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, I'd 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."