is that?"

"It is the policy of the Companies. They are afraid somebody will discover
gold around here."

"Yes?"

"You see, this is the greatest salmon river in the world; the 'run' is
tremendous, and seems to be unfailing; hence the cannery people wish to
keep it all to themselves."

"I don't quite understand--"

"It is simple enough. Kalvik is so isolated and the fishing season is so
short that the Companies have to send their crews in from the States and
take them out again every summer. Now, if gold were discovered hereabouts,
the fishermen would all quit and follow the 'strike,' which would mean the
ruin of the year's catch and the loss of many hundreds of thousands of
dollars, for there is no way of importing new help during the short summer
months. Why, this village would become a city in no time if such a thing
were to happen; the whole region would fill up with miners, and not only
would labor conditions be entirely upset for years, but the eyes of the
world, being turned this way, other people might go into the fishing
business and create a competition which would both influence prices, and
deplete the supply of fish in the Kalvik River. So you see there are many
reasons why this region is forbidden to miners."

"I see."

"You couldn't buy a pound of food nor get a night's lodging here for a