COASTING ALASKA PENINSULA 189 



Larsson rushed into the saloon exclaiming, ''We've got 

 a stowaway on board, and we'll have to go back to Pirate 

 Cove to put him off." 



We expostulated vigorously, but the captain explained, 

 "We have nineteen men on board, which is one more than 

 the law allows us, so I'll get into trouble if I carry this 

 fellow." Out he went and put the schooner about to 

 beat back against the wind to the fishery station. It 

 would certainly take all day to reach it, as the sea was 

 beginning to run higher than the "Abler" could cope 

 with. 



Presently, however, Larsson reappeared. He had 

 thought the matter over and devised a plan which would 

 satisfy his scruples. 



He addressed himself to Dr. Elting: "If you will 

 examine this fellow and pronounce him a sick man, as he 

 claims to be, we can take him with us." 



Elting jumped up at once, and went out to look at the 

 stowaway. 



"I guess that will be a sick man," remarked Lovering. 



Elting came back in a few minutes and took his seat 

 again, "The fellow is sick," he announced. "I told 

 the captain that he could not get proper medical attention 

 at Pirate Cove and we should have to take him with us." 



The schooner once more swung off on her course toward 

 Kodiak Island. The stowaway was put to work assisting 

 the crew and by the end of the voyage was ready to admit 

 that he had fully earned his passage. It was indeed lucky 

 to have him, for a slight accident to one of the other men 

 next day made us short-handed. 



Paul, one of the sailors, caught the first finger of his 

 right hand in the block of the main-sheet and ripped off 

 a good piece of the end of it. "Oh, that's nothing," he 



