The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-01-07
CHAPTER XIV.
A Fina. Account ting.

With the dawning of morning there
were many rumors afoat in the village.
The story of Seadog's relapse, the send
ing for old Ringwold, and the dying
condition of the two men had reached
the public ear. Stories of mysterious
disclosures we've also being told and
the people were wrought up to unusual
excitement.
1t was known that Captain Budlong
had remained at the place all night;
that Sankala was there and that the
militia surgeon had been kept busy and
that about daylight old Bumbo, the
lawyer, had been sent for.
Sankala and Dan Lapham had also
been seen to visit the Ringwold cabin,
and they had taken a large bundle of
papers to the Seadog home.
The interior of the Seadog house pre-.
scented an interesting picture. On a
bed lay old Seadog calm and weak
He was breathing easily and his physi-
cal suffering had been lulled by heroic
scientific treatment. But the agony
which racked his brain is INDISPENSABLE.
1t is only those who have suffered with
guilty conscience while looking death
in the face that could properly sympa-
thize with Charles Seadog.
On another bed in the same room lay
the aged Rinwgold. He had under
gone complete change. The feeble
old form which had for 60 many years
responded to the appeals of life and
raised itself up as though coming from
the grave, had reclined to rise no r ore.
His work was over. His mission was
about performed. Yet his brain was
as clear as bell; His eyes as bright
as youth.
Seadog's family lowered about him.
The surgeon stood at his bedside.
Rumbo, the lawyer, sat at table near
by.
Sankala held her aged protector g
hand. Dan Lapham stood at the foot
of Ringwold's bed. Captain Budlong
was at the door to answer the questions
of the curious.
"Tell the whole truth, Charles, tell
it all. have proved to you that San
kala is his child. She is entitled to
his interest in the property. Do fair
by hel upon your SOUL"
So spoke old Ringwold, fsebly but
encouragingly to Seadog.
"After my return from Siberia /
looked up the boy. had located you
long before. When I got the papers
arranged | persuaded him to come with
me to America. but he had marrying
on the brain and would not come until
the ceremony was performed and his
young bride was ready to come," contin-
ued Ringwold. "We were all poor in
finances and had to take the old sail
boat. The voyage was long one and
the child, Sankala, was born on board
the vessel. The surgeon of the craft
made out birth certificate and Bumbo
has it there. took it from the hands
of the child's mother as the ship went
down and have kept it ever since.
She is the only heir and entitled to
his share of the property. The other
papers will show what this is. 1 re-
ceived the final documents yesterday.
Bumbo has them. Do justice, Seadog.
do justice. upon your soul, tell it all!'
! Seadog's very moments were num-
bered. The wound which he had re-
ceived in the laet encounter with the
southside fishermen had developed q
case OF blood poisoning and no power
on earth now could save him. OF this,
he was fully informed. While the fact
4 <knA l. -
bunal where man is called upon to give
an accounting, may have had some
thing to do with softening Seadog's
heart, he was confronted with the evil
dence of his wrongs on earth and of the
just rights of others.
He told the story of how he had
wronged Sankala's father; how he had
willfully caused Ringwold's exile to ST.
IBERIA and how he had fled to America