按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Holy Cross。 You can make it if you're careful not to over…exert。
I'll give you grub； a sled； and three dogs。 You'll be as safe as
if you were in jail； for you can't get out of the country。 And
I'll give you one chance。 You're almost dead。 Very well。 I shall
send no word to the Company until the spring。 In the meantime； the
thing for you to do is to die。 Now MUSH！〃
〃You go to bed！〃 Jees Uck insisted； when Amos had churned away into
the night towards Holy Cross。 〃You sick man yet； Neil。〃
〃And you're a good girl； Jees Uck；〃 he answered。 〃And here's my
hand on it。 But you must go home。〃
〃You don't like me；〃 she said simply。
He smiled； helped her on with her PARKA； and led her to the door。
〃Only too well； Jees Uck；〃 he said softly； 〃only too well。〃
After that the pall of the Arctic night fell deeper and blacker on
the land。 Neil Bonner discovered that he had failed to put proper
valuation upon even the sullen face of the murderous and death…
stricken Amos。 It became very lonely at Twenty Mile。 〃For the
love of God； Prentiss； send me a man；〃 he wrote to the agent at
Fort Hamilton； three hundred miles up river。 Six weeks later the
Indian messenger brought back a reply。 It was characteristic：
〃Hell。 Both feet frozen。 Need him myselfPrentiss。〃
To make matters worse； most of the Toyaats were in the back country
on the flanks of a caribou herd； and Jees Uck was with them。
Removing to a distance seemed to bring her closer than ever； and
Neil Bonner found himself picturing her； day by day； in camp and on
trail。 It is not good to be alone。 Often he went out of the quiet
store； bare…headed and frantic； and shook his fist at the blink of
day that came over the southern sky…line。 And on still； cold
nights he left his bed and stumbled into the frost； where he
assaulted the silence at the top of his lungs； as though it were
some tangible； sentiment thing that he might arouse； or he shouted
at the sleeping dogs till they howled and howled again。 One shaggy
brute he brought into the post； playing that it was the new man
sent by Prentiss。 He strove to make it sleep decently under
blankets at nights and to sit at table and eat as a man should； but
the beast； mere domesticated wolf that it was； rebelled； and sought
out dark corners and snarled and bit him in the leg； and was
finally beaten and driven forth。
Then the trick of personification seized upon Neil Bonner and
mastered him。 All the forces of his environment metamorphosed into
living； breathing entities and came to live with him。 He recreated
the primitive pantheon； reared an altar to the sun and burned
candle fat and bacon grease thereon； and in the unfenced yard； by
the long…legged cache； made a frost devil； which he was wont to
make faces at and mock when the mercury oozed down into the bulb。
All this in play； of course。 He said it to himself that it was in
play； and repeated it over and over to make sure； unaware that
madness is ever prone to express itself in make…believe and play。
One midwinter day； Father Champreau； a Jesuit missionary； pulled
into Twenty Mile。 Bonner fell upon him and dragged him into the
post； and clung to him and wept； until the priest wept with him
from sheer compassion。 Then Bonner became madly hilarious and made
lavish entertainment； swearing valiantly that his guest should not
depart。 But Father Champreau was pressing to Salt Water on urgent
business for his order； and pulled out next morning； with Bonner's
blood threatened on his head。
And the threat was in a fair way toward realization； when the
Toyaats returned from their long hunt to the winter camp。 They had
many furs； and there was much trading and stir at Twenty Mile。
Also； Jees Uck came to buy beads and scarlet cloths and things； and
Bonner began to find himself again。 He fought for a week against
her。 Then the end came one night when she rose to leave。 She had
not forgotten her repulse； and the pride that drove Spike O'Brien
on to complete the North…West Passage by land was her pride。
〃I go now；〃 she said； 〃good…night； Neil。〃
But he came up behind her。 〃Nay； it is not well；〃 he said。
And as she turned her face toward his with a sudden joyful flash；
he bent forward； slowly and gravely； as it were a sacred thing； and
kissed her on the lips。 The Toyaats had never taught her the
meaning of a kiss upon the lips； but she understood and was glad。
With the coming of Jees Uck； at once things brightened up。 She was
regal in her happiness； a source of unending delight。 The
elemental workings of her mind and her naive little ways made an
immense sum of pleasurable surprise to the over…civilized man that
had stooped to catch her up。 Not alone was she solace to his
loneliness； but her primitiveness rejuvenated his jaded mind。 It
was as though； after long wandering； he had returned to pillow his
head in the lap of Mother Earth。 In short； in Jees Uck he found
the youth of the worldthe youth and the strength and the joy。
And to fill the full round of his need； and that they might not see
overmuch of each other； there arrived at Twenty Mile one Sandy
MacPherson； as companionable a man as ever whistled along the trail
or raised a ballad by a camp…fire。 A Jesuit priest had run into
his camp； a couple of hundred miles up the Yukon； in the nick of
time to say a last word over the body of Sandy's partner。 And on
departing； the priest had said； 〃My son； you will be lonely now。〃
And Sandy had bowed his head brokenly。 〃At Twenty Mile；〃 the
priest added； 〃there is a lonely man。 You have need of each other；
my son。〃
So it was that Sandy became a welcome third at the post； brother to
the man and woman that resided there。 He took Bonner moose…hunting
and wolf…trapping； and； in return； Bonner resurrected a battered
and way…worn volume and made him friends with Shakespeare； till
Sandy declaimed iambic pentameters to his sled…dogs whenever they
waxed mutinous。 And of the long evenings they played cribbage and
talked and disagreed about the universe； the while Jees Uck rocked
matronly in an easy…chair and darned their moccasins and socks。
Spring came。 The sun shot up out of the south。 The land exchanged
its austere robes for the garb of a smiling wanton。 Everywhere
light laughed and life invited。 The days stretched out their balmy
length and the nights passed from blinks of darkness to no darkness
at all。 The river bared its bosom； and snorting steamboats
challenged the wilderness。 There were stir and bustle； new faces；
and fresh facts。 An assistant arrived at Twenty Mile； and Sandy
MacPherson wandered off with a bunch of prospectors to invade the
Koyokuk country。 And there were newspapers and magazines and
letters for Neil Bonner。 And Jees Uck looked on in worriment； for
she knew his kindred talked with him across the world。
Without much shock； it came to him that his father was dead。 There
was a sweet letter of forgiveness； dictated in his last hours。
There were official letters from the Company； graciously ordering
him to turn the post over to the assistant and permitting him to
depart at his earliest pleasure。 A long； legal affair from the
lawyers informed him of interminable lists of stocks and bonds；
real estate； rents； and chattels that were his by his father's
will。 And a dainty bit of stationery； sealed and monogramed；
implored dear Neil's return to his heart…broken and loving mother。
Neil Bonner did some swift thinking； and when the Yukon Belle
coughed in to the bank on her way down to Bering Sea； he departed
departed with the ancient lie of quick return young and blithe on
his lips。
〃I'll come back； dear Jees Uck； before the first snow flies；〃 he
promised her； between the last kisses at the gang…plank。
And not only did he promise； but； like the majority of men under
the same circumstances； he really meant it。 To John Thompson； the