Boomtown by Nowen N. Particular Read Free Book Online

Bay, married a Shoonaq Eskimo, and joined a whole bunch of other Russians who were fishermen and fur trappers like him.”
    Jonny whispered, “He’s part Eskimo ? He doesn’t look Eskimo.”
    â€œOh, he’s Eskimo, all right—and part Russian—and part Kodiak bear, I imagine.”
    â€œSo you were saying,” I urged, interested in the story.
    â€œRight. Among other talents natural to men of their size and strength, Walt’s family had a reputation for cold weather endurance. I heard tell about a snowstorm in the dead of winter—forty degrees below zero and snow blowing sideways. Vladik and his son got out to get firewood and they got lost in the blizzard. Three months go by and every-body figured they’re long dead until the spring thaw when they came marching back into camp without so much as a how-do-you-do, like nothing ever happened.”
    Another man leaned over and chimed in. “I heard it was more like four months.”
    â€œFour? I heard it was five ,” said a third man.
    The mailman huffed. “It was three .”
    The second man said, “And it was twenty below, not forty.”
    â€œListen here, George, this is my story. Let me tell it my way.”
    â€œThat’s fine. You go ahead. Just get it right, that’s all I’m saying.”
    Jonny listened to their good-natured arguing for a minute or two and then pulled on the mailman’s sleeve. “S’cuse me, Mr. Gamelli, what happened? How did they make it through the blizzard?”
    â€œWell, son, I was trying to tell you that before these old codgers butted in. Here’s the way it was. They wander around in the pitch dark and the blinding snow for about three days until they fall into this cave, you see? Vladik has his flint, so they dig around in the dark and find some dry wood. They build this fire and dry out all their clothes. ’Course, there’s no going back by then, with the snow drifting twenty feet high and forty feet deep, besides having no idea of where they are. So they decide to hunker down and ride out the winter in the cave. They survived by catching sea otters and eating seaweed and oysters.”
    â€œI heard it was beavers and pine cones.”
    â€œI heard it was moose meat and tree bark.”
    â€œDon’t start that again!”
    â€œI’m just saying what I heard.”
    â€œWhat difference does it make?”
    â€œIt makes a huge difference. Ever eat a sea otter?”
    â€œNo, I haven’t, not that it matters a hill of beans. I’m saying it was seaweed and oysters. That’s what they ate until the weather cleared up. As soon as it did, they got up out of that cave, climbed a hill, and headed for home. That’s how it happened.”
    Jonny was enthralled by the story and wanted to hear more. “But how did Walter end up here in Boomtown?”
    â€œGood question, son. Soon after that long winter, the Kravchukniaks decided to work their way down the coast of Alaska and find a more hospitable climate. They kept moving until they arrived here in the Northwest. At the time, it was an untamed place quite suitable for folks of their wild and giantish nature. They’ve been here ever since.”
    â€œSo that’s when he became a barber?”
    â€œNo. Not right away. Just look at him. Seven and a half feet tall, three hundred pounds of pure muscle, as ugly as a flowered couch and as angry as a bee up your sleeve. Nah, he followed in his pappy’s footsteps and took up logging, just like his grandpappy ’fore that. I figure Walt’s spent his whole life cutting things up or cutting ’em down, one way or another. He has what you’d call a natural talent when it comes to sharp objects.”
    Jonny glanced over as Walt used the giant scissors to snip away at his cringing customer’s hair. “I don’t think I want a haircut, not from him.”
    â€œOh, don’t you worry