THE STORY OF KEESH is of times old and tough, this meat, and,

Jack London moreover, it has an unusual quantity of bones."

KEESH lived long ago on the rim of the polar The hunters, grizzled and gray, and lusty and
sea, was head man of his village through many young, were aghast. The like had never been
and prosperous years, and died full of honors known before. A child, that talked like a grown
with his name on the lips of men. So long ago man, and said harsh things to their very faces!
did he live that only the old men remember his
name, his name and the tale, which they got But steadily and with seriousness, Keesh went
from the old men before them, and which the on. "For that I know my father, Bok, was a great
old men to come will tell to their children and hunter, I speak these words. It is said that Bok
their children's children down to the end of brought home more meat than any of the two
time. And the winter darkness, when the north best hunters, that with his own hands he
gales make their long sweep across the ice- attended to the division of it, that with his own
pack, and the air is filled with flying white, and eyes he saw to it that the least old woman and
no man may venture forth, is the chosen time the last old man received fair share."
for the telling of how Keesh, from the poorest
"Na! Na!" the men cried. "Put the child out!"
IGLOO in the village, rose to power and place
"Send him off to bed!" "He is no man that he
over them all.
should talk to men and graybeards!" He waited
He was a bright boy, so the tale runs, healthy calmly till the uproar died down.
and strong, and he had seen thirteen suns, in "Thou hast a wife, Ugh-Gluk," he said, "and for
their way of reckoning time. For each winter her dost thou speak. And thou, too, Massuk, a
the sun leaves the land in darkness, and the mother also, and for them dost thou speak. My
next year a new sun returns so that they may be mother has no one, save me; wherefore I speak.
warm again and look upon one another's faces. As I say, though Bok be dead because he hunted
The father of Keesh had been a very brave man, over-keenly, it is just that I, who am his son, and
but he had met his death in a time of famine, that Ikeega, who is my mother and was his wife,
when he sought to save the lives of his people should have meat in plenty so long as there be
by taking the life of a great polar bear. In his meat in plenty in the tribe. I, Keesh, the son of
eagerness he came to close grapples with the Bok, have spoken."
bear, and his bones were crushed; but the bear He sat down, his ears keenly alert to the flood
had much meat on him and the people were of protest and indignation his words had
saved. Keesh was his only son, and after that created." That a boy should speak in council!"
Keesh lived alone with his mother. But the old Ugh-Gluk was mumbling.
people are prone to forget, and they forgot the "Shall the babes in arms tell us men the things
deed of his father; and he being but a boy, and we shall do?" Massuk demanded in a loud
his mother only a woman, they, too, were voice. "Am I a man that I should be made a
swiftly forgotten, and ere long came to live in mock by every child that cries for meat?"
the meanest of all the IGLOOS. The anger boiled a white heat. They ordered
him to bed, threatened that he should have no
It was at a council, one night, in the big IGLOO meat at all, and promised him sore beatings for
of Klosh-Kwan, the chief, that Keesh showed the his presumption. Keesh's eyes began to flash,
blood that ran in his veins and the manhood and the blood to pound darkly under his skin.
that stiffened his back. With the dignity of an In the midst of the abuse he sprang to his feet.
elder, he rose to his feet, and waited for silence
amid the babble of voices." It is true that meat "Hear me, ye men!" he cried. "Never shall I
be apportioned me and mine," he said. "But it speak in the council again, never again till the
men come to me and say, 'It is well,
Keesh, that thou should speak, it is well and it is killed meat. And there was importance in his
our wish.' Take this now, ye men, for my last step and arrogance in his speech.
word. Bok, my father, was a great hunter. I,
too, his son, shall go and hunt the meat that I "Go, ye men, with the dogs and sledges, and
eat. And be it known, now, that the division of take my trail for the better part of a day's
that which I kill shall be fair. And no widow nor travel," he said. "There is much meat on the ice
weak one shall cry in the night because there is - a she-bear and two half-grown cubs."
no meat, when the strong men are groaning in
Ikeega was overcome with joy, but he received
great pain for that they have eaten overmuch.
her demonstrations in manlike fashion, saying:
And in the days to come there shall be shame
"Come, Ikeega, let us eat. And after that I shall
upon the strong men who have eaten
sleep, for I am weary." And he passed into their
overmuch. I, Keesh, have said it!"
IGLOO and ate profoundly, and after that slept
Jeers and scornful laughter followed him out of for twenty running hours.
the IGLOO, but his jaw was set and he went his
There was much doubt at first, much doubt and
way, looking neither to right nor left.
discussion. The killing of a polar bear is very
The next day he went forth along the shore-line dangerous, but thrice dangerous is it, and three
where the ice and the land met together. Those times thrice, to kill a mother bear with her cubs.
who saw him go noted that he carried his bow, The men could not bring themselves to believe
with a goodly supply of bone-barbed arrows, that the boy Keesh, single-handed, had
and that across his shoulder was his father's big accomplished so great a marvel. But the
hunting-spear. And there was laughter, and women spoke of the fresh-killed meat he had
much talk, at the event. It was an brought on his back, and this was an
unprecedented occurrence. Never did boys of overwhelming argument against their unbelief.
his tender age go forth to hunt, much less to So they finally departed, grumbling greatly that
hunt alone. Also were there shaking of heads in all probability, if the thing were so, he had
and prophetic mutterings, and the women neglected to cut up the carcasses. Now in the
looked pityingly at Ikeega, and her face was north it is very necessary that this should be
grave and sad. "He will be back ere long," they done as soon as a kill is made. If not, the meat
said cheeringly. "Let him go; it will teach him a freezes so solidly as to turn the edge of the
lesson," the hunters said. "And he will come sharpest knife, and a three-hundred-pound
back shortly, and he will be meek and soft of bear, frozen stiff, is no easy thing to put upon a
speech in the days to follow." sled and haul over the rough ice. But arrived at
the spot, they found not only the kill, which
But a day passed, and a second, and on the they had doubted, but that Keesh had
third a wild gale blew, and there was no Keesh. quartered the beasts in true hunter fashion, and
Ikeega tore her hair and put soot of the seal-oil removed the entrails.
on her face in token of her grief; and the
women assailed the men with bitter words in Thus began the mystery of Keesh, a mystery
that they had mistreated the boy and sent him that deepened and deepened with the passing
to his death; and the men made no answer, of the days. His very next trip he killed a young
preparing to go in search of the body when the bear, nearly full-grown, and on the trip
storm abated. following, a large male bear and his mate. He
was ordinarily gone from three to four days,
Early next morning, however, Keesh strode into though it was nothing unusual for him to stay
the village. But he came not shamefacedly. away a week at a time on the ice-field. Always
Across his shoulders he bore a burden of fresh- he declined company on these expeditions, and
the people marveled. "How does he do it?"
they demanded of one another. "Never does Klosh-Kwan. Keesh and his mother moved into
he take a dog with him, and dogs are of such it, and it was the first prosperity she had
great help, too." enjoyed since the death of Bok. Nor was
"Why dost thou hunt only bear?" Klosh-Kwan material prosperity alone hers, for, because of
once ventured to ask him. her wonderful son and the position he had
given her, she came to he looked upon as the
And Keesh made fitting answer. "It is well first woman in all the village; and the women
known that there is more meat on the bear," he were given to visiting her, to asking her advice,
said. and to quoting her wisdom when arguments
arose among themselves or with the men.
But there was also talk of witchcraft in the
But it was the mystery of Keesh's marvelous
village. "He hunts with evil spirits," some of the
hunting that took chief place in all their minds.
people contended, "wherefore his hunting is
And one day Ugh-Gluk taxed him with
rewarded. How else can it be, save that he
witchcraft to his face.
hunts with evil spirits?"
"Mayhap they be not evil, but good, these "It is charged," Ugh-Gluk said ominously, "that
spirits," others said. thou dealest with evil spirits, wherefore thy
"It is known that his father was a mighty hunter. hunting is rewarded."
May not his father hunt with him so that he
may attain excellence and patience and "Is not the meat good?" Keesh made answer.
understanding? Who knows?" "Has one in the village yet to fall sick from the
None the less, his success continued, and the eating of it? How dost thou know that
less skillful hunters were often kept busy witchcraft be concerned? Or dost thou guess,
hauling in his meat. And in the division of it he in the dark, merely because of the envy that
was just. As his father had done before him, he consumes thee?"
saw to it that the least old woman and the last
old man received a fair portion, keeping no And Ugh-Gluk withdrew discomfited, the
more for himself than his needs required. And women laughing at him as he walked away. But
because of this, and of his merit as a hunter, he in the council one night, after long deliberation,
was looked upon with respect, and even awe; it was determined to put spies on his track
and there was talk of making him chief after old when he went forth to hunt, so that his
Klosh-Kwan. Because of the things he had methods might be learned. So, on his next trip,
done, they looked for him to appear again in Bim and Bawn, two young men, and of hunters
the council, but he never came, and they were the craftiest, followed after him, taking care not
ashamed to ask. to be seen. After five days they returned, their
eyes bulging and their tongues a-tremble to tell
"I am minded to build me an IGLOO," he said what they had seen. The council was hastily
one day to Klosh-Kwan and a number of the called in Klosh-Kwan's dwelling, and Bim took
hunters. "It shall be a large IGLOO, wherein up the tale.
Ikeega and I can dwell in comfort."
"Brothers! As commanded, we journeyed on
"Ay," they nodded gravely. the trail of Keesh, and cunningly we journeyed,
so that he might not know. And midway of the
"But I have no time. My business is hunting, first day he picked up with a great he-bear. It
and it takes all my time. So it is but just that the was a very great bear."
men and women of the village who eat my
meat should build me my IGLOO." And the "None greater," Bawn corroborated, and went
IGLOO was built accordingly, on a generous on himself. "Yet was the bear not inclined to
scale which exceeded even the dwelling of fight, for he turned away and made off slowly
over the ice. This we saw from the rocks of the day and three days more we followed. The bear
shore, and the bear came toward us, and after grew weak, and never ceased crying from his
him came Keesh, very much unafraid. And he pain."
shouted harsh words after the bear, and waved "It was a charm!" Ugh-Gluk exclaimed. "Surely
his arms about, and made much noise. Then it was a charm!"
did the bear grow angry, and rise up on his hind "It may well be."
legs, and growl. But Keesh walked right up to
the bear." And Bim relieved Bawn. "The bear wandered,
"Ay," Bim continued the story. "Right up to the now this way and now that, doubling back and
bear Keesh walked. And the bear took after forth and crossing his trail in circles, so that at
him, and Keesh ran away. But as he ran he the end he was near where Keesh had first
dropped a little round ball on the ice. And the come upon him. By this time he was quite sick,
bear stopped and smelled of it, then swallowed the bear, and could crawl no farther, so Keesh
it up. And Keesh continued to run away and came up close and speared him to death."
drop little round balls, and the bear continued "And then?" Klosh-Kwan demanded.
to swallow them up." "Then we left Keesh skinning the bear, and
Exclamations and cries of doubt were being came running that the news of the killing might
made, and Ugh-Gluk expressed open unbelief. be told."
"With our own eyes we saw it," Bim affirmed.
And in the afternoon of that day the women
And Bawn - "Ay, with our own eyes. And this hauled in the meat of the bear while the men
continued until the bear stood suddenly upright sat in council assembled. When Keesh arrived a
and cried aloud in pain, and thrashed his fore messenger was sent to him, bidding him come
paws madly about. And Keesh continued to to the council. But he sent reply, saying that he
make off over the ice to a safe distance. But the was hungry and tired; also that his IGLOO was
bear gave him no notice, being occupied with large and comfortable and could hold many
the misfortune the little round balls had men. And curiosity was so strong on the men
wrought within him." that the whole council, Klosh-Kwan to the fore,
rose up and went to the IGLOO of Keesh. He
"Ay, within him," Bim interrupted. "For he did was eating, but he received them with respect
claw at himself, and leap about over the ice like and seated them according to their rank.
a playful puppy, save from the way he growled Ikeega was proud and embarrassed by turns,
and squealed it was plain it was not play but but Keesh was quite composed.
pain. Never did I see such a sight!" Klosh-Kwan recited the information brought by
Bim and Bawn, and at its close said in a stern
"Nay, never was such a sight seen," Bawn took voice: "So explanation is wanted, O Keesh, of
up the strain. "And furthermore, it was such a thy manner of hunting. Is there witchcraft in
large bear." it?"
Keesh looked up and smiled. "Nay, O Klosh-
"Witchcraft," Ugh-Gluk suggested.
Kwan. It is not for a boy to know aught of
"I know not," Bawn replied. "I tell only of what
witches, and of witches I know nothing. I have
my eyes beheld.
but devised a means whereby I may kill the ice-
And after a while the bear grew weak and tired,
bear with ease, that is all. It be head craft, not
for he was very heavy and he had jumped about
witchcraft."
with exceeding violence, and he went off along
"And may any man?"
the shore-ice, shaking his head slowly from side
"Any man."
to side and sitting down ever and again to
squeal and cry. And Keesh followed after the
bear, and we followed after Keesh, and for that
There was a long silence. The men looked in
one another's faces, and Keesh went on eating.

"And . . . and . . . and wilt thou tell us, O

Keesh?" Klosh-Kwan finally asked in a tremulous
voice.

"Yea, I will tell thee." Keesh finished sucking a

marrow-bone and rose to his feet. "It is quite
simple. Behold!"

He picked up a thin strip of whalebone and

showed it to them. The ends were sharp as
needle-points. The strip he coiled carefully, till
it disappeared in his hand. Then, suddenly
releasing it, it sprang straight again. He picked
up a piece of blubber.

"So," he said, "one takes a small chunk of

blubber, thus, and thus makes it hollow. Then
into the hollow goes the whalebone, so, tightly
coiled, and another piece of blubber is fitted
over the whale-bone. After that it is put outside
where it freezes into a little round ball. The
bear swallows the little round ball, the blubber
melts, the whalebone with its sharp ends stands
out straight, the bear gets sick, and when the
bear is very sick, why, you kill him with a spear.
It is quite simple."

And Ugh-Gluk said "Oh!" and Klosh-Kwan said

"Ah!" And each said something after his own
manner, and all understood.

And this is the story of Keesh, who lived long

ago on the rim of the polar sea. Because he
exercised headcraft and not witchcraft, he rose
from the meanest IGLOO to be head man of his
village, and through all the years that he lived, it
is related, his tribe was prosperous, and neither
widow nor weak one cried aloud in the night
because there was no meat.