the faith of men(人们的信任)-第3章
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pelted him with cobbles； and raced him around the valley three times
before I knocked off for supper。 Don't you see？ A race…course！ A man
and a mammoth！ A hippodrome； with sun； moon； and stars to referee！
〃It took me two months to do it； but I did it。 And that's no beaver
dream。 Round and round I ran him； me travelling on the inner circle；
eating jerked meat and salmon berries on the run； and snatching winks of
sleep between。 Of course； he'd get desperate at times and turn。 Then I'd
head for soft ground where the creek spread out； and lay anathema upon
him and his ancestry； and dare him to come on。 But he was too wise to
bog in a mud puddle。 Once he pinned me in against the walls； and I
crawled back into a deep crevice and waited。 Whenever he felt for me
with his trunk； I'd belt him with the hand…axe till he pulled out； shrieking
fit to split my ear drums； he was that mad。 He knew he had me and didn't
have me； and it near drove him wild。 But he was no man's fool。 He
knew he was safe as long as I stayed in the crevice； and he made up his
mind to keep me there。 And he was dead right； only he hadn't figured on
the commissary。 There was neither grub nor water around that spot； so
on the face of it he couldn't keep up the siege。 He'd stand before the
opening for hours； keeping an eye on me and flapping mosquitoes away
with his big blanket ears。 Then the thirst would come on him and he'd
ramp round and roar till the earth shook； calling me every name he could
lay tongue to。 This was to frighten me； of course； and when he thought I
was sufficiently impressed； he'd back away softly and try to make a sneak
for the creek。 Sometimes I'd let him get almost thereonly a couple of
hundred yards away it waswhen out I'd pop and back he'd come；
lumbering along like the old landslide he was。 After I'd done this a few
times； and he'd figured it out； he changed his tactics。 Grasped the time
element； you see。 Without a word of warning； away he'd go； tearing for
the water like mad； scheming to get there and back before I ran away。
Finally； after cursing me most horribly； he raised the siege and deliberately
stalked off to the water…hole。
〃That was the only time he penned me；three days of it；but after that
the hippodrome never stopped。 Round； and round； and round； like a six
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days' go…as…I…please； for he never pleased。 My clothes went to rags and
tatters； but I never stopped to mend； till at last I ran naked as a son of earth；
with nothing but the old hand…axe in one hand and a cobble in the other。
In fact； I never stopped； save for peeps of sleep in the crannies and ledges
of the cliffs。 As for the bull； he got perceptibly thinner and thinnermust
have lost several tons at leastand as nervous as a schoolmarm on the
wrong side of matrimony。 When I'd come up with him and yell； or lain
him with a rock at long range； he'd jump like a skittish colt and tremble all
over。 Then he'd pull out on the run； tail and trunk waving stiff； head over
one shoulder and wicked eyes blazing； and the way he'd swear at me was
something dreadful。 A most immoral beast he was； a murderer； and a
blasphemer。
〃But towards the end he quit all this； and fell to whimpering and
crying like a baby。 His spirit broke and he became a quivering jelly…
mountain of misery。 He'd get attacks of palpitation of the heart； and
stagger around like a drunken man； and fall down and bark his shins。
And then he'd cry； but always on the run。 O man； the gods themselves
would have wept with him； and you yourself or any other man。 It was
pitiful； and there was so I much of it； but I only hardened my heart and hit
up the pace。 At last I wore him clean out； and he lay down； broken…
winded； broken…hearted； hungry； and thirsty。 When I found he wouldn't
budge； I hamstrung him； and spent the better part of the day wading into
him with the hand…axe； he a…sniffing and sobbing till I worked in far
enough to shut him off。 Thirty feet long he was； and twenty high； and a
man could sling a hammock between his tusks and sleep comfortably。
Barring the fact that I had run most of the juices out of him； he was fair
eating； and his four feet； alone； roasted whole； would have lasted a man a
twelvemonth。 I spent the winter there myself。〃
〃And where is this valley？〃 I asked
He waved his hand in the direction of the north…east； and said： 〃Your
tobacco is very good。 I carry a fair share of it in my pouch； but I shall
carry the recollection of it until I die。 In token of my appreciation； and in
return for the moccasins on your own feet； I will present to you these
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muclucs。 They commemorate Klooch and the seven blind little beggars。
They are also souvenirs of an unparalleled event in history； namely； the
destruction of the oldest breed of animal on earth； and the youngest。 And
their chief virtue lies in that they will never wear out。〃
Having effected the exchange； he knocked the ashes from his pipe；
gripped my hand good…night； and wandered off through the snow。
Concerning this tale； for which I have already disclaimed responsibility； I
would recommend those of little faith to make a visit to the Smithsonian
Institute。 If they bring the requisite credentials and do not come in
vacation time； they will undoubtedly gain an audience with Professor
Dolvidson。 The muclucs are in his possession； and he will verify； not the
manner in which they were obtained； but the material of which they are
composed。 When he states that they are made from the skin of the
mammoth； the scientific world accepts his verdict。 What more would
you have？
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A HYPERBOREAN BREW
＇The story of a scheming white man among the strange people who
live on the rim of the Arctic sea＇
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
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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
