BY SNOW-CLAD VOLCANOES 161 



called "Defiance," bringing the quarantine and customs 

 officers. The other, the "Defender," was looking for 

 business. My partners made a bargain with the latter to 

 go ashore at fifty cents a head. Kleinschmidt and 

 Young were in the "Defiance" and her skipper invited 

 me to come with him. No payments were made on the 

 beach. On entering the post office just before boarding 

 the "Abler" to sail away, the skipper came up and said, 



"Well, I'll collect about two dollars from you." 



"What for?" I replied, innocently. 



"For passage ashore," he explained. 



"I thought that was free." 



"Do you think I do that for my health?" he inquired, 

 in no weak-chested tones. 



"Evidently not, but it's an extortionate price. The 

 government paid you for the trip anyhow." 



"It's the standard rate, and has been ever since the 

 camp was started." 



"Well, prices have come down a lot since those 

 days," I argued, for in fact Nome was the cheapest town 

 I had seen in Alaska. "I'll not pay you two dollars, 

 but I'll spht the difference between what you thought 

 and what I thought it was going to be." With which 

 words I handed him a dollar. 



We had reached the main street by this time. 



"I won't break the price," he said, declining the coin. 



"I won't pay more." 



"Well, I'll give you the ride free." 



"And I won't take it." So saying I thrust the dollar 

 into his pocket. 



He pulled it out, threw it in the street, turned on his 

 heel and walked off. I did the same. An Eskimo ivory- 

 seller wandered by, spied the bright money and picked it 

 11 



