Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1904-12-17
vance.
CHAPTER XIX.
A Traitor at the Helm.

tered by the state. The sheriff of Pa
cine county was there to meet it and
mad been waiting many hours. Mat.
.efs managed by state are always de-
layed.
halama is on the banks of the CO.
lumbia river and also on the line of
railroad that crosses from north to
south.
An old fashioned boat was tied up
at the decaying and totteling wharf.
A dark form sat in the pilot house
looking out at the crowd as it emerged
from the train. A danger light hung
from the port side, and at the APP.
proach 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 shoot
down our fishermen. But they will
not shoot them tonight
Then he turned the pilot wheel
back and forth to see that the rudder
was in working order. The boat gave
lurch and trembled as if frightened
at being disturbed while swinging SO
quietly to it's moorines.
Il will give these assassins a trip
for their money tonight" mutte1ed
the man at the wheel in meditative
tones. "When they find the fisher
men they will be so sick of the sea
that they will do we'll to handle
themselves let alone gun"
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 a 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 a 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
ermen were assembled.
"This is strange" remarked the
sheriff to Captain Budlong. ~ ex-
pected a man here to give us the in.
formation as we should proceed. We
will go aloft and inquire of the cap
tain"
The boat was now pulling at its
mornings. The steam was up and the
captain was trying the wheel. 1t was
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 it's axis.
The sheriff and military commander
ascended the little iron stairway which
led to the roof OF the boat and ap-
preached the pilot house.
"Sorry, gentlemen, but you can't
enter" said the pilot.
"But this is the commander of the
militia and he wishes to direct the
course of the boat when the scene of
the trouble is reached, said the sher-
if.
~''The government regulations pro-
h1bit all persons except the captain
from riding in the pilot house," said
the pilot. Besides, there ia no
necessity for it. l know where the
fishermen are and will take you to
them. They are a harmless, hard
working set of fellows like myself and
will give you no trouble. They will
dispense as soon as they see us COM
ing"
WHY have the owners of the boat
which we have chartered through the
state sent southsider as a pilot"
inquired the sheriff.
"Because there is not man on the
north side of the river whom the own
ers would risk with the boat" was the
quick reply.
The &c CT etary of state had wired
big company at Portland to supply the
militia with a boat to convey 1t to the
seat of the trouble between the fish
ermen OF the two states and which the
northside state chartered for an in
definite time. The steamboat men all
lived on the south side OF the river,
the seaports all being on that aide.