The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-17
C. a,s &sr - -
TOUFRS or THE COLUMBIA
Y By Paul De LdneY X.
ord Of
kEEi cifu III
Bv Paul De LdneY

railroad that crosses from north to
south.
An old fashioned boat was tied up
at the decayjng and totteiing wharf.
A dark form sat in the pilot house
looking out at the crowd as it emerged
from the train. A danger light hung
from the port side, and at the ap-
proarh OF the train, dark smoke, in
termingled with bright red sparks,
shot skyward from the smoke-stack.
"Contemptible tin-soldiers" NUT
tered the man in the pilot house.
"Fine lot of dudes come here to shoot
down our fishermen. But they will
not shoot them tonight
Then be turned the pilot wheel
back and forth to see that the rudder
was in working order. The boat gave
lurch and trembled as if frightened
at being disturbed while swinging so
quietly to it's moorings.
81 will give these assassins a trip
for their money tonight" mutte1ed
the man at the wheel in meditative
tones. "When they find the fisher
men they will be go sick of the sea
that they will do we'll to handle
themselves let alone gun"
A company of the state national
guard filed off the train at the COM
mand of their officer, Captain Bud
long. The sheriff of the county led
the way to the boat. The soldiers had
come under indefinite orders as to
time and brought along sufficient
amount of luggage for a siege. Most
of the men were clerks in stores, and
some of wealthy men who had joined
the guard for a good time and they
were poorly drilled. 1t required more
than an hour to get their baggage
aboard the boat. The man in the pilot
house watched them patiently. He
did not care how long they were kept
there. He was out for delay and
would just as lief have it at one point
as another.
The pilot of Columbia river boat
is universally called Captain" He
is acquainted with the river as one is
acquainted with his own neighbour
hood. He knows every snag in the
river and every point, as is required
Of river pilot.
When the soldiers were aboard it
was found that it only contained the
pilot, engineer and one deck-hand.
There was no one to instruct the off {.
GERS as to the point at which the fish
eImen were assembled.
"This is strange" remarked the
sheriff to Captain Budlong. 81 ex-
pected a man here to give us the in,
formation as we should proceed. We
will go aloft and inquire of the cap
tain"
The boat was now pulling at it's
mornings. The steam was up and the
captain was trying the wheel. It was
stern-wheeler and the great, wet
thing turned over like a sea monster
as the long arms from the engine-room
played on the crank at it's axis.
The sheriff and military commander
aecended the little iron stairway which
led to the roof Of the boat and ap-
preached the pilot house.
"Sorry, gentlemen, but you can't
enter" said the pilot.
'But this is the commander of the
militia and he wishes to direct the
course of the boat when the scene of
the trouble is reached" said the sher-
iff.
"The government regulations pro-
hlbit all persons except the captain
from riding in the pilot house, said
the pilot. Besides, there is no
necessity for it. l know where the
fishermen are and will take you to
them. They are a harmless, hard
| working set of fellows like myself and
will give you no trouble. They will
dispense as soon as they see US COM
ing"
Why have the owners of the boat
which we have chartered through the
state sent southsider as a pilot
inquired the sheriff.
Because there is not man on the
north side of the river whom the own
era would risk with the boat" was the
quick reply.
The sc CT etary of state had wired a
big company at Portland to supply the
militia with boat to convey it to the
seat of the trouble between the fish
ermen of the two states and which the
northside state chartered for an in.
definite time. The steamboat men all
lived on the south side of the river,
the seaports all being on that side.
In sending out boat under an emer-
gency the company had picked up a
pilot who was related to and more or
less identified with the southside fish
ermen.
He knew of the proposed midnight
attack of his friends upon the north
siders and did not intend to reach the
actual scene of conflict in time for in
reference on the part of the militia.
He had Intentionally left the repre-
sentative of the northside fishermen,
who was to have accompanied the ex-
petition as sort OF scout, on the
south shore and was. prepared to evade
a collision with the belligerents until
his friends should have the opportun-
ity to do all the damage they desired.
The officers knew that under the