；　as　also　did　we　at　the　Mayo；　where　was　a　hunting　camp　of

a　dozen　Pellys　which　had　crossed　the　divide　from　the　south。　After

that；　as　we　went　on　into　the　east；　we　saw　no　men；　only　the　sleeping

river；　the　moveless　forest；　and　the　White　Silence　of　the　North。　As　I

say；　the　way　was　long　and　the　trail　unpacked。　Sometimes；　in　a　day's

toil；　we　made　no　more　than　eight　miles；　or　ten；　and　at　night　we

slept　like　dead　men。　And　never　once　did　they　dream　that　I　was　Naass；

head　man　of　Akatan；　the　righter　of　wrongs。

　　'We　now　made　smaller　caches；　and　in　the　nighttime　it　was　a　small

matter　to　go　back　on　the　trail　we　had　broken　and　change　them　in　such

way　that　one　might　deem　the　wolverines　the　thieves。　Again　there　be

places　where　there　is　a　fall　to　the　river；　and　the　water　is　unruly；

and　the　ice　makes　above　and　is　eaten　away　beneath。　In　such　a　spot

the　sled　I　drove　broke　through；　and　the　dogs；　and　to　him　and　Unga　it

was　ill　luck；　but　no　more。　And　there　was　much　grub　on　that　sled；　and

the　dogs　the　strongest。　But　he　laughed；　for　he　was　strong　of　life；　and

gave　the　dogs　that　were　left　little　grub　till　we　cut　them　from　the

harnesses　one　by　one　and　fed　them　to　their　mates。　We　would　go　home

light；　he　said；　traveling　and　eating　from　cache　to　cache；　with　neither

dogs　nor　sleds；　which　was　true；　for　our　grub　was　very　short；　and　the

last　dog　died　in　the　traces　the　night　we　came　to　the　gold　and　the

bones　and　the　curses　of　men。

　　'To　reach　that　place…　and　the　map　spoke　true…　in　the　heart　of　the

great　mountains；　we　cut　ice　steps　against　the　wall　of　a　divide。　One

looked　for　a　valley　beyond；　but　there　was　no　valley；　the　snow　spread

away；　level　as　the　great　harvest　plains；　and　here　and　there　about　us

mighty　mountains　shoved　their　white　heads　among　the　stars。　And

midway　on　that　strange　plain　which　should　have　been　a　valley　the　earth

and　the　snow　fell　away；　straight　down　toward　the　heart　of　the　world。

Had　we　not　been　sailormen　our　heads　would　have　swung　round　with　the

sight；　but　we　stood　on　the　dizzy　edge　that　we　might　see　a　way　to　get

down。　And　on　one　side；　and　one　side　only；　the　wall　had　fallen　away

till　it　was　like　the　slope　of　the　decks　in　a　topsail　breeze。　I　do

not　know　why　this　thing　should　be　so；　but　it　was　so。　〃It　is　the

mouth　of　hell；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　go　down。〃　And　we　went　down。

　　'And　on　the　bottom　there　was　a　cabin；　built　by　some　man；　of　logs

which　he　had　cast　down　from　above。　It　was　a　very　old　cabin；　for　men

had　died　there　alone　at　different　times；　and　on　pieces　of　birch　bark

which　were　there　we　read　their　last　words　and　their　curses。　One　had

died　of　scurvy；　another's　partner　had　robbed　him　of　his　last　grub

and　powder　and　stolen　away；　a　third　had　been　mauled　by　a　baldface

grizzly；　a　fourth　had　hunted　for　game　and　starved…　and　so　it　went；　and

they　had　been　loath　to　leave　the　gold；　and　had　died　by　the　side　of

it　in　one　way　or　another。　And　the　worthless　gold　they　had　gathered

yellowed　the　floor　of　the　cabin　like　in　a　dream。

　　'But　his　soul　was　steady；　and　his　head　clear；　this　man　I　had　led

thus　far。　〃We　have　nothing　to　eat；〃　he　said；　〃and　we　will　only　look

upon　this　gold；　and　see　whence　it　comes　and　how　much　there　be。　Then　we

will　go　away　quick；　before　it　gets　into　our　eyes　and　steals　away　our

judgment。　And　in　this　way　we　may　return　in　the　end；　with　more　grub；

and　possess　it　all。〃　So　we　looked　upon　the　great　vein；　which　cut　the

wall　of　the　pit　as　a　true　vein　should；　and　we　measured　it；　and

traced　it　from　above　and　below；　and　drove　the　stakes　of　the　claims　and

blazed　the　trees　in　token　of　our　rights。　Then；　our　knees　shaking

with　lack　of　food；　and　a　sickness　in　our　bellies；　and　our　hearts

chugging　close　to　our　mouths；　we　climbed　the　mighty　wall　for　the

last　time　and　turned　our　faces　to　the　back　trip。

　　'The　last　stretch　we　dragged　Unga　between　us；　and　we　fell　often；　but

in　the　end　we　made　the　cache。　And　lo；　there　was　no　grub。　It　was　well

done；　for　he　thought　it　the　wolverines；　and　damned　them　and　his　gods

in　one　breath。　But　Unga　was　brave；　and　smiled；　and　put　her　hand　in

his；　till　I　turned　away　that　I　might　hold　myself。　〃We　will　rest　by　the

fire；〃　she　said；　〃till　morning；　and　we　will　gather　strength　from　our

moccasins。〃　So　we　cut　the　tops　of　our　moccasins　in　strips；　and

boiled　them　half　of　the　night；　that　we　might　chew　them　and　swallow

them。　And　in　the　morning　we　talked　of　our　chance。　The　next　cache　was

five　days'　journey；　we　could　not　make　it。　We　must　find　game。

　　'〃We　will　go　forth　and　hunt；〃　he　said。

　　'〃Yes；〃　said　I；　〃we　will　go　forth　and　hunt。〃

　　'And　he　ruled　that　Unga　stay　by　the　fire　and　save　her　strength。

And　we　went　forth；　he　in　quest　of　the　moose　and　I　to　the　cache　I　had

changed。　But　I　ate　little；　so　they　might　not　see　in　me　much

strength。　And　in　the　night　he　fell　many　times　as　he　drew　into　camp。

And　I；　too；　made　to　suffer　great　weakness；　stumbling　over　my　snowshoes

as　though　each　step　might　be　my　last。　And　we　gathered　strength　from

our　moccasins。