The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-06-13

edIlH coulu nave saved the
The crest of that first wave
Bismarck, North Dakota.
days. Mr.. Hendrickson was q man
who looked IS but was consider
ably past so. In the old days he
hac either worked with or known
most Of the characters OF the old
Montana and for some time had
broken horses for a group asso-
ciated with the Kid Curry rang.
though he did not know that at the
time.
But he had known Long Henry
Thompson very well, and Eb Jones,
a famous old timer and the father
Of Mrs. Kipp. At whose ranch we
had spent a stormy day far up the
river.
He Fought Fairly
Long Henry was a name we had
run across at various times on the
river and in old-time clippings. but
this was the first time we had been
able to talk with anyone who &C.
tuslly knew him.
During his reign Long Henry
was reputed to be the fastest man
with \ six-gun in the west at
any rate. In Montana.
He had IL notches In his gun
and Mr.. Hendrickson assured US
positively that every one repre-
sented a fair fight. In some in
stances the other man was per-
mitted to even draw first before
Long Henry went for his gun and
killed him.
Ants Go For Bob
When we carried our equipment
down to the river the next morn
ing, we found another instance of
how the water below the dam has
changed. When We had tied up
the night before the canoe had
floated in comparatively deep wa
ter and we anticipated a compare
lively easy loading.
But the spillwsys at the dam
had evidently been cut down and
the river had dropped good
two feet. leaving our boat high
and dry on gummy mud flat.
This particular type Of mud Is
almost \ quicksand and not to be
tampered with even in bare feet.
Il was the work Of almost an hour
10 build a log runway from the
'hore TO the canoe.
Incidently. this runway caused
Bob to do an impromptu war dance
or the benefit Of the HendrickSons
md Louise. One Of the logs had |
been the home Of a hoard Of red
'nts and when Bob stepped on 1t
hey all moved in to the attack. |
The bites OF these innocent-looking
little insects give distinct burn
ng sensation and II was some Sec
,nds before the dance removed
hem and the log could be turned
over.
Reach OsweGo
Determined to make the long
run to Wolf Point that night we
put on all speed and promptly
started our daily series of running
aground on sand bars. Just when
we thought we had them figured
but. the water above them would
put on some new action and APP
pearance and there we would stick
As result. we had to slow up and
study our crossings carefully.
Shortly after noon we came in
sight Of quite a little town as we
4 long bend. Our instruc-
lions on how to recognize Wolf
Point had been to watch for 1t
~ we rounded q bend and IL would
be nestled ut the foot Of 4 hill.
md about two miles back from
the river.
This town answered that de-
scription admirably. but ii was
hard to believe we had made the
IS miles run in so short a time.
However. Wolf Point was the first
place where we were to receive
any mail and we couldn't afford TO
miss II. % putting ashore we hiked
the hot weary miles to the town.
Well. TO make a long story short it
was Oswego and Wolf Point was
still over 20 miles down river.
Enter Wolf Point
We mention this because It Is
the first town our charts have
Rather the first living
town. These charts. printed in
1898. show q great number of
towns and post offices that have
been out of existence for years and
years. We can't imagine how they
happened to miss 4 real town that.
we were assured. was there long
before the charts were printed.
We had left our rifle in Fort
Peck. by mistake, and our friends.
the Burtons. were going to bring
IL down to Wolf Point to meet us
there. II was with real regret
that, when we pulled into the town
just ~ the sun went down. We
learned we had missed them by
only half an hour.
However, our luck still held in
more ways than one. The town
was . couple Of miles from the
river. but there were several
houses near our landing. One Of
the men oblieinsiy permitted us to