08-an odyssey of the north-第5节

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my　people。　So　that　night　I　added　till　it　became　a　great　pile；　and　I

hauled　up　my　oomiak；　which　was　of　the　value　of　twenty　kayaks。　And　in

the　morning　there　was　no　pile。

　　'Then　made　I　preparation　for　the　wedding；　and　the　people　that

lived　even　to　the　east　came　for　the　food　of　the　feast　and　the　potlatch

token。　Unga　was　older　than　I　by　the　age　of　four　suns　in　the　way　we

reckoned　the　years。　I　was　only　a　stripling；　but　then　I　was　a　chief；

and　the　son　of　a　chief；　and　it　did　not　matter。

　　'But　a　ship　shoved　her　sails　above　the　floor　of　the　ocean；　and

grew　larger　with　the　breath　of　the　wind。　From　her　scuppers　she　ran

clear　water；　and　the　men　were　in　haste　and　worked　hard　at　the　pumps。

On　the　bow　stood　a　mighty　man；　watching　the　depth　of　the　water　and

giving　commands　with　a　voice　of　thunder。　His　eyes　were　of　the　pale

blue　of　the　deep　waters；　and　his　head　was　maned　like　that　of　a　sea

lion。　And　his　hair　was　yellow；　like　the　straw　of　a　southern　harvest　or

the　manila　rope　yarns　which　sailormen　plait。

　　'Of　late　years　we　had　seen　ships　from　afar；　but　this　was　the　first

to　come　to　the　beach　of　Akatan。　The　feast　was　broken；　and　the　women

and　children　fled　to　the　houses；　while　we　men　strung　our　bows　and

waited　with　spears　in　hand。　But　when　the　ship's　forefoot　smelled　the

beach　the　strange　men　took　no　notice　of　us；　being　busy　with　their

own　work。　With　the　falling　of　the　tide　they　careened　the　schooner

and　patched　a　great　hole　in　her　bottom。　So　the　women　crept　back；　and

the　feast　went　on。

　　'When　the　tide　rose；　the　sea　wanderers　kedged　the　schooner　to　deep

water　and　then　came　among　us。　They　bore　presents　and　were　friendly；　so

I　made　room　for　them；　and　out　of　the　largeness　of　my　heart　gave　them

tokens　such　as　I　gave　all　the　guests；　for　it　was　my　wedding　day；　and　I

was　head　man　in　Akatan。　And　he　with　the　mane　of　the　sea　lion　was

there；　so　tall　and　strong　that　one　looked　to　see　the　earth　shake

with　the　fall　of　his　feet。　He　looked　much　and　straight　at　Unga；　with

his　arms　folded；　so；　and　stayed　till　the　sun　went　away　and　the　stars

came　out。　Then　he　went　down　to　his　ship。　After　that　I　took　Unga　by　the

hand　and　led　her　to　my　own　house。　And　there　was　singing　and　great

laughter；　and　the　women　said　sly　things；　after　the　manner　of　women

at　such　times。　But　we　did　not　care。　Then　the　people　left　us　alone

and　went　home。

　　'The　last　noise　had　not　died　away　when　the　chief　of　the　sea

wanderers　came　in　by　the　door。　And　he　had　with　him　black　bottles；　from

which　we　drank　and　made　merry。　You　see；　I　was　only　a　stripling；　and

had　lived　all　my　days　on　the　edge　of　the　world。　So　my　blood　became

as　fire；　and　my　heart　as　light　as　the　froth　that　flies　from　the　surf

to　the　cliff。　Unga　sat　silent　among　the　skins　in　the　corner；　her

eyes　wide；　for　she　seemed　to　fear。　And　he　with　the　mane　of　the　sea

lion　looked　upon　her　straight　and　long。　Then　his　men　came　in　with

bundles　of　goods；　and　he　piled　before　me　wealth　such　as　was　not　in　all

Akatan。　There　were　guns；　both　large　and　small；　and　powder　and　shot　and

shell；　and　bright　axes　and　knives　of　steel；　and　cunning　tools；　and

strange　things　the　like　of　which　I　had　never　seen。　When　he　showed　me

by　sign　that　it　was　all　mine；　I　thought　him　a　great　man　to　be　so　free；

but　he　showed　me　also　that　Unga　was　to　go　away　with　him　in　his　ship。

Do　you　understand？…　that　Unga　was　to　go　away　with　him　in　his　ship。　The

blood　of　my　fathers　flamed　hot　on　the　sudden；　and　I　made　to　drive

him　through　with　my　spear。　But　the　spirit　of　the　bottles　had　stolen

the　life　from　my　arm；　and　he　took　me　by　the　neck；　so；　and　knocked　my

head　against　the　wall　of　the　house。　And　I　was　made　weak　like　a　newborn

child；　and　my　legs　would　no　more　stand　under　me。　Unga　screamed；　and

she　laid　hold　of　the　things　of　the　house　with　her　hands；　till　they

fell　all　about　us　as　he　dragged　her　to　the　door。　Then　he　took　her　in

his　great　arms；　and　when　she　tore　at　his　yellow　hair　laughed　with　a

sound　like　that　of　the　big　bull　seal　in　the　rut。

　　'I　crawled　to　the　beach　and　called　upon　my　people；　but　they　were

afraid。　Only　Yash…Noosh　was　a　man；　and　they　struck　him　on　the　head

with　an　oar；　till　he　lay　with　his　face　in　the　sand　and　did　not　move。

And　they　raised　the　sails　to　the　sound　of　their　songs；　and　the　ship

went　away　on　the　wind。

　　'The　people　said　it　was　good；　for　there　would　be　no　more　war　of

the　bloods　in　Akatan；　but　I　said　never　a　word；　waiting　till　the　time

of　the　full　moon；　when　I　put　fish　and　oil　in　my　kayak　and　went　away　to

the　east。　I　saw　many　islands　and　many　people；　and　I；　who　had　lived

on　the　edge；　saw　that　the　world　was　very　large。　I　talked　by　signs；　but

they　had　not　seen　a　schooner　nor　a　man　with　the　mane　of　a　sea　lion；

and　they　pointed　always　to　the　east。　And　I　slept　in　queer　places；

and　ate　odd　things；　and　met　strange　faces。　Many　laughed；　for　they

thought　me　light　of　head；　but　sometimes　old　men　turned　my　face　to

the　light　and　blessed　me；　and　the　eyes　of　the　young　women　grew　soft　as

they　asked　me　of　the　strange　ship；　and　Unga；　and　the　men　of　the　sea。

　　'And　in　this　manner；　through　rough　seas　and　great　storms；　I　came

to　Unalaska。　There　were　two　schooners　there；　but　neither　was　the　one　I

sought。　So　I　passed　on　to　the　east；　with　the　world　growing　ever

larger；　and　in　the　island　of　Unamok　there　was　no　word　of　the　ship；　nor

in　Kadiak；　nor　in　Atognak。　And　so　I　came　one　day　to　a　rocky　land；

where　men　dug　great　holes　in　the　mountain。　And　there　was　a　schooner；

but　not　my　schooner；　and　men　loaded　upon　it　the　rocks　which　they

dug。　This　I　thought　childish；　for　all　the　world　was　made　of　rocks；　but

they　gave　me　food　and　set　me　to　work。　When　the　schooner　was　deep　in

the　water；　the　captain　gave　me　money　and　told　me　to　go；　but　I　asked

which　way　he　went；　and　he　pointed　south。　I　made　signs　that　I　would

go　with　him；　and　he　laughed　at　first；　but　then；　being　short　of　men；

took　me　to　help　work　the　ship。　So　I　came　to　talk　after　their　manner；

and　to　heave　on　ropes；　and　to　reef　the　stiff　sails　in　sudden

squalls；　and　to　take　my　turn　at　the　wheel。　But　it　was　not　strange；　for

the　blood　of　my　fathers　was　the　blood　of　the　men　of　the　sea。

　　'I　had　thought　it　an　easy　task　to　find　him　I　sought；　once　I　got

among　his　own　people；　and　when　we　raised　the　land　one　day；　and

passed　between　a　gateway　of　the　sea　to　a　port；　I　looked　for　perhaps　as

many　schooners　as　there　were　fingers　to　my　hands。　But　the　ships　lay

against　the　wharves　for　miles；　packed　like　so　many　little　fish；　and

when　I　went　among　them　to　ask　for　a　man　with　the　mane　of　a　sea　lion；

they　laughed；　and　answered　me　in　the　tongues　of　many　peoples。　And　I

found　that　they　hailed　from　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　earth。

　　'And　I　went　into　the　city　to　look　upon　the　face　of　every　man。　But

they　were　like　the　cod　when　they　run　thick　on　the　banks；　and　I　could

not　count　them。　And　the　noise　smote　upon　me　till　I　could　not　hear；　and

my　head　was　dizzy　with　much　movement。　So　I　went　on　and　on；　through　the

lands　which　sang　in　the　warm　sunshine；　where　the　harvests　lay　rich

on　the　plains；　and　where　great　cities　were　fat　with　men　that　lived

like　women；　with　false　words　in　their　mouths　and　their　hearts　black

with　the　lust　of　gold。　And　all　the　while　my　people　of　Akatan　hunted

and　fished；　and　were　happy　in　the　thought　that　the　world　was　small。

　　'But　the　look　in　the　eyes　of　Unga　coming　home　from　the　fishing　was

with　me　always；　and　I　knew　I　would　find　her　when　the　time　was　met。　She

walked　down　quiet　lanes　in　the　dusk　of　the　evening；　or　led　me　chases

across　the　thick　fields　wet　with　the　morning　dew；　and　there　was　a

promise　in　her　eyes　such　as　only　the　woman　Unga　could　give。

　　'So　I　wandered　through　a　thousand　cities。　Some　were　gentle　and

gave　me　food；　and　others　laughed；　and　still　others　cursed；　but　I

kept　my　tongue　between　my　teeth；　and　went　strange　ways　and　saw　strange

sights。　Sometimes　I；　who　was　a　chief　and　the　son　of　a　chief；　toiled

for　men…　men　rough　of　speech　and　hard　as　iron；　who　wrung　gold　from　the

sweat　and　sorrow　of　their　fellow　men。　Yet　no　word　did　I　get　of　my

quest　till　I　came　back　to　the　sea　like　a　homing　seal　to　the　rookeries。

But　this　was　at　another　port；　in　another　country　which　lay　to　the

north。　And　there　I　heard　dim　tales　of　the　yellow…haired　sea

wanderer；　and　I　learned　that　he　was　a　hunter　of　seals；　and　that　even

then　he　was　abroad　on　the　ocean。

　　'So　I　shipped　on　a　seal　schooner　with　the　lazy　Siwashes；　and

followed　his　trackless　trail　to　the　north　where　the　hunt　was　then

warm。　And　we　were　away　weary　months；　and　spoke　many　of　the　fleet；

and　heard　much　of　the　wild　doings　of　him　I　sought；　but　never　once

did　we　raise　him　above　the　sea。　We　went　north；　even　to　the

Pribilofs；　and　killed　the　seals　in　herds　on　the　beach；　and　brought

their　warm　bodies　aboard　till　our　scuppers　ran　grease　and　blood　and　no

man　could　stand　upon　the　deck。　Then　were　we　chased　by　a　ship　of　slow

steam；　which　fired　upon　us　with　great　guns。　But　we　put　sail　till　the

sea　was　over　our　decks　and　washed　them　clean；　and　los