The Alaska sourdough., 1911-10-17


 poor Moses wish, he communicated the entire conversation to the fur buyers, thinking it wise policy to stand in with the upper dog Silverstine, he he might buy another before he left Sitka, for he needed shave Y The shopkeeper left after having un- loaded his burdened mind with the mo- mentous weight of gossip; and the fur buyers immediately got their heads to- gether.
 morrow,' said the spokesman Gal though he has no money, he may spoil our combination; and I think that it would be very wise idea to buy him off. !, '*,-s
 The suggestion was received favorab- ly and Moses was sent for.
 MT. Moses,'' said the spokesman, we understand that during the last year you have met with financial rel verses which place you, today, in an unfortunate position. We want to help s you; and of course, you will grant us a little favor if it will cause you no inconvenience or loss We are going to give you one hundred and fifty dol lars if you will not attend the auction tomorrow.
 n Gentlemen,' replied Moses, cit breaks my heart. My life is in the seal auction. For years I have been here and bought the skins. I know, gentle men, that l need money; but as an in vestment it is worth more to you than one hundred and fifty dollars to have me away from the sale; and it is not only that my wife and children are starving, that I would accept any mon ey as payment for remaining away. For two hundred and fifty I will not show my face in your presence tomorrow; and you are getting off cheap at that N
 It did not take lengthy consultation to decide that they would pay Moses demand whereupon he was given the money on his word of honor to absent himself from the sale.
 True to the agreement, Moses walk ed around the crescent shaped bay to the Indian River Park, where he sat on a bench and looked off over the hundred islands which cast reflections in the mirror surface of the water. The beau tiful scenery did not appeal to Moses He was thinking about the auction sale; he was thinking of that hard hearted store keeper; he was thinking of revenge; he was thinking of the hungry mouths that that two hundred and fifty dollars would feed and he was thinking of the store in which he would not spend a cent.
 The skins were all brought to the old trading post; and there the sellers and buyers met. Bids opened at six dollars, seven, eight nine, ten; then it hung for some time. Eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen dollars followed slowly.
 
 The matter hung there. Buyers would not raise the bids nor would the Indians sell for sixteen.
 Pleased with the work of the Ecom bination' the buyers returned to their hotel. Although the Indians declared their intention to resalt the skins and keep them for the next season, they made no effort to do So, leaving them in the old salesroom which was sign of equalization to the fur buyers The natives had no alternative. Their cred itors who had "staked'' them early in the season must be paid. There were no other buyers in the field, So the visit ing fur trust' had them pretty we'll tied up; and we'll, too, did they know it.
 Patting each other on the back, they retired and dreamed of the morrow when the skins would be theirs for six