Stadium High School - Tahoma Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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'6 THE TAI-IOMA Contraband - OLIVE SWAIN 'I 6 fig- HOALWATER BAY in the late November twilight! it What more dismal picture can one ima.gine,-green- gray water, blue-gray hills, cold gray rain, and the rising wind. The turbulent ocean thundered on the bar, breaking white from shore to shore, and within, surf foamed about the cliffs below the North Cove Light. just outside the danger line a little fishing schooner pitched and tossed with the swell. The spirit of that which is sinister hung over the weather- beaten hull and tattered sails of the old steamer, Willapa. Its useful- ness as a freight steamer over,-con- demned, it hadgcome into the hands of Captain James Bantley, and now, as a sailing craft, was engaged in the lishing industry and-other things. Captain Bantley, iron-jawed, stern eyed, reticent, swept the foaming bar and the bay beyond with an appraising glance. Two weeks had they been out from Cape Flattery, and food was getting low. To enter the har- chance of detection bor now meant a -to wait for the protecting dark was impossible in the another half hour bar and seek the sea, there to wait who could say rising storm. ln he must leave the safety of the open another day. Yet what another day might bring? If he entered now, night would have fallen anyway before he should reach Stony Point, four miles within the harbor. Danger lay in either course he chose, so why not end the suspense and enter at once? A life of large risk and large re- ward was that of Captain Bantley- the boldest of those ostensible fisher- men of the early eighties, who made fortunes on their trips to the halibut banks off Cape Flattery. Opium, stored in the hold, augmented their earnings and was easily disposed of if the United States revenue cutter appeared. More profitable, though, was the smuggling of Chinese. To be brought from the coast of British Columbia and landed at Stony Point, that barren stretch of beach on Shoal- Water Bay, whence he could escape to and become lost in the near-by Chinese settlement, many a China- man paid from three hundred to live hundred dollars. On this trip Captain Bantley was carrying seven Chinese in the hold, and few halibut and rock cod above as a blind-and Stony Point was almost in sight. Twilight deepened as the old Wil- lapa fought its way in over the bar, and the captain was beginning to wonder why he had seen any ele- ment of danger in entering, why he had hesitated. Could it be that he, James Bantley, was beginning to lose his grip? The mate, slightly agitated, broke in upon his reveries. An unfamiliar light had been seen near the shore line. The captain's keen eyes, searching the place designated, needed no glass to confirm his fears. Only too well did he know that boat, its long white hull, its two masts and one smoke stack. The revenue cutter was put- ting out from the sheltering cove, where it had lain in wait, to run them down. One side of the Willapa's deck was hidden from the government boat, but it would not be for long. The

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Tl-IE. TAI-IOMA I5 soon was lost to view. The jingling of a bell caused the lad to turn, and he met the soft gentle gaze of Brin- dle's eyes. Jumping down, he grasped her two horns and rested his head against the star between her eyes. Brindle was of an affectionate as well as a roving disposition, and remained passive until a voice, less gruff than usual, called to the Little lknight to hurry lest he he late to school the first day. The Master Knight did hear me, and sent his fairies, and I was afraid he wouldn't, and the Little Knight smiled and his heart was full of sun- light as Brindle's new bell tinkled before him up the road. 50-'. r l' Xi M' KT '! , , gr ,' ' - N- J X-X ,- lt: E - Q.. -- A A , ,f ' - of . ,jg 1 :Z i, I 'I ' f- ' 4 yo -q:- . . 5 L, , ry it 3-f I . ' A gia,1s:faE2? if-1 ' 2' 4, . f 1 - V-.f 1 - .wr ff? - 3f'i 1 N3 fb 'z 'C :Q--ls-' jl'.,,'z - a w 3. - . A It E,-'r'1 '-' , ' -4 -igsllrs A ifiifis'--:1:'-.1? E12-2:9 5-, gif-if-'ff 13- , sw? ir. M ' q eg- ' E - - ---3 - V, r 5- -,r ' ,n,.f- 3 ,-- 'Hi 's+ :iL ..., 2' '-T ? ff-- ., . za ::'f- -, 'F ---5 Y ' ' T , - '-' 7 X-- s Q -sa.,,a- N:--,zz - evra? -A - 1 QT' k , 4 7 --ass, .,.. ...H-f. - - - ,Sf

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THE T cutter would swing in behind them. Time was short. It was for such emergencies as this that the fishing schooner's ballast was of sandbags, and these plentiful in number. On that hidden side of the deck the crew worked fast and with great care, for the tides must carry to the shore no trace of what they did. The revenue cutter drew along- side and the government official, a quick, efficient looking young man, came aboard. l-le looked long at AI-IOMA I7 the catch of halibut and cod, at the few scattered handfuls of rice in the hold, and longer at the inscrutable face of Captain Bantley. Then he left the boat in silence and the revenue cutter drew away. The old Willapa, with the wind whistling in the tattered rigging, fought its way thru the blackening waves on up the bay toward the settlement at the mouth of the river. There was no need to stop at Stony Point now. sv X .f A Z! 14' V l V i Till , 1 - r c 2- :iii l '.-9,2 -5 nzf - -Y 4 W X-if , ,IJ S .- 'LX -- -Z - ,,. A -life Q Affsqf- is ge of of - -If 5 Ti 1157 A y ,Q-iX ' leg .-I ,L S - elsif Xii.,i sh ,. A X R