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out of his roses in a panic and looked on his son with a wondering
eye。 Then he hied himself away to a crony of kindred pursuits；
with whom he was wont to confer over coupons and roses； and between
the two the destiny of young Neil Bonner was made manifest。 He
must go away； on probation； to live down his harmless follies in
order that he might live up to their own excellent standard。
This determined upon； and young Neil a little repentant and a great
deal ashamed； the rest was easy。 The cronies were heavy
stockholders in the P。 C。 Company。 The P。 C。 Company owned fleets
of river…steamers and ocean…going craft； and； in addition to
farming the sea； exploited a hundred thousand square miles or so of
the land that； on the maps of geographers； usually occupies the
white spaces。 So the P。 C。 Company sent young Neil Bonner north；
where the white spaces are； to do its work and to learn to be good
like his father。 〃Five years of simplicity； close to the soil and
far from temptation； will make a man of him；〃 said old Neil Bonner；
and forthwith crawled back among his roses。 Young Neil set his
jaw； pitched his chin at the proper angle； and went to work。 As an
underling he did his work well and gained the commendation of his
superiors。 Not that he delighted in the work； but that it was the
one thing that prevented him from going mad。
The first year he wished he was dead。 The second year he cursed
God。 The third year he was divided between the two emotions； and
in the confusion quarrelled with a man in authority。 He had the
best of the quarrel； though the man in authority had the last
word；a word that sent Neil Bonner into an exile that made his old
billet appear as paradise。 But he went without a whimper； for the
North had succeeded in making him into a man。
Here and there； on the white spaces on the map； little circlets
like the letter 〃o〃 are to be found； and； appended to these
circlets； on one side or the other； are names such as 〃Fort
Hamilton；〃 〃Yanana Station；〃 〃Twenty Mile；〃 thus leading one to
imagine that the white spaces are plentifully besprinkled with
towns and villages。 But it is a vain imagining。 Twenty Mile；
which is very like the rest of the posts； is a log building the
size of a corner grocery with rooms to let up…stairs。 A long…
legged cache on stilts may be found in the back yard； also a couple
of outhouses。 The back yard is unfenced； and extends to the
skyline and an unascertainable bit beyond。 There are no other
houses in sight； though the Toyaats sometimes pitch a winter camp a
mile or two down the Yukon。 And this is Twenty Mile； one tentacle
of the many…tentacled P。 C。 Company。 Here the agent； with an
assistant； barters with the Indians for their furs； and does an
erratic trade on a gold…dust basis with the wandering miners。
Here； also； the agent and his assistant yearn all winter for the
spring； and when the spring comes； camp blasphemously on the roof
while the Yukon washes out the establishment。 And here； also； in
the fourth year of his sojourn in the land； came Neil Bonner to
take charge。
He had displaced no agent； for the man that previously ran the post
had made away with himself； 〃because of the rigours of the place；〃
said the assistant； who still remained； though the Toyaats； by
their fires； had another version。 The assistant was a shrunken…
shouldered； hollow…chested man； with a cadaverous face and
cavernous cheeks that his sparse black beard could not hide。 He
coughed much； as though consumption gripped his lungs； while his
eyes had that mad； fevered light common to consumptives in the last
stage。 Pentley was his nameAmos Pentleyand Bonner did not like
him； though he felt a pity for the forlorn and hopeless devil。
They did not get along together； these two men who； of all men；
should have been on good terms in the face of the cold and silence
and darkness of the long winter。
In the end； Bonner concluded that Amos was partly demented； and
left him alone； doing all the work himself except the cooking。
Even then； Amos had nothing but bitter looks and an undisguised
hatred for him。 This was a great loss to Bonner； for the smiling
face of one of his own kind； the cheery word； the sympathy of
comradeship shared with misfortunethese things meant much； and
the winter was yet young when he began to realize the added
reasons； with such an assistant； that the previous agent had found
to impel his own hand against his life。
It was very lonely at Twenty Mile。 The bleak vastness stretched
away on every side to the horizon。 The snow； which was really
frost； flung its mantle over the land and buried everything in the
silence of death。 For days it was clear and cold； the thermometer
steadily recording forty to fifty degrees below zero。 Then a
change came over the face of things。 What little moisture had
oozed into the atmosphere gathered into dull grey； formless clouds；
it became quite warm； the thermometer rising to twenty below； and
the moisture fell out of the sky in hard frost…granules that hissed
like dry sugar or driving sand when kicked underfoot。 After that
it became clear and cold again； until enough moisture had gathered
to blanket the earth from the cold of outer space。 That was all。
Nothing happened。 No storms； no churning waters and threshing
forests； nothing but the machine…like precipitation of accumulated
moisture。 Possibly the most notable thing that occurred through
the weary weeks was the gliding of the temperature up to the
unprecedented height of fifteen below。 To atone for this； outer
space smote the earth with its cold till the mercury froze and the
spirit thermometer remained more than seventy below for a
fortnight； when it burst。 There was no telling how much colder it
was after that。 Another occurrence； monotonous in its regularity；
was the lengthening of the nights； till day became a mere blink of
light between the darkness。
Neil Bonner was a social animal。 The very follies for which he was
doing penance had been bred of his excessive sociability。 And
here； in the fourth year of his exile； he found himself in company…
…which were to travesty the wordwith a morose and speechless
creature in whose sombre eyes smouldered a hatred as bitter as it
was unwarranted。 And Bonner； to whom speech and fellowship were as
the breath of life； went about as a ghost might go； tantalized by
the gregarious revelries of some former life。 In the day his lips
were compressed； his face stern； but in the night he clenched his
hands； rolled about in his blankets； and cried aloud like a little
child。 And he would remember a certain man in authority and curse
him through the long hours。 Also； he cursed God。 But God
understands。 He cannot find it in his heart to blame weak mortals
who blaspheme in Alaska。
And here； to the post of Twenty Mile； came Jees Uck； to trade for
flour and bacon； and beads； and bright scarlet cloths for her fancy
work。 And further； and unwittingly； she came to the post of Twenty
Mile to make a lonely man more lonely； make him reach out empty
arms in his sleep。 For Neil Bonner was only a man。 When she first
came into the store； he looked at her long； as a thirsty man may
look at a flowing well。 And she； with the heritage bequeathed her
by Spike O'Brien； imagined daringly and smiled up into his eyes；
not as the swart…skinned peoples should smile at the royal races；
but as a woman smiles at a man。 The thing was inevitable； only； he
did not see it； and fought against her as fiercely and passionately
as he was drawn towards her。 And she？ She was Jees Uck； by
upbringing wholly and utterly a Toyaat Indian woman。
She came often to the post to trade。 And often she sat by the big
wood stove and chatted in broken English with Neil Bonner。 And he
came to look for her coming； and on the days she did not come he
was worried and restless。 Sometimes he stopped to think