the faith of men-第5节

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Ipsukuk　fell　to　weeping　for　a　son　lost　long　years　agone　in　the　ice；

and　the　shaman　made　incantation　and　prophecy。　　So　it　went；　and

before　morning　they　were　all　on　the　floor；　sleeping　soundly　with

the　gods。



〃The　story　tells　itself；　does　it　not？　　The　news　of　the　magic　potion

spread。　　It　was　too　marvellous　for　utterance。　　Tongues　could　tell

but　a　tithe　of　the　miracles　it　performed。　　It　eased　pain；　gave

surcease　to　sorrow；　brought　back　old　memories；　dead　faces；　and

forgotten　dreams。　　It　was　a　fire　that　ate　through　all　the　blood；

and；　burning；　burned　not。　　It　stoutened　the　heart；　stiffened　the

back；　and　made　men　more　than　men。　　It　revealed　the　future；　and　gave

visions　and　prophecy。　　It　brimmed　with　wisdom　and　unfolded　secrets。

There　was　no　end　of　the　things　it　could　do；　and　soon　there　was　a

clamouring　on　all　hands　to　sleep　with　the　gods。　　They　brought　their

warmest　furs；　their　strongest　dogs；　their　best　meats；　but　I　sold

the　hooch　with　discretion；　and　only　those　were　favoured　that

brought　flour　and　molasses　and　sugar。　　And　such　stores　poured　in

that　I　set　Moosu　to　build　a　cache　to　hold　them；　for　there　was　soon

no　space　in　the　igloo。　　Ere　three　days　had　passed　Tummasook　had

gone　bankrupt。　　The　shaman；　who　was　never　more　than　half　drunk

after　the　first　night；　watched　me　closely　and　hung　on　for　the

better　part　of　the　week。　　But　before　ten　days　were　gone；　even　the


woman　Ipsukuk　exhausted　her　provisions；　and　went　home　weak　and

tottery。



〃But　Moosu　complained。　　'O　master；'　he　said；　'we　have　laid　by　great

wealth　in　molasses　and　sugar　and　flour；　but　our　shack　is　yet　mean；

our　clothes　thin；　and　our　sleeping　furs　mangy。　　There　is　a　call　of

the　belly　for　meat　the　stench　of　which　offends　not　the　stars；　and

for　tea　such　as　Tummasook　guzzles；　and　there　is　a　great　yearning

for　the　tobacco　of　Neewak；　who　is　shaman　and　who　plans　to　destroy

us。　　I　have　flour　until　I　am　sick；　and　sugar　and　molasses　without

stint；　yet　is　the　heart　of　Moosu　sore　and　his　bed　empty。'



〃'Peace！'　I　answered；　'thou　art　weak　of　understanding　and　a　fool。

Walk　softly　and　wait；　and　we　will　grasp　it　all。　　But　grasp　now；　and

we　grasp　little；　and　in　the　end　it　will　be　nothing。　　Thou　art　a

child　in　the　way　of　the　white　man's　wisdom。　　Hold　thy　tongue　and

watch；　and　I　will　show　you　the　way　my　brothers　do　overseas；　and；　so

doing；　gather　to　themselves　the　riches　of　the　earth。　　It　is　what　is

called　〃business；〃　and　what　dost　thou　know　about　business？'



〃But　the　next　day　he　came　in　breathless。　　'O　master；　a　strange

thing　happeneth　in　the　igloo　of　Neewak；　the　shaman；　wherefore　we

are　lost；　and　we　have　neither　worn　the　warm　furs　nor　tasted　the

good　tobacco；　what　of　your　madness　for　the　molasses　and　flour。　　Go

thou　and　witness　whilst　I　watch　by　the　brew。'



〃So　I　went　to　the　igloo　of　Neewak。　　And　behold；　he　had　made　his　own

still；　fashioned　cunningly　after　mine。　　And　as　he　beheld　me　he

could　ill　conceal　his　triumph。　　For　he　was　a　man　of　parts；　and　his

sleep　with　the　gods　when　in　my　igloo　had　not　been　sound。



〃But　I　was　not　disturbed；　for　I　knew　what　I　knew；　and　when　I

returned　to　my　own　igloo；　I　descanted　to　Moosu；　and　said：　　'Happily

the　property　right　obtains　amongst　this　people；　who　otherwise　have

been　blessed　with　but　few　of　the　institutions　of　men。　　And　because

of　this　respect　for　property　shall　you　and　I　wax　fat；　and；　further；

we　shall　introduce　amongst　them　new　institutions　that　other　peoples

have　worked　out　through　great　travail　and　suffering。'



〃But　Moosu　understood　dimly；　till　the　shaman　came　forth；　with　eyes

flashing　and　a　threatening　note　in　his　voice；　and　demanded　to　trade

with　me。　　'For　look　you；'　he　cried；　'there　be　of　flour　and　molasses

none　in　all　the　village。　　The　like　have　you　gathered　with　a　shrewd

hand　from　my　people；　who　have　slept　with　your　gods　and　who　now　have

nothing　save　large　heads；　and　weak　knees；　and　a　thirst　for　cold

water　that　they　cannot　quench。　　This　is　not　good；　and　my　voice　has

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　i