# What short story was this?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-short-story-was-this/558167
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 24, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-short-story-was-this/558167 "2010-10-24T05:43:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-short-story-was-this/558167/1 "2010-10-24T05:43:39Z")
Sometime ago I read a short story set either in Alaska or the northern part of Canada. The protagonists of the story did some kind of work which involved moving supplies with sleds and dogs. They were bullied by their boss, who was a mean drunk. Eventually they get fed up with it and, while he’s away, replace the liquor in his flask with poisonous wood alcohol. He drinks it and dies.
I read this story, I believe, in an English text book from middle school or high school.
Does anyone know what it was?
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-short-story-was-this/558167/2 "2010-10-24T19:00:05Z")
Anyone have an idea?
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### Author:  [@TheZenPaperboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheZenPaperboy)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-short-story-was-this/558167/3 "2010-10-24T19:17:24Z")
Bargain by A. B. Guthrie Jr. The person who drank the wood alcohol was a teamster who could not read. The storekeeper had been cheated by the teamster. The lesson that was imparted to the young narrator that it was good to read.
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-short-story-was-this/558167/4 "2010-10-24T19:44:09Z")
Wow…thanks.
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-short-story-was-this/558167/5 "2010-10-24T19:49:28Z")
I mis-remembered a lot of details though. I’m amazed that you were able to remember it - my summary in the OP was pretty far off the mark.