The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-11-15

was boats getting stuck on the bal
that kept him fyom forgetting the
English language, and he later con
fessed to me that he greatly rejoiceC
when a boat stranded, for he could
come aboard, eat somebody's else
cooking, get some magazines and talk
to his kind.
was much interested in the young
fellow and the life he led and we had
quite long talk, when he said he
must go back, and he urged me to &c
with him. | refused, telling him ]
could not miss the boat. Then he con.
fessed to me we would never make it.
"No chance now and | positively know
it," he said. "The minute Taylor
knows you are on the bar, the Una
! tilla will leave, but there is no good
in throwing cold water on the passen-
gers. Let 'em hope"
He argued that we would have to
wait at least week in st. Michael,
and he said it would be the longest
week ever put in.
"Come down to the station with me
and stay three or four days. l will
take you down in sail boat in plenty
of time. We have plenty to eat and
there is fine duck hunting" he plead
ed.
Sixty miles in a little sail boat on
the open sea in the night time didn't
look good to me, and fatty refused,
and then he begged me to go down
with him for the night. We would
shoot few ducks in the morning and
he would bring me back in plenty Of
time. And ! consented
We got in the row boat and set off.
For about three quarters of an hour !
sat with my rain coat over my head to
keep off the swarms of mosquitoes. He
rowed and talked, while thought bit
ter thoughts of the Alaska Yukon
Steamship Company.
We arrived at the station and he
told me to go in and go to bed. He
had something to see to and would be
in shortly.
l opened the door, and in the dim
light | saw two miners lying on the
floor with big wolf dog between
them. They had come in after the
soldier had left the station. Beyond
them was bunk. | took off my shoes
and crawled in.
The blankets smelled like glue
factory. l wondered if they had ever
been washed, and wondering, fell
asleep.
Early in the morning was awaken
ed by the miners getting up. They
rolled their blankets and went on.
Then the operator, in another room,
awoke and | could hear him getting
breakfast, and while he was at it ]
heard someone come in and the two
men talking.
He came in to awaken me, but was
up and putting on my shoes. looked
at the pillow cover, it was simply
black with dirt. He said there was
no excuse for such condition, but he
explained when one lives in such a
place he gets SO he doesn't care a
damn"
The breakfast was good, fish, duck
and pie. Pie for breakfast. The sol
der had baked it, and it was good.
And now comes the place to hold
your nose.
The meal finished, he told me ar
Indian had come in with the informa-
ton that there were three dead Esld-
os on the shore little way above.
He said they had eaten the diseased
meat from dead whale and had been
poisoned, and the natives would not go
near them. He wanted the white man
to bury them. So he said the duck
shooting program would have to be
changed to a funeral, and asked If |
would go along, as il would be on our
way TO the boat.
] would. We put in pick and two
shovels and rowed up the bank.
We found the place and the dead
a man and two squaws. The man lay
between two logs, with poles laid
across to keep the animals off. One
squaw was partially concealed in an