“Sure you’re going some for chekakos,” the Kid commented. “I’ve heard of that dog team. All the Yukon has for that matter, but few have seen it. I saw them once on the trail and I’d been glad to have traded my team for them and given two hundred dollars to boot, which is going some, for I’ve got one of the best teams on the Yukon.” The kid will be a lot of help too, if you can raise him. The Pymauts live not far from the Holy Cross Mission and the fathers have taught many of them to speak English and have converted many. He’ll come handy interpreting for you when you get down to trading with the tribes. I reckon I’ll step below and see how both of those chaps are making out,” he said.
He was back soon with a smile on his face. “They are both sound asleep,” he said and I wouldn’t disturb them. “Sleep’s the best healer there is. I’ll see them again after they are awake,” he said.
“Do you think your party would like to take a spin on the Rambler today,” Clay asked, thoughtfully. “I mean of course, Miss—er—”
“Ethel Mason,” supplied the Kid promptly. “Miss Ethel Mason and her parents, I mean, of course,” Clay said. “It would be a change from that slow, lumbering steamboat. They could troll for salmon—there are lots of them around here and we could have a fish dinner and maybe they would like the change from the steamer for even a day.”
“They would,” exclaimed the Kid, brightly.
“It’s rough on them—being only two women amongst such a raft of men. ’Course the men don’t, many of them, mean anything wrong but they haven’t seen anything but ugly Indian squaws for so long that they can’t help but stare when they see a pretty face peeping up like a flower out of the snow. Sure, they will come. I’ll get one of the crew to fix up a boatswain’s chair and lower them all three down easy.”
“I’m so sorry you can’t come, Mr. Kid,” said Ike, regretfully.
“But I am coming,” declared the Kid emphatically. “Why not?”
“I thought you had to stay on board and guard that mail,” said Ike, innocently.
The Kid reddened. “I’ll go up and tell them and see about getting that chair ready,” he said, hurriedly, as he clambered up the rope.