A thousand deaths by Jack London

no snow in that country, and its name is California.”

“Cal-ee-forn-ee-yeh,” he mumbled twice and thrice, listening

intently to the sound of the syllables as they fell from his lips.

He nodded his head in confirmation. “Yes, it is the same country

of which Yamikan made talk.”

LOVE OF LIFE AND OTHER STORIES

37

I recognized the adventure of Yamikan as one likely to occur in the

early days when Alaska first passed into the possession of the

United States. Such a murder case, occurring before the instalment

of territorial law and officials, might well have been taken down

to the United States for trial before a Federal court.

“When Yamikan is in this country where there is no snow,” old

Ebbits continued, “he is taken to large house where many men make

much talk. Long time men talk. Also many questions do they ask

Yamikan. By and by they tell Yamikan he have no more trouble.

Yamikan does not understand, for never has he had any trouble. All

the time have they given him warm place to sleep and plenty grub.

“But after that they give him much better grub, and they give him

money, and they take him many places in white man’s country, and he

see many strange things which are beyond the understanding of

Ebbits, who is an old man and has not journeyed far. After two

years, Yamikan comes back to this village, and he is head man, and

very wise until he dies.

“But before he dies, many times does he sit by my fire and make

talk of the strange things he has seen. And Bidarshik, who is my

son, sits by the fire and listens; and his eyes are very wide and

large because of the things he hears. One night, after Yamikan has

gone home, Bidarshik stands up, so, very tall, and he strikes his

chest with his fist, and says, ‘When I am a man, I shall journey in

far places, even to the land where there is no snow, and see things

for myself.'”

“Always did Bidarshik journey in far places,” Zilla interrupted

proudly.

“It be true,” Ebbits assented gravely. “And always did he return

to sit by the fire and hunger for yet other and unknown far

places.”

“And always did he remember the salt lake as big as the sky and the

country under the sun where there is no snow,” quoth Zilla.

“And always did he say, ‘When I have the full strength of a man, I

will go and see for myself if the talk of Yamikan be true talk,'”

said Ebbits.

“But there was no way to go to the white man’s country,” said

Zilla.

“Did he not go down to the salt lake that is big as the sky?”

Ebbits demanded.

“And there was no way for him across the salt lake,” said Zilla.

“Save in the white man’s fire-boat which is of iron and is bigger

than twenty steamboats on the Yukon,” said Ebbits. He scowled at

Zilla, whose withered lips were again writhing into speech, and

compelled her to silence. “But the white man would not let him

cross the salt lake in the fire-boat, and he returned to sit by the

fire and hunger for the country under the sun where there is no

LOVE OF LIFE AND OTHER STORIES

38

snow.'”

“Yet on the salt lake had he seen the fire-boat of iron that did

not sink,” cried out Zilla the irrepressible.

“Ay,” said Ebbits, “and he saw that Yamikan had made true talk of

the things he had seen. But there was no way for Bidarshik to

journey to the white man’s land under the sun, and he grew sick and

weary like an old man and moved not away from the fire. No longer

did he go forth to kill meat – ”

“And no longer did he eat the meat placed before him,” Zilla broke

in. “He would shake his head and say, ‘Only do I care to eat the

grub of the white man and grow fat after the manner of Yamikan.'”

“And he did not eat the meat,” Ebbits went on. “And the sickness

of Bidarshik grew into a great sickness until I thought he would

die. It was not a sickness of the body, but of the head. It was a

sickness of desire. I, Ebbits, who am his father, make a great

think. I have no more sons and I do not want Bidarshik to die. It

is a head-sickness, and there is but one way to make it well.

Bidarshik must journey across the lake as large as the sky to the

land where there is no snow, else will he die. I make a very great

think, and then I see the way for Bidarshik to go.

“So, one night when he sits by the fire, very sick, his head

hanging down, I say, ‘My son, I have learned the way for you to go

to the white man’s land.’ He looks at me, and his face is glad.

‘Go,’ I say, ‘even as Yamikan went.’ But Bidarshik is sick and

does not understand. ‘Go forth,’ I say, ‘and find a white man,

and, even as Yamikan, do you kill that white man. Then will the

soldier white men come and get you, and even as they took Yamikan

will they take you across the salt lake to the white man’s land.

And then, even as Yamikan, will you return very fat, your eyes full

of the things you have seen, your head filled with wisdom.’

“And Bidarshik stands up very quick, and his hand is reaching out

for his gun. ‘Where do you go?’ I ask. ‘To kill the white man,’

he says. And I see that my words have been good in the ears of

Bidarshik and that he will grow well again. Also do I know that my

words have been wise.

“There is a white man come to this village. He does not seek after

gold in the ground, nor after furs in the forest. All the time

does he seek after bugs and flies. He does not eat the bugs and

flies, then why does he seek after them? I do not know. Only do I

know that he is a funny white man. Also does he seek after the

eggs of birds. He does not eat the eggs. All that is inside he

takes out, and only does he keep the shell. Eggshell is not good

to eat. Nor does he eat the eggshells, but puts them away in soft

boxes where they will not break. He catch many small birds. But

he does not eat the birds. He takes only the skins and puts them

away in boxes. Also does he like bones. Bones are not good to

eat. And this strange white man likes best the bones of long time

ago which he digs out of the ground.

“But he is not a fierce white man, and I know he will die very

LOVE OF LIFE AND OTHER STORIES

39

easy; so I say to Bidarshik, ‘My son, there is the white man for

you to kill.’ And Bidarshik says that my words be wise. So he

goes to a place he knows where are many bones in the ground. He

digs up very many of these bones and brings them to the strange

white man’s camp. The white man is made very glad. His face

shines like the sun, and he smiles with much gladness as he looks

at the bones. He bends his head over, so, to look well at the

bones, and then Bidarshik strikes him hard on the head, with axe,

once, so, and the strange white man kicks and is dead.

“‘Now,’ I say to Bidarshik, ‘will the white soldier men come and

take you away to the land under the sun, where you will eat much

and grow fat.’ Bidarshik is happy. Already has his sickness gone

from him, and he sits by the fire and waits for the coming of the

white soldier men.

“How was I to know the way of the white man is never twice the

same?” the old man demanded, whirling upon me fiercely. “How was I

to know that what the white man does yesterday he will not do to-

day, and that what he does to-day he will not do to-morrow?”

Ebbits shook his head sadly. “There is no understanding the white

man. Yesterday he takes Yamikan to the land under the sun and

makes him fat with much grub. To-day he takes Bidarshik and – what

does he do with Bidarshik? Let me tell you what he does with

Bidarshik.

“I, Ebbits, his father, will tell you. He takes Bidarshik to

Cambell Fort, and he ties a rope around his neck, so, and, when his

feet are no more on the ground, he dies.”

“Ai! ai!” wailed Zilla. “And never does he cross the lake large as