Part 9 (2/2)
Again the captain shook hands Then he asked the boys where they came from and was pleased to learn they were used to a life in the open air
”I was a luan,” he said ”But thar wasn't enough exciteold and silver
Minin' and prospectin' just suitis in our favor--scarcity o' old fields Non in Colorady it's different--all overrun with men, eh, Portney?”
”Yes, we'll have rather an open field,” answered Foster Portney And then followed a long discussion about the new gold fields and what ht be expected when Dyea was reached and the terrible clian The discussion lasted until ten o'clock, and the boys listened with interest and picked up many stray bits of information
Both concluded that the overland trip to the erous as they had pictured it
The distance froures, one thousand ular ocean liner, yet she was a fast boat, and it was expected that she would cover the distance inside of four days Much, of course, would depend upon the weather encountered, for she was heavily loaded with both passengers and freight The freight had given even the owners concern, for h on the outer decks
On the second day out, and solass, the sky to the ard began to darken, and the sailors announced an approaching storm Soon the sun went under a heavy bank of clouds and a stiff breeze sprung up which threw the long, heavy swells of the ocean intoon every side as far as eye could reach
”We are in for it noas the announcean to rain, and all endeavored to seek the shelter of the cabin, which speedily became crowded to suffocation The boys, their uncle, and Captain Zoss were in the forward part of the boat, and they saw the course changed, so that the _Golden Hope_ stood out straight toto have no fun of this,” said Foster Portney, with a grave shake of his head ”If I know anything about matters, that storm will be an extra heavy one” And the events of the next hour proved that he was right
CHAPTER IX
THE FATE OF A STOWAWAY
”My gracious! We're going to the bottom sure!”
It was Randy who made the observation The stor of the vessel made it almost impossible for a person to keep his feet Randy clutched a handrail fastened near by, and Earl did the saainst a ceiling post The only thing that keptwas the fact that there was no vacant floor space ”They were in it like sardines in a tin,” as Randy expressed it
”Soo,” reht--the captain has ordered it cut away
There goes some poor fellows' outfits! Too bad!”
”I hope our stuff isn't a it!” cried Earl ”But they'll be responsible, won't they?”
”Yes, they'll be responsible, Earl But we don't want their oods, for it s at Juneau But I i and provisions are,” said Randy ”I saw them put down just before we started But the tools an Captain Zoss, but broke off short as a hty crash was heard frole of broken glass and sharp cries of pain and alarm
There was every evidence of a panic, but the cooler heads restored order, and then it was found that a miner's outfit had caused all the trouble It had been loosened from the deck, but before it could be thrown overboard a lurch of the steah a cabinThe ed had been one of those to be most scared by its uncereed in all its fury, and during that time no one but the officers and creere allowed on deck Nearly all the outside freight was throay, a loss which amounted to several thousand dollars At last the wind and the rain gradually abated, and by nightfall the _Golden Hope_ was again proceeding on her journey northward
On the following day they ran by Vancouver Island, and it was calculated that they would reach Juneau by noon of the day following All were anxious concerning the outfits which had been lost overboard, and the miners and officers tried to make out a list of thehtfall that it was learned positively that the goods belonging to the Portneys and to Captain Zoss were safe
The first sight of Juneau was rather disappointing to the boys, who had expected to see aon the western coast of a peninsula formed by the Lynn Canal and the wide las Island The town lies on a shcentre The harbor is a fairly good one, and, on account of the rush to the gold fields, the stores were increasing constantly
As soon as the stea place a wild rush for shore ensued, and then began a hunt for soht take the party up to Dyea, where the journey by water would, for the present, come to an end The water up the Lynn Canal, as it is terh it is not at all a canal as we know theh Dyea Inlet, is shallow, and, consequently, ocean steae on some boat,” said Foster Portney to the boys
”You reoods Those felloho lost their outfits are angry enough, and so better than to appropriate ours and let us look to the steamboat company for redress”