O Rugged Land of Gold

O Rugged Land of Gold by Martin, Martha. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780940055001.

In O Rugged Land of Gold share the triumph of a woman -- alone, injured, pregnant -- on a remote Alaskan island in winter. "I was furious. If I had a gun, Id have shot them dead. Those lazy, stupid men kept right on going and left me alone. Not once had they looked in my direction, and me needing help so bad. I was so mad at them that I cussed. I screamed cusses at them until I was hoarse. I said all the bad words I had ever heard in all my life, and I invented some new ones, too. I wished the tow-line would break and they would lose every last log; wished their old logs would go to China. I stood up and shook my fist at the disappearing boat. When it had gone from sight, I dropped down and cried. I shed tears of helpless rage and of utter defeat." ... "An old bear came and sniffed me. He really did. It was in the first gray of dawn. I had dozed, and the sound of him coming roused me. I kept perfectly still, hardly breathing, and straining my ears and eyes to learn what and where the sound was. Then I smelled him and knew for certain it was a bear. All the primitive instincts of fear within me were aroused. My heart pounded in my throat, and I could feel my flesh creep. I drew myself up and made myself little and tight. I kept still as death."