Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-09-13
IN A STRANGE PORT.

ND'''t'AAs
what he saw. In the afternoon. when
he cooled his head in the pond on the
Common, he marveicd again AT the p0-
llcemen. who told him to move on Olaf
did not understand English but lie knew
that the water was cool and that his
head was hot. and, lastly, that submcr-
SION was good; he did not move on. but
ne hurled into the pond the officer who
Fad clutched his wrist. Three other DO
hcemen came to the rescue and Olaf
spent the night i'll the station house on
Hancock street
An interpreter explained the Stua ton
to him in the morning and Olaf paid his
hne. Ot many of the conventionaities lie
was still ignorant, but he had learned NOT
to cool his head i'll that way again, and
the officer whom lie had cooled had
learned to ignore men of Olaf's build.
After leaving the court. Olaf walked
down to the wharves and looked longing
~ seward. Ban sailor man." he said
tn the men around him: but 10 one u1l.
dcrStood this or his other signals for
work, aud at night he climbed the mar
row stairs at Kate Smiths, weary and
alone.
A brisk little man was saying to the
proprietress. I'm looking for men to
work on Water street. Who's this chap"
as Olaf lowered before him.
Newcomer. Swede, | guess. Better
try him
The little man addressed Olaf in a Swed-
lSh patoi&, presenting Il paper which
Olaf covered with his mark and Olaf
OlafSon had contracted to work at $3.50
n day.
Olaf had made but one observation
ban sailor man." and the little man
Had done the rest.
At Z O'Clock the next morning Olaf
followed his guide down the already
sWeltering street. turning unconsciously
toward the water front, his eyes already
seeking the ship: but his companion
laughed. Not there towhead; it's a
wheelbarrow, not Il rope. that you'll work
Olaf'S surprised disappointment when he
was presented with whcelbarrow and
pushed into Il line of men who were
wheeling cracked stone up narrow
plank.
lie watched the men whose example
he was to follow. 1t seemed not very
difficult. The man ahead of him adj
vanced until he came to a trough, into
which he dumped his load; simultaneous
ly, man on the other side of the trough
threw in wet cement; then the first man
wheeled his barrow away. past the
wheeling engine, which. with its iron
hands, mixed the stones with the cement
That was the process and to Olaf ii
seemed child>s play; he had seen the. first
man give a heave of his back as he shot
his load into the trough, and Olaf care
fully initiated him. His intentions were
most praiseworthy, but he had not taken
into consideration the strength of his
back. The contents of his barrow en-
vcloped the barrow opposite him, and the
barrow leaped like Il mOuntain goat into
the trough itself-a series of snaps. the
rending of wood and iron. Il wild shout
of uninteiligible commands, and the ma
chnery stopped with an angry snort.
Olaf sprang over the trough. picked up
the fallen man. and smoothed him tend
crIy with ar enormous hand. The Irish
boss then kicked Olaf swearing violently
the while and Olaf touched the boss once
only with his other hand, and they picked
up the boss and carried him into an
apothecary shop, the boss Offering neither
assistance nor resistance of any sort
whatever.
Had the city of Boston been less in
need of men to lay the asphalt on Waite"
street. Olaf. the son of Olaf. would have
spent another night in the station on
Hancock street. AS it was. he slept
screncly at Kate Smiths and appeared
at his place in the morning.,
And now nothing came to break the
of the life which Olaf led.
BY day he worked with his barrow; each
evening he smoked his short pipe upon
the wharveS.
There in his solitude, his ears well
coming the ripple and lift of the tide.
he pondered the situation. 1t was ten
days since the Helga had settled INTO
the deep water beyond the light. and OF
the crew and the captain he had heard
nothing: he. the mate, alone had sur
vived the tragedy.
Gregarious. domestic, fond of quiet
and of rumbiln% SottlE
10 those around him in his big, simple,
friendly way. this forced and continued
isolation wore upon him. Ills present
occupation. too. he hated bitterly. His
30 wears he had spent upon the sea
where the big ships passed SmootniS
along their buoyant course; his NINA
and heart were sick with the memory or
sunny. ool-breeZed days upon the bat
tic. where the wind tore the SURF ut the
foot of roaring cliffs, or idle weeks 10
the northward, where the porpolSG plaH-
ed in the cool. deep fjordS,. OF droWSE
watches as the ship swan lazlly on the
Gulf stream. or leaned comfortably oe-
fore the steady push of the trades.
And. in the reality of his dream ne
vonId start to his feet. striving to feel
the planking of the deck, and 1ar
above TO see the towering sparS OF the
HeIca. No! She was gone, ana VII"
her the life that he loved so Well.
4 month had passed and he had re-
dnrnd to few cents the little money
Inft him from the wreck; 1t was mper-
alive that he should have more: ne , sig
noIed 70 the boss when the whistles blew
~ noon the next day, but the man.
thonrh Wen comprehending the patheuc,
~astnres of the mute giant disregarded
+Lo,,, There was. however, among the
men. German who volunteered some SOM,
innwledse of Olaf's tongue. ana through
his INTERPRETATION. Olaf could ask direct
" for the money that was due TO nm.
~ Thns confronted. the boss lstenen
c,Imly and then said that Olaf had neen Ell
paid At hs end s1,t of snsh by vefn ns re
I,nints Which bore Olaf's mark. 9laL
t6nn recalled that. from time TO nllll t1
:, Sin of paper had been given MN ~
";c.n hnt he said again that he haa 10; hoi
,a 1,i his pay. At this the boss sni'' Sa
sT@htIv' and then the other knew h he
/ T. aJ strnck this man. and. III revenge he
t nae hning cheated of his pay. 4,o
Eor = moment he looked quietly at t4s
- "minous a CLINT in his blue eyes lllt'
Tho man stepped we'll beyond ms reacl
'i' ye .,''' he knew, but his brain susgeste,d
les. ng and he resumed his work
~ 4ns head head was Keeling. his great TORN
Nd