41 Lure O Gold 1904

"
The Last Pound of
Coal
the crew tear out the superficial
woodwork and cut it
for fuel.
up
There were some mutterings among the first-cabin
men, who said they didn t
want to work their passage
when it
was paid for already; but they took the tools
that were handed out to them and proceeded to the
task of demolition. Most of the passengers were will
ing and anxious to help. There were only three women
aboard, and one of these a buxom girl
from Sacra
mento insisted upon doing what she called her share
of the work, but Captain Head would not permit her
to help.
Get at those after deckhouses the
first thing, Mr.
Nason,"
he ordered.
"All
right, sir."
The first
officer led the way
aft and directed the at
tack upon the neat, white-painted woodwork. First,
the doors were removed and slid down into the fire-room
through a hastily
constructed chute. Then followed
the berth frames and the moldings. This was light
work. But when the axes and ripping irons were
cleaving and tearing the walls of the houses and the
partitions, those of the passengers not used to manual
labor perspired prodigiously.
[175]