The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1904-01-07

worked uneasiy. When he finished,
he strobe over to the cashier. You
cheat me-. he cried, thickly. by ice,
you cheat me twenty dollar
Nonsense, Andrew" said the cash
Ter; you're off. Your account is just
dollars and six bits due
you. Not cent more. Our books
don't lie."
The fisherman hitched up his trou-
sers, and his voice fell two notes. You
cheat me-" he muttered doggedly. Il
bring in two hundred pound more fish
It's down in my book See:'
The young fellow who had charge
of the fish delivery books received GIN
gerly the greasy pages thrust in at
him, and rapidly compared the entries
there with those in his ledger. Every
now and then he jotted number on
a pad of blank paper before him, and
when he had run through all the pages
of the fish book lie added together his
jottings, and looked up with n weary
smile. You're wrong, Andrew" he
said See here. where you've gone
off your reckoning This entry calls
for only twenty pounds of fish, and
you've read it two hundred. This here
is forty-fye pounds of steelhead, and
you've made it salmon. You better be
careful how you say we cheat you.
You are trying to do some cheating
yourself with darned blunt pencil.
Take your book and clear out"
The heayy-eyed captain of boat No.
B45 loosed his neckerchief and pulled
again at his trousers. You cheat mel"
he yelled, shrilly. "Ole, he put him
down that way, and know how much
fish | bring in. | don't charge him in
the book. You cheat me"'
A rough order TO clear out was the
only response. and Anlrew blew like
a porpoise. Then his clumsy tongue
gathered articulateness. and he called
down the curse of God upon the AS
toria Crescent, with special reference
to the white-faced cashier and Ole,
the weigher. His strident tones re-
sounded in the building. and present
ly the manager of the cannery came
from his private office to see what the
matter was. Andrew turned to him
with Cry for justice.
but your account is all straight. "
at the book the fisherman held out to
him "What the devil do you mean
by making such FUSS
but Ole make the wrong number"
Andrew expostulated. He put down
twenty pound of fish on your book
when have two hundred on mine. lie
cheat me-"
IF you make any more howl" said
the manager, roughly, I'll seize your
boat. You owe us hundred on last
season"
There was a deep silence, while the
huge fellow shambled back as if to
gather himself for blow. Then in
some way he realized his he!plessness
and strove to subdue his voice. 1t
amt right" he mumbled. Il owe you
noting. / pay him all oop. Ole make
wrong number You can't take my
boat"
Possibly the manager Of the cannery
was doubtful of his own position. or
else he was melted by charitable
thought of Andrews wife and small
baby. He pulled II gold piece from his
pocket and flung 1t at the fisherman.
Take this, Andrew, and don't let me
hear any more Of your nonsense.
That's a brand-new ten-dollar piece,
and I'll bet you spend it in saloon,
and curse me over your glass. Now
clear out"'
Hansen looked at the money in his
calloused palm, and then at the re-
treating form Of the manager. Clear
out!' said the clerk 'or Wen throw
you out, you darned beggar"
Mrs. Hansen wept when her hus-
band told her CURLY that she was to
have no new dress. When he refused
to buy baby carriage for the first
born, there was deep gloom in the
little house tucked up under the hill
above the gas works. But Andrew
did not explain, though he gazed a
long time at the white-haired son,
whose legs We're sure, according to his
mother. to be bent like the slaves Of
fish barrel did he have no carriage
to ride in.
Two days later Andrew paid off his
boat-puller. 1t took all the money to
his credit at the cannery. Then he
went out to the racks on which his
net was hung. and worked there for q
week Later, lie drew his boat out on
the beach, and scraped and cleaned
her through without painting a strake
From that time till September 10th he
sat on the wabbling wharf over the
tide, and figured in his smeary fish
book, and seemed to be nursing some
secret sorrow, SO that his acquaint-
ances nodded their heads, and said
with many oaths that Andrew was an
i'll husband, and was spending his sea-
sons wages in sullen drinking.
But when he quietly put his net in
No. 345 on the 10th, and started out
fall fishing" the mods of head
changed to Open-mouthed astonish-
ment. For Andrew was forehanded in
his way, and enjoyed the reputation of
making enough, even in a poor sum-
mer, to avoid the necessity for drift
ing for the Shiny salmon that enter
the Columbia in the later months.
Instead of six cents, fish now COM
only one cent at the cannery
scales. and Andrew grew gaunt and
before September was out.
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