The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1904-12-29

4 An ola fashioned boat was tied q
at the decaying and totteiing wharf
A dark form sat in the pilot hous
looking out at the crowd as it emerge
, from the train. A danger light hun
, from the port side, and at the ap
proaeh 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
Zine lot Of dudes come here to shoe
down our fishermen. But they vii
not shoot them tonight"
Then he turned the pilot vince
: back and forth to see that the ruddel
was in working order. The boat gave
a lurch and trembled as if frightened
at being disturbed while swinging SC
quietly to its moorines.
al will give these assassins q trip
for their money tonight" mutteIed
the man at the wheel in meditative
tones. when they find the fisher
men they will be 30 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
time and brought along q 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 good time and they
we're 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
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 is
acquainted with his own neighbour
hood. He knows every snag in the
river and every point, as is required
OF river pilot.
When the soldiers were aboard it
was found that it only contained the
pilot, engineer and one .deck-hand.
There was no one to instruct the off.
GERS as to the point at which the fish
eImen were assembled.
This is strange" remarked the
sheriff to Captain Budlong. 81 ex-
pected a man here to give us the in
as we should proceed. We
will go aloft and inquire of the cap
tain"
The boat was now pulling at its
The steam was up and the
captain was trying the wheel. 1t was
4 stern-wheeler and the great, wet
thing turned over like a sea monster
As the long arms from the engine-room
played on the crank at its axis. u
The sheriff and military commander
,scended the little iron stairway which
ed to the roof OF the boat and APP
preached the pilot house. {,
"Sorry, gentlemen, but you can't
inter-" said the pilot.
''But this is the commander of the
militia and he wishes to direct the
curse of the boat when the scene of
he trouble is reached" said the sher- 4
#. l.,
"The government regulations pro-
Iibit all persons except the captain ,
rom riding in the pilot house," said :
be pilot. Besides, there is no
ecessity for it. l know where the
shermen are and will take you to /,
hem. They are a harmless, hard
-orking set of fellows like myself and
ill give you no trouble. They will !.
isperse as soon as they see us COM
49,"
Why have the owners OF the boat
hich we have chartered through the ,
ate sent q southsider as pilot"
Iquired the sheriff.
Because there is not a man on the
nth side of the river whom the own o
3 would risk with the boat" was the
lick reply.
The 81 ietary OF state had wired
g company at Portland to supply the :"
ilitis with boat to convey it to the Nv
at of the trouble between the fish ca
men Of the two states and which the 81
rthside state chartered for an in.
finite time. The steamboat men all IA
ed on the south side Of the river, IL
= seaports all being on that side. 81
sending cut q boat under an emer- ce
ICY the company had picked up fr'
OF who was related to and more or DIR
8 identified with the southsids fish Of
nen. gu
he knew Of the proposed midnight er
ack Of his friends upon the north she
ers and did not intend to reach the wa
uaI scene Of conflict in time for in sol
ference on the part OF the militia. fur
had Intentionally left the repre- ess
tstive Of the northside fishermen, she
D was to have accompanied the ex-
ition as sort OF scout, on the
tn shore and was prepared TO evade
,llision with the belligerents until BET
friends should have the opportun- cat
to do all the damage they desired. cor
be officers knew that under the Inc
eminent regulations they had no ure
1t to enter the pilot house and after fro
ructing the PILOT to convey them rail
nediately to the seat of the trouble yer
7 retired to the upper deck. sal
ho boat afeo mad Ionn The xfvox nh 4