Last week, Mrs. Munshaw was out looking for her daughter.
The captain appeared out of the shadows and staggered towards the gangway.
"I'm from the B.C. Express, you know! And, I've come all the way from Sow-dee Creek, you know!" sang the Captain.
"That man is intoxicated!" steamed Mrs. Munshaw.
"And, shavins, such blasphemy!"
"I think he means, 'Soda Creek'," explained the steward to the woman.
The ship's Master grabbed the gangway rail-ropes for support. "Home again! Everyone, I'm back!" he called out to Joe and company. Captain Baker then tripped on the bottom tread of the gangway and would have fallen forward onto his face if not for the rail-ropes.
Joe hurried down the inclined walkway to help the Captain to his feet.
"I'm doing fine. I'm just fine," slurred the man. "I'm back home again, you know. And I've come all the way from Sow-dee Creek..."
"Welcome aboard, Sir," interrupted Joe!
The Captain tried to look at Joe's face in the dim light. "Do I know you?" he asked as Joe helped him up the wooden gangway onto the paddle-wheeler.
Joe could detect the strong all-to-familiar smell of whiskey on Captain Baker's breath. When they reached the B.C. Express, Anders offered his hand to help. "Good evening, Sir," said the steward. "I trust
everything is well on the land?"
"Anders? Is that you, Anders?" asked the Captain who seemed to be having trouble focusing his eyes.
"Yes, Captain. Is everything in good order ashore, Sir?" re-phrased the steward.
"Everything's just fine," said the Captain. "Everything is just peachy. Everything is just... wait a
minute! Where is everybody? Where is all my strong men?"
Joe and the steward looked at each other as they both shrugged their shoulders. None of the other deckhands or officers had arrived back on board. The boat looked deserted except for a few passengers who appeared on deck to investigate the commotion.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Munshaw stood by, arms folded, with a disgusted look on her face.
"This is an outrage!" she huffed. "Wait until my husband hears of this." The woman turned her back to the Captain and stormed off in the direction of the
poop-deck. Caribou Joe followed.
"Where is everybody?" yelled the Captain. "Where is my crew?"
In the next episode, Leaving Mile 53, Joe and the rest of the crew start out for South Fort George on the Fraser River.
