The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1904-12-03


the water. An old snag was slowly
beating its way with the current and
tide to the ocean. 1t was one of those
heavy, pitchy fir trunks whose weight
kept it deep in the water. Only few
inches of a knot, dark as the water
itself, projected above the surface, and
the thing stood like a rock directly in
front of the fisherman's boat.
Unconscious of its presence he sent
the old craft against it with a terrific
sweep of the oars and the results were
as sudden as fash. The boat was al
ready running. deep in the water from
the weight of the sea which it had
taken from below, and when its rotten
hull struck the snag it was practically
torn asunder.
1t went down like a rock, and the
young fisherman had either of two al
ternatlves. One was to take refuge by
Clinging to the cause of his disaster
and the other was tc swim for the is
land.
But there was no time to waste un-
der such conditions. As soon as he
had recovered from the shock which
had sent him deep below the surface he
arose and swan for the snag which
danced about for moment, after it's
contact with the boat, like top.
He chung to this for several mo-
ments when he discovered that it was
taking course ranging farther from
the island and heading directly for
disappointment rocks. The expert
. enced fisherman knew what this
meant. Raising his head as high as
he could above the surface of the water
: he sighted the dark outline of the near
est point on Sand island as marked by
! the accumulated driitwood, taking
:, Tillamook lighthouse for his guide,
and swan in a southwesterly direction
= Dan Lapham was a good swimmer
and was strong and experienced, but
the water was cold and the current
. pulled at him like a thing of life.
Battling to keep from being drawn to
=. disappointment rocks and at the same
. time to gain the nearest point of the
= island he soon found it telling upon
his strength.
Benumbed and exhausted he felt
= that ease coming over him which is
never experienced except under certain
conditions. He had heard men rescued
from drowning, tell of this sensation.
! He knew at once what it meant. His
: strokes grew weaker, and in spite oil
= the fact that consciousness came over
= him that he was gradually giving
= away he felt certain amount of relief
- that is said to always come to the per.
;. ishing man in his last moments-a dir
- zy, lulllng feeling that makes death
. rather welcome than appalling.
y A dull buzzing sound entered his
= ears. His limbs moved as if in
: dream. The water seemed freed all a
. once from its chill. The darkness
gathered more deelpy but it was al
y gentle as the shadows of sleep. Tn,
y y waves rocked him as smoothly as
- babe in cradle.
- "Sankalal" he spoke. "Sankala
= 1t cannot bel l cannot leave you.
must not surrender. Arms and legs
you have never failed me. Heart, sen,
forth that blood you owe to Sankal
and revive this body to battle the wave
p and live for the poor, unfortunate or
t. phan grill"
as With a spasmodic effort he aros
st from his sinking attitude. He sho
ie forth his limbs with forced and awk
ne ward motion. 1t was then that Da
he Lapham discovered the weakness &
in will power compared with the grip c
fate. He saw that youth, strength
er determination, must all yield to the in
g. evltable.
is But the same fate that had carrie
It. him to the border of the dark shade,
now threw straw within his reach
e. A dark solid object grated against hi
ne side. He was caught by it and carrie
n. along at slow but steady rate of speed
of He reached out his hand and claspe
EN- the limb of tree. One of the falle
or monarchs of the upper country ha
Id been caught in the food and was bein
en- carried to the ocean.
'ce Lapham dragged himself upon i
nd branches and closed his benumbe
I'D hands upon two of them that he migl
an not be swept away. Thus, exhuaste
and in a semi-conscious condition. /
lat lay upon the drift, which was pursuir
IN its course toward the ocean.
les "Steer clear of that drift, mate,
as exclaimed a mans voice, low an
res husky.
Five men were seated in a boa
itb Four of them were lying upon the
90 oars. The fifth was steering the Graf
: = The men were merely using their GA
- to keep the boat from drifting seawal
a. and the steersman was holding b.
along side the current. While the m,