Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-05

81 have a right to land" answered
Thorpe. 'The shore belongs to me-"
"This dock doesn't" retorted the 9TH
er sharply, "and you can't set foot on
herr
"You have no legal status. You had
no business building in the first place.
began Thorpe, and then stopped with q
choke Of anger at tile futility of argu-
ing legality in such case.
The men had gathered interestedly in
the waist of the ship. cool, impartial,
severely critical. The vessel swung her
bow in toward the dock. Thorpe ran
swiftly forward and during the instant
of rubbing contact leaped.
He alighted squarely upon his feet.
Without an instant's hesitation he
rushed on Dyer and with one full, clean
INFLOW stretched him stunned on the
dock. For moment there was pause
of astonishment. Then the woodsmen
closed upon him.
During that instant Thorpe had be-
come possessed of a weapon. 1t came
hurting through the air from above to
fall at his feet. Shearer. with the cool
calculation Of the pioneer. had seen
that it would be impossible to follow
his chief and so had done the next best
thing. thrown him a heavy iron Delay
ing pin.
Thorpe hit with all his strength and
quickness. He was conscious once Of
being on tile point of defeat. Then he
had cleared little space for himself.
Then the men were on him again more
savagely than ever. One fellow even
succeeded in hitting him glancing
blow on the shoulder.
Then came a sudden crash. Thorpe
was nearly thrown from his feet. The
next instant a score Of yelling men
leaped behind and all around him.
There ensued moments scufle, the
sound of dull blows. and the dock was
clear of all but Dyer and three others
who were. like himself, unconscious.
The captain. Welding to the excitement.
had TIN his Prov plump against the
wharf.
Some Of the crew received the moor
ing lines. All was ready for disem-
barkation.
Bryan Moloney. a strapping Irish
American Of the big. honed, red cheek
ed type, threw some water over the
four stunned combatants. Slowly they
came to life. They were promptly
yanked to their feet by the irate river
men, who commenced at once to be-
stow sundry vigorous kicks and shak-
ings by way Of punishment. Thorpe
interposed.
"Quit it, he commanded. "Let them
go.''
The men grumbled One or two were
inclined to be openly rebellious.
IF hear another peep out of you,"
said Thorpe to these latter, you can
climb right aboard and take the re-
turn trip" He looked them in the eye
until they muttered and then went on:
Now, we've got to get unloaded and
our, goods ashore before those fellows
report to camp. Get right moving and
hustler
So Dyer and his men picked them
selves out of the trouble sullenly and
departed. The ex-scaler had nothing
to say as long as he was within reach,
but when he had gained the shore he
turned.
"You won't think this is so funny
when you get in the law courts" he
shouted.
Thorpe made no reply.
With thirty men at the job it does
not take a great while to move a small
cargo thirty or forty feet By 8 o'clock
the Pole Star was ready to continue
her journey. Thorpe climbed aboard,
leaving Shearer in charge.
keep the men at it, Tim" said he.
"Put ZIP the walls of the warehouse
good and strong and move the stuff in.
If you get through before return you
might take 81 scout up the river and fix
on camp site. I'll bring back the
lumber for roofs, floors and trimmings
with me and will try to pick up few
a1ncn FOR swapping. Those fellows
won't bother us any more for the pres
ent, think. But it pays to be OH deck.
So long"
When Thorpe returned to the bay he
found the warehouse complete. Shearer
and Andrews, the surveyor, were
scouting up the river.
"No trouble from above. boys?" ask
ed Thorpe.
"Nary trouble" they replied.
The warehouse was secured by pad
locks. the wagon loaded with the tent
and the necessaries of life and work.
Early in the morning the procession
laughing, joking, skylarking-took its
way up the river trail. Late that even
ing, tired, but still inclined to mis-
chief, they came to the first dam,
where Shearer and Andrews met them.
"How do you like it, Tim" asked
Thorpe that evening.
"She's all right" replied the river
man, with emphasis, which for him
was putting it strong.
At noon the following day the party
arrived at the second dam. Here
Shearer had decided to build the per-
manent camp. 1njun Charley was con-
structing one of his endless series Of
birch bark canoes. Later he would
paddle the whole string to Marquette,
where he would sell them to hard