On that note what follows is the second installment of my 'lighthouse story' along with another Picture from Patos island. Oh yes, and the schedule for this summer, since several people have been asking me, is
June 11-18th back to Patos Island
June 20th Head to Omak and then Idaho
June 29th Return to Orcas,
----- prepare, possibly head to Stuart for minor work -----
July 4th weekend Stuart Island
July 17th-22nd - Orcas Island for family reunion
July 23rd Stuart Island
Aug 16th, Patos Island for 100 year anniversary birthday bash
Aug 22nd, leave Orcas and head back to Boulder.
All my love to everyone
Chapter 2.
The next morning as they were all sitting down for breakfast they heard the dog barking erratically and the distant sounds of a boat pulling ashore. Instinctively the father checked his revolver and grabbed his oilskin coat from the hook in the hall as he dashed outside. People only pulled up on his shores if they were the Coast Guard cutter, in need of help or opium smugglers. As he ran to greet the boat, he noticed that instead of pulling to the wharf, they had run aground and were listing dangerously to the side. A hole the size of a mans head was quickly filling with sea water, it would be a matter of minutes before the boat would capsize and become unrecoverable.
“H’lo, is anybody hurt?” he cried out as he approached the point.
“Yes” a man yelled from deep within the boat.
“Come out and I will help you”
“I can’t, I can’t move.... my legs.... oh Lord the pain” came the panicked voice from inside the wreck.
“Alright, no funny stuff or my men will shoot you” he yelled hoping the intruder wouldn’t call his bluff.
He made fast of his footwork and threw lines aboard the foundered vessel, in the hopes that tying it to the rocks might prevent it from slipping away while he was on board. As he sloshed through the water now knee deep in the cabin of the boat, he thought to himself ‘light keeper drowns at lighthouse’ sprawled across tomorrows headlines. What a morbidly ironic way for him to die. He laughed inside and pushed a floating cushion and some strange bags of white powder.
“Where are you” he called out into the pitch black interior.
“A few feet in front of you, in the forward hold” the invalid said as he slapped his hand on the water a few times for emphasis.
He found the injured man laying in the forward berth, a white ghastly face gazed back at him in the glow of the lantern.
“Alright, lets get you out of here” he said as he reached down placing his hands underneath the wraith of a man. After what felt like an eternity he laid the man down in the grass above the beach.
“Mary” he cried out, “bring the medical kit and some blankets”. She ran down to where the man lay, desperately trying to hold on to her composure, however the small gasp that escaped her lips upon her first sight of the man was unavoidable. The smell of rotting flesh reached her nostrils as she knelt down unfolding the first blanket.
“Jesus, where did you fish this one out of” she said as she pulled out the bottle of morphine.
“His ship ran aground on that seal rock, help me get him inside.” They fashioned a stretcher out of two pieces of driftwood and the remaining blankets, and afterwards with her at the head and him at the rear they proceeded to make their way to the house.
She was minding her thoughts and counting how many more feet it was to the back door, her skirt folds swishing back and forth between the two handles. One edge was infuriating her as it continued to snag ever time she stepped with her left foot. She was mulling over the impending tear in her new dress when the kids came running out of the house. They stopped midstep at the edge of the sidewalk when they saw what lay between their parents.
“Here papa, let me help” the boy said as he ran to grab the side of the stretcher.
“NO!” their parents screamed in unison.
“This man is very sick, how about you go in and put the kettle on for some hot water” Mary said to her frightened children. They carried the stretcher and its cargo into the spare room, trying their best to be gentle going up the outside stairs. After placing him on the bed she started to remove his wet clothes.
“He is done fainted away” she said, while she sorted through her medicine kit for some ammonia capsules. The capsules effect was instantaneous and the man sat upright like he was rising from the grave.
“That’s okay, lie down and rest a bit, your safe now” she said as she placed more pillows behind his head.
“Darling would you fetch me some of last nights soup and bread?”
“Sure” he replied as he turned smartly out the door.
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