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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 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 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 been traced at length to show that she was neither
Indian； nor Eskimo； nor Innuit； nor much of anything else； also to
show what waifs of the generations we are； all of us； and the
strange meanderings of the seed from which we spring。
What with the vagrant blood in her and the heritage compounded of
many races； Jees Uck developed a wonderful young beauty。 Bizarre；
perhaps； it was； and Oriental enough to puzzle any passing
ethnologist。 A lithe and slender grace characterized her。 Beyond
a quickened lilt to the imagination； the contribution of the Celt
was in no wise apparent。 It might possibly have put the warm blood
under her skin； which made her face less swart and her body fairer；
but that； in turn； might have come from Shpack； the Big Fat； who
inherited the colour of his Slavonic father。 And； finally； she had
great； blazing black eyesthe half…caste eye； round； full…orbed；
and sensuous； which marks the collision of the dark races with the
light。 Also； the white blood in her； combined with her knowledge
that it was in her； made her； in a way； ambitious。 Otherwise by
upbringing and in outlook on life； she was wholly and utterly a
Toyaat Indian。
One winter； when she was a young woman； Neil Bonner came into her
life。 But he came into her life； as he had come into the country；
somewhat reluctantly。 In fact； it was very much against his will；
coming into the country。 Between a father who clipped coupons and
cultivated roses； and a mother who loved the social round； Neil
Bonner had gone rather wild。 He was not vicious； but a man with
meat in his belly and without work in the world has to expend his
energy somehow； and Neil Bonner was such a man。 And he expended
his energy in such a fashion and to such extent that when the
inevitable climax came； his father； Neil Bonner； senior； crawled
out of his roses in a panic and looked on his son with a wondering
eye。 Then he hied himself away to a