Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1904-11-25

and alternately gazed out upon the
bay and then upon the form oithe aged
sleeper, who lay upon the bed near the
lamp. The fight between the fisher
men was her fight. 1t is true that she
was no longer one OF them, but she had
spent her life among them and their
interests appealed to her as If they
were her own. Besides. Dan Lapham
was one OF them. He had promised t.
save her aged friend from the county
poor farm and this to her was almost
as important as life itself. She felt an
interest in Dan other than this. They
had tended their traps side by side.
Dan was kind to her. He was kind to
her dear old Ringwold. She was frail
and friendless. Dan was strong and
companionable. 1t is natural for the
weak to lean upon the strong. 1t is
natural for the strong to support the
weak. There is fellow feeling be-
tween the weak and strong that draws
them to each other. Especially is this
the case when the strong is man and
the weak is woman.
When the first shot was fired that
morning between the fishermen its ie
port reached Sankala. She knew that
Dan was there. She knew that he
would be in the front. A certain
amount of alarm came over her that
can only be experienced by those who
have been placed in a similar position.
And when fusilade after fusilade opened
up, her anxiety was unreasonable.
RJt still bn raann hnr
friend from what she consideid to be
bis duty. She was still young, it is
true, and had been reared among peo-
pie who earned their living battling
with the elements-people who spent
their life in storms and on stormy
waters, who had but little time, and
less inclination, to devote to cultiva-
ton of the intellect. But Sankala had
come from different class, and her
inheritance was manifest wherever che
went. She was superior to her po-
sition in spite of the conditions. She
possessed all of the elements of the re-
fined woman without the cultivation.
Duty, adherance to principle, the de-
Tense of ones inherent rights is more
| o"SiSN W ouSh pCOPlC llbclls
Ringwold awoke with the dawn. A
night Of sound sleep had rekindled the
old spark of life. The man was his
feeble old self again
How did it all happen, Sankala?"
he inquired.
When sankala had told him of the
rescue. he continued.
! tWo ypuof ho about opr xyorl- Cav
kala, We must be about our work. We
must be off to the trap. l have not
much strength left, and must use it
while can. We must away to the
trap"
Sankala dreaded to break the news
Of their discharge to him. She knew
that his old time pride was as strong as
ever, and she feared the knowledge
that they were to become county
charges would break his heart and snap
the frail thread of life.
But she found an excuse in not going
to the trap on account of the fisher
mems war. She told Ringwold what
had happened, and at that very moment
the report Of the rifles reached their
ears.
"Give me my gum boots and the old
gun, Sankala, and 1 will go to the
fight. l will teach those southsiders
not to interfere with our traps!" said
the feeble old fellow.
"But you will be needed more at
home, father" replied the girl. "The
men may receive wounds and your
knowledge of medicine and surgery
will help more than your use of the
gum"
81 guess you are right, Sankala.
1t would not do for you to 60 with me
and doubt if could pull the boat SO
far this morning after yesterdays hard
luck. But I'll help them in some way,
my girl. | can tie an artery, set a
bone, sew up cash or take off limb,
if necessary. and they all know,
Sankala, that no one in all of the Co.
lumbia river basin understands drugs
as do. Yet, Old seadog-oh. well
the end is rapidly approaching"
The combatants on the bay practi-
cally lay upon their oars all day after
the close of the early morning attack
The fishermen were not expert marks
men and the casualties were not as SER
ious as would have been expected from
the number of shots fired at compare
lively easy range. Two fishermen were
brought ashore early in the forenoon and
taken to hurriedly improvised hos
pital.
| Ringwold had been summoned after
it was learned that he was again on his
feet and he dressed the wounds of the
men and gave them the attention OF
trained nurse.
1t was expected that night would
bring on another attack. The south.