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The Faith of Men-Part4_JACK LONDON(1876-1916)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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hooch galore, and meat and feastings, and they took kindly to the

new order.



"So you see, O man, I have sat in the high places, and worn the

purple, and ruled populations. And I might yet be a king had the



tobacco held out, or had Moosu been more fool and less knave. For

he cast eyes upon Esanetuk, eldest daughter to Tummasook, and I



objected.

"'O brother,' he explained, 'thou hast seen fit to speak of



introducing new institutions amongst this people, and I have

listened to thy words and gained wisdomthereby. Thou rulest by



the God-given right, and by the God-given right I marry.'

"I noted that he 'brothered' me, and was angry and put my foot



down. But he fell back upon the people and made incantations for

three days, in which all hands joined; and then, speaking with the



voice of God, he decreed polygamy by divine fiat. But he was

shrewd, for he limited the number of wives by a property



qualification, and because of which he, above all men, was favoured

by his wealth. Nor could I fail to admire, though it was plain



that power had turned his head, and he would not be satisfied till

all the power and all the wealth rested in his own hands. So he



became swollen with pride, forgot it was I that had placed him

there, and made preparations to destroy me.



"But it was interesting, for the beggar was working out in his own

way an evolution of primitive society. Now I, by virtue of the



hooch monopoly, drew a revenue in which I no longer permitted him

to share. So he meditated for a while and evolved a system of



ecclesiastical taxation. He laid tithes upon the people, harangued

about fat firstlings and such things, and twisted whatever twisted



texts he had ever heard to serve his purpose. Even this I bore in

silence, but when he instituted what may be likened to a graduated



income-tax, I rebelled, and blindly, for this was what he worked

for. Thereat, he appealed to the people, and they, envious of my



great wealth and well taxed themselves, upheld him. 'Why should we

pay,' they asked, 'and not you? Does not the voice of God speak



through the lips of Moosu, the shaman?' So I yielded. But at the

same time I raised the price of hooch, and lo, he was not a whit



behind me in raising my taxes.

"Then there was open war. I made a play for Neewak and Tummasook,



because of the traditionary rights they possessed; but Moosu won

out by creating a priesthood and giving them both high office. The



problem of authority presented itself to him, and he worked it out

as it has often been worked before. There was my mistake. I



should have been made shaman, and he chief; but I saw it too late,

and in the clash of spiritual and temporal power I was bound to be



worsted. A great controversy waged, but it quickly became one-

sided. The people remembered that he had anointed me, and it was



clear to them that the source of my authority lay, not in me, but

in Moosu. Only a few faithful ones clung to me, chief among whom



Angeit was; while he headed the popular party and set whispers

afloat that I had it in mind to overthrow him and set up my own



gods, which were most unrighteous gods. And in this the clever

rascal had anticipated me, for it was just what I had intended--



forsake my kingship, you see, and fight spiritual with spiritual.

So he frightened the people with the iniquities of my peculiar



gods--especially the one he named 'Biz-e-Nass'--and nipped the

scheme in the bud.



"Now, it happened that Kluktu, youngest daughter to Tummasook, had

caught my fancy, and I likewise hers. So I made overtures, but the



ex-chief refused bluntly--after I had paid the purchase price--and

informed me that she was set aside for Moosu. This was too much,



and I was half of a mind to go to his igloo and slay him with my

naked hands; but I recollected that the tobacco was near gone, and



went home laughing. The next day he made incantation, and

distorted the miracle of the loaves and fishes till it became



prophecy, and I, reading between the lines, saw that it was aimed

at the wealth of meat stored in my caches. The people also read



between the lines, and, as he did not urge them to go on the hunt,

they remained at home, and few caribou or bear were brought in.



"But I had plans of my own, seeing that not only the tobacco but

the flour and molasses were near gone. And further, I felt it my



duty to prove the white man's wisdom and bring sore distress to

Moosu, who had waxed high-stomached, what of the power I had given



him. So that night I went to my meat caches and toiled mightily,




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