C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

At Fort YukonI73spring mattress but the huskies howled all night and nearly all the time the sunshone relentlessly.Next morning we were strolling restlessly up and down the bank having lastwords with friends when we heard an unfamiliar sound, the hooting of a steamerand suddenly a great vessel swung round the bend of the river and turned intowards our bank. There she tied up and anchored, towering above the shore likesome white leviathan that was full of eyes and openings. She looked immenselylarge and strange, looming there above the settlement, dwarfing the cabins intopancake forms.The Burkes were there to see us off. It was a sad moment when we said goodbyeto them; I shall always think of those two as standing like beacon -lights in thelonely northland, keeping alive and shining the spirit of true Christianity. Weshook hands warmly with Mrs Pecker and then we left them at the foot of thegangway and went on board, out of their lives for ever.We stood on the deck among our miscellaneous bags and bundles, two shabby,tanned and embarrassed women, as the steamer moved off down the Yukon andthe silence of the forest was still echoing in our ears, louder than the chorus ofthe tourists who were milling about us, thick as ants in an ant-heap. They were alltalking at once and talking in a hurry."Gee-whiz! but I guess this is the dandiest little city I ever saw.""See those little cabins right there?""I reckon they must be for pygmies.""But ain't they just cute?""I guess this is the real North.""My, but it's fierce."We suddenly felt very cold as we turned our backs on the warmth of those FortYukon homes and welcomes to settle in among this crowd of strangers.