44 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



excellent trainmg for mate of a ship. "Mate," as every- 

 one called him, was of medium height, compactly built, 

 self-possessed in every emergency, a thoroughly expe- 

 rienced seaman; cautious, yet full of courage. His 

 thick hair and moustache were rather bright red, and 

 a week's growth of beard gave him a florid appearance. 

 He was inclined to be ready to manufacture an offence 

 out of a fancied slur. The mate proved to be the best 

 man on the ship for navigation and emergency, and 

 more than once pulled us out of tight places when the 

 captain had given up the job. He was at home in the 

 ice, in which kind of work Captain Larsson was inexpe- 

 rienced, and we came to have great confidence in the 

 mate's judgment and seamanship. He used as a panacea 

 for all ills ''Quaker Balm," guaranteed under the Pure 

 Food and Drugs Act to be a combination of opium and 

 alcohol, but for sociability's sake preferred a mixed drink 

 called "smotherins," half port and half whisky. 



Captain Kleinschmidt sat on Larsson's left. Of 

 middle size and age, the manager of the expedition was 

 impetuous himself and impatient of others not equally 

 quick. This was his misfortune apparently, for he 

 tried hard to accomphsh everything and stood a lot 

 of bad knocks without much grumbling. He looked, 

 as he was, a native of Germany, and had long been 

 a sailor before making a stake at Dawson. Subse- 

 quently he carried mail at Teller, Alaska, had spent 

 considerable time in Kotzebue Sound, and had also been 

 in the Arctic. Latterly he had taken up bird collecting 

 for museums and motion-picture photography as a 

 business. Captain Larsson declined to recognize his 

 title, which was that of a river skipper, and punctil- 

 iously called him Mr. Kleinschmidt. 



