Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1904-12-09
By Paul De Laney
Huihor OF lord of the Desert" Oregon Sketches
and other pecfic Coast Stories

ness settle over the place like the pail
of death.
Men Injured to hardships and disast-
ers learn to scorn them. It is this class
that suffers most from them. They be-
come emboldened to stand in the teeth
of death, yea, even to enter it's jaws,
while the mole timid fly for safety, and
escape its fangs. Day after day the
courageous go down, while the towards
live to tell of the chIvalrous deeds of
the brave.
A terrific storm was rising to sweep
the river and bay. The black horizon
to the southwest told this. The roar
ing clash of waters on the bar spoke it
In 80 many sounds. The moaning
winds in the boughs of the tall trees
on the hills sung 1t in dismal notes.
The angry surges on the beach Missed
out like the warning of an adder. The
gloomy mist which surrounded old
Cape Disappointment lighthouse hung
ike pail over the river and bay.
Yet the water was dotted with the
boats OF the Needless fishermen. They
had seen the signs a thousand times
and had never known, them to fail.
They knew that no frail craft could be
reasonably expected to survive such a
storm as was indi lated tonight. 1t
was the night after the battle between
the fishermen. 1t was the night upon
which Sankala had started out to sea
to lind Dan Lapham. 1t was the
night upon which Dan Lapham left
Sand island upon a raft of driftwood
for the north shore.
This was q typical night storm at the
mouth of the Columbia. The people
OF the village had been on the alert,
kindling beacon fires and walking the
beach to render aid to their friends on
the bay.
The morning b, oke forth with many
stories of hardships, disaster and death.
The fishermen on either side had been
slow to yield their position. In spite
OF the fact that they were warned in
many ways of the approaching storm,
they stood in the teeth of danger from
force OF habit. The southsiders were
determined to destroy the objection
able traps and the northeiders were
firm in standing by the defense of their
property.
But all had eventually been COM
PEELED to yield to the elements. The
northsiders had beer. driven. one by one
to the north shore, while the south
siders had been compelled to take ref
uge on the island. They had not the
time to make it to the south shore.
Fishermen ON both sides, il is true,
had remained too long. They had
been caught in the angry sea and
dragged like captives toward the bar.
The dawn had found the life savers
active. 1t was the. same old story.
They succeeded in rescuing some of the
men from watery grave. A few had
gone over the bar never to return.
Some of these had been swept away
long before the life savers could see
their way to 60 to the rescue.
The wind did not lull until we'll up in
the day. The southsiders nestled
along the chores of Sand island, like
go many water bound animals. The
northsiders rushed up and down the
bank looking for missing ones and pre-.
pairing to return to the defense of their
traps SO soon as the waves should sub.
side.
Women were wringing their hands
over the loss of their dear ones and
children were crying for fathers they
would never see again. The loss OF
life was go common among the fisher
men that only those actually bereayed
bore sad hearts on such occasions.
The sudden making of widows and or
phans had been going on for years, fol-
every storm claimed its victims. AL
heavy wave, swamped boat, a lost
fisherman, told common story. I'll
was expected. Those who battled with
death knew that they must eventually
lose.
"Where lie Sankala2" was asked of
the fishermen as they arrived ashore
throughout the night.
"Where is Sankala?" asked Dan
Lapham when he had visited her cabin
and found it vacant.
"Where is Sankala?" was the ones
ton passed from lip to lip throughout
the day.
Dan Lapham had steered his crude |
raft straight for the north shore. He
had been buffeted by the waves, it is
true, and had been carried far to the
south, but fortune favored him and he
had butted into the boats of his
friends who had taken him ashore. But
not one of all the men returning had
seen Sankala. They were indignant
that she should have been permitted |
to leave the village.
1--WE have no time for grieving over |
the lost" said old Seadog, walking up
and down the beach like an angry |
lion. "See, the men on the island |