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The Faith of Men-Part3_JACK LONDON(1876-1916)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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Tummasook and the woman Ipsukuk rolled on the ground in pain, and

with them there were divers others, also Moosu. I thrust aside



those that cluttered the way of my feet, and put the mouth of the

bottle to Moosu's lips. And straightway he became well and ceased



his howling. Whereat there was a great clamour for the bottle from

the others so stricken. But I made harangue, and ere they tasted



and were made well I had mulcted Tummasook of his copperkettle and

kerosene can, and the woman Ipsukuk of her sugar and molasses, and



the other sick ones of goodly measures of flour. The shaman

glowered wickedly at the people around my knees, though he poorly



concealed the wonder that lay beneath. But I held my head high,

and Moosu groaned beneath the loot as he followed my heels to the



shack.

"There I set to work. In Tummasook's copperkettle I mixed three



quarts of wheat flour with five of molasses, and to this I added of

water twenty quarts. Then I placed the kettle near the lamp, that



it might sour in the warmth and grow strong. Moosu understood, and

said my wisdom passed understanding and was greater than Solomon's,



who he had heard was a wise man of old time. The kerosene can I

set over the lamp, and to its nose I affixed a snout, and into the



snout the bone that was like a gooseneck. I sent Moosu without to

pound ice, while I connected the barrel of his gun with the



gooseneck, and midway on the barrel I piled the ice he had pounded.

And at the far end of the gun-barrel, beyond the pan of ice, I



placed a small iron pot. When the brew was strong enough (and it

was two days ere it could stand on its own legs), I filled the



kerosene can with it, and lighted the wicks I had braided.

"Now that all was ready, I spoke to Moosu. 'Go forth,' I said, 'to



the chief men of the village, and give them greeting, and bid them

come into my igloo and sleep the night away with me and the gods.'



"The brew was singing merrily when they began shoving aside the

skin flap and crawling in, and I was heaping cracked ice on the



gun-barrel. Out of the priming hole at the far end, drip, drip,

drip into the iron pot fell the liquor--HOOCH, you know. But



they'd never seen the like, and giggled nervously when I made

harangue about its virtues. As I talked I noted the jealousy in



the shaman's eye, so when I had done, I placed him side by side

with Tummasook and the woman Ipsukuk. Then I gave them to drink,



and their eyes watered and their stomachs warmed, till from being

afraid they reached greedily for more; and when I had them well



started, I turned to the others. Tummasook made a brag about how

he had once killed a polar bear, and in the vigour of his pantomime



nearly slew his mother's brother. But nobody heeded. The woman

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.






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