the faith of men(人们的信任)-第30节
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charge； straight for the box。
Fifteen minutes later； Slackwater Charley and Webster Shaw returning；
caught a glimpse of a ghostly pendulum swinging back and forth in the
dim light。 As they hurriedly drew in closer； they made out the man's inert
body； and a live thing that clung to it； and shook and worried； and gave to
it the swaying motion。
〃Hi； ya！ Chook！ you Spawn of Hell！〃 yelled Webster Shaw。
But Batard glared at him； and snarled threateningly； without loosing
his jaws。
Slackwater Charley got out his revolver； but his hand was shaking； as
with a chill； and he fumbled。
〃Here you take it；〃 he said； passing the weapon over。
Webster Shaw laughed shortly； drew a sight between the gleaming
eyes； and pressed the trigger。 Batard's body twitched with the shock；
threshed the ground spasmodically for a moment； and went suddenly limp。
But his teeth still held fast locked。
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THE STORY OF JEES' UCK
There have been renunciations and renunciations。 But； in its essence；
renunciation is ever the same。 And the paradox of it is； that men and
women forego the dearest thing in the world for something dearer。 It was
never otherwise。 Thus it was when Abel brought of the firstlings of his
flock and of the fat thereof。 The firstlings and the fat thereof were to him
the dearest things in the world； yet he gave them over that he might be on
good terms with God。 So it was with Abraham when he prepared to offer
up his son Isaac on a stone。 Isaac was very dear to him； but God； in
incomprehensible ways； was yet dearer。 It may be that Abraham feared
the Lord。 But whether that be true or not it has since been determined by
a few billion people that he loved the Lord and desired to serve him。
And since it has been determined that love is service； and since to
renounce is to serve； then Jees Uck； who was merely a woman of a swart…
skinned breed； loved with a great love。 She was unversed in history；
having learned to read only the signs of weather and of game； so she had
never heard of Abel nor of Abraham； nor； having escaped the good sisters
at Holy Cross； had she been told the story of Ruth； the Moabitess； who
renounced her very God for the sake of a stranger woman from a strange
land。 Jees Uck had learned only one way of renouncing； and that was
with a club as the dynamic factor； in much the same manner as a dog is
made to renounce a stolen marrow…bone。 Yet； when the time came； she
proved herself capable of rising to the height of the fair…faced royal races
and of renouncing in right regal fashion。
So this is the story of Jees Uck； which is also the story of Neil Bonner；
and Kitty Bonner； and a couple of Neil Bonner's progeny。 Jees Uck was of
a swart…skinned breed； it is true； but she was not an Indian； nor was she an
Eskimo； nor even an Innuit。 Going backward into mouth tradition； there
appears the figure of one Skolkz； a Toyaat Indian of the Yukon； who
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journeyed down in his youth to the Great Delta where dwell the Innuits；
and where he foregathered with a woman remembered as Olillie。 Now
the woman Olillie had been bred from an Eskimo mother by an Innuit man。
And from Skolkz and Olillie came Halie； who was one…half Toyaat Indian；
one…quarter Innuit； and one…quarter Eskimo。 And Halie was the
grandmother of Jees Uck。
Now Halie； in whom three stocks had been bastardized； who cherished
no prejudice against further admixture； mated with a Russian fur trader
called Shpack； also known in his time as the Big Fat。 Shpack is herein
classed Russian for lack of a more adequate term； for Shpack's father； a
Slavonic convict from the Lower Provinces； had escaped from the
quicksilver mines into Northern Siberia； where he knew Zimba； who was a
woman of the Deer People and who became the mother of Shpack； who
became the grandfather of Jees Uck。
Now had not Shpack been captured in his boyhood by the Sea People；
who fringe the rim of the Arctic Sea with their misery； he would not have
become the grandfather of Jees Uck and there would be no story at all。
But he WAS captured by the Sea People； from whom he escaped to
Kamchatka； and thence； on a Norwegian whale…ship； to the Baltic。 Not
long after that he turned up in St。 Petersburg； and the years were not many
till he went drifting east over the same weary road his father had measured
with blood and groans a half… century before。 But Shpack was a free man；
in the employ of the great Russian Fur Company。 And in that employ he
fared farther and farther east； until he crossed Bering Sea into Russian
America； and at Pastolik； which is hard by the Great Delta of the Yukon；
became the husband of Halie； who was the grandmother of Jees Uck。
Out of this union came the woman…child； Tukesan。
Shpack； under the orders of the Company； made a canoe voyage of a
few hundred miles up the Yukon to the post of Nulato。 With him he took
Halie and the babe Tukesan。 This was in 1850； and in 1850 it was that
the river Indians fell upon Nulato and wiped it from the face of the earth。
And that was the end of Shpack and Halie。 On that terrible night
Tukesan disappeared。 To this day the Toyaats aver they had no hand in
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the trouble； but； be that as it may； the fact remains that the babe Tukesan
grew up among them。
Tukesan was married successively to two Toyaat brothers； to both of
whom she was barren。 Because of this； other women shook their heads；
and no third Toyaat man could be found to dare matrimony with the
childless widow。 But at this time； many hundred miles above； at Fort
Yukon； was a man； Spike O'Brien。 Fort Yukon was a Hudson Bay
Company post； and Spike O'Brien one of the Company's servants。 He
was a good servant； but he achieved an opinion that the service was bad；
and in the course of time vindicated that opinion by deserting。 It was a
year's journey； by the chain of posts； back to York Factory on Hudson's
Bay。 Further； being Company posts； he knew he could not evade the
Company's clutches。 Nothing retained but to go down the Yukon。 It was
true no white man had ever gone down the Yukon； and no white man knew
whether the Yukon emptied into the Arctic Ocean or Bering Sea； but Spike
O'Brien was a Celt； and the promise of danger was a lure he had ever
followed。
A few weeks later； somewhat battered； rather famished； and about dead
with river…fever； he drove the nose of his canoe into the earth bank by the
village of the Toyaats and promptly fainted away。 While getting his
strength back； in the weeks that followed； he looked upon Tukesan and
found her good。 Like the father of Shpack； who lived to a ripe old age
among the Siberian Deer People； Spike O'Brien might have left his aged
bones with the Toyaats。 But romance gripped his heart…strings and would
not let him stay。 As he had journeyed from York Factory to Fort Yukon；
so； first among men； might he journey from Fort Yukon to the sea and win
the honour of being the first man to make the North…West Passage by land。
So he departed down the river； won the honour； and was unannaled and
unsung。 In after years he ran a sailors' boarding…house in San Francisco；
where he became esteemed a most remarkable liar by virtue of the gospel
truths he told。 But a child was born to Tukesan； who had been childless。
And this child was Jees Uck。 Her lineage has
