第3章

\"Womenarewomenandmenaremen——itisstrangetherearenomarriages。Perhapstheyoungmendonotlikeourdaughters。\" \"Ah，theylikethemwellenough，\"MammaChunanswered；\"butyousee，theycannotforgetthatyouareyourdaughters’father。\" \"Yetyouforgotwhomyfatherwas，\"AhChunsaidgravely。\"Allyouaskedwasformetocutoffmyqueue。\" \"TheyoungmenaremoreparticularthanIwas，Ifancy。\" \"Whatisthegreatestthingintheworld？\"AhChundemandedwithabruptirrelevance。 MammaAchunponderedforamoment，thenreplied：\"God。\" Henodded。\"Therearegodsandgods。Somearepaper，somearewood，somearebronze。Iuseasmalloneintheofficeforapaper— weight。IntheBishopMuseumaremanygodsofcoralrockandlavastone。\" \"ButthereisonlyoneGod，\"sheannounceddecisively，stiffeningherampleframeargumentatively。 AhChunnotedthedangersignalandsheeredoff。 \"WhatisgreaterthanGod，then？\"heasked。\"Iwilltellyou。Itismoney。InmytimeIhavehaddealingswithJewsandChristians，MohammedansandBuddhists，andwithlittleblackmenfromtheSolomonsandNewGuineawhocarriedtheirgodaboutthem，wrappedinoiledpaper。Theypossessedvariousgods，thesemen，buttheyallworshippedmoney。ThereisthatCaptainHigginson。HeseemstolikeHenrietta。\" \"Hewillnevermarryher，\"retortedMammaAchun。\"Hewillbeanadmiralbeforehedies——\" \"Arear—admiral，\"AhChuninterpolated。 \"Yes，Iknow。Thatisthewaytheyretire。\" \"HisfamilyintheUnitedStatesisahighone。Theywouldnotlikeitifhemarried……ifhedidnotmarryanAmericangirl。\" AhChunknockedtheashesoutofhispipe，thoughtfullyrefillingthesilverbowlwithatinyplegetoftobacco。Helighteditandsmokeditoutbeforehespoke。 \"Henriettaistheoldestgirl。ThedayshemarriesIwillgiveherthreehundredthousanddollars。ThatwillfetchthatCaptainHigginsonandhishighfamilyalongwithhim。Letthewordgoouttohim。Ileaveittoyou。\" AndAhChunsatandsmokedon，andinthecurlingsmoke—wreathshesawtakeshapethefaceandfigureofToyShuey——ToyShuey，themaidofallworkinhisuncle’shouseintheCantonesevillage，whoseworkwasneverdoneandwhoreceivedforawholeyear’sworkonedollar。Andhesawhisyouthfulselfariseinthecurlingsmoke，hisyouthfulselfwhohadtoiledeighteenyearsinhisuncle’sfieldforlittlemore。Andnowhe，AhChun，thepeasant，doweredhisdaughterwiththreehundredthousandyearsofsuchtoil。Andshewasbutonedaughterofadozen。Hewasnotelatedatthethought。 Itstruckhimthatitwasafunny，whimsicalworld，andhechuckledaloudandstartledMammaAchunfromareverywhichheknewlaydeepinthehiddencryptsofherbeingwherehehadneverpenetrated。 ButAhChun’swordwentforth，asawhisper，andCaptainHigginsonforgothisrear—admiralshipandhishighfamilyandtooktowifethreehundredthousanddollarsandarefinedandculturedgirlwhowasonethirty—secondPolynesian，one—sixteenthItalian，one— sixteenthPortuguese，eleventhirty—secondsEnglishandYankee，andone—halfChinese。 AhChun’smunificencehaditseffect。Hisdaughtersbecamesuddenlyeligibleanddesirable。Clarawasthenext，butwhentheSecretaryoftheTerritoryformallyproposedforher，AhChuninformedhimthathemustwaithisturn，thatMaudwastheoldestandthatshemustbemarriedfirst。Itwasshrewdpolicy。ThewholefamilywasmadevitallyinterestedinmarryingoffMaud，whichitdidinthreemonths，toNedHumphreys，theUnitedStatesimmigrationcommissioner。BothheandMaudcomplained，forthedowrywasonlytwohundredthousand。AhChunexplainedthathisinitialgenerosityhadbeentobreaktheice，andthatafterthathisdaughterscouldnotexpectotherwisethantogomorecheaply。 ClarafollowedMaud，andthereafter，foraspaceoftwoyears；therewasacontinuousroundofweddingsinthebungalow。InthemeantimeAhChunhadnotbeenidle。Investmentafterinvestmentwascalledin。Hesoldouthisinterestsinascoreofenterprises，andstepbystep，soasnottocauseaslumpinthemarket，hedisposedofhislargeholdingsinrealestate。Towardthelasthedidprecipitateaslumpandsoldatsacrifice。Whatcausedthishastewerethesquallshesawalreadyrisingabovethehorizon。BythetimeLucillewasmarried，echoesofbickeringsandjealousieswerealreadyrumblinginhisears。Theairwasthickwithschemesandcounter—schemestogainhisfavourandtoprejudicehimagainstoneoranotherorallbutoneofhissons—in—law。Allofwhichwasnotconducivetothepeaceandreposehehadplannedforhisoldage。 Hehastenedhisefforts。ForalongtimehehadbeenincorrespondencewiththechiefbanksinShanghaiandMacao。Everysteamerforseveralyearshadcarriedawaydraftsdrawninfavourofone，ChunAhChun，fordepositinthoseFarEasternbanks。Thedraftsnowbecameheavier。Histwoyoungestdaughterswerenotyetmarried。Hedidnotwait，butdoweredthemwithahundredthousandeach，whichsumslayintheBankofHawaii，drawinginterestandawaitingtheirweddingday。AlberttookoverthebusinessofthefirmofAhChunandAhYung，Harold，theeldest，havingelectedtotakeaquarterofamillionandgotoEnglandtolive。Charles，theyoungest，tookahundredthousand，alegalguardian，andacourseinaKeeleyinstitute。ToMammaAchunwasgiventhebungalow，themountainHouseonTantalus，andanewseasideresidenceinplaceoftheoneAhChunsoldtothegovernment。Also，toMammaAchunwasgivenhalfamillioninmoneywellinvested。 AhChunwasnowreadytocrackthenutoftheproblem。Onefinemorningwhenthefamilywasatbreakfast——hehadseentoitthatallhissons—in—lawandtheirwiveswerepresent——heannouncedthathewasreturningtohisancestralsoil。Inaneatlittlehomilyheexplainedthathehadmadeampleprovisionforhisfamily，andhelaiddownvariousmaximsthathewassure，hesaid，wouldenablethemtodwelltogetherinpeaceandharmony。Also，hegavebusinessadvicetohissons—in—law，preachedthevirtuesoftemperatelivingandsafeinvestments，andgavethemthebenefitofhisencyclopedicknowledgeofindustrialandbusinessconditionsinHawaii。Thenhecalledforhiscarriage，and，inthecompanyoftheweepingMammaAchun，wasdrivendowntothePacificMailsteamer，leavingbehindhimapanicinthebungalow。CaptainHigginsonclamouredwildlyforaninjunction。Thedaughtersshedcopioustears。Oneoftheirhusbands，anex—Federaljudge，questionedAhChun’ssanity，andhastenedtotheproperauthoritiestoinquireintoit。HereturnedwiththeinformationthatAhChunhadappearedbeforethecommissionthedaybefore，demandedanexamination，andpassedwithflyingcolours。Therewasnothingtobedone，sotheywentdownandsaidgood—byetothelittleoldman，whowavedfarewellfromthepromenadedeckasthebigsteamerpokedhernoseseawardthroughthecoralreef。 ButthelittleoldmanwasnotboundforCanton。Heknewhisowncountrytoowell，andthesqueezeoftheMandarins，toventureintoitwiththetidybulkofwealththatremainedtohim。HewenttoMacao。NowAhChunhadlongexercisedthepowerofakingandhewasasimperiousasaking。WhenhelandedatMacaoandwentintotheofficeofthebiggestEuropeanhoteltoregister，theclerkclosedthebookonhim。Chinesewerenotpermitted。AhChuncalledforthemanagerandwastreatedwithcontumely。Hedroveaway，butintwohourshewasbackagain。Hecalledtheclerkandmanagerin，gavethemamonth’ssalary，anddischargedthem。Hehadmadehimselftheownerofthehotel；andinthefinestsuitehesettleddownduringthemanymonthsthegorgeouspalaceinthesuburbswasbuildingforhim。Inthemeantime，withtheinevitableabilitythatwashis，heincreasedtheearningsofhisbighotelfromthreepercenttothirty。 ThetroublesAhChunhadflownbeganearly。Thereweresons—in—lawthatmadebadinvestments，othersthatplayedducksanddrakeswiththeAchundowries。AhChunbeingoutofit，theylookedatMammaAhChunandherhalfmillion，and，looking，engenderednotthebestoffeelingtowardoneanother。Lawyerswaxedfatinthestrivingtoascertaintheconstructionoftrustdeeds。Suits，cross—suits，andcounter—suitsclutteredtheHawaiiancourts。Nordidthepolicecourtsescape。Therewereangryencountersinwhichharshwordsandharsherblowswerestruck。Thereweresuchthingsasflowerpotsbeingthrowntoaddemphasistowingedwords。AndsuitsforlibelarosethatdraggedtheirwaythroughthecourtsandkeptHonoluluagogwithexcitementovertherevelationsofthewitnesses。 Inhispalace，surroundedbyalldeardelightsoftheOrient，AhChunsmokeshisplacidpipeandlistenstotheturmoiloverseas。Byeachmailsteamer，infaultlessEnglish，typewrittenonanAmericanmachine，alettergoesfromMacaotoHonolulu，inwhich，byadmirabletextsandprecepts，AhChunadviseshisfamilytoliveinunityandharmony。Asforhimself，heisoutofitall，andwellcontent。Hehaswontopeaceandrepose。Attimeshechucklesandrubshishands，andhisslantlittleblackeyestwinklemerrilyatthethoughtofthefunnyworld。Foroutofallhislivingandphilosophizing，thatremainstohim——theconvictionthatitisaveryfunnyworld。 THESHERIFFOFKONA \"Youcannotescapelikingtheclimate，\"Cudworthsaid，inreplytomypanegyricontheKonacoast。\"Iwasayoungfellow，justoutofcollege，whenIcamehereeighteenyearsago。Ineverwentback，except，ofcourse，tovisit。AndIwarnyou，ifyouhavesomespotdeartoyouonearth，nottolingerheretoolong，elseyouwillfindthisdearer。\" Wehadfinisheddinner，whichhadbeenservedonthebiglanai，theonewithanortherlyexposure，thoughexposureisindeedamisnomerinsodelectableaclimate。 Thecandleshadbeenputout，andaslim，white—cladJapaneseslippedlikeaghostthroughthesilverymoonlight，presenteduswithcigars，andfadedawayintothedarknessofthebungalow。I lookedthroughascreenofbananaandlehuatrees，anddownacrosstheguavascrubtothequietseaathousandfeetbeneath。Foraweek，eversinceIhadlandedfromthetinycoasting—steamer，IhadbeenstoppingwithCudworth，andduringthattimenowindhadruffledthatunvexedsea。True，therehadbeenbreezes，buttheywerethegentlestzephyrsthateverblewthroughsummerisles。Theywerenotwinds；theyweresighs——long，balmysighsofaworldatrest。 \"Alotusland，\"Isaid。 \"Whereeachdayislikeeveryday，andeverydayisaparadiseofdays，\"heanswered。\"Nothingeverhappens。Itisnottoohot。Itisnottoocold。Itisalwaysjustright。Haveyounoticedhowthelandandtheseabreatheturnandturnabout？\" Indeed，Ihadnoticedthatdeliciousrhythmic，breathing。EachmorningIhadwatchedthesea—breezebeginattheshoreandslowlyextendseawardasitblewthemildest，softestwhiffofozonetotheland。Itplayedoverthesea，justfaintlydarkeningitssurface，withhereandthereandeverywherelonglanesofcalm，shifting，changing，drifting，accordingtothecapriciouskissesofthebreeze。AndeacheveningIhadwatchedtheseabreathdieawaytoheavenlycalm，andheardthelandbreathsoftlymakeitswaythroughthecoffeetreesandmonkey—pods。 \"Itisalandofperpetualcalm，\"Isaid。\"Doesiteverblowhere？— —everreallyblow？YouknowwhatImean。\" Cudworthshookhisheadandpointedeastward。 \"Howcanitblow，withabarrierlikethattostopit？\" FarabovetoweredthehugebulksofMaunaKeaandMaunaLoa，seemingtoblotouthalfthestarrysky。Twomilesandahalfaboveourheadstheyrearedtheirownheads，whitewithsnowthatthetropicsunhadfailedtomelt。 \"Thirtymilesaway，rightnow，I’llwager，itisblowingfortymilesanhour。\" Ismiledincredulously。 Cudworthsteppedtothelanaitelephone。Hecalledup，insuccession，Waimea，Kohala，andHamakua。Snatchesofhisconversationtoldmethatthewindwasblowing：\"Rip—snortingandback—jumping，eh？……Howlong？……Onlyaweek？……Hello，Abe，isthatyou？……Yes，yes……YouWILLplantcoffeeontheHamakuacoast……Hangyourwind—breaks!YoushouldseeMY trees。\" \"Blowingagale，\"hesaidtome，turningfromhangingupthereceiver。\"IalwayshavetojokeAbeonhiscoffee。Hehasfivehundredacres，andhe’sdonemarvelsinwind—breaking，buthowhekeepstherootsinthegroundisbeyondme。Blow？ItalwaysblowsontheHamakuaside。KohalareportsaschoonerunderdoublereefsbeatingupthechannelbetweenHawaiiandMaui，andmakingheavyweatherofit。\" \"Itishardtorealize，\"Isaidlamely。\"Doesn’talittlewhiffofitevereddyaroundsomehow，andgetdownhere？\" \"Notawhiff。Ourland—breezeisabsolutelyofnokin，foritbeginsthissideofMaunaKeaandMaunaLoa。Yousee，thelandradiatesitsheatquickerthanthesea，andso，atnight，thelandbreathesoverthesea。Inthedaythelandbecomeswarmerthanthesea，andtheseabreathesovertheland……Listen!Herecomestheland—breathnow，themountainwind。\" Icouldhearitcoming，rustlingsoftlythroughthecoffeetrees，stirringthemonkey—pods，andsighingthroughthesugar—cane。Onthelanaithehushstillreigned。Thenitcame，thefirstfeelofthemountainwind，faintlybalmy，fragrantandspicy，andcool，deliciouslycool，asilkencoolness，awine—likecoolness——coolasonlythemountainwindofKonacanbecool。 \"DoyouwonderthatIlostmyhearttoKonaeighteenyearsago？\"hedemanded。\"Icouldneverleaveitnow。IthinkIshoulddie。Itwouldbeterrible。Therewasanothermanwholovedit，evenasI。 Ithinkheloveditmore，forhewasbornhereontheKonacoast。 Hewasagreatman，mybestfriend，mymorethanbrother。Butheleftit，andhedidnotdie。\" \"Love？\"Iqueried。\"Awoman？\" Cudworthshookhishead。 \"Norwillheevercomeback，thoughhisheartwillbehereuntilhedies。\" HepausedandgazeddownuponthebeachlightsofKailua。Ismokedsilentlyandwaited。 \"Hewasalreadyinlove……withhiswife。Also，hehadthreechildren，andhelovedthem。TheyareinHonolulunow。Theboyisgoingtocollege。\" \"Somerashact？\"Iquestioned，afteratime，impatiently。 Heshookhishead。\"Neitherguiltyofanythingcriminal，norchargedwithanythingcriminal。HewastheSheriffofKona。\" \"Youchoosetobeparadoxical，\"Isaid。 \"Isupposeitdoessoundthatway，\"headmitted，\"andthatistheperfecthellofit。\" Helookedatmesearchinglyforamoment，andthenabruptlytookupthetale。 \"Hewasaleper。No，hewasnotbornwithit——nooneisbornwithit；itcameuponhim。Thisman——whatdoesitmatter？LyteGregorywashisname。Everykamainaknowsthestory。HewasstraightAmericanstock，buthewasbuiltlikethechieftainsofoldHawaii。 Hestoodsixfeetthree。Hisstrippedweightwastwohundredandtwentypounds，notanounceofwhichwasnotcleanmuscleorbone。 HewasthestrongestmanIhaveeverseen。Hewasanathleteandagiant。Hewasagod。Hewasmyfriend。Andhisheartandhissoulwereasbigandasfineashisbody。 \"Iwonderwhatyouwoulddoifyousawyourfriend，yourbrother，ontheslipperylipofaprecipice，slipping，slipping，andyouwereabletodonothing。Thatwasjustit。Icoulddonothing。Isawitcoming，andIcoulddonothing。MyGod，man，whatcouldIdo？ Thereitwas，malignantandincontestable，themarkofthethingonhisbrow。Nooneelsesawit。ItwasbecauseIlovedhimso，Idobelieve，thatIalonesawit。Icouldnotcreditthetestimonyofmysenses。Itwastooincrediblyhorrible。Yetthereitwas，onhisbrow，onhisears。Ihadseenit，theslightpuffoftheearlobes——oh，soimperceptiblyslight。Iwatcheditformonths。 Then，next，hopingagainsthope，thedarkeningoftheskinabovebotheyebrows——oh，sofaint，justlikethedimmesttouchofsunburn。 Ishouldhavethoughtitsunburnbutthattherewasashinetoit，suchaninvisibleshine，likealittlehighlightseenforamomentandgonethenext。Itriedtobelieveitwassunburn，onlyIcouldnot。Iknewbetter。Noonenoticeditbutme。NooneevernoticeditexceptStephenKaluna，andIdidnotknowthattillafterward。 ButIsawitcoming，thewholedamnable，unnamableawfulnessofit； butIrefusedtothinkaboutthefuture。Iwasafraid。Icouldnot。AndofnightsIcriedoverit。 \"Hewasmyfriend。WefishedsharksonNiihautogether。WehuntedwildcattleonMaunaKeaandMaunaLoa。WebrokehorsesandbrandedsteersontheCarterRanch。WehuntedgoatsthroughHaleakala。HetaughtmedivingandsurfinguntilIwasnearlyascleverashe，andhewasclevererthantheaverageKanaka。Ihaveseenhimdiveinfifteenfathoms，andhecouldstaydowntwominutes。Hewasanamphibianandamountaineer。Hecouldclimbwhereveragoatdaredclimb。Hewasafraidofnothing。HewasonthewreckedLuga，andheswamthirtymilesinthirty—sixhoursinaheavysea。Hecouldfighthiswayoutthroughbreakingcombersthatwouldbatteryouandmetoajelly。Hewasagreat，gloriousman—god。WewentthroughtheRevolutiontogether。Wewerebothromanticloyalists。Hewasshottwiceandsentencedtodeath。Buthewastoogreatamanfortherepublicanstokill。Helaughedatthem。Later，theygavehimhonourandmadehimSheriffofKona。Hewasasimpleman，aboythatnevergrewup。Hiswasnointricatebrainpattern。Hehadnotwistsnorquirksinhismentalprocesses。Hewentstraighttothepoint，andhispointswerealwayssimple。 \"Andhewassanguine。NeverhaveIknownsoconfidentaman，noramansosatisfiedandhappy。Hedidnotaskanythingfromlife。 Therewasnothinglefttobedesired。Forhimlifehadnoarrears。 Hehadbeenpaidinfull，cashdown，andinadvance。Whatmorecouldhepossiblydesirethanthatmagnificentbody，thatironconstitution，thatimmunityfromallordinaryills，andthatlowlywholesomenessofsoul？Physicallyhewasperfect。Hehadneverbeensickinhislife。Hedidnotknowwhataheadachewas。WhenI wassoafflictedheusedtolookatmeinwonder，andmakemelaughwithhisclumsyattemptsatsympathy。Hedidnotunderstandsuchathingasaheadache。Hecouldnotunderstand。Sanguine？Nowonder。Howcouldhebeotherwisewiththattremendousvitalityandincrediblehealth？ \"Justtoshowyouwhatfaithhehadinhisgloriousstar，and，also，whatsanctionhehadforthatfaith。Hewasayoungsteratthetime——Ihadjustmethim——whenhewentintoapokergameatWailuku。 TherewasabigGermaninit，Schultzhisnamewas，andheplayedabrutal，domineeringgame。Hehadhadarunofluckaswell，andhewasquiteinsufferable，whenLyteGregorydroppedinandtookahand。TheveryfirsthanditwasSchultz’sblind。Lytecamein，aswellastheothers，andSchultzraisedthemout——allexceptLyte。 HedidnotliketheGerman’stone，andheraisedhimback。Schultzraisedinturn，andinturnLyteraisedSchultz。Sotheywent，backandforth。Thestakeswerebig。AnddoyouknowwhatLyteheld？A pairofkingsandthreelittleclubs。Itwasn’tpoker。Lytewasn’tplayingpoker。Hewasplayinghisoptimism。Hedidn’tknowwhatSchultzheld，butheraisedandraiseduntilhemadeSchultzsqueal，andSchultzheldthreeacesallthetime。Thinkofit!Amanwithapairofkingscompellingthreeacestoseebeforethedraw! \"Well，Schultzcalledfortwocards。AnotherGermanwasdealing，Schultz’sfriendatthat。Lyteknewthenthathewasupagainstthreeofakind。Nowwhatdidhedo？Whatwouldyouhavedone？ Drawnthreecardsandheldupthekings，ofcourse。NotLyte。Hewasplayingoptimism。Hethrewthekingsaway，heldupthethreelittleclubs，anddrewtwocards。Heneverlookedatthem。HelookedacrossatSchultztobet，andSchultzdidbet，big。SincehehimselfheldthreeacesheknewhehadLyte，becauseheplayedLyteforthrees，and，necessarily，theywouldhavetobesmallerthrees。 PoorSchultz!Hewasperfectlycorrectunderthepremises。HismistakewasthathethoughtLytewasplayingpoker。Theybetbackandforthforfiveminutes，untilSchultz’scertaintybegantooozeout。AndallthetimeLytehadneverlookedathistwocards，andSchultzknewit。IcouldseeSchultzthink，andrevive，andsplurgewithhisbetsagain。Butthestrainwastoomuchforhim。\" \"’Holdon，Gregory，’hesaidatlast。’I’vegotyoubeatenfromthestart。Idon’twantanyofyourmoney。I’vegot——’\" \"’Nevermindwhatyou’vegot，’Lyteinterrupted。’Youdon’tknowwhatI’vegot。IguessI’lltakealook。’\" \"Helooked，andraisedtheGermanahundreddollars。Thentheywentatitagain，backandforthandbackandforth，untilSchultzweakenedandcalled，andlaiddownhisthreeaces。Lytefacedhisfivecards。Theywereallblack。Hehaddrawntwomoreclubs。Doyouknow，hejustaboutbrokeSchultz’snerveasapokerplayer。Heneverplayedinthesameformagain。Helackedconfidenceafterthat，andwasabitwobbly。\" \"’Buthowcouldyoudoit？’IaskedLyteafterwards。’Youknewhehadyoubeatenwhenhedrewtwocards。Besides，youneverlookedatyourowndraw。’\" \"’Ididn’thavetolook，’wasLyte’sanswer。’Iknewtheyweretwoclubsallthetime。Theyjusthadtobetwoclubs。DoyouthinkI wasgoingtoletthatbigDutchmanbeatme？Itwasimpossiblethatheshouldbeatme。Itisnotmywaytobebeaten。Ijusthavetowin。Why，I’dhavebeenthemostsurprisedmaninthisworldiftheyhadn’tbeenallclubs。’\" \"ThatwasLyte’sway，andmaybeitwillhelpyoutoappreciatehiscolossaloptimism。Asheputithejusthadtosucceed，tofarewell，toprosper。Andinthatsameincident，asintenthousandothers，hefoundhissanction。Thethingwasthathedidsucceed，didprosper。Thatwaswhyhewasafraidofnothing。Nothingcouldeverhappentohim。Heknewit，becausenothinghadeverhappenedtohim。ThattimetheLugawaslostandheswamthirtymiles，hewasinthewatertwowholenightsandaday。Andduringallthatterriblestretchoftimeheneverlosthopeonce，neveroncedoubtedtheoutcome。Hejustknewhewasgoingtomaketheland。Hetoldmesohimself，andIknowitwasthetruth。 \"Well，thatisthekindofamanLyteGregorywas。Hewasofadifferentracefromordinary，ailingmortals。Hewasalordlybeing，untouchedbycommonillsandmisfortunes。Whateverhewantedhegot。Hewonhiswife——oneoftheCaruthers，alittlebeauty—— fromadozenrivals。Andshesettleddownandmadehimthefinestwifeintheworld。Hewantedaboy。Hegotit。Hewantedagirlandanotherboy。Hegotthem。Andtheywerejustright，withoutspotorblemish，withchestslikelittlebarrels，andwithalltheinheritanceofhisownhealthandstrength。 \"Andthenithappened。Themarkofthebeastwaslaiduponhim。I watcheditforayear。Itbrokemyheart。Buthedidnotknowit，nordidanybodyelseguessitexceptthatcursedhapa—haole，StephenKaluna。Heknewit，butIdidnotknowthathedid。And——yes——DocStrowbridgeknewit。Hewasthefederalphysician，andhehaddevelopedthelepereye。Yousee，partofhisbusinesswastoexaminesuspectsandorderthemtothereceivingstationatHonolulu。AndStephenKalunahaddevelopedthelepereye。Thediseaseranstronginhisfamily，andfourorfiveofhisrelativeswerealreadyonMolokai。 \"ThetroublearoseoverStephenKaluna’ssister。Whenshebecamesuspect，andbeforeDocStrowbridgecouldgetholdofher，herbrotherspiritedherawaytosomehiding—place。LytewasSheriffofKona，anditwashisbusinesstofindher。 \"WewerealloveratHilothatnight，inNedAustin’s。StephenKalunawastherewhenwecamein，byhimself，inhiscups，andquarrelsome。Lytewaslaughingoversomejoke——thathuge，happylaughofagiantboy。Kalunaspatcontemptuouslyonthefloor。 Lytenoticed，sodideverybody；butheignoredthefellow。Kalunawaslookingfortrouble。HetookitasapersonalgrudgethatLytewastryingtoapprehendhissister。InhalfadozenwaysheadvertisedhisdispleasureatLyte’spresence，butLyteignoredhim。 IimaginedLytewasabitsorryforhim，forthehardestdutyofhisofficewastheapprehensionoflepers。Itisnotanicethingtogointoaman’shouseandtearawayafather，mother，orchild，whohasdonenowrong，andtosendsuchaonetoperpetualbanishmentonMolokai。Ofcourse，itisnecessaryasaprotectiontosociety，andLyte，Idobelieve，wouldhavebeenthefirsttoapprehendhisownfatherdidhebecomesuspect。 \"Finally，Kalunablurtedout：’Lookhere，Gregory，youthinkyou’regoingtofindKalaniweo，butyou’renot。’ \"Kalaniweowashissister。Lyteglancedathimwhenhisnamewascalled，buthemadenoanswer。Kalunawasfurious。Hewasworkinghimselfupallthetime。 \"’I’lltellyouonething，’heshouted。’You’llbeonMolokaiyourselfbeforeeveryougetKalaniweothere。I’lltellyouwhatyouare。You’venorighttobeinthecompanyofhonestmen。 You’vemadeaterriblefusstalkingaboutyourduty，haven’tyou？ You’vesentmanyleperstoMolokai，andknowingallthetimeyoubelongedthereyourself。’ \"I’dseenLyteangrymorethanonce，butneverquitesoangryasatthatmoment。Leprosywithus，youknow，isnotathingtojestabout。Hemadeoneleapacrossthefloor，draggingKalunaoutofhischairwithaclutchonhisneck。Heshookhimbackandforthsavagely，tillyoucouldhearthehalf—caste’steethrattling。 \"’Whatdoyoumean？’Lytewasdemanding。’Spititout，man，orI’llchokeitoutofyou!’ \"Youknow，intheWestthereisacertainphrasethatamanmustsmilewhileuttering。Sowithusoftheislands，onlyourphraseisrelatedtoleprosy。NomatterwhatKalunawas，hewasnocoward。 AssoonasLyteeasedthegriponhisthroatheanswered：— \"’I’lltellyouwhatImean。Youarealeperyourself。’ Lytesuddenlyflungthehalf—castesidewaysintoachair，lettinghimdowneasilyenough。ThenLytebrokeoutintohonest，heartylaughter。Buthelaughedalone，andwhenhediscoveredithelookedaroundatourfaces。Ihadreachedhissideandwastryingtogethimtocomeaway，buthetooknonoticeofme。Hewasgazing，fascinated，atKaluna，whowasbrushingathisownthroatinaflurried，nervousway，asiftobrushoffthecontaminationofthefingersthathadclutchedhim。Theactionwasunreasoned，genuine。 \"Lytelookedaroundatus，slowlypassingfromfacetoface。 \"’MyGod，fellows!MyGod!’hesaid。 \"Hedidnotspeakit。Itwasmoreahoarsewhisperoffrightandhorror。Itwasfearthatflutteredinhisthroat，andIdon’tthinkthateverinhislifebeforehehadknownfear。 \"Thenhiscolossaloptimismasserteditself，andhelaughedagain。 \"’Agoodjoke——whoeverputitup，’hesaid。’Thedrinksareonme。 Ihadascareforamoment。But，fellows，don’tdoitagain，toanybody。It’stooserious。ItellyouIdiedathousanddeathsinthatmoment。Ithoughtofmywifeandthekids，and……’ \"Hisvoicebroke，andthehalf—caste，stillthroat—brushing，drewhiseyes。Hewaspuzzledandworried。 \"’John，’hesaid，turningtowardme。 \"Hisjovial，rotundvoiceranginmyears。ButIcouldnotanswer。 Iwasswallowinghardatthatmoment，andbesides，Iknewmyfacedidn’tlookjustright。 \"’John，’hecalledagain，takingastepnearer。 \"Hecalledtimidly，andofallnightmaresofhorrorsthemostfrightfulwastoheartimidityinLyteGregory’svoice。 \"’John，John，whatdoesitmean？’hewenton，stillmoretimidly。 ’It’sajoke，isn’tit？John，here’smyhand。IfIwerealeperwouldIofferyoumyhand？AmIaleper，John？’ \"Heheldouthishand，andwhatinhighheavenorhelldidIcare？ Hewasmyfriend。Itookhishand，thoughitcutmetothehearttoseethewayhisfacebrightened。 \"’Itwasonlyajoke，Lyte，’Isaid。’Wefixedituponyou。Butyou’reright。It’stooserious。Wewon’tdoitagain。’ \"Hedidnotlaughthistime。Hesmiled，asamanawakenedfromabaddreamandstilloppressedbythesubstanceofthedream。 \"’Allright，then，’hesaid。’Don’tdoitagain，andI’llstandforthedrinks。ButImayaswellconfessthatyoufellowshadmegoingsouthforamoment。LookatthewayI’vebeensweating。’ \"Hesighedandwipedthesweatfromhisforeheadashestartedtosteptowardthebar。 \"’Itisnojoke，’Kalunasaidabruptly。Ilookedmurderathim，andIfeltmurder，too。ButIdarednotspeakorstrike。ThatwouldhaveprecipitatedthecatastrophewhichIsomehowhadamadhopeofstillaverting。 \"’Itisnojoke，’Kalunarepeated。’Youarealeper，LyteGregory，andyou’venorightputtingyourhandsonhonestmen’sflesh——onthecleanfleshofhonestmen。’ \"ThenGregoryflaredup。 \"’Thejokehasgonefarenough!Quitit!Quitit，Isay，Kaluna，orI’llgiveyouabeating!’ \"’Youundergoabacteriologicalexamination，’Kalunaanswered，’andthenyoucanbeatme——todeath，ifyouwantto。Why，man，lookatyourselfthereintheglass。Youcanseeit。Anybodycanseeit。 You’redevelopingthelionface。Seewheretheskinisdarkenedthereoveryoureyes。 \"Lytepeeredandpeered，andIsawhishandstrembling。 \"’Icanseenothing，’hesaidfinally，thenturnedonthehapa— haole。’Youhaveablackheart，Kaluna。AndIamnotashamedtosaythatyouhavegivenmeascarethatnomanhasarighttogiveanother。Itakeyouatyourword。Iamgoingtosettlethisthingnow。IamgoingstraighttoDocStrowbridge。AndwhenIcomeback，watchout。’ \"Heneverlookedatus，butstartedforthedoor。 \"’Youwaithere，John，’hesaid，wavingmebackfromaccompanyinghim。 \"Westoodaroundlikeagroupofghosts。 \"’Itisthetruth，’Kalunasaid。’Youcouldseeitforyourselves。’ \"Theylookedatme，andInodded。HarryBurnleyliftedhisglasstohislips，butloweredituntasted。Hespilledhalfofitoverthebar。Hislipsweretremblinglikeachildthatisabouttocry。 NedAustinmadeaclatterintheice—chest。Hewasn’tlookingforanything。Idon’tthinkheknewwhathewasdoing。Nobodyspoke。 HarryBurnley’slipsweretremblingharderthanever。Suddenly，withamosthorrible，malignantexpressionhedrovehisfistintoKaluna’sface。Hefolloweditup。Wemadenoattempttoseparatethem。Wedidn’tcareifhekilledthehalf—caste。Itwasaterriblebeating。Weweren’tinterested。Idon’tevenrememberwhenBurnleyceasedandletthepoordevilcrawlaway。Wewerealltoodazed。 \"DocStrowbridgetoldmeaboutitafterward。HewasworkinglateoverareportwhenLytecameintohisoffice。Lytehadalreadyrecoveredhisoptimism，andcameswingingin，atrifleangrywithKalunatobesure，butverycertainofhimself。’WhatcouldIdo？’ Docaskedme。’Iknewhehadit。Ihadseenitcomingonformonths。Icouldn’tanswerhim。Icouldn’tsayyes。Idon’tmindtellingyouIbrokedownandcried。Hepleadedforthebacteriologicaltest。\"Snipoutapiece，Doc，\"hesaid，overandover。\"Snipoutapieceofskinandmakethetest。\" \"ThewayDocStrowbridgecriedmusthaveconvincedLyte。TheClaudinewasleavingnextmorningforHonolulu。Wecaughthimwhenhewasgoingaboard。Yousee，hewasheadedforHonolulutogivehimselfuptotheBoardofHealth。Wecoulddonothingwithhim。 HehadsenttoomanytoMolokaitohangbackhimself。WearguedforJapan。Buthewouldn’thearofit。’I’vegottotakemymedicine，fellows，’wasallhewouldsay，andhesaiditoverandover。Hewasobsessedwiththeidea。 \"HewoundupallhisaffairsfromtheReceivingStationatHonolulu，andwentdowntoMolokai。Hedidn’tgetonwellthere。Theresidentphysicianwroteusthathewasashadowofhisoldself。 Youseehewasgrievingabouthiswifeandthekids。Heknewweweretakingcareofthem，butithurthimjustthesame。AftersixmonthsorsoIwentdowntoMolokai。Isatononesideaplate— glasswindow，andheontheother。Welookedateachotherthroughtheglassandtalkedthroughwhatmightbecalledaspeakingtube。 Butitwashopeless。Hehadmadeuphismindtoremain。FourmortalhoursIargued。Iwasexhaustedattheend。Mysteamerwaswhistlingforme，too。 \"Butwecouldn’tstandforit。ThreemonthslaterwecharteredtheschoonerHalcyon。Shewasanopiumsmuggler，andshesailedlikeawitch。Hermasterwasasquareheadwhowoulddoanythingformoney，andwemadeachartertoChinaworthhiswhile。HesailedfromSanFrancisco，andafewdayslaterwetookoutLandhouse’ssloopforacruise。Shewasonlyafive—tonyacht，butweslammedherfiftymilestowindwardintothenorth—easttrade。Seasick？Ineversufferedsoinmylife。OutofsightoflandwepickeduptheHalcyon，andBurnleyandIwentaboard。 \"WerandowntoMolokai，arrivingaboutelevenatnight。Theschoonerhovetoandwelandedthroughthesurfinawhale—boatatKalawao——theplace，youknow，whereFatherDamiendied。Thatsquareheadwasgame。Withacoupleofrevolversstrappedonhimhecamerightalong。ThethreeofuscrossedthepeninsulatoKalaupapa，somethingliketwomiles。Justimaginehuntinginthedeadofnightforamaninasettlementofoverathousandlepers。 Yousee，ifthealarmwasgiven，itwasalloffwithus。Itwasstrangeground，andpitchdark。Theleper’sdogscameoutandbayedatus，andwestumbledaroundtillwegotlost。 \"Thesquareheadsolvedit。Heledthewayintothefirstdetachedhouse。Weshutthedoorafterusandstruckalight。Thereweresixlepers。Weroutedthemup，andItalkedinnative。WhatI wantedwasakokua。Akokuais，literally，ahelper，anativewhoiscleanthatlivesinthesettlementandispaidbytheBoardofHealthtonursethelepers，dresstheirsores，andsuchthings。Westayedinthehousetokeeptrackoftheinmates，whilethesquareheadledoneofthemofftofindakokua。Hegothim，andhebroughthimalongatthepointofhisrevolver。Butthekokuawasallright。Whilethesquareheadguardedthehouse，BurnleyandI wereguidedbythekokuatoLyte’shouse。Hewasallalone。 \"’Ithoughtyoufellowswouldcome，’Lytesaid。’Don’ttouchme，John。How’sNed，andCharley，andallthecrowd？Nevermind，tellmeafterward。Iamreadytogonow。I’vehadninemonthsofit。 Where’stheboat？’ \"Westartedbackfortheotherhousetopickupthesquarehead。Butthealarmhadgotout。Lightswereshowinginthehouses，anddoorswereslamming。Wehadagreedthattherewastobenoshootingunlessabsolutelynecessary，andwhenwewerehaltedwewentatitwithourfistsandthebuttsofourrevolvers。Ifoundmyselftangledupwithabigman。Icouldn’tkeephimoffme，thoughtwiceIsmashedhimfairlyinthefacewithmyfist。Hegrappledwithme，andwewentdown，rollingandscramblingandstrugglingforgrips。 Hewasgettingawaywithme，whensomeonecamerunningupwithalantern。ThenIsawhisface。HowshallIdescribethehorrorofit。Itwasnotaface——onlywastedorwastingfeatures——alivingravage，noseless，lipless，withoneearswollenanddistorted，hangingdowntotheshoulder。Iwasfrantic。Inaclinchhehuggedmeclosetohimuntilthatearflappedinmyface。ThenIguessI wentinsane。Itwastooterrible。Ibeganstrikinghimwithmyrevolver。HowithappenedIdon’tknow，butjustasIwasgettingclearhefasteneduponmewithhisteeth。Thewholesideofmyhandwasinthatliplessmouth。ThenIstruckhimwiththerevolverbuttsquarelybetweentheeyes，andhisteethrelaxed。\" Cudworthheldhishandtomeinthemoonlight，andIcouldseethescars。Itlookedasifithadbeenmangledbyadog。 \"Weren’tyouafraid？\"Iasked。 \"Iwas。SevenyearsIwaited。Youknow，ittakesthatlongforthediseasetoincubate。HereinKonaIwaited，anditdidnotcome。 Buttherewasneveradayofthosesevenyears，andneveranight，thatIdidnotlookouton……onallthis……\"Hisvoicebrokeasheswepthiseyesfromthemoon—bathedseabeneathtothesnowysummitsabove。\"Icouldnotbeartothinkoflosingit，ofneveragainbeholdingKona。Sevenyears!Istayedclean。ButthatiswhyIamsingle。Iwasengaged。IcouldnotdaretomarrywhileIwasindoubt。Shedidnotunderstand。ShewentawaytotheStatesandmarried。Ihaveneverseenhersince。 \"JustatthemomentIgotclearoftheleperpolicemantherewasarushandclatterofhoofslikeacavalrycharge。Itwasthesquarehead。Hehadbeenafraidofarumpusandhehadimprovedhistimebymakingthoseblessedlepershewasguardingsaddleupfourhorses。Wewerereadyforhim。Lytehadaccountedforthreekokuas，andbetweenusweuntangledBurnleyfromacouplemore。Thewholesettlementwasinanuproarbythattime，andaswedashedawaysomebodyopeneduponuswithaWinchester。ItmusthavebeenJackMcVeigh，thesuperintendentofMolokai。 \"Thatwasaride!Leperhorses，lepersaddles，leperbridles，pitch—blackdarkness，whistlingbullets，andaroadnoneofthebest。Andthesquarehead’shorsewasamule，andhedidn’tknowhowtoride，either。Butwemadethewhaleboat，andasweshovedoffthroughthesurfwecouldhearthehorsescomingdownthehillfromKalaupapa。 \"You’regoingtoShanghai。YoulookLyteGregoryup。HeisemployedinaGermanfirmthere。Takehimouttodinner。Openupwine。Givehimeverythingofthebest，butdon’tlethimpayforanything。Sendthebilltome。HiswifeandthekidsareinHonolulu，andheneedsthemoneyforthem。Iknow。Hesendsmostofhissalary，andliveslikeananchorite。AndtellhimaboutKona。There’swherehisheartis。TellhimallyoucanaboutKona。\" JACKLONDON BYHIMSELF IwasborninSanFranciscoin1876。AtfifteenIwasamanamongmen，andifIhadasparenickelIspentitonbeerinsteadofcandy，becauseIthoughtitwasmoremanlytobuybeer。Now，whenmyyearsarenearlydoubled，IamoutonahuntfortheboyhoodwhichIneverhad，andIamlessseriousthanatanyothertimeofmylife。GuessI’llfindthatboyhood!AlmostthefirstthingsI realizedwereresponsibilities。Ihavenorecollectionofbeingtaughttoreadorwrite——Icoulddobothattheageoffive——butI knowthatmyfirstschoolwasinAlamedabeforeIwentoutonaranchwithmyfolksandasaranchboyworkedhardfrommyeighthyear。 ThesecondschoolwereItriedtopickupalittlelearningwasanirregularhitormissaffairatSanMateo。Eachclasssatinaseparatedesk，butthereweredayswhenwedidnotsitatall，forthemasterusedtogetdrunkveryoften，andthenoneoftheelderboyswouldthrashhim。Toeventhingsup，themasterwouldthenthrashtheyoungerlads，soyoucanthinkwhatsortofschoolitwas。Therewasnoonebelongingtome，orassociatedwithmeinanyway，whohadliterarytastesorideas，thenearestIcanmaketoitisthatmygreat—grandfatherwasacircuitwriter，aWelshman，knownas\"Priest\"Jonesinthebackwoods，wherehisenthusiasmledhimtoscattertheGospel。 Oneofmyearliestandstrongestimpressionswasoftheignoranceofotherpeople。IhadreadandabsorbedWashingtonIrving’s\"Alhambra\"beforeIwasnine，butcouldneverunderstandhowitwasthattheotherranchersknewnothingaboutit。LaterIconcludedthatthisignorancewaspeculiartothecountry，andfeltthatthosewholivedincitieswouldnotbesodense。Onedayamanfromthecitycametotheranch。Heworeshinyshoesandaclothcoat，andI feltthatherewasagoodchanceformetoexchangethoughtswithanenlightenedmind。FromthebricksofanoldfallenchimneyIhadbuiltanAlhambraofmyown；towers，terraces，andallwerecomplete，andchalkinscriptionsmarkedthedifferentsections。 HereIledthecitymanandquestionedhimabout\"TheAlhambra，\"buthewasasignorantasthemanontheranch，andthenIconsoledmyselfwiththethoughtthattherewereonlytwocleverpeopleintheworld——WashingtonIrvingandmyself。 Myotherreading—matteratthattimeconsistedmainlyofdimenovels，borrowedfromthehiredmen，andnewspapersinwhichtheservantsgloatedovertheadventuresofpoorbutvirtuousshop— girls。 Throughreadingsuchstuffmymindwasnecessarilyridiculouslyconventional，butbeingverylonelyIreadeverythingthatcamemyway，andwasgreatlyimpressedbyOuida’sstory\"Signa，\"whichI devouredregularlyforacoupleofyears。IneverknewthefinishuntilIgrewup，fortheclosingchaptersweremissingfrommycopy，soIkeptondreamingwiththehero，and，likehim，unabletoseeNemesis，attheend。Myworkontheranchatonetimewastowatchthebees，andasIsatunderatreefromsunrisetilllateintheafternoon，waitingfortheswarming，Ihadplentyoftimetoreadanddream。LivermoreValleywasveryflat，andeventhehillsaroundwerethentomedevoidofinterest，andtheonlyincidenttobreakinonmyvisionswaswhenIgavethealarmofswarming，andtheranchfolksrushedoutwithpots，pans，andbucketsofwater。I thinktheopeninglineof\"Signa\"was\"Itwasonlyalittlelad，\" yethehaddreamsofbecomingagreatmusician，andhavingallEuropeathisfeet。Well，Iwasonlyalittlelad，too，butwhycouldnotIbecomewhat\"Signa\"dreamedofbeing？ LifeonaCalifornianranchwasthentomethedullestpossibleexistence，andeverydayIthoughtofgoingoutbeyondthesky—linetoseetheworld。Eventhentherewerewhispers，promptings；mymindinclinedtothingsbeautiful，althoughmyenvironmentwasunbeautiful。Thehillsandvalleysaroundwereeyesoresandachingpits，andIneverlovedthemtillIleftthem。 BeforeIwaselevenIlefttheranchandcametoOakland，whereI spentsomuchofmytimeintheFreePublicLibrary，eagerlyreadingeverythingthatcametohand，thatIdevelopedthefirststagesofSt。Vitus’dancefromlackofexercise。Disillusionsquicklyfollowed，asIlearnedmoreoftheworld。AtthistimeImademylivingasanewsboy，sellingpapersinthestreets；andfromthenonuntilIwassixteenIhadathousandandonedifferentoccupations—— workandschool，schoolandwork——andsoitran。 *** Thentheadventure—lustwasstrongwithinme，andIlefthome。I didn’trun，Ijustleft——wentoutinthebay，andjoinedtheoysterpirates。Thedaysoftheoysterpiratesarenowpast，andifIhadgotmyduesforpiracy，Iwouldhavebeengivenfivehundredyearsinprison。Later，Ishippedasasailoronaschooner，andalsotookaturnatsalmonfishing。Oddlyenough，mynextoccupationwasonafish—patrol，whereIwasentrustedwiththearrestofanyviolatorsofthefishinglaws。NumbersoflawlessChinese，Greeks，andItalianswereatthattimeengagedinillegalfishing，andmanyapatrolmanpaidhislifeforhisinterference。Myonlyweaponondutywasasteeltable—fork，butIfeltfearlessandamanwhenI climbedoverthesideofaboattoarrestsomemarauder。 SubsequentlyIshippedbeforethemastandsailedfortheJapanesecoastonaseal—huntingexpedition，latergoingtoBehringSea。 AftersealingforsevenmonthsIcamebacktoCaliforniaandtookoddjobsatcoalshovellingandlongshoringandalsoinajutefactory，whereIworkedfromsixinthemorninguntilsevenatnight。Ihadplannedtojointhesamelotforanothersealingtripthefollowingyear，butsomehowImissedthem。TheysailedawayontheMaryThomas，whichwaslostwithallhands。 Inmyfitfulschool—daysIhadwrittentheusualcompositions，whichhadbeenpraisedintheusualway，andwhileworkinginthejutemillsIstillmadeanoccasionaltry。Thefactoryoccupiedthirteenhoursofmyday，andbeingyoungandhusky，Iwantedalittletimeformyself，sotherewaslittleleftforcomposition。TheSanFranciscoCallofferedaprizeforadescriptivearticle。Mymotherurgedmetotryforit，andIdid，takingformysubject\"TyphoonofftheCoastofJapan。\"Verytiredandsleepy，knowingIhadtobeupathalf—pastfive，IbeganthearticleatmidnightandworkedstraightonuntilIhadwrittentwothousandwords，thelimitofthearticle，butwithmyideaonlyhalfworkedout。Thenextnight，underthesameconditions，Icontinued，addinganothertwothousandwordsbeforeIfinished，andthenthethirdnightIspentincuttingouttheexcess，soastobringthearticlewithintheconditionsofthecontest。Thefirstprizecametome，andthesecondandthirdwenttostudentsoftheStanfordandBerkeleyUniversities。 MysuccessintheSanFranciscoCallcompetitionseriouslyturnedmythoughtstowriting，butmybloodwasstilltoohotforasettledroutine，soIpracticallydeferredliterature，beyondwritingalittlegushfortheCall，whichthatjournalpromptlyrejected。 ItrampedallthroughtheUnitedStates，fromCaliforniatoBoston，andupanddown，returningtothePacificcoastbywayofCanada，whereIgotintojailandservedatermforvagrancy，andthewholetrampingexperiencemademebecomeaSocialist。PreviouslyIhadbeenimpressedbythedignityoflabour，and，withouthavingreadCarlyleorKipling，Ihadformulatedagospelofworkwhichputtheirsintheshade。Workwaseverything。Itwassanctificationandsalvation。TheprideItookinahardday’sworkwelldonewouldbeinconceivabletoyou。Iwasasfaithfulawage—slaveaseveracapitalistexploited。Inshort，myjoyousindividualismwasdominatedbytheorthodoxbourgeoisethics。Ihadfoughtmywayfromtheopenwest，wheremenbuckedbigandthejobhuntedtheman，tothecongestedlabourcentresoftheeasternstates，wheremenweresmallpotatoesandhuntedthejobforalltheywereworth，andIfoundmyselflookinguponlifefromanewandtotallydifferentangle。IsawtheworkersintheshamblesatthebottomoftheSocialPit。IsworeIwouldneveragaindoahardday’sworkwithmybodyexceptwhereabsolutelycompelledto，andIhavebeenbusyeversincerunningawayfromhardbodilylabour。 InmynineteenthyearIreturnedtoOaklandandstartedattheHighSchool，whichrantheusualschoolmagazine。Thispublicationwasaweekly——no，Iguessamonthly——one，andIwrotestoriesforit，verylittleimaginary，justrecitalsofmyseaandtrampingexperiences。 Iremainedthereayear，doingjanitorworkasameansoflivelihood，andleavingeventuallybecausethestrainwasmorethanIcouldbear。Atthistimemysocialisticutteranceshadattractedconsiderableattention，andIwasknownasthe\"BoySocialist，\"adistinctionthatbroughtaboutmyarrestforstreet—talking。AfterleavingtheHighSchool，inthreemonthscrammingbymyself，Itookthethreeyears’workforthattimeandenteredtheUniversityofCalifornia。IhatedtogiveupthehopeofaUniversityeducationandworkedinalaundryandwithmypentohelpmekeepon。ThiswastheonlytimeIworkedbecauseIlovedit，butthetaskwastoomuch，andwhenhalf—waythroughmyFreshmanyearIhadtoquit。 Iworkedawayironingshirtsandotherthingsinthelaundry，andwroteinallmysparetime。Itriedtokeeponatboth，butoftenfellasleepwiththepeninmyhand。ThenIleftthelaundryandwroteallthetime，andlivedanddreamedagain。Afterthreemonths’trialIgaveupwriting，havingdecidedthatIwasafailure，andleftfortheKlondiketoprospectforgold。Attheendoftheyear，owingtotheoutbreakofscurvy，Iwascompelledtocomeout，andonthehomewardjourneyof1，900milesinanopenboatmadetheonlynotesofthetrip。ItwasintheKlondikeIfoundmyself。Therenobodytalks。Everybodythinks。Yougetyourtrueperspective。Igotmine。 WhileIwasintheKlondikemyfatherdied，andtheburdenofthefamilyfellonmyshoulders。TimeswerebadinCalifornia，andI couldgetnowork。WhiletryingforitIwrote\"DowntheRiver，\" whichwasrejected。DuringthewaitforthisrejectionIwroteatwenty—thousandwordserialforanewscompany，whichwasalsorejected。PendingeachrejectionIstillkeptonwritingfreshstuff。Ididnotknowwhataneditorlookedlike。Ididnotknowasoulwhohadeverpublishedanything。FinallyastorywasacceptedbyaCalifornianmagazine，forwhichIreceivedfivedollars。Soonafterwards\"TheBlackCat\"offeredmefortydollarsforastory。 Thenthingstookaturn，andIshallprobablynothavetoshovelcoalforalivingforsometimetocome，althoughIhavedoneit，andcoulddoitagain。 Myfirstbookwaspublishedin1900。Icouldhavemadeagooddealatnewspaperwork；butIhadsufficientsensetorefusetobeaslavetothatman—killingmachine，forsuchIheldanewspapertobetoayoungmaninhisformingperiod。NotuntilIwaswellonmyfeetasamagazine—writerdidIdomuchworkfornewspapers。Iamabelieverinregularwork，andneverwaitforaninspiration。 TemperamentallyIamnotonlycarelessandirregular，butmelancholy；stillIhavefoughtbothdown。ThedisciplineIhadasasailorhadfulleffectonme。Perhapsmyoldseadaysarealsoresponsiblefortheregularityandlimitationsofmysleep。FiveandahalfhoursisthepreciseaverageIallowmyself，andnocircumstancehasyetariseninmylifethatcouldkeepmeawakewhenthetimecomesto\"turnin。\" Iamveryfondofsport，anddelightinboxing，fencing，swimming，riding，yachting，andevenkite—flying。Althoughprimarilyofthecity，Iliketobenearitratherthaninit。Thecountry，though，isthebest，theonlynaturallife。Inmygrown—upyearsthewriterswhohaveinfluencedmemostareKarlMarxinaparticular，andSpencerinageneral，way。Inthedaysofmybarrenboyhood，ifIhadhadachance，Iwouldhavegoneinformusic；now，inwhataremoregenuinelythedaysofmyyouth，ifIhadamillionortwoI woulddevotemyselftowritingpoetryandpamphlets。IthinkthebestworkIhavedoneisinthe\"LeagueoftheOldMen，\"andpartsof\"TheKempton—WaceLetters。\"Otherpeopledon’tliketheformer。 Theypreferbrighterandmorecheerfulthings。PerhapsIshallfeellikethat，too，whenthedaysofmyyoutharebehindme。 Footnotes： {1}Malahini——new—comer。