The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-07
rREEBoorERs ON THE YUKON
How Some River Pirates Were Out
matched,

|
which l was provided, We're able 10
work our way laboriously among the ice
cakes. The current hurried us along
and in an hour and q half from the time
of starting we came in sight of the net
work of bars. one of which we had
! left the boat recovered the day before,
Just then an Indian appeared on the
shore, waving his arms eXcitedly. He
called out something in which we
caught the words, white men ana
"steal," and following the direction OF
his gesture we saw, with sudden
sinking of the heart, that this time
there was no guesswork about the in
formation A large boat was drawn up
in a little cove just below the point, and
near by was our boat. Several men
could be seen carrying bundles on their
shoulders to the large boat, and IL re-
ouired no second glance to tell us we
We're being robbed
AS the quickest way of reaching the
spot, we ran our boat up on the nearest
bar, and l waded across to the cove
where the strange boat was. The men
did not seem at all ashamed to De
caught ed-handed, and l nave no
doubt their easy assurance was streng-
tbened by the fact that there were four
of them. each provided with a revolver
of heavy caliber, while we were I'M
armed.
They said they had found the provis-
iors and proposed to keep them, and
that might made right. The things in
the boat were worth a good many hun
dred dollars, as prices ran on the Yukon
last winter and the thieves knew the
booty was worth fighting for. l told
them the boat contained every pound
of provisions we had in the world ana
that if they took the food we should
starve. "Starve and be damned" was
the reply.
Under the circumstances 1t wash
worth while to waste time arguing WIN
words. Guns had the call in the game
and no other argument remained.
turned abruptly waded ashore without
interference, and set off on the run fol
our cabin. There I knew | could hno
an argument that would match theirs
When I struck the snoWshoe tran
used by the Indians hauling WOOD
looked back and saw that the men were
tracking their boat up against the cur
rent in an effort to get her around the
bars and into the main channel OF the
river | felt sure they could not succeed
against the down-pouring flood or Ice
and if they failed / should lave no dit
ficulty in heading them off when they
attempted to pass Fort Selkirk in the
inner channel, which was scarcely more
than 100 feet wide, and rar close in
under the bank
When I reached the cabin I began
searching for Macs rifle, but to my
dis1nay could not find it. | kicked ovel
the few articles Of furniture Whlch the
room contained, scattered the bedding
and upset the provision sacks, but no.
where could I find the gun. Finally oS
the merest accident, l kicked the base-
4 board at one side Of the capln; IL lei
forward, and there was the rifle, where
Mac had hidden it for fear the Indians
would steal it, I caught up the gun
with a handful of cartridges, dashed
out the door and up the trail. The boat
had not vet passed-that much was Ger
tain.
1t was late in the day and fast grow
ing dark, and no doubt the robbers mao
come to the conclusion that 1t would De
safest to wait till after nightfall to pass
the collection of cabins they could see
on the bank below. Fortune favored us
in more ways than one. When L go'
back to the cove the party had separat-
ed, and only two We're in the BOAT. Inc
others had probably gone ashore Tor
reconnaissance. The men in the boat
were looking out in the river ntently
watching Mac who was working his
way toward them in the eddy OF Sane
bar. II the thing had been planned il
couldn't have been better arranged, ano
| had no difficulty in Wading out ano
getting the drop on the men,
was go angry with bottled-up in
disnation | could scarcely speak, but
managed to impress upon the men the
necessity of sitting still. wanted in the
worst kind of way an excuse foi
shooting, but they offered no resistance
They SAT- there with their hands or
their knees looking straight ahead ike
craven images, and they did not ever
open their lips.
Back on the Skaguay trail the subject
of punishment to be melted out tc
thieves had often been discussed, ane
the majority Of men who expressed ar
opinion had said they would shoot II
their tracks any one caught tanlperine
with their supplies. I had never beer
able to agree with this view of the case
for robbery seemed a trivial offense
compared with a human life. Now
realized that circumstances alter cases
Here were four strong, abla-bodleC
men with plenty Of provisions of then
own, turning to and without the slight
est compunction robbing two devils OF
their all. The meanness OF the thing
was CALLING, and particularly so seeing
it was our OK that was gored.
Mac came over and began taking oul
of the boat the things bearing oul
names. 1t occurred to me that the Other
men might return and pot us in the
back, and after that / kept one eye or
the shore We were not molested, how
ever, in the work, and Mac had gotter
everything safely ashore and piled uI
ON the back before we sighted them
coming back.
These men were much more voluble
than the others. When they discovered
the turn affairs had taken, hell broke
loose in the torrent of profanity thai
fell from their lips. They swore at first
more at the men in the boat than US