michael, brother of jerry-第1部分

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Michael；　Brother　of　Jerry

by　Jack　London





FOREWORD



Very　early　in　my　life；　possibly　because　of　the　insatiable　curiosity　that　was　born　in　me；　I　came　to　dislike　the　performances　of　trained　animals。　　It　was　my　curiosity　that　spoiled　for　me　this　form　of　amusement；　for　I　was　led　to　seek　behind　the　performance　in　order　to　learn　how　the　performance　was　achieved。　　And　what　I　found　behind　the　brave　show　and　glitter　of　performance　was　not　nice。　　It　was　a　body　of　cruelty　so　horrible　that　I　am　confident　no　normal　person　exists　who；　once　aware　of　it；　could　ever　enjoy　looking　on　at　any　trained…animal　turn。

Now　I　am　not　a　namby…pamby。　　By　the　book　reviewers　and　the　namby…　pambys　I　am　esteemed　a　sort　of　primitive　beast　that　delights　in　the　spilled　blood　of　violence　and　horror。　　Without　arguing　this　matter　of　my　general　reputation；　accepting　it　at　its　current　face　value；　let　me　add　that　I　have　indeed　lived　life　in　a　very　rough　school　and　have　seen　more　than　the　average　man's　share　of　inhumanity　and　cruelty；　from　the　forecastle　and　the　prison；　the　slum　and　the　desert；　the　execution…chamber　and　the　lazar…house；　to　the　battlefield　and　the　military　hospital。　　I　have　seen　horrible　deaths　and　mutilations。　　I　have　seen　imbeciles　hanged；　because；　being　imbeciles；　they　did　not　possess　the　hire　of　lawyers。　　I　have　seen　the　hearts　and　stamina　of　strong　men　broken；　and　I　have　seen　other　men；　by　ill…treatment；　driven　to　permanent　and　howling　madness。　　I　have　witnessed　the　deaths　of　old　and　young；　and　even　infants；　from　sheer　starvation。　　I　have　seen　men　and　women　beaten　by　whips　and　clubs　and　fists；　and　I　have　seen　the　rhinoceros…hide　whips　laid　around　the　naked　torsos　of　black　boys　so　heartily　that　each　stroke　stripped　away　the　skin　in　full　circle。　　And　yet；　let　me　add　finally；　never　have　I　been　so　appalled　and　shocked　by　the　world's　cruelty　as　have　I　been　appalled　and　shocked　in　the　midst　of　happy；　laughing；　and　applauding　audiences　when　trained…animal　turns　were　being　performed　on　the　stage。

One　with　a　strong　stomach　and　a　hard　head　may　be　able　to　tolerate　much　of　the　unconscious　and　undeliberate　cruelty　and　torture　of　the　world　that　is　perpetrated　in　hot　blood　and　stupidity。　　I　have　such　a　stomach　and　head。　　But　what　turns　my　head　and　makes　my　gorge　rise；　is　the　cold…blooded；　conscious；　deliberate　cruelty　and　torment　that　is　manifest　behind　ninety…nine　of　every　hundred　trained…animal　turns。　　Cruelty；　as　a　fine　art；　has　attained　its　perfect　flower　in　the　trained…animal　world。

Possessed　myself　of　a　strong　stomach　and　a　hard　head；　inured　to　hardship；　cruelty；　and　brutality；　nevertheless　I　found；　as　I　came　to　manhood；　that　I　unconsciously　protected　myself　from　the　hurt　of　the　trained…animal　turn　by　getting　up　and　leaving　the　theatre　whenever　such　turns　came　on　the　stage。　　I　say　〃unconsciously。〃　　By　this　I　mean　it　never　entered　my　mind　that　this　was　a　programme　by　which　the　possible　death…blow　might　be　given　to　trained…animal　turns。　　I　was　merely　protecting　myself　from　the　pain　of　witnessing　what　it　would　hurt　me　to　witness。

But　of　recent　years　my　understanding　of　human　nature　has　become　such　that　I　realize　that　no　normal　healthy　human　would　tolerate　such　performances　did　he　or　she　know　the　terrible　cruelty　that　lies　behind　them　and　makes　them　possible。　　So　I　am　emboldened　to　suggest；　here　and　now；　three　things：

First；　let　all　humans　inform　themselves　of　the　inevitable　and　eternal　cruelty　by　the　means　of　which　only　can　animals　be　compelled　to　perform　before　revenue…paying　audiences。　　Second；　I　suggest　that　all　men　and　women；　and　boys　and　girls；　who　have　so　acquainted　themselves　with　the　essentials　of　the　fine　art　of　animal…training；　should　become　members　of；　and　ally　themselves　with；　the　local　and　national　organizations　of　humane　societies　and　societies　for　the　prevention　of　cruelty　to　animals。

And　the　third　suggestion　I　cannot　state　until　I　have　made　a　preamble。　　Like　hundreds　of　thousands　of　others；　I　have　worked　in　other　fields；　striving　to　organize　the　mass　of　mankind　into　movements　for　the　purpose　of　ameliorating　its　own　wretchedness　and　misery。　　Difficult　as　this　is　to　accomplish；　it　is　still　more　difficult　to　persuade　the　human　into　any　organised　effort　to　alleviate　the　ill　conditions　of　the　lesser　animals。

Practically　all　of　us　will　weep　red　tears　and　sweat　bloody　sweats　as　we　come　to　knowledge　of　the　unavoidable　cruelty　and　brutality　on　which　the　trained…animal　world　rests　and　has　its　being。　　But　not　one…tenth　of　one　per　cent。　of　us　will　join　any　organization　for　the　prevention　of　cruelty　to　animals；　and　by　our　words　and　acts　and　contributions　work　to　prevent　the　perpetration　of　cruelties　on　animals。　　This　is　a　weakness　of　our　own　human　nature。　We　must　recognize　it　as　we　recognize　heat　and　cold；　the　opaqueness　of　the　non…transparent；　and　the　everlasting　down…pull　of　gravity。

And　still　for　us；　for　the　ninety…nine　and　nine…tenths　per　cent。　of　us；　under　the　easy　circumstance　of　our　own　weakness；　remains　another　way　most　easily　to　express　ourselves　for　the　purpose　of　eliminating　from　the　world　the　cruelty　that　is　practised　by　some　few　of　us；　for　the　entertainment　of　the　rest　of　us；　on　the　trained　animals；　who；　after　all；　are　only　lesser　animals　than　we　on　the　round　world's　surface。　　It　is　so　easy。　　We　will　not　have　to　think　of　dues　or　corresponding　secretaries。　　We　will　not　have　to　think　of　anything；　save　when；　in　any　theatre　or　place　of　entertainment；　a　trained…animal　turn　is　presented　before　us。　　Then；　without　premeditation；　we　may　express　our　disapproval　of　such　a　turn　by　getting　up　from　our　seats　and　leaving　the　theatre　for　a　promenade　and　a　breath　of　fresh　air　outside；　coming　back；　when　the　turn　is　over；　to　enjoy　the　rest　of　the　programme。　　All　we　have　to　do　is　just　that　to　eliminate　the　trained…animal　turn　from　all　public　places　of　entertainment。　　Show　the　management　that　such　turns　are　unpopular；　and　in　a　day；　in　an　instant；　the　management　will　cease　catering　such　turns　to　its　audiences。

JACK　LONDON　GLEN　ELLEN；　SONOMA　COUNTY；　CALIFORNIA；　December　8；　1915



CHAPTER　I



But　Michael　never　sailed　out　of　Tulagi；　nigger…chaser　on　the　Eugenie。　　Once　in　five　weeks　the　steamer　Makambo　made　Tulagi　its　port　of　call　on　the　way　from　New　Guinea　and　the　Shortlands　to　Australia。　　And　on　the　night　of　her　belated　arrival　Captain　Kellar　forgot　Michael　on　the　beach。　　In　itself；　this　was　nothing；　for；　at　midnight；　Captain　Kellar　was　back　on　the　beach；　himself　climbing　the　high　hill　to　the　Commissioner's　bungalow　while　the　boat's　crew　vainly　rummaged　the　landscape　and　canoe　houses。

In　fact；　an　hour　earlier；　as　the　Makambo's　anchor　was　heaving　out　and　while　Captain　Kellar　was　descending　the　port　gangplank；　Michael　was　coming　on　board　through　a　starboard　port…hole。　　This　was　because　Michael　was　inexperienced　in　the　world；　because　he　was　expecting　to　meet　Jerry　on　board　this　boat　since　the　last　he　had　seen　of　him　was　on　a　boat；　and　because　he　had　made　a　friend。

Dag　Daughtry　was　a　steward　on　the　Makambo；　who　should　have　known　better　and　who　would　have　known　better　and　done　better　had　he　not　been　fascinated　by　his　own　particular　and　peculiar　reputation。　　By　luck　of　birth　possessed　of　a　genial　but　soft　disposition　and　a　splendid　constitution；　his　reputation　was　that　for　twenty　years　he　had　never　missed　his　day's　work　nor　his　six　daily　quarts　of　bottled　beer；　even；　as　he　bragged；　when　in　the　German　islands；　where　each　bottle　of　beer　carried　ten　grains　of　quinine　in　solution　as　a　specific　against　malaria。

The　captain　of　the　Makambo　（and；　before　that；　the　captains　of　the　Moresby；　the　Masena；　the　Sir　Edward　Grace；　and　various　others　of　the　queerly　named　Burns　Philp　Company　steamers　had　done　the　same）　was　used　to　pointing　him　out　proudly　to　the　passengers　as　a　man…　thing　novel　and　unique　in　the　annals　of　the　sea。　　And　at　such　times　Dag　Daughtry；　below　on　the　for'ard　deck；　feigning　unawareness　as　he　went　about　his　work；　would　steal　side…glances　up　at　the　bridge　where　the　captain　and　his　passengers　stared　down　on　him；　and　his　breast　would　swell　pridefully；　because　he　knew　that　the　captain　was　saying：　　〃See　him！　that's　Dag　Daughtry；　the　human　tank。　　Never's　been　drunk　or　sober　in　twenty　years；　and　has　never　missed　his　six　quarts　of　beer　per　diem。　　You　wouldn't　think　it；　to　look　at　him；　but　I　assure　you　it's　so。　　I　can't　understand。　　Gets　my　admiration。　　Always　does　his　time；　his　time…and…a…half　and　his　double…time　over　time。　　Why；　a　single　glass　of　beer　would　give　me　heartburn　and　spoil　my　next　good　meal。　　But　he　flourishes　on　it。　Look　at　him！　　Look　at　him！〃

And　so；　knowing　his　captain's　speech；　swollen　with　pride　in　his　own　prowess；　Dag　Daughtry　would　continue　his　ship…work　with　extra　vigour　and　punish　a　seventh　quart　for　the　day　in　advertisement　of　his　remarkable　constitution。　　It　was　a　queer　sort　of　fame；　as　queer　as　some　men　are；　and　Dag　Daughtry　found　in　it　his　justification　of　existence。

Wherefore　he　devoted　his　energy　and　the　soul　of　him　to　the　maintenance　of　his　reputation　as　a　six…quart　man。　　That　was　why　he　made；　in　odd　moments　of　off…duty；　turtle…shell　combs　and　hair　ornaments　for　profit；　and　was　prettily　crooked　in　such　a　matter　as　stealing　another　man's　dog。　　Somebody　had　to　pay　for　the　six　quarts；　which