The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-06-19
A Tube Of
AntitOxin
BY ALBERT W. TonMAN.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. $%S@ - ~ w
One foggy September evening Ezra
-Morton'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 whis-
pered, but two words matter-"d iph-
theria'' and "antitoxin."
To the townsman the obtaining OF
medicine means merely slipping out
to the corner drugstore. But what
If you dwell in the only house on
an island three miles out at sea?
Besides, the Cove apothecary never
kept antitoxin.
Gust one tube in my case at home"
said Doctor Stitham. He scratched a
note and passed it to Morton. ''Hand
this to my wife, and she'll give you
the serum. Hustle as fast as gaso-
line can take you. Remember Ben
mics life is in that package"
In i've 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 he could barely
see boat length. But what Of that?
His lantern lighted the compass.
Southeast by east quarter east-he
4. s&n Of
Chug! chHg! chug! Chug! chug!
chug! The Porpoise whitfield down
the distance at a six-knot gait; but
to Morton's anxious heart she seemed
to be merely crawling. Bennie's life
was in his pocket. What If the doc
tor had not mad the package! He
felt 1t bullying squarely, and his cour-
age rose.
Crunch! Down sprawled the fisher
man beside his engine. Before he
could rise the water was spouting in.
He had struck sharp hubble on
the end of Razorback. Eager to get
back, he had forgotten the extremely
low tide on the dark of the moon,
when the ledge was dangerous to
shoal-water craft.
Mechanically Ezra reversed the en-
CINE and stopped his boat, by this
time half-full. Presently it settled
TO bottom, the water rising to his
watch-pocket. The lantern had sput-
tered out, leaving him in absolute
blackness.
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.
lay two miles behind, beyond the
reach of even his strong lungs. Meth
er could they hear him on the out
shore of Burntcoat, mile ocean
ward. But perhaps some stray fish.
erman-- Again he made the fog ring,
!, then stopped to listen; still no answer.
Zimro Emerson and Paul Clyde were
night-haking, 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 Bennie!
The fisherman reflected, not rapid
ly, 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 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
iy. His fingers told him it was flow
ing in. Pushing his bundle before
hsm he 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, It
would have been an easy swim. But
against the flood, 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 fret few minutes he made rapid
progress. Occasionally he trod wat
; Or and listened for the rote. Yes;