The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-01-07
CHAPTER XXIII.
Ringwold and Seadog.

Where is Hazel, wife?'
"She has gone to the ball"
"Did Captain Budlong go?'
eyes, he went with our Hazel"
at is good. They would make
fine match, wife. / would like TO see
Hazel marry well. would dislike to
have ner marry common fisherman.
Wife, am not feeling well tonight. L
fear that the young militia surgeon
does not know the truth. | believe
that blood poisoning is setting in.
Thus spoke old seadog to his wife.
Strong as was the constitution OF the
powerful man it had begun to yield
and he was first to detect it. His
blood burned in its channels.
weakening, nervous sensation took pos
session of him. At times he could not
distinguish the real from the imagin-
airy. Seadog was very sick man.
Several times that night be had sunk
into spasmodic slumber. He could
hear the dashing of the waves, the
creaking of the oars in their locks, the
shouts of the fishermen and the crack
of rifles. Then he would start with
a groan as the hot blood burned itself
against the fevered particles which
were gradually decaving about the
wound in his body. Then the poisoned
iife-fuid would rush forth to the heart
furnace for publication, when it would
be sent out more sluggish than ever to
feed burning system.
The heart beats increased. the fever
rose higher and higher. Old Seadog
felt his senses failing. The real be-
came more fanciful and the imaginary
became more realistic. He finally fell
into delirium. 1t was then that his
tongue spoke words that sounded
strange to his wife's ears
eyes, Nelson Saarela, / won out over
you'll swore falsely, but won! You
were sent to Siberia and I gained the
czar's favor. also won in the con-
tested will case and brought the money
to America where / have invested it
we'll. You were druggist to the czar,
but the apprentice in the great estab-
lishment drew the winning card. /
came near to losing it though. Those
hateful southsiders But sankala!
She is brave girl. This burning in
my side! Some one is prodding me
with hot iron! Help, Help!'
Husband! Husband!" cried Mrs.
seadog. She seized her companions
hands and rubbed them violently.
what has happened?" inquired the
sick man.
"You have grown worse. You said
such strange things"
"What did / say? l fear my condi-
ton, wife,"
"You spoke of Nelson Saarela and
will"
'Nelson Saarela | have not uttered
the name for 20 years.
A gloom settled about the room that
caused the man 10 ask why the light
was so dim. A deafness in~his limbs
caused him to suspect that he was
growing worse. The sullen flow of
his blood told him that unless change
came his hours were few for this earth
'Wife, send TO, cid Ringwold. After
all he knows more about medicine than
all of the doctors in this country.
Send for old Ringwold and be shall tell
me whether or not [ am receiving
proper treatment"
One OF the boys was sent to request
the aged man to come. It was the first
time in his life of nearly 20 years in
the village that he had been invited to
the Seadog home.
When left alone again the sick man
inquired of his wife:
''Did you say l mentioned Nelson
Saarela and will?"
"Yes, and you said something about
Siberia and America and money!" re.
piled Mrs. Seadog.
The old man looked about the room
in bewilderment for few moments and
then dropped into semi-conscious
state. His tongue began to give utter
ance to strange things again.
He spoke of the ship which had
stranded upon the island nearly twenty
years before, the one which had
brought Sankala and old Ringwold to
the country. He spoke of some papers
which he had found aboard the wreck.
81 know he was LOST" he muttered.
81 know he was lost. 1t is too late
now to do him Justice"
He continued in this strain until the
arrival of Ringwold. The feeble old
druggist was conducted to the bedside
of the sick man, and sat upon the bed
from sheer exhaustion. In the faint
gloom of the light he looked more like
ghost than human being. His long
gray hair and beard concealed his feat
ures. But his sharp, keen eyes glist-
ened with unusual brightness.
The old man placed his trembling
fingers upon Seadog's wrist. Then he
moved his hand to the sick mans breast
and placed it over his heart. A fiend.
ish smile lit up his face as he felt the
auttering and spasmodic beating of the
organ.
He dlew a hyperdermic syringe from
his pocket and filled it with a fluid
Then he Injected it into Seadog's arm.
Several minutes of silence followed.
Ringwold kept his seat on the side of
the bed. He finally broke the silence.
Bring the lamp" he said.