FOR THE BETTER FURS THAT SHINED LIKE

GOLD.

UNTIL THEY WERE NORTH, HAD COME IN THIS

BOAT NORTH TO TURN EAST

IN THE GIANT STRAITS AND UP INTO THE

FORESTED WILDNESS

AND AN ISOLATED FISH CAMP WAS SET UP

WHERE A SMALL RIVER CAME IN TO THE

SEA.

WHERE THE SHIP LEFT LEIF.

AND FOUR USED-UP AND PART-CRIPPLED OLD

MEN – ONE NAMED OLD CAR L – AND A

SMALL THRALL BOY BOUGHT OFF A

WHALING SHIP ON WHICH A TRAVELLING

WHARF WOMAN HAD BORNE THE CHILD AND

PASSED AND AFTER SHE WAS BURIED AT

SEA THE CREWFED THE SMALL BOY ON

FISH SAUCE AND SEAL MILK CUT FROM

DEAD SEALS THAT HAD BEEN NURSING

UNTIL HE LEARNED TO WALK. BUT WITH

THE WOMAN GONE, THEY WANTED NO

CHILDREN AND SO SOLD HIM FOR A

FOLDED BOLT OF HEAVY SAILCLOTH.

AND HE WAS NAMED LITTLE CARL FOR HE HAD

NO OTHER NAME.

AND IN THIS FISH CAMP THEY WERE TO TAKE

SALMON FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER AND

SMOKE THE MEAT WHILE THE SHIP WAS

GONE UP NORTH OUTSIDE THE GIANT

ISLAND LOOKING FOR SEALS.

FOR THE SEALS WERE LIKE GOLD IN THE SUN.

AND THIS THEY DID, TAKING AND CUTTING

HUNDREDS OF SILVER SALMON AND

SMOKING THEIR MEAT IN HAND-FASHIONED

RACKS FOR DAYS UPON DAYS UNTIL THEY

HAD ENOUGH SMOKED AND DRIED FISH TO

LAST A WHOLE CREW OF A SHIP FOR AT

LEAST SIX MOONS.

AND THEY WAITED FOR DAYS UP ON DAYS

AND THE SHIP DID NOT RETURN FOR THEM.

WOULD NEVER RETURN FOR THEM.

FOR THIS WAS A BAD COAST WITH TERRIBLE

RIPPING TIDES AND UNPREDICTABLE WINDS AND

ROCKY POINTS WHERE DEATH WAS ALWAYS

WAITING, AND THIS THEY KNEW AND SO

CAME TO KNOW THERE WOULD BE NO SHIP

COMING BACK FOR THEM AND THAT THE

SHIP AND CREW WERE GONE TO VALHALLA.

AND THEY WERE ALONE.

AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THIS PLACE

BY WAY OF THE SEA. THEY HAD A SMALL

CANOE, WHICH THEY HAD USED AXES TO

CARVE FROM A CEDAR LOG, FOR WORKING

IN THE STREAM SPEARING SALMON, BUT

THEY WERE TOO MANY FOR SO SMALL A

CRAFT AND IT WAS DECIDED THEY SHOULD

MAKE A LARGE DUGOUT CANOE TO TAKE

THEM ALL AND HAD CUT DOWN A GIANT

TREE TO ROLL-DRAG INTO CAMP.

AND THEY WOULD HAVE DONE THIS.

COULD HAVE DONE THIS.

EXCEPT DEATH FOUND THEM.

Men Who Have Lost Their Shadows

Nobody knew exactly when the dark ship came and to be sure at first they could not see it at all but only understood it was there in the thick fog by the smell.

There was a drifting stink of death.