298 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



of the river, where we would keep a lookout for 

 them. 



It was full time that our little henchmen from the 

 Bering Sea coast returned to their homes, ere the 

 weather broke up and rendered the journey almost 

 impossible of negotiation. They set off at once, after 

 the arrival of our new men, and we saw the little band 

 set forth, equipped with an ample supply of provisions 

 from the supplies brought up to us from the Inlet. 

 Gummidge waved a dreary farewell. He held out no 

 hopes to his companions that any of them would ever 

 see their happy homes again. 



Letters and newspapers, forerunners of civilization, 

 greeted us, and a sort of comprehensive log of the 

 Lily, compiled by Captain Clemsen good man who 

 specially commended for favourable notice one of the 

 newly-arrived acquisitions, whose fame as a hunter 

 was a growing one. It was confidently said, reported 

 the conscientious skipper, that our man rivalled the 

 celebrated Andrew Berg, most renowned of Alaskan 

 hunters, in successful moose calling. We sorted out 

 our servant and inquired his name. 



" Pitka," he answered solemnly. 



" Only Pitka?" said Cecily. 



" Pitka Charley, sometimes Charley Pitka," replied 

 the odd creature, with obliging differentiation. 



His personality at once arrested attention, individ- 

 uality surrounded him like an aura. He was a hunch- 

 back, almost a dwarf, with an alert, perceptive mind 

 which seemed the more astonishing as one regarded 

 the poor mite of a creature controlling the whole. A 



