"OUR RUDDER'S GONE!" 93 



Ed Bom also showed a disinclination to go into the 

 Arctic with us. He was lounging near our open cabin 

 door while the four of us were in the stateroom, and 

 hinted that he wanted to quit the party. "Frank 

 (Kleinschmidt) and I have had it pretty hot at times, all 

 the way up from Seattle," he explained, "and there are 

 some things a fellow can't stand for. Of course I won't 

 leave him in the lurch, but if I can get an engineer, I'll 

 put the engine in good shape and go back to Nome." 



At this we blew up and stated concisely what we 

 would think of him if he deserted us. Kleinschmidt, 

 coming at the sound of high voices, inquired, "What's 

 the trouble?" 



"No trouble, Frank," said Born quietly. "We are 

 just having a talk and you don't need to butt into it." 

 We explained to Kleinschmidt, however, what the matter 

 was, and left the two men, telling them it was fooHsh to 

 quarrel after a friendship of fifteen years' standing. 



The basic reason for the rupture between Born and 

 Kleinschmidt was Born's fear that on her return to Seattle 

 the "Abler" might be Ubeled for wages if Kleinschmidt 

 could not pay them. The latter had set aside three 

 thousand, five himdred dollars for this purpose, but car- 

 ried one thousand dollars of it in a letter of credit for 

 emergencies. A secondary reason for disagreement was 

 the fact that both of them had joined in buying about 

 thirteen hundred dollars' worth of trading goods with 

 which to turn a profit during the trip, by buying furs 

 from the natives, and so far they had not been able to 

 dispose of any amount of it. Thus, as we guessed, it 

 would not be disagreeable to Born to delay in Teller to 

 try to sell things to the natives, while Kleinschmidt, 

 though due to profit by this, was certain of a far greater 



