The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-10-08
The Apotheosis of
Doctor COckrill o

by J. C. PLuMMER

Il
Crabb that judgment would fall on DR..
Cockrill.
ut stands to reason" she said, that
God Almighty amt for allowin' any man
TO shake his fist at Death and dare i'm"
Mrs. Crabb concurred, which was not
altogether fair to DR.. Cockrill for, while
II may have looked sacrilegious to see
him enter the room where one lay In the
foreclosure of death and behold him
thrust forward his great head like dog
seeming his quarry and hear him growl
In his gray beard: 'I'l beat him; I'll
beat him yeti" This same challenge had
nerved many sick soul to new grip on
life. and as their weak eyes took in the
great forceful man who uttered 1t, they
felt champion had entered the lists in
their behalf who was equal to the con-
test.
A sharp-tongued man was he to the
well and strong-many there were who
but they were. well and strong..To the
sick he was as tender as woman, and
midnight was as noon, and the direst
storm as calm II sickness called him
forth
The old folk would tell of how young
and natty DIR. Cockrlll had wooed Mary
Gibson; of the persistence and ardor of
his suit, which ended in John Hobson
bearing off the prize; and then he be-
came the shabbily-dressed, sharp
tongued, uncouth man whom Bayport
knew so well, criticised occasionally and
withall loved SO heartily.
That was savage gale which, after
crawling up the coast all day, broke over
the bay at dusk. A bowling nor'easter
whose chill breath pierced the stoutest
cloth and whose sharp rain stung the
face as would needles. Before night the
wind had tormented the bay water into
frantic waves and turned the inlet into
huge skin with white fluffy fur Under
darkness the waves burst into the inlet
and pounded the beach as if madly seek
ing to reach the houses further up to
tear them from their foundations and
bear them out into the wreck.
A negro, drenched and shivering, who
had sculled himself from Brodie's Point
in the early part of the gale. came into
Bayport at fall of night and told DR..
Cockrill that the grandchild of Mrs. Hob
son was at point OF death of Group, and
he was wanted Immediately. And then
the negro told Of how he had bailed with
one band all the way to prevent his boat
laundering, and he further said that
nothing would tempt him to risk those
waves again that night.
Capt. Isaac Lord, at whose house DR..
JCockrill boarded, shook his head.
THE old man Is not WE'LL" said he;
hell not go out tonight"
But the old doctor lad donned his cape
and put on his long boots while Isaac
was talking, and now came into the
room,
You can't drive around the inlet in
this here harricane!" cried Capt. Isaac.
NO" replied the doctor; "but you can
scull me across"
IT'S certain death to resk it, doctor!"
cried Isaac. Hear that wind?"
Death is not on the inlet tonight.
Isaac" said the old man. Hes at
Brodies Point. Didn't you hear what
the niger said?"
"It's soocide!" exclaimed Capt. Isaac.
"'Then sit by your fire!" Numbered the
doctor "I'll scull myself"
"You won't scull yourself" exclaimed
Capt Isaac, 'for I'm going with you, but
1t is hard for man who's been three
times around Cape Horn to drown in a
pesky inlet of the Chesapeake bay"
It was bail to keep the little craft from
sinking to escape that awful pounding
that made her CULVER as II living crea-
ture. 1t was fight to keep her bow on to
the waves, for she sorely tried to shirk
the encounter, and Sinking meant
laundering. 1t was gasp for breath as
the gale beat itself into their lungs to
suffocate them while 1t dashed the
spume into their eyes to blind them, and
when the boat grounded in the lee OF
the wharf at the Point, Dr. Cockriil
staggered like drunken man as he
strobe up the wharf and Capt. Isaac
painted as II he had run mile.
Not little task was the walk UP the
hill in the teeth of the gale to the Hob
son house, but they Gid it, and the door
opened at their first step on the porch,
for watchful woman has keen ear
II am afraid you arc too late, DOCTOR
she groaned.
He made no reply, but dropping HIS
soaked cape on the floor tramped up
stairs to the sickroom.
The little boy lay with beads of sweat
on his forehead, writhing in his effort
to breathe, emitting that growing, rasp-
ing noise which tells that the hand OF
death presses sorely on the throat OF his
victim. Mrs. Hobson sank upon her
knees, quivering with the great de-
spair which overwhelmed her, for she
had lost husband and daughter, and this
fair-haired boy alone remained to her.
At the eight Of the dying child the old
Doctors eyes cleaned with the light
OF battle, his lips gripped close to-
gether and his gray beard seemed to
stand out like bristles Here was con-
test with his old adversary worthy OF
his steel; q more than half-beaten army
to be rallied, a beleaguered city ready to
open Its gates to the enemy. He flung
his coat from him and rolled his shirt
sleeves from his hairy arms.
"Cet NM he said IN Mre Uohcop