Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-10-05
CHAPTER I

- pAAtA aAlQ Uf "a tDlt3y SNE
but Eric loved them both. One wa
his father-this great Alaskan counfr,
stretching n ninth of the way aroun.
q worid-and the old gray ocean
wearing a billowing cloak of mist. wa,
surely his mother. The Sea has ha.
many Observation-Disclosures last night
venice In the dawn. England and Hol
land and the little Yankee land II
mld-morning. and to each she ha.
Borne a breed Of giants-but now shs
mas taken a younger, holder lover Ii
the North, and this wInd-tanned youth
on the Bradford cannery dock was q
child OF that mating.
Ills full name was Eric Ericsson I,
was typical of the new specieslIt
could as we'll have been Kris Nansen
or Mis- Larsen. or Sfarker Storkersen
Like the other founders of the elan
his parents had come from Norway,s
windy coast first to dig for gold I'm
Alaskan gravels. then more to their
liking, to fish for halihut and salmon
In the fords OF the Northwest. But
neither Eric nor his clansmen were
NorWegians. Born on Alaskan soil.
fney were the product of a new en-.
vironment-new ways. waters. men
and minds.
AS the son OF a ship captain. OF
course he had had good schooling. At
the close of his second year at the
University OF Alaska at Fairbanks he
had gone abroad TO specialize In
geography, ethnoIogy. and economics
In me ~forec'stle of a tramp steamer
Now, still under thirty. he had paners
emitting him to sail as master on any
ship, Of any tonnage. anywhere ON the
vi seas.
As ne sat ON the dock at Sauaw
Harbor any old Alaskan could tell his
breed. Both his ancient mother and
his young father had put their mark
upon him. He was tall and lean. 1.-THE
and loose-jointed. BY the Alaskan nat.
tern; and he walked like a ~sonrdough
than a sailor. with A snring of
his toes, lightly. swiftly. and tirelesslv
He sat alone. ignoring the motley
on The. dock. He had little In
common with Siwash sinners or Fir
pino ~messboys Y less with Sando.
mars gang There were ten of thase
men. all recently fired from the can-
merry force, and. like Eric himself. thev
were Idly watching a sleek Yacht
stranger to these waters, glide into
the harbor.
In Eric's heart dwelt d strange love
deep and wide. for most all craft on
all seas but an amused half-smlle
flickered across his lips as he surveyed
stylish visitor. Obviously she was
built for luxurious cruising. NOT 10
rough II In these haif-charted north.
.rn waters. In venturing here she was
living up to her name. the IN.
The elderly captain locked her
handily. and the gang-plank was run
To Fries amazement. the greater
part of the crew Immediately walked
,T. Not only the kit-hags In their
minds but the gray. grim look on their
told plainly that they were done
rifh the Intrepid for the rest of thei
,eafaring lives.
Eric spoke to the first officer. 4
'taiwart Yankee tyne that he knew
ind respected. 4Iooks like she's 70
ne to be s~hort-handed the rest of her |
There's six left. ont or eighteen.
man answered angrily. "nur times
10. but he won't hit for home. Now
le can cool his heels here. or else RIM
he whole shin himself-as he's wanted
0 from the first. We're going to Ga
ut on the Catherine d.
who do you mean BY hep The
kipner?'
THE old mans all right. I mean
~iorton. the millionaire who owns her.
les not a yachfsman. but he won't
In the saloon. Always coming
his skipper and the crew. He
no respect for an officer. much less
sailor-he treats EN- all like f1unkies.
mr. fellows are Americans they
ont put up with that. Besides. he
xDects the impossible. All his life
e's got what he wanted. bought IT
18th his checkhook. and he cam see
ny we can't supply the weather and
he tides he demands Tell him he
ant 20 some place, and that's where
ELS going to start for
The officer swore, throatily and EN-
hatically and marched on. A burly.
liddle-aged man In smart yachting
doubt Horton himself-now
With him was an ath.
tic nan OF thirty. with a lean. schol.
rly face. thin lips. and Icy gray eyer
sight OF Eric, Horton sis-
aled him up with an imperious Ees
whats your manner"
Eric's sparkling blue eyes turned
ard gray. i am Mr.. Ericsson.
-Do you var 4 1ob7 need some
en-. to replace those proud devils Who
lst walked OIL. What can you do on
lipboardT"
Taking your questions one At 1
me-" Eric's quick anger had failed.