by Jeff Noonan
But he soon found that he had no cause for concern. The mill owner actually laughed aloud at the question. “Mr. Raines, you’re an interesting young man. Most adults around here have the same thoughts, but very few have the balls to ask me the question.” He paused as he gathered his thoughts. Then he continued, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains as he talked. “That river is a disgrace. We white men have only been in this area for about a hundred years, but we have totally ruined that river. It may take another hundred years to clean it up, if we start now. Even most of my workers understand that fact and support cleaning the river. But you just can’t tie the river cleanup together with the timber industry and its problems, because they do hate that.”
Bolder now, Lee pressed on. “Why?”
“Well, they support the river cleanup because the need is obvious and the potential cleanup of the river doesn’t cost them much of anything. You have to remember that they all love this place. That’s why we live here.”
“What they don’t like is the politicians who seem unwilling to compromise on anything. You have the Democrats, mostly from the east coast, who want to preserve every tree and wild animal as if the forests haven’t changed since time began. Then there are the Republicans, who refuse to raise the money to pay for anything, including the Forest Service. Between them, they’ve created a situation where we’re supposed to preserve everything in sight, but there’s no money available to do the work. If it continues this way, I predict that there will be pitched battles all over the western states. You can’t accomplish the things that one side demands with the money the other side is willing to spend. It’s just impossible”
He paused, then continued. “There’s thousands of hard-working Americans who depend on these mills for a living. But they’re watching this fight back in Washington, D.C., and they feel helpless to control their own destiny. It seems like there’s nothing they can do or say that helps. So they’re really worried that they may lose their jobs and homes if the two parties continue down this path.”
He continued, “The bad part is that the people only really see one side of this battle. They can easily hear the noise from the side that wants to preserve the forests and rivers. But, it’s a lot harder to see the problems the Republicans are causing by cutting the forest service budget. The people mostly think that the Democrats and the environmental movement are the bad guys in this. It’s really hard for them to understand that cutting the Forest Service budget makes the problem far worse than it should be.”
He paused, then continued. “To me, it’s obvious that we’re shooting ourselves in the foot by clear-cutting the hillsides. But there isn’t enough money in their budget for the Forest Service to properly manage reasonable timber sales. So we clear-cut the forests and provide the environmental folks with more ammunition for their cause.”
Benton looked at the mill pond for a long moment, shaking his head sadly. “The people who work in the mills are seeing the results of this battle; a battle between two totally uninformed political parties three thousand miles away. My people are afraid for their livelihoods.”
“Are they right, sir?”
“I sincerely hope not, Lee. There’s plenty of room for both sawmills and a clean environment. But it’ll take some compromising from both sides, and that’s starting to look impossible. The Forest Service’s budget is being cut to the bone and, at the same time, the big sawmills are asking for more and more timber. Major clear-cut authorizations are the only way the Forest Service can satisfy the big sawmills. If the two political parties would just try to meet in the middle, things could work out fine. But right now both of them are acting like spoiled brats, throwing tantrums that hurt all of us.”
He stopped, waiting for Lee to comment, but the boy from Pennsylvania was silently absorbing this information. So Benton continued, “I do worry about where it’s all going. If some cooler heads don’t get involved, it could be a disaster. This mill could close. Personally, I’d be fine, because I’ve taken care of myself and my family. But the average person who works here will be badly hurt. If the mills close, there won’t be any meaningful work in these mountains. I don’t know what would happen to my people. They don’t deserve a fate like that. So, Mr. Raines, that’s why I try to work with people like Kurt Kochran. If there’s ever going to be a compromise on these things, it’ll have to start with people like us. Cleaning up our bad river is a good starting place. Now, does that answer your question?”
“Absolutely, sir. I sure hope you win the battle. Thank you very much for explaining it.”
“No problem. Good luck on the river. Come and see me when you’re done.”
Lee couldn’t contain his smile. “Will do, sir. Thank you. We won’t let you down.”
“No, Mr. Raines. I really don’t think that you will.” With that, Charlie Benton smiled and turned to continue his rounds. “See you soon, Lee.” He was gone.
Lee stayed on the little pier, watching the man with the long pole as he worked the logs in the mill pond. The man was wearing heavy boots with some sort of spiked soles that grabbed onto the logs as the man walked over them. He was striding as easily over the floating logs as Lee would have walked a Pennsylvania sidewalk. It was an amazing sight to see, with the man moving confidently from log to log while deftly steering other logs through the pond. He would carefully select a target log, then use the long pole-hook to bring it through the maze to a spot close to the mill where a chain hoist would grab the log and carry it up through an opening into the darkness of the sawmill. Lee watched this scene play out several times, with the man never hesitating or seeming to even slip a little bit as he went about his job. Finally, Lee shook his head and turned to make his way out of the sawmill complex. He had to admit, he was impressed. There had been pride and confidence in the man’s performance. Somehow there’s almost an artistry to being able to do that job. I wonder if there are other jobs like that in this line of work?
Then a thought struck him. I wonder what that man would do if the sawmills really do have to close?
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Lee left the sawmill. He decided to spend the rest of the day getting ready for his new job. First he visited the Forest Service compound, where he found Mr. Mainwaring sitting at a desk grumbling about paperwork. Together they called the university and Lee was given specific directions on the sampling work that he was to do and how to handle the sample bottles. By the time they were off the phone, both he and Ranger Mainwaring were thoroughly briefed on the process he was to follow. But the university professor handling the project asked if he could come out and accompany them on their first day in the water. They agreed to meet Monday morning at the truck stop.
When they completed the call to the university, the ranger produced more detailed topographical maps similar to the ones that Kurt had been using. Carefully they traced the route Lee and his friends would be taking on the river, marking off landmarks and distances so the samples could be taken at regular intervals. When they finished, they put the maps in waterproof folders and Lee carefully stored them in the garage along with the rows and rows of sample bottles.
Next, Lee drove back to the Gambles store in Big River, where he purchased some new Levis, work shirts, a small cooler for soft drinks, and a lunch box. He started to buy work boots, but the store owner advised against it. “If you’re going to be working in a raft, I’d buy some rubber-soled shoes. Probably the same kind of shoes that you would use to play basketball.” Lee agreed and, since he had a good pair, decided to pass on shoes. Soon he was on his way back to St. Dubois.
He was sitting at the corner table in the café., grinning widely, when the elated Mike and Tony came charging through the door. They pummeled him unmercifully, playfully protesting that they were going to miss their sawmill jobs and complaining about this new work being thrust on them. In truth, they were delighted that they would be spending the remainder of the summer floating down the river on a raft.
Finally. Mik
e sat back on his chair and started laughing. “You should have seen Old Man Benton’s face when I told him that I was really going to miss the green chain in that mill. He actually thought I was serious.” He went into gales of laughter.
When Mike finished laughing, he sat back, gasping for air. At the same time, he was waving his hand in the air, trying to get their attention. When he was finally able to speak, he gasped out his message. “We gotta go see the sheriff first thing day-after-tomorrow. We have to be in his office at 8 a.m. Friday. Mr. Benton said to plan on being there most of the day. Apparently the sheriff wants to give us some training for the new job.”
Lee was confused. “What kinda training? He isn’t involved in this sampling business, is he?”
“I dunno, Lee. But Mr. Benton said to be there and he’s signing the paychecks.”
“No question about it. We’ll be there. I just can’t imagine what he has planned for us. Oh well, I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. The guy from the university asked me not to go out until he came out here and trained us on water sampling techniques. He’s going to meet us here at 9 a.m. on Monday.”
Lee thought for a moment. “Actually, it works out well. Tomorrow, we can get the raft ready to go. Then Friday we’ll meet with the sheriff and on Monday we can kick off the river work. Maybe we can move the raft down here over the weekend so we’re ready to go when the professor gets here. I guess we can leave it over on the edge of the parking lot, can’t we? Does that sound okay to you guys?”
“Yeah.” “Sounds good to me.” There was no dissent.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE RIVER RATS
The next morning the three met at the Forest Service compound and went to work assembling the raft. Ranger Mainwaring provided the two pickups that the Kochran team had been using and by the end of the day they had the raft assembled, loaded, and outfitted with several days’ supply of bottles. They were almost ready to go. They had to meet with the Sheriff tomorrow and the university’s Project Manager on Monday, then they could start floating down the river. All three of them were excited by this change of routine. It was going to be an adventure!
The next morning, the project took on a whole new tone.
They were on time, waiting in the jailhouse conference room, when Sheriff Rose came in carrying a cup of coffee. “Before we get to the main reason I asked you to come here, I want to talk to you about where you’re going to be working. Have you decided where to start taking samples?”
Lee answered, “We aren’t sure yet. The project manager from the university will be here Monday and he’ll tell us where the last sample was taken by Kochran. I guess we’ll pick up from there, somewhere between Thunder Creek and Big River city limits.”
The sheriff nodded. “Yeah. I’m guessing that you’re probably right about that. But I don’t want you working in that area. I’ve got deputies and experts from the state crime lab combing the riverbank in that area, looking for clues about the murder. I don’t want you to get in the way. Without realizing it, you could take a sample on the river bank that might confuse my guys. Or you might pick up something, or walk over something, that could ruin our investigation. I’d like to have you start downriver, probably somewhere around St. Dubois, then work your way northwest to the end of the project. By the time you finish there, we’ll be done with our work and you can pick up that missing fifteen miles of river at the end of the job.”
It was Lee’s turn to nod thoughtfully. “I don’t see a problem there. We can explain it to the university guy and I’ll write it all up in my weekly report. Everyone should understand.”
Mike agreed. “Yeah. No problem. But sheriff, do you have any more ideas on the shootings? Everyone out our way is betting Bill Wards is behind it.”
Sheriff Rose smiled. “I can’t say a lot, but we’ve moved Wards from here to solitary confinement in the Missoula jail. It seems like the other prisoners are a lot more willing to talk to us if he isn’t around. My guess is that your guess is correct. But the proof is still being gathered.”
Lee was surprised. “You mean Gohmert and Jose are talking?”
“I can’t say any more, Lee. There aren’t any breakthroughs yet. But I’m hoping that we won’t have to go through a trial for Gohmert. It looks like he may have things to tell us before we go to trial.” He smiled and changed the subject. His face became very serious. “Have you given any serious thought to what you’re going to be doing for the next couple of months?”
They looked at each other, confused. Lee answered for them. “I guess so. Like I said, the guy from the university is coming out Monday to train us, but we have a pretty good idea.”
He would have continued, but the sheriff interrupted him. “Not that! Any idiot can dip a jug in the water and put a label on it. That’s not why you’re here. You’re here because you’re gonna be doing a job that just got one good man killed and another one shot to hell!” His voice had risen and he was almost yelling now. “You ain’t gonna be cheerfully riding a raft into never-never land. You’re going to be doing a job while you watch your asses as if you were commando soldiers fighting a bunch of sneaky-assed North Koreans behind enemy lines. Do you understand me?”
There was a very long silence. The three were totally stunned by this tirade from normally easy-going Frank Rose. The sheriff looked from one of them to the other while he waited for an answer. Finally, Lee spoke. “Darn Sheriff. I guess we hadn’t thought about that end of this. I guess we thought the danger was past with Bill Wards in jail.”
The sheriff’s voice was back to normal when he replied. “Yeah. I think most people are thinking that. But we can’t take a chance on it. We’re building a case against Wards on a bunch of other things, but he hasn’t admitted anything on Kurt’s shooting. In fact, he’s particularly vehement when he says he didn’t do this one. So we’ve gotta plan for the worst. There could be other nutcases out there that don’t want the river cleaned up. That’s why I asked Charlie Benton to send you to see me. I’m gonna run you through a day’s training here before you go out on that river. Any problems with that?”
All three answered in unison, “No sir!”
“Okay guys, first things first. Give me all of your Driver’s Licenses.” They did so, exchanging puzzled looks at the same time.
The sheriff leaned out the door and called his secretary. “Patty, Can you come down here?” When she arrived, he handed her the three driver’s licenses, saying, “Here, type up the ID cards that we talked about.” She hurried off towards her desk as he turned back to the three friends.
“Okay, Fellas. Stand up and hold up your right hands. You are about to become unpaid, volunteer, Deputy Sheriffs of Mineral County, State of Montana. Now repeat after me.” He began reading the oath of office from a small card he took out of his wallet. The three stunned boys repeated his words, right hands held high.
When they finished, the sheriff seemed to relax. He chuckled at their confusion and then explained. “I don’t want you out there unable to defend yourselves. I’m going to lend you rifles and side-arms. We’re also going to give you some training on how to handle them. But I can’t just loan out guns to civilians willy-nilly. So you’re going to be deputy sheriffs until this project is over. Capiche?”
At that, Lee sat back and laughed. Mike was the only one to answer. “Capiche, Sheriff. For a minute there I was wondering if you’d lost it. Glad to see that you’re still one step ahead of everyone else. Thank you.” The sheriff just smiled. Reaching in a drawer under the long conference table, he produced three shiny new deputy’s badges which he tossed to the three of them. “Keep these out of sight. I’d really prefer that this wasn’t gossiped around town. If we can get this job done with a low profile, I think that would be smart. But you will have the badges if you need them. My wife, Patty, is typing up deputy sheriff identification cards for you also. But let’s keep all of this as quiet as possible. Now, come with me.”
He led them through a maze of hallways and down a flight of
stairs to a locked room in the jailhouse basement. Unlocking the door, he flipped on the lights to reveal a well-stocked armory. He moved familiarly to a rifle rack and took out three rifles. One was a long-barreled 30-06 equipped with a high-powered scope. The other two were Winchester 30-30 carbines similar to the one that Ray carried in his pickup. Turning to the three, he handed the rifle with the scope to Tony. “This is in case you need some long-range firepower. Remember, Kurt was hit with a large-caliber round. You may need the range this will give you. These others, the carbines, will give you quick-response capability and the ability to fire a lot of rounds rapidly with some accuracy.”
Then the sheriff reached up to a shelf where a number of holstered pistols were stacked. He took down three of them. “Military Colt .45 automatics. They’ll do good in a short-range fire fight. You may not need anything like this, but better safe than sorry.” He handed one to each of them along with a gun cleaning kit. Then he took out a canvas bag and began loading ammunition into it. “I’m going to give you a bunch of ammo for today’s target practice and some to take with you. But if you shoot up a bunch of ammo after today’s practice, that bill is on you. I can’t afford to have you wasting this stuff, understand me?”
Once again, the three answered with one voice, “Yes sir.”
They spent the next four hours with a deputy at a local gravel pit, learning to fire the new guns. He also taught them some safety pointers and some standard police procedures for safeguarding the raft and its contents. Of the three, Tony proved to be the most proficient with the firearms.
By the time they were done and on the road home, their heads were spinning. They hadn’t expected any of this.
As they drove west on the two-lane highway, they talked about the day’s happenings and how surprised they all were by this development. Lee asked, “Any second thoughts? Are you guys still up for the job?”
