The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-26
A Strategic Recovery
A Tale of the Yukon
By May Grinnell.

I'VE take our wood back. We won
pay that much. Seven dollars. Ugl
company damn theft"
"All right, take it back. There won
be another steamer up the river before
May. you know that. If you can ca
your wood. keep it. We can get enough
Elsewhere
And the Indians, grumbling anG
lswearing, took their goods and depart
ed, knowing that the purser's words
were true and that not another steam
er would they see until Spring, and
that all the provisions they obtained
in the meantime must be bought with
cash and brought over the ice on sleds
And so the battle was waged down
the river shore, the natives striving to
realize slight advantage on this, the
last of their seasons wood, and the
company determined to hold the values
equal though the scale of imaginary
prices should ascend to the last cipher
of the natives arithmetical knowledge.
| There was but one stop to make after
i the steamer left "Jim's Landing
where wood had reached the stiff price
of seventeen dollars a cord and -four
had promptly risen to a corresponding
price per sack. AS the Alice swung
into the little dock at Mission, Ram
part Liz sprang ashore and was sur
rounded by little crowd of native wo-
men, huddled together about the piles
Iof wood. The men, she soon informed
the purser, had that morning departed
on a big hunt, leaving instructions with
the women to sell the wood in case
the steamer arrived during their abb
sence.
What did they tell you to sell for"
inquired the purser, automatically.
There was a few minutes of hurried
cultural consultation and Rampant Liz
stepped from her mothers side to face
the purser.
rs flour still worth seventeen dollars
a sack?' she inquired.
I'VE might make it little less to
please the ladies, if you like replied
the purser, banteringly.
How much less?'
Suppose we call it sixteen ninety
eighth"
''All right, Wen pay sixteen ninety
eight for it,
Then Wen fall to and put this wood
on board
Wait minute, we haven't agreed
on the price of that yet. Hadn't you
better find ont what you're going to
pay for it?''
20, Wen fix that up when it's on
board. Well expect you to meet our
little cut, of course
"All right, Well sell for nineteen |
Now you're joshing, sister Susy. |
Come, We'll talk about that when we
get these lady friends of yours busy |
putting the wood on board. Fall to,
here, men, and measure it up
But the women drew Gordon around |
heir property and stubbornly refused |
10 allow the men to approach. The I
ourser demonstrated.
Promise us nineteen dollars a cord
before you put it on board" demanded /
liz.
The purser withdrew to consult the
aptain.
How much flour have we left on
'oard?' inquired the captain.
Eight sacks" replied the purser,
onsulting his ledger
Then promise them nineteen dollars
cord,' said the captain.
The purser obeyed and the women
flowed the wood to be measured, and
hen all of them, with the exception
the daintily attired Liz, went faith l
ully to work and helped the men stow {
on board II
When the loading was completed the S
Tomen, chattering gutturally and {
gathered around the pile
provisions which had been heaped I
pom the deck to expedite the work of &
election and distribution. There were l
o finished mathematician among c
lem, but each knew to a cent the
mount of credit due her on account +
wood delivered. 6
The purser began checking off their T
ldividual credits and making a list of
leir wants. Iy
We've only got eight sacks of flour e
TT, so you'll have to go light on c
lat," he said.
The women held an amiable discus g
on and settled the apportfonment of t
lie flour. Rice and barley were popu- h
r substitutes and they were willing C
forego some of the more material tt
xuries in view of the enticing dis o
ay of bright calicoes.
How much rice?" demanded a s,
rinkled squaw, who was Iaboriously G
ckoning her account upon her with "
ed fingers and keeping a suspicious S
e upon the purser. e
Two dollars a pound he replied, h
andy. without lifting his eyes from p
II book. III
A hiss and an angry sputter followed Il
e announcement. The women saw d
emselves outdone, and the slight adj p
lntage they had gained in the few
cks of -four, wrested from them and CT
stored to the boatmen in the unpro- V
increase in the price of a
scessary substitutes RI
And so it was. Not only was there U
e usual appreciation of values of all o
save flour to maintain V
e relative values as established be- Il
re leaving st. Michael, but an addi- t,
>nal increase was made to restore the o.
uilibrium which was momentarily "
'stroyed in the discrepancy between e,
'ur and wood. It'll
The women fought stubbornly to re- Il
lin their lost ground, but the boat p
en- We're practiced in their business al
id they kept the pile of provisions et
ell surrounded. promptly doing out ST
e articles selected, and inflexibly re- OF
sing TO alter their schedule. The
omen exercised to the full the pre- pl