were, and drew the curtains around us. The long,
deep-toned whistle of the "Elk," had sounded some time before, and we
were headed east, making our way quietly over the smooth waters.

Another chapter of our lives had begun. What would the end be, I
wondered.

During the night I was awakened by men running and shouting on deck. The
steamer stopped. Somebody went out to inquire the cause. In a little
while he returned, saying that four men had been picked up, nearly
frozen, in an open boat which was leaking badly, and they were found
just in time. Dry clothes, with food and hot drinks, and they would be
all right again; so I turned over and tried to sleep, but the men
lounged about, smoking and talking with the captain a good share of the
night, so that sleep was almost out of the question.

How I wished for fresh air! How I hated the tobacco smoke! But we could
say nothing, for the men had no beds, no other place to sit, and it was
too cold on deck. We must be patient, and I was patient, feeling
thankful that the lives of the four men had been saved, if each one did
smoke like a volcano and come near choking us to death.

After a while there was another commotion. What now? Their five dogs had
been left in the leaking dory, which was trailing behind us, the boat
was swamping, and the animals were almost drowned. They were whining,
crying, and soaking wet; so the "Elk" was again stopped, the dogs taken
on board, along with some of the miners' outfits, and we again started
on our way.

The men said their dory had been blown ten miles out to sea by a wind
many hours before, and had then sprung a leak, wetting their food, and
threatening them with destruction, when the "Elk" appeared and took them
aboard in the night.

"Wall, yes, we had given ourselves up for lost, though none said much
about it," remarked one of the saved men next day, in speaking of their
experience. "Some one mentioned God Almighty, I believe, and I could
almost have spoken to Him myself, but it does look like He had done
something for us, don't it?" said the miner, laughing quietly, in a
pleased, relieved way as he finished.

We were exceedingly glad for their deliverance from a watery grave, but
we pitied ourselves for our discomforts, until we pictured ourselves in
their forlorn condition, far out from land, at night, in a leaky boat,
without food and freezing; then I found myself feeling really grateful
for the privilege of sailing on the "E