A Hyperborean Brew
Thomas Stevens's veracity may have been indeterminate as X, and hisimagination the imagination of ordinary men increased to the nthpower, but this, at least, must be said: never did he deliverhimself of word nor deed that could be branded as a lie outright. .. He may have played with probability, and verged on the extremestedge of possibility, but in his tales the machinery never creaked.That he knew the Northland like a book, not a soul can deny. Thathe was a great traveller, and had set foot on countless unknowntrails, many evidences affirm. Outside of my own personalknowledge, I knew men that had met him everywhere, but principallyon the confines of Nowhere. There was Johnson, the ex-Hudson BayCompany factor, who had housed him in a Labrador factory until hisdogs rested up a bit, and he was able to strike out again. Therewas McMahon, agent for the Alaska Commercial Company, who had runacross him in Dutch Harbour, and later on, among the outlyingislands of the Aleutian group. It was indisputable that he hadguided one of the earlier United States surveys, and history statespositively that in a similar capacity he served the Western Unionwhen it attempted to put through its trans-Alaskan and Siberiantelegraph to Europe. Further, there was Joe Lamson, the whalingcaptain, who, when ice-bound off the mouth of the Mackenzie, hadhad him come aboard after tobacco. This last touch proves ThomasStevens's identity conclusively. His quest for tobacco wasperennial and untiring. Ere we became fairly acquainted, I learnedto greet him with one hand, and pass the pouch with the other. Butthe night I met him in John O'Brien's Dawson saloon, his head waswreathed in a nimbus of fifty-cent cigar smoke, and instead of mypouch he demanded my sack. We were standing by a faro table, andforthwith he tossed it upon the "high card." "Fifty," he said, andthe game-keeper nodded. The "high card" turned, and he handed backmy sack, called for a "tab," and drew me over to the scales, wherethe weigher nonchalantly cashed him out fifty dollars in dust."And now we'll drink," he said; and later, at the bar, when helowered his glass: "Reminds me of a little brew I had up Tattaratway. No, you have no knowledge of the place, nor is it down on thecharts. But it's up by the rim of the Arctic Sea, not so manyhundred miles from the American line, and all of half a thousandGod-forsaken souls live there, giving and taking in marriage, andstarving and dying in-between-whiles. Explorers have overlookedthem, and you will not find them in the census of 1890. A whale-ship was pinched there once, but the men, who had made shore overthe ice, pulled out for the south and were never heard of."But it was a great brew we had, Moosu and I," he added a momentlater, with just the slightest suspicion of a sigh.I knew there were big deeds and wild doings behind that sigh, so Ihaled him into a corner, between a roulette outfit and a pokerlayout, and waited for his tongue to thaw."Had one objection to Moosu," he began, cocking his headmeditatively--"one objection, and only one. He was an Indian fromover on the edge of the Chippewyan country, but the trouble was,he'd picked up a smattering of the Scriptures. Been campmate aseason with a renegade French Canadian who'd studied for thechurch. Moosu'd never seen applied Christianity, and his head wascrammed with miracles, battles, and dispensations, and what not hedidn't understand. Otherwise he was a good sort, and a handy manon trail or over a fire."We'd had a hard time together and were badly knocked out when weplumped upon Tattarat. Lost outfits and dogs crossing a divide ina fall blizzard, and our bellies clove to our backs and our clotheswere in rags when we crawled into the village. They weren't muchsurprised at seeing us--because of the whalemen--and gave us themeanest shack in the village to live in, and the worst of theirleavings to live on. What struck me at the time as strange wasthat they left us strictly alone. But Moosu explained it."'Shaman SICK TUMTUM,' he said, meaning the shaman, or medicineman, was jealous, and had advised the people to have nothing to dowith us. From the little he'd seen of the whalemen, he'd learnedthat mine was a stronger race, and a wiser; so he'd only behaved asshamans have always behaved the world over. And before I get done,you'll see how near right he was."'These people have a law,' said Mosu: 'whoso eats of meat musthunt. We be awkward, you and I, O master, in the weapons of thiscountry; nor can we string bows nor fling spears after the mannerapproved. Wherefore the shaman and Tummasook, who is chief, haveput their heads together, and it has been decreed that we work withthe women and children in dragging in the meat and tending thewants of the hunters.'"'And this is very wrong,' I made to answer; 'for we be better men,Moosu, than these people who walk in darkness. Further, we shouldrest and grow strong, for the way south is long, and on that trailthe weak cannot prosper.'""'But we have nothing,' he objected, looking about him at therotten timbers of the igloo, the stench of the ancient walrus meatthat had been our supper disgusting his nostrils. 'And on thisfare we cannot thrive. We have nothing save the bottle of "pain-killer," which will not fill emptiness, so we must bend to the yokeof the unbeliever and become hewers of wood and drawers of water.And there be good things in this place, the which we may not have.Ah, master, never has my nose lied to me, and I have followed it tosecret caches and among the fur-bales of the igloos. Goodprovender did these people extort from the poor whalemen, and thisprovender has wandered into few hands. The woman Ipsukuk, whodwelleth in the far end of the village next she igloo of the chief,possesseth much flour and sugar, and even have my eyes told me ofmolasses smeared on her face. And in the igloo of Tummasook, thechief, there be tea--have I not seen the old pig guzzling? And theshaman owneth a caddy of "Star" and two buckets of prime smoking.And what have we? Nothing! Nothing!'"But I was stunned by the word he brought of the tobacco, and madeno answer."And Moosu, what of his own desire, broke silence: 'And there beTukeliketa, daughter of a big hunter and wealthy man. A likelygirl. Indeed, a very nice girl.'"I figured hard during the night while Moosu snored, for I couldnot bear the thought of the tobacco so near which I could notsmoke. True, as he had said, we had nothing. But the way becameclear to me, and in the morning I said to him: 'Go thou cunninglyabroad, after thy fashion, and procure me some sort of bone,crooked like a goose-neck, and hollow. Also, walk humbly, but haveeyes awake to the lay of pots and pans and cooking contrivances.And remember, mine is the white man's wisdom, and do what I havebid you, with sureness and despatch.'"While he was away I placed the whale-oil cooking lamp in themiddle of the igloo, and moved the mangy sleeping furs back that Imight have room. Then I took apart his gun and put the barrel byhandy, and afterwards braided many wicks from the cotton that thewomen gather wild in the summer. When he came back, it was withthe bone I had commanded, and with news that in the igloo ofTummasook there was a five-gallon kerosene can and a big copperkettle. So I said he had done well and we would tarry through theday. And when midnight was near I made harangue to him."'This chief, this Tummasook, hath a copper kettle, likewise akerosene can.' I put a rock, smooth and wave-washed, in Moosu'shand. 'The camp is hushed and the stars are winking. Go thou,creep into the chief's igloo softly, and smite him thus upon thebelly, and hard. And let the meat and good grub of the days tocome put strength into thine arm. There will be uproar and outcry,and the village will come hot afoot. But be thou unafraid. Veilthy movements and lose thy form in the obscurity of the night andthe confusion of men. And when the woman Ipsukuk is anigh thee,--she who smeareth her face with molasses,--do thou smite herlikewise, and whosoever else that possesseth flour and cometh tothy hand. Then do thou lift thy voice in pain and double up withclasped hands, and make outcry in token that thou, too, hast feltthe visitation of the night. And in this way shall we achievehonour and great possessions, and the caddy of "Star" and the primesmoking, and thy Tukeliketa, who is a likely maiden.'"When he had departed on this errand, I bided patiently in theshack, and the tobacco seemed very near. Then there was a cry ofaffright in the night, that became an uproar and assailed the sky.I seized the 'pain-killer' and ran forth. There was much noise,and a wailing among the women, and fear sat heavily on all.Tummasook and the woman Ipsukuk rolled on the ground in pain, andwith them there were divers others, also Moosu. I thrust asidethose that cluttered the way of my feet, and put the mouth of thebottle to Moosu's lips. And straightway he became well and ceasedhis howling. Whereat there was a great clamour for the bottle fromthe others so stricken. But I made harangue, and ere they tastedand were made well I had mulcted Tummasook of his copper kettle andkerosene can, and the woman Ipsukuk of her sugar and molasses, andthe other sick ones of goodly measures of flour. The shamanglowered wickedly at the people around my knees, though he poorlyconcealed the wonder that lay beneath. But I held my head high,and Moosu groaned beneath the loot as he followed my heels to theshack."There I set to work. In Tummasook's copper kettle I mixed threequarts of wheat flour with five of molasses, and to this I added ofwater twenty quarts. Then I placed the kettle near the lamp, thatit might sour in the warmth and grow strong. Moosu understood, andsaid my wisdom passed understanding and was greater than Solomon's,who he had heard was a wise man of old time. The kerosene can Iset over the lamp, and to its nose I affixed a snout, and into thesnout the bone that was like a gooseneck. I sent Moosu without topound ice, while I connected the barrel of his gun with thegooseneck, 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, Iplaced a small iron pot. When the brew was strong enough (and itwas two days ere it could stand on its own legs), I filled thekerosene can with it, and lighted the wicks I had braided."Now that all was ready, I spoke to Moosu. 'Go forth,' I said, 'tothe chief men of the village, and give them greeting, and bid themcome into my igloo and sleep the night away with me and the gods.'"The brew was singing merrily when they began shoving aside theskin flap and crawling in, and I was heaping cracked ice on thegun-barrel. Out of the priming hole at the far end, drip, drip,drip into the iron pot fell the liquor--HOOCH, you know. Butthey'd never seen the like, and giggled nervously when I madeharangue about its virtues. As I talked I noted the jealousy inthe shaman's eye, so when I had done, I placed him side by sidewith Tummasook and the woman Ipsukuk. Then I gave them to drink,and their eyes watered and their stomachs warmed, till from beingafraid they reached greedily for more; and when I had them wellstarted, I turned to the others. Tummasook made a brag about howhe had once killed a polar bear, and in the vigour of his pantomimenearly slew his mother's brother. But nobody heeded. The womanIpsukuk fell to weeping for a son lost long years agone in the ice,and the shaman made incantation and prophecy. So it went, andbefore morning they were all on the floor, sleeping soundly withthe gods."The story tells itself, does it not? The news of the magic potionspread. It was too marvellous for utterance. Tongues could tellbut a tithe of the miracles it performed. It eased pain, gavesurcease to sorrow, brought back old memories, dead faces, andforgotten dreams. It was a fire that ate through all the blood,and, burning, burned not. It stoutened the heart, stiffened theback, and made men more than men. It revealed the future, and gavevisions and prophecy. It brimmed with wisdom and unfolded secrets.There was no end of the things it could do, and soon there was aclamouring on all hands to sleep with the gods. They brought theirwarmest furs, their strongest dogs, their best meats; but I soldthe hooch with discretion, and only those were favoured thatbrought flour and molasses and sugar. And such stores poured inthat I set Moosu to build a cache to hold them, for there was soonno space in the igloo. Ere three days had passed Tummasook hadgone bankrupt. The shaman, who was never more than half drunkafter the first night, watched me closely and hung on for thebetter part of the week. But before ten days were gone, even thewoman Ipsukuk exhausted her provisions, and went home weak andtottery."But Moosu complained. 'O master,' he said, 'we have laid by greatwealth in molasses and sugar and flour, but our shack is yet mean,our clothes thin, and our sleeping furs mangy. There is a call ofthe belly for meat the stench of which offends not the stars, andfor tea such as Tummasook guzzles, and there is a great yearningfor the tobacco of Neewak, who is shaman and who plans to destroyus. I have flour until I am sick, and sugar and molasses withoutstint, 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, andwe grasp little, and in the end it will be nothing. Thou art achild in the way of the white man's wisdom. Hold thy tongue andwatch, and I will show you the way my brothers do overseas, and, sodoing, gather to themselves the riches of the earth. It is what iscalled "business," and what dost thou know about business?'"But the next day he came in breathless. 'O master, a strangething happeneth in the igloo of Neewak, the shaman; wherefore weare lost, and we have neither worn the warm furs nor tasted thegood tobacco, what of your madness for the molasses and flour. Gothou and witness whilst I watch by the brew.'"So I went to the igloo of Neewak. And behold, he had made his ownstill, fashioned cunningly after mine. And as he beheld me hecould ill conceal his triumph. For he was a man of parts, and hissleep with the gods when in my igloo had not been sound."But I was not disturbed, for I knew what I knew, and when Ireturned to my own igloo, I descanted to Moosu, and said: 'Happilythe property right obtains amongst this people, who otherwise havebeen blessed with but few of the institutions of men. And becauseof this respect for property shall you and I wax fat, and, further,we shall introduce amongst them new institutions that other peopleshave worked out through great travail and suffering.'"But Moosu understood dimly, till the shaman came forth, with eyesflashing and a threatening note in his voice, and demanded to tradewith me. 'For look you,' he cried, 'there be of flour and molassesnone in all the village. The like have you gathered with a shrewdhand from my people, who have slept with your gods and who now havenothing save large heads, and weak knees, and a thirst for coldwater that they cannot quench. This is not good, and my voice haspower among them; so it were well that we trade, you and I, even asyou have traded with them, for molasses and flour.'"And I made answer: 'This be good talk, and wisdom abideth in thymouth. We will trade. For this much of flour and molasses givestthou me the caddy of "Star" and the two buckets of smoking.'"And Moosu groaned, and when the trade was made and the shamandeparted, he upbraided me: 'Now, because of thy madness are we,indeed, lost! Neewak maketh hooch on his own account, and when thetime is ripe, he will command the people to drink of no hooch buthis 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 tothe last generation. Thy wisdom is worse than no wisdom and thineeyes blinded to business, of which I have spoken and whereof thouknowest nothing. Go, thou son of a thousand fools, and drink ofthe hooch that Neewak brews in his igloo, and thank thy gods thatthou 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 thylips, that I may know.'"And two days after, Neewak sent greeting and invitation to hisigloo. Moosu went, but I sat alone, with the song of the still inmy ears, and the air thick with the shaman's tobacco; for trade wasslack that night, and no one dropped in but Angeit, a young hunterthat had faith in me. Later, Moosu came back, his speech thickwith 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, thyservant, who ofttimes doubts and cannot be made to understand.'"'And wherefore now?' I demanded. 'Hast thou drunk overmuch? Andare they sleeping sound in the igloo of Neewak, the shaman?'"'Nay, they are angered and sore of body, and Chief Tummasook hasthrust his thumbs in the throat of Neewak, and sworn by the bonesof his ancestors to look upon his face no more. For behold! I wentto the igloo, and the brew simmered and bubbled, and the steamjourneyed through the gooseneck even as thy steam, and even asthine it became water where it met the ice, and dropped into thepot at the far end. And Neewak gave us to drink, and lo, it wasnot like thine, for there was no bite to the tongue nor tingling tothe eyeballs, and of a truth it was water. So we drank, and wedrank overmuch; yet did we sit with cold hearts and solemn. AndNeewak was perplexed and a cloud came on his brow. And he tookTummasook and Ipsukuk alone of all the company and set them apart,and bade them drink and drink and drink. And they drank and drankand drank, and yet sat solemn and cold, till Tummasook arose inwrath and demanded back the furs and the tea he had paid. AndIpsukuk raised her voice, thin and angry. And the company demandedback 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 andhis brows angry. 'Wherefore I am filled, like a fish-bladder, tobursting, till I can scarce walk, what of the weight within me.Lalah! I have drunken as never before, yet are my eyes clear, myknees strong, my hand steady.'"'The shaman cannot send us to sleep with the gods,' the peoplecomplained, stringing in and joining us, 'and only in thy igloo maythe thing be done.'"So I laughed to myself as I passed the hooch around and the guestsmade merry. For in the flour I had traded to Neewak I had mixedmuch soda that I had got from the woman Ipsukuk. So how could hisbrew ferment when the soda kept it sweet? Or his hooch be hoochwhen it would not sour?"After that our wealth flowed in without let or hindrance. Furs wehad without number, and the fancy-work of the women, all of thechief's tea, and no end of meat. One day Moosu retold for mybenefit, and sadly mangled, the story of Joseph in Egypt, but fromit I got an idea, and soon I had half the tribe at work building megreat meat caches. And of all they hunted I got the lion's shareand stored it away. Nor was Moosu idle. He made himself a pack ofcards from birch bark, and taught Neewak the way to play seven-up.He also inveigled the father of Tukeliketa into the game. And oneday he married the maiden, and the next day he moved into theshaman's house, which was the finest in the village. The fall ofNeewak was complete, for he lost all his possessions, his walrus-hide drums, his incantation tools--everything. And in the end hebecame a hewer of wood and drawer of water at the beck and call ofMoosu. And Moosu--he set himself up as shaman, or high priest, andout of his garbled Scripture created new gods and made incantationbefore strange altars."And I was well pleased, for I thought it good that church andstate go hand in hand, and I had certain plans of my own concerningthe state. Events were shaping as I had foreseen. Good temper andsmiling faces had vanished from the village. The people weremorose and sullen. There were quarrels and fighting, and thingswere in an uproar night and day. Moosu's cards were duplicated andthe hunters fell to gambling among themselves. Tummasook beat hiswife horribly, and his mother's brother objected and smote him witha tusk of walrus till he cried aloud in the night and was shamedbefore the people. Also, amid such diversions no hunting was done,and famine fell upon the land. The nights were long and dark, andwithout meat no hooch could be bought; so they murmured against thechief. This I had played for, and when they were well and hungry,I summoned the whole village, made a great harangue, posed aspatriarch, and fed the famishing. Moosu made harangue likewise,and because of this and the thing I had done I was made chief.Moosu, who had the ear of God and decreed his judgments, anointedme with whale blubber, and right blubberly he did it, notunderstanding the ceremony. And between us we interpreted to thepeople the new theory of the divine right of kings. There washooch galore, and meat and feastings, and they took kindly to thenew order."So you see, O man, I have sat in the high places, and worn thepurple, and ruled populations. And I might yet be a king had thetobacco held out, or had Moosu been more fool and less knave. Forhe cast eyes upon Esanetuk, eldest daughter to Tummasook, and Iobjected."'O brother,' he explained, 'thou hast seen fit to speak ofintroducing new institutions amongst this people, and I havelistened to thy words and gained wisdom thereby. Thou rulest bythe God-given right, and by the God-given right I marry.'"I noted that he 'brothered' me, and was angry and put my footdown. But he fell back upon the people and made incantations forthree days, in which all hands joined; and then, speaking with thevoice of God, he decreed polygamy by divine fiat. But he wasshrewd, for he limited the number of wives by a propertyqualification, and because of which he, above all men, was favouredby his wealth. Nor could I fail to admire, though it was plainthat power had turned his head, and he would not be satisfied tillall the power and all the wealth rested in his own hands. So hebecame swollen with pride, forgot it was I that had placed himthere, and made preparations to destroy me."But it was interesting, for the beggar was working out in his ownway an evolution of primitive society. Now I, by virtue of thehooch monopoly, drew a revenue in which I no longer permitted himto share. So he meditated for a while and evolved a system ofecclesiastical taxation. He laid tithes upon the people, haranguedabout fat firstlings and such things, and twisted whatever twistedtexts he had ever heard to serve his purpose. Even this I bore insilence, but when he instituted what may be likened to a graduatedincome-tax, I rebelled, and blindly, for this was what he workedfor. Thereat, he appealed to the people, and they, envious of mygreat wealth and well taxed themselves, upheld him. 'Why should wepay,' they asked, 'and not you? Does not the voice of God speakthrough the lips of Moosu, the shaman?' So I yielded. But at thesame time I raised the price of hooch, and lo, he was not a whitbehind 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 wonout by creating a priesthood and giving them both high office. Theproblem of authority presented itself to him, and he worked it outas it has often been worked before. There was my mistake. Ishould 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 beworsted. A great controversy waged, but it quickly became one-sided. The people remembered that he had anointed me, and it wasclear to them that the source of my authority lay, not in me, butin Moosu. Only a few faithful ones clung to me, chief among whomAngeit was; while he headed the popular party and set whispersafloat that I had it in mind to overthrow him and set up my owngods, which were most unrighteous gods. And in this the cleverrascal 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 peculiargods--especially the one he named 'Biz-e-Nass'--and nipped thescheme in the bud."Now, it happened that Kluktu, youngest daughter to Tummasook, hadcaught my fancy, and I likewise hers. So I made overtures, but theex-chief refused bluntly--after I had paid the purchase price--andinformed 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 mynaked hands; but I recollected that the tobacco was near gone, andwent home laughing. The next day he made incantation, anddistorted the miracle of the loaves and fishes till it becameprophecy, and I, reading between the lines, saw that it was aimedat the wealth of meat stored in my caches. The people also readbetween 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 butthe flour and molasses were near gone. And further, I felt it myduty to prove the white man's wisdom and bring sore distress toMoosu, who had waxed high-stomached, what of the power I had givenhim. So that night I went to my meat caches and toiled mightily,and it was noted next day that all the dogs of the village werelazy. No one suspected, and I toiled thus every night, and thedogs grew fat and fatter, and the people lean and leaner. Theygrumbled and demanded the fulfilment of prophecy, but Moosurestrained them, waiting for their hunger to grow yet greater. Nordid he dream, to the very last, of the trick I had been playing onthe empty caches."When all was ready, I sent Angeit, and the faithful ones whom Ihad fed privily, through the village to call assembly. And thetribe gathered on a great space of beaten snow before my door, withthe meat caches towering stilt-legged in the rear. Moosu camealso, standing on the inner edge of the circle opposite me,confident that I had some scheme afoot, and prepared at the firstbreak to down me. But I arose, giving him salutation before allmen."'O Moosu, thou blessed of God,' I began, 'doubtless thou hastwondered in that I have called this convocation together; anddoubtless, because of my many foolishnesses, art thou prepared forrash sayings and rash doings. Not so. It has been said, thatthose the gods would destroy they first make mad. And I have beenindeed mad. I have crossed thy will, and scoffed at thy authority,and done divers evil and wanton things. Wherefore, last night avision was vouchsafed me, and I have seen the wickedness of myways. And thou stoodst forth like a shining star, with browsaflame, and I knew in mine own heart thy greatness. I saw allthings clearly. I knew that thou didst command the ear of God, andthat when you spoke he listened. And I remembered that whatever ofthe good deeds that I had done, I had done through the grace ofGod, and the grace of Moosu."'Yes, my children,' I cried, turning to the people, 'whateverright I have done, and whatever good I have done, have been becauseof the counsel of Moosu. When I listened to him, affairsprospered; when I closed my ears, and acted according to my folly,things came to folly. By his advice it was that I laid my store ofmeat, and in time of darkness fed the famishing. By his grace itwas that I was made chief. And what have I done with my chiefship?Let me tell you. I have done nothing. My head was turned withpower, and I deemed myself greater than Moosu, and, behold I havecome to grief. My rule has been unwise, and the gods are angered.Lo, ye are pinched with famine, and the mothers are dry-breasted,and the little babies cry through the long nights. Nor do I, whohave hardened my heart against Moosu, know what shall be done, norin what manner of way grub shall be had.'"At this there was nodding and laughing, and the people put theirheads together, and I knew they whispered of the loaves and fishes.I went on hastily. 'So I was made aware of my foolishness and ofMoosu's wisdom; of my own unfitness and of Moosu's fitness. Andbecause of this, being no longer mad, I make acknowledgment andrectify evil. I did cast unrighteous eyes upon Kluktu, and lo, shewas sealed to Moosu. Yet is she mine, for did I not pay toTummasook the goods of purchase? But I am well unworthy of her,and she shall go from the igloo of her father to the igloo ofMoosu. Can the moon shine in the sunshine? And further, Tummasookshall keep the goods of purchase, and she be a free gift to Moosu,whom God hath ordained her rightful lord."'And further yet, because I have used my wealth unwisely, and tooppress ye, O my children, do I make gifts of the kerosene can toMoosu, and the gooseneck, and the gun-barrel, and the copperkettle. Therefore, I can gather to me no more possessions, andwhen ye are athirst for hooch, he will quench ye and withoutrobbery. For he is a great man, and God speaketh through his lips."'And yet further, my heart is softened, and I have repented me ofmy madness. I, who am a fool and a son of fools; I, who am theslave of the bad god Biz-e-Nass; I, who see thy empty bellies andknew not wherewith to fill them--why shall I be chief, and sitabove thee, and rule to thine own destruction? Why should I dothis, which is not good? But Moosu, who is shaman, and who is wiseabove men, is so made that he can rule with a soft hand and justly.And because of the things I have related do I make abdication andgive my chiefship to Moosu, who alone knoweth how ye may be fed inthis day when there be no meat in the land.'"At this there was a great clapping of hands, and the people cried,'KLOSHE! KLOSHE!' which means 'good.' I had seen the wonder-worryin Moosu's eyes; for he could not understand, and was fearful of mywhite man's wisdom. I had met his wishes all along the line, andeven anticipated some; and standing there, self-shorn of all mypower, he knew the time did not favour to stir the people againstme."Before they could disperse I made announcement that while thestill went to Moosu, whatever hooch I possessed went to the people.Moosu tried to protest at this, for never had we permitted morethan a handful to be drunk at a time; but they cried, 'KLOSHE!KLOSHE!' and made festival before my door. And while they waxeduproarious without, as the liquor went to their heads, I heldcouncil within with Angeit and the faithful ones. I set them thetasks they were to do, and put into their mouths the words theywere to say. Then I slipped away to a place back in the woodswhere I had two sleds, well loaded, with teams of dogs that werenot overfed. Spring was at hand, you see, and there was a crust tothe snow; so it was the best time to take the way south. Moreover,the tobacco was gone. There I waited, for I had nothing to fear.Did they bestir themselves on my trail, their dogs were too fat,and themselves too lean, to overtake me; also, I deemed theirbestirring would be of an order for which I had made duepreparation."First came a faithful one, running, and after him another. 'Omaster,' the first cried, breathless, 'there be great confusion inthe village, and no man knoweth his own mind, and they be of manyminds. Everybody hath drunken overmuch, and some be stringingbows, and some be quarrelling one with another. Never was theresuch a trouble.'"And the second one: 'And I did as thou biddest, O master,whispering shrewd words in thirsty ears, and raising memories ofthe things that were of old time. The woman Ipsukuk waileth herpoverty and the wealth that no longer is hers. And Tummasookthinketh himself once again chief, and the people are hungry andrage up and down.'"And a third one: 'And Neewak hath overthrown the altars of Moosu,and maketh incantation before the time-honoured and ancient gods.And all the people remember the wealth that ran down their throats,and which they possess no more. And first, Esanetuk, who be SICKTUMTUM, fought with Kluktu, and there was much noise. And next,being daughters of the one mother, did they fight with Tukeliketa.And after that did they three fall upon Moosu, like wind-squalls,from every hand, till he ran forth from the igloo, and the peoplemocked him. For a man who cannot command his womankind is a fool.'"Then came Angeit: 'Great trouble hath befallen Moosu, O master,for I have whispered to advantage, till the people came to Moosu,saying they were hungry and demanding the fulfilment of prophecy.And there was a loud shout of "Itlwillie! Itlwillie!" (Meat.) Sohe cried peace to his womenfolk, who were overwrought with angerand with hooch, and led the tribe even to thy meat caches. And hebade the men open them and be fed. And lo, the caches were empty.There was no meat. They stood without sound, the people beingfrightened, and in the silence I lifted my voice. "O Moosu, whereis the meat? That there was meat we know. Did we not hunt it anddrag it in from the hunt? And it were a lie to say one man hatheaten it; yet have we seen nor hide nor hair. Where is the meat, OMoosu? Thou hast the ear of God. Where is the meat?""'And the people cried, "Thou hast the ear of God. Where is themeat?" And they put their heads together and were afraid. Then Iwent among them, speaking fearsomely of the unknown things, of thedead that come and go like shadows and do evil deeds, till theycried aloud in terror and gathered all together, like littlechildren afraid of the dark. Neewak made harangue, laying thisevil that had come upon them at the door of Moosu. When he haddone, there was a furious commotion, and they took spears in theirhands, and tusks of walrus, and clubs, and stones from the beach.But Moosu ran away home, and because he had not drunken of hoochthey could not catch him, and fell one over another and made hasteslowly. Even now they do howl without his igloo, and his woman-folk within, and what of the noise, he cannot make himself heard.'"'O Angeit, thou hast done well,' I commanded. 'Go now, takingthis empty sled and the lean dogs, and ride fast to the igloo ofMoosu; and before the people, who are drunken, are aware, throw himquick upon the sled and bring him to me.'"I waited and gave good advice to the faithful ones till Angeitreturned. Moosu was on the sled, and I saw by the fingermarks onhis face that his womankind had done well by him. But he tumbledoff and fell in the snow at my feet, crying: 'O master, thou wiltforgive Moosu, thy servant, for the wrong things he has done! Thouart a great man! Surely wilt thou forgive!'"'Call me "brother," Moosu--call me "brother,"' I chided, liftinghim to his feet with the toe of my moccasin. 'Wilt thou evermoreobey?'"'Yea, master,' he whimpered, 'evermore.'"'Then dispose thy body, so, across the sled,' I shifted thedogwhip to my right hand. 'And direct thy face downwards, towardthe snow. And make haste, for we journey south this day.' Andwhen he was well fixed I laid the lash upon him, reciting, at everystroke, the wrongs he had done me. 'This for thy disobedience ingeneral--whack! And this for thy disobedience in particular--whack! whack! And this for Esanetuk! And this for thy soul'swelfare! And this for the grace of thy authority! And this forKluktu! And this for thy rights God-given! And this for thy fatfirstlings! And this and this for thy income-tax and thy loavesand fishes! And this for all thy disobedience! And this, finally,that thou mayest henceforth walk softly and with understanding!Now cease thy sniffling and get up! Gird on thy snowshoes and goto the fore and break trail for the dogs. CHOOK! MUSH-ON! Git!'"Thomas Stevens smiled quietly to himself as he lighted his fifthcigar and sent curling smoke-rings ceilingward."But how about the people of Tattarat?" I asked. "Kind of rough,wasn't it, to leave them flat with famine?"And he answered, laughing, between two smoke-rings, "Were there notthe fat dogs?"
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