!_" babbled the flowers of the
forest. My solitary companion responded glibly, for he was no stranger
in these parts. The maids grew garrulous. There was much bantering, and
such laughter as the gods delight in; and at last a shout that drew the
attention of the captain. He joined us just in season to recognize the
occupants of the canoe, as they shot through a stream of light under an
open port, crying "_Anah nawitka mika halo shem!_" And then we learned
that the sea-nymphs he had put to flight were none other than the belles
of Juneau City, the Alaskan metropolis, who were spending the summer at
this watering-place, and who were known to fame as "Kitty the Gopher,"
and "Feather-Legged Sal."

CHAPTER XI.

In the Sea of Ice.

We appreciated the sun's warmth so long as we were cruising among the
ice-wrack. Some of the passengers, having been forewarned, were provided
with heavy overcoats, oilskin hats, waterproofs, woolen socks, and
stogies with great nails driven into the soles. They were iron-bound,
copper-fastened tourists, thoroughly equipped--Alpine-stock and
all,--and equal to any emergency.

Certainly it rains whenever it feels like it in Alaska. It can rain
heavily for days together, and does so from time to time. The
excursion-boat may run out of one predicament into another, and the
whole voyage be a series of dismal disappointments; but this is not to
be feared. The chances are in favor of a round of sunshiny days and
cloudless nights as bright as the winter days in New England; of the
fairest of fair weather; bracing breezes tempered by the fragrant
forests that mantle each of the ten thousand islands; cool nights in
midsummer, when a blanket is welcome in one's bunk; a touch of a fog now
and again, generally lasting but a few hours, and welcome, also, by way
of change. As for myself, a rubber coat protected me in the few showers
to which we were exposed, and afforded warmth enough in the coldest
weather we encountered. For a climb over a glacier, the very thickest
shoes are absolutely necessary; beyond these, all else seems superfluous
to me, and the superfluous is the chief burden of travel.

We were gathered about the deck in little groups. The unpremeditated
coteries which naturally spring into existence on shipboard hailed one
another across decks, from the captain's cabin--a favorite resort--or
the smoking-room, as we sighted objects of interest. With us there was
no antagonism, albeit we