34 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



the game to cease, that some disturbed person sent a 



message to ask why the donkey-engine had started. 



" Did you not hear me pounding on my door last 

 night, young man ?" she asked Ralph. " Gee ! I did 

 pound it !" 



She always called Ralph " young man." Once she 

 asked him if he belonged to the Episcopalians, and 

 not understanding what she meant in the least, or pre- 

 tending not to, he claimed to be a Plymouth Rock ! 

 Mixing up the hens with the Brethren. 



For two days rain fell in waterspouts, which was 

 curious considering that the coast we were hugging 

 was sunny and dry. In between times, on sloppy 

 decks, we tried to play cricket, on a tiny cricket field 

 about the size of a handkerchief. The enjoyment I 

 personally derived was a half-broken head received 

 through running into what Ralph called "a bob- 

 stay." The game was no sort of a success, because 

 the Leader in his delight at the chance of making half 

 a run rammed the skipper, who was nothing like the 

 same weight, and sent him flying. 



Filthy dug-out canoes came to greet us from every 

 Indian settlement. The Siwash Siwash is the name 

 of the fish-eating Indians of the Pacific coast women 

 do a great part of the work of paddling, and are very 

 difficult indeed to tell from their lords and masters. 

 The men clothe themselves in antiquated raiment 

 bearing a far-off resemblance to the sartorial I hope 

 I am using the right word developments of the white 

 man, and the blanket of the North American Indian 

 is unknown. A klootchman which means woman in 



