Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-24
vance.
CHAPTER XIX.
A Traitor at the Helm.

The train pulled into Kalams short
ly after dark. 1t was a special char
tered by the state. The sheriff of Pa
cific county was there to meet it and
had been waiting many hours. Mat
tiers managed by state are always de-
layed.
Kalama is on the banks of the Co.
lumbia river and also on the line of
railroad that crosses from north to
south.
An old fashioned boat was tied up
at the decaying 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 APP
proach of the train, dark smoke, in
termingled with bright red sparks,
shot skyward from the smoke-stack.
Contemplate 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 he 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 30
quietly to its moorings.
81 will give these assassins a trip
', for their money tonight" mutteIed
the man at the wheel in meditative
tones. "When they find the fisher
!, men they will be so sick of the sea
/, that they will do we'll to handle
themselves let alone a gum"
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
l time and brought along a sufficient
amount of luggage for 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
9 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 il
J. acquainted with his own neighbor
9 hood. He knows every snag in the
g river and every point, as is required
i OF river pilot.
q When the soldiers were aboard i
Is was found that it only contained tn,
8 pilot, engineer and one deck-hand
y There was no one to instruct the off
/ GERS as to the point at which the fish
eImen were assembled.
n "This is strange" remarked tn
It sheriff to Captain Budlong. 81 ex
l. pected man here to give us the in
t. formation as we should proceed. w
n will go aloft and inquire of the cap
e. tain"
10 The boat was now pulling at it
" moorings. The steam was up and th
Ie captain was trying the wheel. 1t wa
I'd stern-wheeler and the great, we
thing turned over like a sea monste
RI as the long arms from the engine-roor
81 played on the crank at its axis.
ar The sheriff and military commando
IN ascended the little iron stairway whic
led to the roof OF the boat and az
t. preached the pilot house.
j. "Sorry, gentlemen, but you can
ed ENTER" said the pilot.
a "But this is the commander of til
8. militia and he wishes to direct til
OF course of the boat when the scene
w the trouble is reached, said the she
es iff.
It. "The government regulations pr,
as hibit all persons except the capital
ce from riding in the pilot house," sal
d. the pilot. Besides, there is I
b. necessity for it. 1 know where tt
On fishermen are and will take you I
nd them. They are harmless, bar,
b. working set of fellows like myself ar
will give you no trouble. They wi
In dispense as soon as they see us con
ad ing"
r. Why have the owners of the DO,
oy which we have chartered through IL
at state sent southsider as a pilot
rs inquired the sheriff.
he because there is not man on IL
north side of the river whom the owl
ed ers would risk with the boat" was Il
at quick reply.
Id The sc cie tary of state had wired
NJ big company at Portland to supply IL
Dir militia with boat to convey it to II
of seat of the trouble between the fsl
ermen of the two states and which Il
er northside state chartered for an i
IT definite time. The steamboat men q
m lived on the south side of the rive