Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-06-27
ATube of
AntitOXin
IT ALBERT y. rOLMAN.

t4st@st<,t> ste,f @s9 ~ ~ ~ 4eoS
One foggy September evening Ezra
Norton's six.year-old Bonnie was sick.
Young Stitham, who for two years
had been the doctor for Atlantic Cove,
looked serious, as he drew the fisher.
man into the kitchen out Of Mrs.
Morton . hearing. OF what he wills.
pered. but two words matter--"diph.
iberia and "antitoxin."
To the townsman the obtaining Of
medicine means merely slipping out
70 the corner drugstore. But what
II you dwell In the only house on
"a island three miles out at sea?
Besides, the Cove apothecary never
Kept antitoxin.
Just one tube in my case at home"
said Doctor Stitham. He scratched q
note and passed It to Morton. Hand
this to my wife, and she'll give you
the serum. Hustle as fast a. gaso
line can take you. Remember Ben.
MES life is in that package"
In Ave minutes Ezra was churning
round the point In his motor-boat.
Thirty minutes to Blaisdell's wharf.
fifteen to the doctors house and back.
and he was headed out again, the
package buttoned safely into an In.
side pocket.
In the thick fog ne could barely
see boat length. But what Of that?
His lantern lighted the compass.
Southeast by east a quarter east--he
oad steered It hundreds Of times.
Chug! chug! chug! Chug! chug!
ahug! The Porpoise Whitfield down
the distance at six.knot gait: but
70 Morton's anxious heart she seemed
10 be merely crawling. Bennie's life
was in his pocket. What II the doc.
TOR had not had the package! He
felt It bullying sQuarely and his cour.
Age rose.
Crunch! Down sprawled the fisher.
saan beside his engine. Before he
could rise the water was spouting in.
Ne had struck a sharp hubble on
me end Of Razorback. Eager to get
tack. ne had forgotten the extremely
Sew tide on the dark OF the moon.
when the ledge was dangerous to
sAoal.water craft.
Mechanically Ezra reversed the en-
aAne and stopped his boat. by this
time haltfull. Presently It settled
70 bottom. the water rising to his
Watch.pocket. The lantern had sput.
tered out. leaving him In absolute
hlackness.
For a few seconds he stood stun.
ned. Helpless on that submerged
rock. the precious tube inside his
coat. What should he do?
Obeying the first impulse, he sent
his voice echoing over the murky sea.
But there was no response. The Cove
lay two miles behind. beyond the
reach OF even his strong lungs. Meth.
or could they hear him on the out
shore OF BurntcOat. mile ocean
ward. But perhaps some stray Ash
erman- Again he made the fog ring.
then stopped to listen: still no answer.
Zimro Emerson and Paul Clyde were
night.haklng. but they had probably
gained the grounds outside the island
an hour ago.
Morton faced the situation. The
ledge nowhere reached the surface.
The tide would soon turn, and the
water gradually deepen. until In two
hours he would be unable TO touch
bottom with his toe-tips. Besides.
what of Bonnie!
The fisherman reflected, not rapid
~, but clearly. Soon he had decided
exactly what to do. He began to
take of his clothes.
But where did Burntcoat lie? His
compass, water.tight, would have
pointed him southeast by east a quar-.
ter east But by this time the matches
In his hip-pocket were soaked. He
listened hard, ear to the water. Pres.
emily he caught it-that faint rumb-
ling Of flint pebbles rolling up and
down the island beach In the ocean
swell. That way he must swim.
Soon his clothes were bundled. The
package OF antitoxin he dared not
trust to be water-soaked. So he tied
1t on his head.
Meanwhile the tide had risen slight.
ly. His fingers told him 1t was flow
Ing in. Pushing his bundle before
HIN ne launched into the gloom.
As a boy Morton had been the best
swimmer at the Cove. Tonight he
needed all his strength and skill. BY
daylight, with the tide favoring, II
would have been an easy swim. But
against the food, with only that faint
rumble to guide him. he was fighting
tremendous odds.
The water was cold. Morton did
not mind the discomfort, but he dread
ed the numbing that might follow. For
the first few minutes he made rapid
progress, Occasionally he trod wat.
or and listened for the rote. Yes;
1t certainly sounded louder and near.
er. Encouraged. he swan on again.
pushing his water-soaked bundle
shead. Suddenly his hand struck q
soft, gelatinous mass; then another
and another. Ugh! A school OF sun.
lell!es. How his fingers stung and
sniarted! To his great relief he soon
was clear OF them.
Behind came a low rushing. A
hnd-breeze had begun. Ezra felt q
thrill Of anxiety. II the wind were