The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1904-11-11

eioohiiy anu the buduONs ultJeu ABOUT
more ghostily.
The cupboard seemed scantier, the
furnitlre rougher, the bed clothing
lighter, the floor was more bare and
even the good natured house cat seemed
gloomier as the rain and wind ragged
outside and beat upon the cabin as il it
were cursed and doomed forever.
Sankala was usually of light heart
and spirit, but her nature was all
crushed tonight. She sat beside the
bed which was drawn near the fire.
She gazed into the flames with tear
stained eyes. She would look into the
future, but there was nothing to see
Then the terrible episodes of the day
flashed through her mind like a success
sion of nightmares or hideous dreams.
Blu. she did not forget her duty. AS
regular as the clock would she turn and
change the damp cloths upon Ring
wold's head and examine the hot
smoothing-iron at his feet. The cloths
were kept cold and the irons were kept
hot.
Rlngwold barely breathed. The ex-
element of the day had about cut the
last thread that held his feeble old life.
When the life savers rescued them the
boat had its nose against Destruction
Rocks, which point no boat had ever
reached before and been saved. Ring
void knew nothing of the rescue. His
last conscious moments were to see
himself and Sankala going to destruc-
ton. When he saw the inevitable and
the struggling frail child battling with
the mountains of sea the feeble old man
collapsed in heap In the bottom of
the boat.
The long hours of exposure had told
on him and it was already whispered
about the village that tonight was Ring
wold's last night on earth. But the
fishermen had become accumstomed to
his sinking spells and Sankala was left
alone with him.
Sankala had not been afraid. She
was not afraid now. 1t was not be-
cause she was less refined than other
gills or naturally drawer than other
girls. 1t was because she had oeen
schooled against fear. Her life had
been her schooling and it had been one
in which all of the hardships had been
taught in prao tical lessons. Not per-
formed and rehearsed for the occasion,
but lessons that came with the routine
of every day life.
When mere babe che had been cast
ashore like so much driftwood. And
all of her young life che had been
buffeted about on the bay and river in
a small fishing boat like cockle-shell.
She had become so interlinked with
danger that it seemed her constant com
panion and she only thought of it az
SUCH
1t WAS not Sankala's bad seamanship
OF lack of skill that led her across the
danger Zine, bat it was her lack Of
strength. The trap they tended lay to
the west nearer the bar than others
and while rounding the rocks to reach
the trap the undertow, unusually strong
from the all night storm, caught hel
and carried her boat away by sheer
force.
She was meditating over the davis
exciting episodes and The condition Of
her companion. Young as she was
she knew that Ringwold could not last
much longer. They were reduced tc
the direst straits. Fishing was pool
and wages were poorer. Ringwold was
no longer useful. He was more of 8
hindrance as co-woTker. His com.
pan: onship was all that was left her.
They now only earned a scant Twins
and should Ringwold become bed-rid
den she did not know what she would
do. He had not confded fully to hel
the secret of her life and the mysterie,
of the documents concealed under tn,
hearth. Would these help her? Sh,
made up her mind that should Ring
would recover again she would broacl
the subject to him.
1t was not so much for hel own sci
that she was prompted, but she wished
to ease the old mans life in his las
( days. He had made a great struggle
for her and she wished to repay him il
some way.
While meditating over her troubles
there came loud, heavy knock at TIN
door. 1t sounded like the rap O
doom. She could not tell why, bu
she trembled. Sankala was not in tn
habit of experiencing such sensations
She went to the door and opened it
Come inl' she said in a holloy
/, tone.
. 1t was old Seadogl What coul,
! bring him at such an hour of th
night. Then old Sesdog always sen
for his employees instead of callin
upon them.
"Will you be seated?" asked tn
girl.