As I ran by the side of the excitable fishers, I urged upon one or two of
them the wisdom and duty of preventing a conflict. Their reply was--and
it was very convincing--that they were not forcing a struggle, but were
being attacked, and in the case would fight. My hasty persuasion produced
but little result. But I kept thinking hard. Suddenly it came to me that
I could place my hand upon a man whose instincts in the matter would be
the same as mine; who had authority; knew the world; had been in
dangerous positions in his lifetime; and owed me something. I was sure
that I could depend upon him: the more so that once frail of body he had
developed into a strong, well-controlled man.
Even as I thought of him, I was within a few rods of the house where he
was. I looked, and saw him standing in the doorway. I ran and called to
him. He instantly joined me, and we ran on together: the fishermen
shouting loudly as they watched the river-drivers come armed down the
hill-slope into the village.
I hastily explained the situation to my friend, and told him what we must
do. A word or two assured me of all I wished to know.
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