Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1904-11-04
CHAPTER VII.
Toilers of the Columbia.

Pretty high. father, but not SO high
ae it was week ago."
81 do not believe can go today, my
child"
"Well, father, will try it alone.
Dan Lapham fishes trap alone, and
believe can do SO. too
my child, this work is getting too
severe for you. For more than year
you have had to pull at the oars and
your task has grown greater until your
strength Is over-taxed. Day by day
grow more feeble and day by day the
burden Is increased upon your should
ers. II 1 could only complete the link
that still is missing would place yeu
where you could continue your studies
and the old man that am would spend
his few remaining days in comfort as
your ward. know, Sankala, that you
would not begrudge me so small an
amount If 1t were yours"
No, father, 1t should all be yours.
have only one desire, and that is to
place You where you shall have rest.
You need rest, father, you need rest.
No one nearly SO old as you tolls on the
Columbia, and yet you 60 day after
day, and often when you are too feeble
even to stir. Listen. the storm RACES
this morningl You should not go at
all.n
Thus spoke Sankala to Ringwold.
Another year had passed in their lives.
The price of fish had gone down under
the hard times and close competition
and Ringwold had for many months
been unable to make support for the
two alone. In fact, he had struggled
beyond his strength to keep Sankala in
school and the crash was close at hand.
He was now giving out his last sti ength.
Often ne would become completely ex-
hausted and lie for time in the bow
OF the fishing boat while the girl work
ed on alone. It was on these occasions
that good-hearted Dan Lapham had
come to their rescue and assisted poor
Sankala to do her work.
Twice this morning had Rinwgold
tainted while Sankala was assisting him
to dress and she had revived him and
carried on the work. The child was
accustomed to this and did not realize
how serious was the condition of the
old man.
When the fishermen reached the
beach the waves were coming in with |
rush. They threw the drift wood fur
Their back with each pulsation. Out in
the darkness through the mist and the
rain the white caps could be seen leap
ing about iikeNthe salmon they were
pursuing. The strongest fisherman |
paused this morning. They were often |
compelled to remain ashore until late
and even over-day. But this was
always a disappointment. The fish
ran better when there was storm and
the hard times now urged the toilers
on their duty.
While the men were thus pausing
from indecision Ringwold and Sankala
appeared. Without seeming TO notice
the disturbed condition OF the bay they
showed their boat into the water and
while Ringwold steered Sankala threw
her oars against the seethine current.
They gradually mingled with the dark
phantoms which danced upon the sea
until they were lost from view.
The fishermen had become 60 accus-
toned to the dangers of their life that
they thought but little about it. What
to the stranger would have appeared
foolhardy was to them duty and choice.
But the storm this morning was unusu-
ally high and that intuition akin to the
instinct that protects animals from de-
struction, warned the fishermen to be
cautious.
But when Sankala braved the waters
with her aged companion the most dar-
ing of the fishermen followed. Dan
Lapham. emarting under his former
was first seen to shoot out in
his boat in pursuit Of the two who
worked trap near his own. Then one
by one the others followed.
The fish traps we've constructed along
the entire north shore of the river.
which lie Bakers bay, from Cape Dis
appointment to McGowan's Point, a
distance Of a dozen miles or more.
The middle of the river was the diyid.
ing line. The river is the dividing line
between the two states and the fisher
men from the two states claim their
rights, even to hairs breadth.
The fishermen on the north had trans
while those on the south had nets.
The cannerymen on the south side Of
the river owned most of the nets and
old Seadog owned most Of the traps on
the north. The fishermen were en-
ployed by the day on the nets and given
20 much for eacn fish captured. The
'sappers were employed BY the day or
worked the traps on shares. All the
ishermen used row boats peculiar for
heir work. Save with rare excep- !
lions the boats were manned by two. |
10th at the nets and the traps. One I