reight clerks have turned the cargo over to the passengers and quit
work. But we're not so unlucky as the Star of Bethlehem," he reassured
her, pointing to a steamship at anchor a quarter of a mile away. "Half
of her passengers have pack-horses for Skaguay and White Pass, and the
other half are bound over the Chilcoot. So they've mutinied and
everything's at a standstill."

"Hey, you!" he cried, beckoning to a Whitehall which hovered discreetly
on the outer rim of the floating confusion.

A tiny launch, pulling heroically at a huge tow-barge, attempted to
pass between; but the boatman shot nervily across her bow, and just as
he was clear, unfortunately, caught a crab. This slewed the boat
around and brought it to a stop.

"Watch out!" the first officer shouted.

A pair of seventy-foot canoes, loaded with outfits, gold-rushers, and
Indians, and under full sail, drove down from the counter direction.
One of them veered sharply towards the landing stage, but the other
pinched the Whitehall against the barge. The boatman had unshipped his
oars in time, but his small craft groaned under the pressure and
threatened to collapse. Whereat he came to his feet, and in short,
nervous phrases consigned all canoe-men and launch-captains to eternal
perdition. A man on the barge leaned over from above and baptized him
with crisp and crackling oaths, while the whites and Indians in the
canoe laughed derisively.

"Aw, g'wan!" one of them shouted. "Why don't yeh learn to row?"

The boatman's fist landed on the point of his critic's jaw and dropped
him stunned upon the heaped merchandise. Not content with this summary
act he proceeded to follow his fist into the other craft. The miner
nearest him tugged vigorously at a revolver which had jammed in its
shiny leather holster, while his brother argonauts, laughing, waited
the outcome. But the canoe was under way again, and the Indian
helmsman drove the point of his paddle into the boatman's chest and
hurled him backward into the bottom of the Whitehall.

When the flood of oaths and blasphemy was at full tide, and violent
assault and quick death seemed most imminent, the first officer had
stolen a glance at the girl by his side. He had expected to find a
shocked and frightened maiden countenance, and was not at all prepared
for the flushed and deeply interested face which met his eyes.

"I am sorry," he began.

But she broke in, as though annoyed by the interruption, "No,