“You know, Cap, I’ve had the same sense about the place since we first went to work up at Erie. The people will be gone soon. Maybe not the camp, but the people. Even grandfather said it would not last. He told me I’d live to see it all end and that even the railroad would quit running one day.” “If that’s true, and I am sure deep within myself that it really is, what do you think will happen to McCarthy?” “McCarthy will still be there, even if the mine quits. Look at all the placer claims out there. McCarthy does a lot of outfitting, just like Chitina does.” “Maybe, but even if McCarthy survives Kennecott, it won’t be the same. Think about it. What do you see on the railroad except Kennecott ore and Kennecott freight. There sure aren’t many passengers. Never were. When I came back from McCarthy last time, I was alone in the coach. Just me and the dog and that attendant. That was it. “This is just a mining railroad. I know it looks like something more than that, but without the mine, I don’t think there could be a railroad. Nicolai was right. We’ll both live to see the end of it. And that means the end of McCarthy. You don’t think Rose would want to stay in that town once the supplies stop coming, do you?” “So Cap, what are you saying? Are you saying that Rose will leave and go where ? Where will she go ?”
“Where do you think ? She’s a big-town girl who’s making money at McCarthy because there’s so much business now. That’s it. When the business moves, she will too. She’ll probably leave Alaska. Do you think she’ll really want you by then anyway? You know what she is. She loves money. Not you. Not any man.” Johnny almost struck Cap for that, but backed off. Cap was ready for him, but Johnny’s anger gave way to depression. He leaned back in the chair, feeling spent. He had to face it and admit to himself that Cap might be right. “Sorry about that, Cap. I know you’ve been polite about it and avoided the subject. The sad part is you may be right. She probably proved your point when she refused to come back here with me .” “Look, Johnny, I told you what I believe. I don’t want to dwell on it. I’d rather try to beat you at this game of billiards than fight you. What good would the fighting do? We’ve backed each other up since school days--since we were both six or seven years old. That’s a long time. We’re sla’cheen who are fortunate enough to claim the same grandfather. If we’re going to fight, let’s save it for someone who truly is our enemy.” They started a new game. Cap beat Johnny easily, probably because Johnny’s mind was somewhere else. He was silent for some time before finally speaking back up. “I got a letter from Frank Buckner. He wants us back next year.” “Really? Do you you want to go back? If you really want to go, I’ll be there with you. No money around here, anyway.” “Still? After all that has happened?” “Still. It doesn’t matter what has happened. We’re sla’cheen.” “Frank wrote that the company plans to repaint the mill next year. They’re also going to build a larger hospital. He wants us back because of our experience on that power plant job. No problem getting on, he wrote. The superintendent has okayed us for rehire to do the paint job. It’s a big one, similar to the power plant painting job. Harder, though, because the building has old paint which has to be scraped off.”
Cap considered it, while he watched Johnny rack up a new game. He opened the stove door and put in yet another stick of wood. “We sure have to work hard around here to stay warm.” “Yes, it hurts me to watch you sit in that captain’s chair and place a stick of dried, cut firewood into a hot-burning stove. It must kill you, Cap.” “You know what I mean. It takes a big load of wood to keep any of these places going. That’s all day out in the woods. Sometimes I think we had it easy at Kennecott.” “So it’s Kennecott ?” “It’s either that or the railroad maintenance work again if we want enough cash for the year. Trapping isn’t going to do it. I just want to be able to get out of work by fall time so I can hunt and do the guiding business again. We completely missed it last year. At the time I never gave it much thought because we were so busy. But I don’t want to miss out on the hunting. Then there’s still next winter’s trapping.” “So, it’s settled then. We’re a team, once again.” “We’re a team, Sla’cheen.” Kay-yew-nee jumped for the door. His ears were straight up and his tail started wagging. Johnny’s mother Helen came in the door. Charles followed. The wagon was waiting outside with her companion Fred from Copper Center holding the lines. “You two have been down here long enough. It’s cold out here and I came to pick you up for dinner. We’ve been working on the moose stew all day, and you need to come home. That’s that.” “I cleaned out the back of the wagon so we can ride below cover.” “That’s good of you, Charles. You’re a great skell-eh.” “It’s really cold out there, Johnny. I’m riding in back with both of you. Mom keeps warm with Fred up front. She actually enjoys it.” “Fred’s my blanket,” Helen replied. “Let’s head on up the hill, Cap. I’m ready. You’re staying until after the cold spell, aren’t you ?” “I’m ready for some good Native food, and I was planning on staying with you anyway. Soon as this weather breaks, I’ve got to pick up my supplies and get back to Tonsina.” “Smitty ! We’re leaving ! You back there ?” Rita stepped through the door. “Smitty’s sleeping. You’re the only ones left. I’m closing now anyway.” “Got a bottle ?” “Got money ?” “Will these do ?” Johnny threw several silver dollars onto the counter. Rita’s eyes widened. She was resigned to credit in the winter time. The coins were a welcomed sight. “You want two bottles ?” “You got it, Rita. Say good night to Smitty. Be sure to tighten up the stove. Goodnight.” “Did you see that old red-haired witch’s look when I threw her those coins, Cap ? Guess that’s what it takes to make women happy.” The four of them walked out to the waiting wagon. A huge horse was anxious to get moving. It was frigid out there. The smoke from the stacks throughout town was rising to about sixty feet and then leveling off, creating a canopy of gray where the temperature was warmer. This was a phenomena of extremely cold weather. Fred had the use of the horse thanks to his connections with Orr Stage Lines. He had driven the wagon up the hill only to find Helen wanting him to bring her back down to pick up her two boys. She considered Cap the same as one of her own sons and she fussed over him just as she did over Johnny. Fred, a good natured Tl’aticae’e Native who had known Helen since the old days, had happily obliged. He would be staying with Helen tonight, putting up the horse in a makeshift barn until morning when it had to be returned to the stage line company. Actually, he would be taking the wagon into Copper Center tomorrow himself. The wagon passed the Commercial Hotel and began the pull up the long hill into the Indian village of Chittyna where a large pot of moose stew and a very warm and cheerful, if somewhat smoky, large open room awaited the five of them. “If Emil was still alive, he’d have been here with me. I would have taken care of him. He would not have needed to buy a cabin for himself.” “I know, Mom. I wish I could have brought him back.” “You did.” Johnny looked up from under the tarp to his mother who was huddled close to Fred. He pulled his heavy coat around himself tighter. It was biting cold out there. He looked forward to the warm fire up the hill, the moose stew and the home-brewed tea. “Skeel-eh, look ! It’s the Yaw-koss out to greet us.” Cap was pointing toward the Northern Lights, which were dancing wildly across the sky in all their brilliant hues of red, white and green over Chittyna Village. “It’s like the old days at Taral.” “Yes, it is skeel-eh Charles. You were there with us to hear the story Shee-ya told us that night. The Great Creator is smiling upon us tonight as we ride home to the house we built for our shee-ya. Sla’cheen, we have made the right decision. Kennecott waits for us once again. “I hope it waits for me, too, Soon-ga.” “For you, too, Charles.” Johnny listened to the conversation between Cap and Charles completely astonished. “You think we can somehow get them to hire Charles ?” “Charles will be there. I’m sure of it, Sla’cheen. The time is right.”
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07 February 2011
Chapter 33: "Billiard Hall Conversation," Pt 2
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