Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-01-06
CHAPTER XIV.
"sankala. Will You Become My Wife?'

1t was the second morning after the
double funeral. The fishermen gener-
ally were downcast. 1t is true that the
trouble regarding the fisheries had been
settled, but the property rights of the
northside industry had assumed the
form of wilderness of legal entangle-
ment.
By his deathbed confession Seadog
had placed the ownership of the fisher
les largely in Sankala, and the town
site upon which the homes were built
practically belonged to Dan Lapham.
The Seadogs were expected to fight for
a share in these and long drawn out
course of litigations was expected, with
possibly the closing of the cannery and
the suspension of fishing until the mat
ter should be settled. r
Where men are only adapted to one
calling they become mere children
when thrown out OF the single rut into
which they have drifted.
Barring the legal complications
which had arisen from Seadog's death,
however, the fishermen had cause to
rejoice. The man had always been a
tyrant. He had borne down upon
them with merciless hand. Under
no change of masters could they expect
anything but better conditions.
The men who had been wounded in
the encounter between the two factions
of fishermen were all recovered, the fish
were increasing daily and the shortage
in the run in other waters had raised
the market. To lift the gloom which
hung over the village, only required
settlement of the legal complications
and permission for the men to return
to their work.
Old Bumbo, the lawyer, was the only
stumbling block in the way. He ad-
vised that Sankala close down the traps
and turn every Seadog living out into
the world empty-handed. He would
have had Dan Lapham enforce his title
to the townsite and become landlord
as merciless as those painted in fiction.
Bumbo had lived from hand to mouth
by petty litigation for years, had en-
dured the insults of the toilers who
had no respect for the man who made
his scanty living by his wits, and be-
tween him and the Seadogs there was
an antipiathy bitter as Southern fued.
Bumbo would have revolutionized
things in the northside fishing in
dustry.
But Sankala was as broad minded
and magnanimous as she was brave.
She sent for Captain Budlong, She
: knew that be would be able to WELD an
influence over the Seadogs. She had
first laid hel plans before Dan Lapham,
who approved them in every detail.
The two requested conference with
the Seadogs and asked Captain Budlong
to join them.
The meeting took place at Bumbo's
Office. The lawyer was gruff and vim
dictive. But the young girl spoke so
kindly and so intelligently that all
present felt disposition to come to
terms.
s'I do not believe in going to law il
it can be avoided" said Sankala. "Find.
ing myself possessed of the right to SC
much property is great surprise to
me. I sometimes feel that ought not
to bother with it, but poor Ringwold
has suffered so much and worked &c
long to obtain it for me that feel that
it would be an injustice to his memory
not to assert my rights in measure.
"While it would appear from thu
confession of the late Mr.. Seadog thai
the bulk of the property could be wor
out through the courts, I am opposed
to taking this course. am willing tt
a division which should be satisfactory
to all persons interested. Dan-Mr
Lapham, expresses himself in the sam,
spirit with me.'
''That is correct" said the youn,
fisherman.
cold Bumbo was indignant. H
walked the floor like Gagged animal
He took Sankala aside and remonstrat
ed, but it was all without avail.
The Seadogs were completely sur
prlsed. After the terrible confession
of the elder member of the family they
felt that all was lost. They expecte'
no money f1om the representative Q
the outraged Saarela and under San
kala's charitable views of the matte
they Immediately melted into friend
illness that was surprising for Seadog
Even tie humiliated Hazel locke
kindly upon the girl hero of the lat
conflict between the fishermen.
The fact that Seadog had made goo
use of his ill-gotten gains and that hi
manner of handling them had resulte
to the best interests of the rightfu
heirs, led Captain Budlong to suggel
that an equal division be made of th
fishing properties and other interes
between the Seadogs and Sankala, an
that like settlement be made wit
Dan as to the town site property.
Sankala and Dan consented to tn
without hesitation, and the Seado,
considered it a settlement much to the
advantage.
It now only required the formality
the courts to transfer titles to proper
and legallze the acts of Sankala al
Dan, who were under age, consumma
ing the agreement and old Bumbo W
ordered to prepare the papers.
The Seadogs had returned to the
home contented. Captain Budlong b,
joined Sankala and Dan in the parl
of the village hotel where Sankala b.