"The Ohio," she replied, with the effect of a hand-grenade. The
master glared at her.

"The Ohio! Good God! You DARE to stand there and tell me that?" He
turned and poured his rage upon the others.

"She says the Ohio, d'ye hear? You've ruined me! I'll put you in
irons--all of you. The Ohio!"

"What d'ye mean? What's up?"

"What's up? There's small-pox aboard the Ohio! This girl has
broken quarantine. The health inspectors bottled up the boat at
six o'clock last night! That's why I pulled out of Unalaska ahead
of time, to avoid any possible delay. Now we'll all be held up
when we get to Nome. Great Heavens! do you realize what this
means--bringing this hussy aboard?"

His eyes burned and his voice shook, while the two partners stared
at each other in dismay. Too well they knew the result of a small-
pox panic aboard this crowded troop-ship. Not only was every
available cabin bulging with passengers, but the lower decks were
jammed with both humanity and live stock all in the most
unsanitary conditions. The craft, built for three hundred
passengers, was carrying triple her capacity; men and women were
stowed away like cattle. Order and a half-tolerable condition were
maintained only by the efforts of the passengers themselves, who
held to the thought that imprisonment and inconvenience would last
but a few days longer. They had been aboard three weeks and every
heart was aflame with the desire to reach Nome--to reach it ahead