The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-06


shoulder. ''Shs's got to call at Uyak
bay going east"
Emerson looked up quickly. where
= Uyak bay!'
"OvSe On Kadiak island"
"Whsn u the boat due at Uyak?"
8merUou asked.
"Asst any time inside Of . week."
"Hew far y that from herey
1T amt % far-only about hfty
miles" Then. catching the light that
aanel into the miners eyes, Petellin
hastened to observe: But you can't
est there. its across the st1aits-Shel-
fkS( Strata"
what Of that, We can hire a sail
beat and
4 amt got any sailboat. lost my
sloop last year hunting sea otter"
I'VE can hire a small boat Of some
sort, can't We. and get the natives to
put % acPoss1 There must be plenty
Of boatB here
Nothing but skin boats. kayaks and
bidarias. you know. Anyhow. you
couldn't cross at this time Of year
TIA too stormy. These straits is the
worst piece Of water on the coast.
No; you'll have to wait"
Emerson stared hOpelessly at the
Ore.
The disheartened man started at this
juncture ~ II a sudden thought i'm
PEELED him and folio sed Bait out into
the cold. He turned down the bank to
the creek. however, and made a care
full examination of all the canoes that
went with the village. Fifteen min
utes later be had searched out the dis
gruptled fisherman and cried excited
~:
1--WE got It! Wen catch that boat
yet!''
"Howr growled the big man sourly
there's large open skin boat. an
oomiak. down on the beach. Well hire
q crew Of Indians to put US across to
Uyak."
Can't be done.". said Big George
still grud1y. Its the wrong season.
You know the Shelikof straits IS bad
place even for stea mships ut this time
Of year. They're like that pass up
yonder. only worse"
But it's only nfty miles across"
"Fifty miles Of that kind Of water
In an open canoe may be just AS bad
as 5OO-unless you're lucky. And
amt noticed anything 50 darned lucky
about U.S."
Its our only chance. Are you
gameT
"Come on" cried Big George: "let's
ind Petellinr'
That worthy uttered a shrek Of de
NAL.
I'm summer. yes. but now-you can't
do it. 1t has been tried too often. The
straits il always rough. and the
weather Is too cold to sit all day in
m oomiak: you'd fseeze."
"We'll chance it."
mo, no, no! If 1t comes on to storm
you'll 90 to sea. The tides are strong:
you can't see your course and
well use q compass. Now. you get
me enough men to handle that oomiak:
that's q good fellow. I'll attend to the
rest"
But they won't CO." declared the
little fat man. ''They know what it
means. Why
Call them in. I'll Go the talking"
And accordingly the storekeeper went
in search Of the village chief. shaking
his head and muttering at the mad
| ness Of these people.
But 1t all proved useless, The ma
lives would not risk 1t. Desperate. the
three men fitted up a boat themselves
and resolved to make the attempt
All three knew the desperate
chance they were taking, and they
spoke little as they made their way
out into the straits. Their craft was
strange to them, and the positions
they were forced to occupy soor
brought on cramped muscles. The
bidarka is a frail. narrow framework
over which IS stretched walrus skin
and it is so fashioned that the crew
sits. one behind the other, in circular
openings with legs straight out in
front.
Gradually. imperceptibly. the noun
tain shores behind them shrank down
upon the gray horizon. 1t seemed that
for once the weather was going to be
kind to them, and their spirits rose in
! consequence. They ate frequently.
food being the great fuel Of the north.
/ and midday found them we'll out upon
the heaving bosom Of the straits with
the Kadiak shores plainly visible.
Then. as If tired of toying with them.
the wind rose. Had it sprung from
the north 1t would have waited them
on their way. but it drew in from the
Pacific. straight into their teeth. fore
ing them to redouble their exertions.
In the hope that it would die down
with the darkness the boatmen held
on their course. and night closed over
them still padding silently.
1t was nearly neon Of the following
day when tho Waterman at the Uyak
cannery beheld q native canoe creep
ing slowly up the bay and was aston
ished 10 6pd 1t manned by three white
men IN the last stages Of exhaustion
One Of them. in fact. was unconsciou,
and had to b. carried to the house
He did marvel. however. that another
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