Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-03-31
TUALATN TALKS
D. Egan

big jack knife bridge, aud enjoying
the first breath OF spring Too indolent
to stir in search of excitement, we gaz-
ed down to the Albers dock below us,
where the Pendleton wheat rushed into
the eapaeious belly Of the "Ashai Ma
III. - All was peaceful. Even Tuala
tin Carter.
My friend is a gentle soul, who dis
appears into the Forests about eleven
months each year, and gives no sign
of life. Then some pleasant day we are
told by the desk sergeant to come and
bail him out. BY these signs we are
aware that Tualatin survives.
But this time | had forstaled events
While passing the Fountain of
Youth - / was attracted by a sound Of
combat, and stopping to investigate, was
still further edited by the sight of
Imy friend rolling down the steps OF
the earavansery, eneumbered by three
or more habitues of that palace of joy.
Before ! could render assistance Tual-
attn had dislodged the attackers by
sturdy blows from the butt of a section
of sawed-off hardware, and was brand
ishing his weapon with howls for the
heart and life blood of the varlets who
had been responsible for his humilia
tion.
As / reached him he turned on me,
fully organized for battle, but lowered
the hammer of his pistol as he realized
that ! was not member of the storm
ing party. "Gee, " remarked he, 81 m
awful CALLED up today"
Yes, and you II be whole lot
more so if you get a ride in Larry S
chariot" " / told him. "Come along
quick or Captain Moore and his CO.
hort Of bulls win fall ON your neck. !"
So, protesting and voicing his deter
mination to massacre the inhabitants
of the scene of battle, | dragged him
to the bridge, to observe the beauties
of nature and cool his martial order.
AS we lolled over the rail, gazing on
the scene of industry below, things
happened. A subject of the late Mikado
Stacked on donkey line too soon,
thereby being the cause of a truck of
grain burying a stevedore. At once the
Morse devils-mass flowed in a stream,
and the offender streaked it for a
hatchway about four jumps ahead of
the pursuing Nemesis And then the
| battle closed with heat
Box hooks, spanners, Delaying pins,
and hastily removed boots rose and
fell, bouncing on the pates of the glad
| iators. Aryan and Turenian battle
crys mixed in the struggle smOte our
ears. East and West had met in a very
different locality from the one desig-
mated by Rudyard Sahib, and it was a
meeting calculated to sur the blood of
the beholder.
1t did, all right; at the first yelp Tu
alatin looked up, at the first blow he
was on his way to the arena.
"Wait while,' protested |, seiz-
ing him arm, "here / just got you out
of one scrape, and you want to mix in
another. If you get stretch in the
| bullpen you won t be so frisky when
you hit paving the next time. -
"But owe them yeller bellies one. y
| he walled, as he made frantic plunges
for freedom. You see l weigh an aw
full lot, and make good anchor. q Let
me square up fer this game knee, any
how.
"No, you stay with me- was the
only comfort he got from me. | know
what what he is capable of in times of
stress.
Insulted dignity oozing from every
pore, Tualatin stalked up town, well in
the lead, and said no word till we were
seated under the trees in the park, and
facing the statue that grateful state
has reared tothe boys who died at Ma
Mia and Malibon. Under the influences
of a near-briar pipe the warlike mood
Ipassed, and soon the erst-while fire
eater was buying peanuts for the spur
Irels that hoped inquisitively forward.
essay, did / ever tell you about the
mix-up had with them fellers, when
got lamed up?" inquired he.
"No, what ABOUT it" / replied, rec
ognizing the olive branch.
"Well, it was two years ago this
Ispring, and just as nice weather as you
ever seen. Me and Fred Wilson and
Paul Gardner reckoned we'd take a
trip over to some gulches in the Coast
Range, where d seen few colors the
year before. We thought there might
, be something good to them, so we took
a tent and fixed to stay month or so,
if we got good pans.
The morning we started johnnie
Billings came along and asked if he
could 20 too, Said he needed a rest
and some trout So he slung his bed
Eoll On TN cAlId uuISS, dHu CVile alVAS
eve made good time, and was over
the hogback, and just ready to make
our second camp. The trail led right
along crick running down canyon
and we reckoned to pitch camp at 9
little flat that was about a hundred
yards wide and had good grass for the
, stock. As we came down to it / smell
ed smoke and as we rode in | seer
three tents in row, shown white
agin the pines.
We went on down the flat ways
, and took off the packs, and rolled out
our beds. by this time Johnnie had {
/; fire lit, and had a pot of water boil
in Then he takes a stroll over to the
other camp,
We seen him go up to the fire, anC
heard him yell hello. Then we see {
Teller stick his head out of a tent an(
Z lit struck us funny, for nobody was il
sight when we passed, Johnnie talk
to the chap steady, bye and bye h,
stoops down and picks up what looked
like sheet of paper from the edge Of
the fire
1--WE seen him stand studying it fol
. several minutes, that man in the ten
! coming out and standing clost to hin
S all the while. Then Johnnie starts bael