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THE
PILLAR of
LIGHT
I
CONTINUED.
Ho. waited, lost porchuncc the other
iiirnii should take the cue thus offered,
but Brand, for the twentieth time,
was poring over the records of the
days which followed the hurricane re- i
liorled by a former keeper. The Amer- ,
lean pursed his lips.
"He has had a bad time with a wo- '
man once in his life," ho mused. "It
must have boon Constance's mother,
nnd that Is why he doesn't believe in I
'heredity. Well, I guess he's right."
Had ho soon Mrs. Vanslttart cower
ing on her knees outside her bedroom I
door, ho might have found cause for .
more disturbing reflections. She was '
T.vhig softly, with her face hidden In
.her hands.
"Oh, I daro not! I dare not!" she
moaned. "I am the most miserable wo
man In the world. It would have been
better If I had gone down with the
vessel. The Lord saved mo only to
jiuntsh me. My heart will break. What
vlmll I do? Where shall I hide?"
And her sobbing only ceased when
iho noise of ascending footsteps drove
lior Into the company of sorrowful wo
men, who would nevertheless have for
gotten some of their own woes did they
tint realize her greater anguish.
CHAPTER XIV,
S
IOME people are never satis
fied," said l'yne, while ho
helped the cooks by smash
ing u ham bone with a hum
mer. The bone had been picked clean
of meat and marrow on the first day
After the wreck, but It occurred to
Enid that If It were broken up and
boiled she might procure some sort of
nourishment for the two children, who
-wore fast running down In condition.
"What is the matter now?" inquired
Constance, whose attentive eyes were
Covering between the cooking stovo
:md a distilling kettle.
AH the flour and biscuits, with the
exception of two tins reserved for ex
tremities, had been used. She was
striving to concoct cakes of chocolnte I
out of cocoa, an article more plentiful
than any other food of its kind in
.stock, but water could not be spared,
Jiud eating dry powder was dlfllcult to
jinrched palates.
"There are two tugboats, a trawler
Jind a Trinity service boat not half a
mile away," said Pyne, "and the cliffs
at Land's End are peppered with
people."
"Surely that Is satisfactory. Dad
told me that the Falcon signaled this
morning he was to expect a special ef
fort to be made at half tide on the flow
and not on the ebb, as was arranged
.yesterday."
"Yes, that Is all right so far as It
goes." I'yne leaned forward with the
air of one about to impart information
-of great value. "But the extraordinary
thing is that while every man on board
those vessels Is thinking like steam
liow best to get Into the lighthouse, wo
are most desperately anxious to get
out of It. So you see, as I said before,
some people"
"Oh, dash!" cried Enid. "I'vo gone
and burnt my finger, nil through listen
ing to your nonsense."
"Are there really many people on the
cliffs?" demanded Constance.
Pync pounded the bono viciously.
"I go out of my way to Inform you
of n number of Interesting and strictly
iiocurnte facts," he protested, "and one
of you burns her fingers nnd the other
doubts my word. Yet, If I called your
skepticism unfeeling, Miss Enid would
bo angry."
"I don't know why lcottlo lids nro so
cantankerous," said Enid. "They seem
to get hot long before the water does."
"The hottest part of any boll Is on
op," said Pyne.
Enid smiled forgiveness. "I bellevo
.you would be cheerful If you were go
ing to be electrocuted," sho said pen
sively. "Yet, goodness knows, It Is
hard to keep one's spirits up this morn
ing. The sen Is as bad as ever. What
-will become of us If wo got no relief
today?"
"Mr. Tyne," Interrupted Constance
suddenly, "do you think that any of
the men can have gained access to the
utororoom during tho night?"
"I can't say for sure," ho replied.
"What has put that Into your mind?"
"Tho purser and I examined all that
was loft this morning, nnd wo both
grced tlint some of tho tilings had dis
appeared. It Is very strange."
Pyne was not wholly prepared for
this initio being sprung on him, so ho
essayed to gain time.
"It doesn't nppenl to mo In that light.
There was a miscalculation about the
water. Why not about tho food?"
Bccauso my fathor went; through all
By...
Louis Tracy,
Aulhor of
The
Winga
of (he
Morning"
Copyright, 1904, by
Edward J. Clode
tho stores personally nnd portioned
them out. Some Hour and tinned meat
have gone; I am quite sure of It. The
question Is, Who can have taken them?
The flour at least must have attracted
attention If anybody tried to eat It."
"Did you say all that to tho pur
ser?" he asked, suspending his labors
and looking at her steadily.
"No; he could not remember exactly
what proportion of the various articles
there ought to be left."
"Then take my advice, Miss Con
stance, and keep on forgetting," ho
said.
A quick flush came Into her pale
cheeks.
"You are not saying that without
good cause?" she murmured.
"I have tho best of reasons. If tho
least hint of such a thing goes round
among the men there will be ructions."
Constnnco went to tho door nnd
closed It.
"Enid," she said, "I bellevo fathor
and Mr. Pyne have got some dreadful
plan In their minds which they daro
not tell us about."
But the American was not to be cor
nered in such fashion. Ho opened tho
door again and went out, pausing on
tho threshold to sny:
"I wouldn't venture to guess what
might be troubling Mr. Brand, but you
can take It from tne that what he says
goes. Talk about grasping a nettle
firmly! I believe your father would
grab n scorpion by tho tall4If he felt
that way."
And with this cryptic utterance he
quitted them, Intending to warn Brand
at the first opportunity that the time
was at hand when he must harden his
heart nnd take the decisive step of
cutting off communication between the
service room and the rcmnlnder of tho
building.
This could bo done easily. Tho
flnnges of the uppermost Iron staircase
were screwed to the floor above and
below. A few minutes' labor would re
move tho screws. The steps could bo
lifted bodily into the service room nnd
there utilized to seal tho well.
"What a howling menagerie will
break loose hero when they find out,"
thought Pyno. "It's a hard thlng to
say, but we ought to have tho door
open. Quite a stack of folks will need
to be pitched outside."
A comforting reflection truly, yet his
face bore no token thereof as ho join
ed tho lighthouse keeper and several
of the Chinook's ofllcers and men on
tho gallery.
The wind had shifted another couple
of points to the north, and tho sea,
npart from tho reef, was running In a
heavy unbroken swell. Tlint was tho
tantalizing part of it. Any ordinary
ship's boat, properly mannged, could
live In perfect safety In tho open.
But the Iron toothed reef, with Its
tortuous channels and battling currents
changing with every stage of the tide,
surrounded the pillar with an appar
ently Impassable barrier, while tho
Ilghthouso Itself offered as frowning a
front ns any of the blnck rocks which
reared their weed covered crests at
low water.
Signals were being exchanged be
tween tho gallery and the Trinity tend
er. Brand seemed to be very emphatic
In his answers to tho communications
made to him by Stanhope.
"No, no," he muttered aloud, while
tho anxious mau near him wondered
why he was so impatient.
"It Is utterly Impossible!" ho said
again. "No boat can do It. Somo one
should stop him. It means certain loss
of life."
At last, becoming aware that his
companions could not understand whnt
was going on, ho turned to them with
passionate explanation.
"Thnt bravo fellow Stanhopo says
that, with two others at the oars, ho
intends to row nenr enough to tho rock
nf: half flood to endeavor to spring on
to tho ladder. I cannot persuade him
that no man has over yet succeeded In
such a mad project. Look below and
see how each wave climbs around
eighteen or twenty feet of tho base.
The thing Is wildly Impracticable. IIo
will bo swept off and smashed to pieces
before our oyes even If tho boat es
capes." "If tho boat can come near enough
for that purpose, couldn't wo heave a
lino aboard her?" asked ono of tho
ship's ofllcers.
"Wo can try. I shall signal them to
thnt effect. Anything is better than to
sanction an ntteinpt which Is foredoom
ed to failure nnd must result In tho
death of tho man who tries It."
Thereupon more energetic flag wav
ing took plnce. Finally Brand desisted
in sheer exasperation.
"I cannot convince him," ho cried.
"Ho has made up his mind. May tho
Lord preserve him from a peril which
I consider to be a mortal one!"
''Hn.s ho put forward any theory?"
iik"d Pyne. "He was doing n lot of
talking."
"Yes," explained Brand. "He be
lieves that a strong boat rowed to the
verge of the broken water might watch
her opportunity and dart In close to tho
ladder on tho back wasli of a big wave,
allowing Its successor to lift her high
enough for an active man to Jump on
to the rungs. Tho rowers must pull for
their lives the instant the wave breaks
and leave him clinging to the ladder as
best he can. There Is more chance of
success In that way, he thinks, than In
trying to make fast a lino thrown by
us even If It fell over the boat. It Is
all a question of time, he argues, and I
have failed to convince him that not
only he but his companions will bo
lost."
"Is thero no chance?" Inquired thu
AM'oud olllcer.
"Look below," repeated Brand hope
lessly, and Indeed, when they obeyed '
him, craning their necks over tho rail ,
to examine the seething caldron from
which the granite tower tapered up to
them, no mau could say that the Ilght
houso keeper deplored Stanhope's yv"
clslon without good reason.
They understood matters a little bet
ter, perhaps, when, ono by one, they re
entered the lantern, the Falcon having
flitted away to make her final prepara
tions. Brand asked them not to make
known tho nature of the ponding under
taking. "If I thought It would do any good to
the suffering people I would gladly ,
see them enlivened by tho news," he
said. "I confess, however, I expect
nothing but disastrous failure and
gentlemen Lieutenant Stanhope Is
practically engaged to be married to
one of my daughters."
What was to be said? They quitted
him in tho silence that was tho dom
Iiiant note of. their lives Just then.
Pyne alone remained. He wondered
why one man should bo called on to
endure so much.
Though each of those present on the
gallery was loyal to Brand's sorrowful
request, It was Impossible to prevent
others from seeing that something of
exceptional interest was in progress
afloat and on the rock.
Brand did not know tlint the officials
of the Trinity house had only agreed
to help Stanhope's hazardous project
under compulsion. The sailor Inform
ed them that ho was determined to
carry out his scheme with or without
their assistance. So when the Falcon,
the tender nnd n strong tug hired by
Mr. Traill rounded tho distant Cam du
headland at 11 o'clock the lighthouse
keeper felt that further protest was
unavailing. It behooved him to take
all possible measures to help the men
who were about to daro so much to
help him.
In tho first place, ho caused a rope
to be swung from the gallery to the
doorway. If any doubt were enter
tained as to tho grave risk attending
Stanhope's enterprise it was promptly
dispelled by tho extreme difficulty met
with in accomplishing this compara
tively simple task. Even a heavy
piece of wood sluug to tho end of tho
ninety odd feet of cord necessnry did
not prevent the wind from lashing tho
weighted end In furious plunges sen
ward. At Inst a sailor caught tho
swinging block with a bont hook. Tho
man would have been cnrrled away by
a climbing wave hnd not his mates
perceived his danger nnd held him.
Then two life buoys wore attached to
other ropes In case there might be
somo slight chance of using them. Tho
tackle which tho unfortunate captain
of the Chinook hnd cast adrift was
utilized to construct safety lines In
tho entrance way. Loops werO fasten
cd to them, in which six of the strong
est men available were secured against
tho chnnce of being swept through the
door to Instant death.
Meanwhile tho three vessels had
steamed close to tho mooring buoy,
which, it will bo remembered, lny In
full view of tho kitchen window. Con
stance gave them a casual glance. Be
ing versed in tho ways of the sea, sho
Instantly discovered that somo unusual
event was astir.
She called her sister's attention to
tho maneuvers of tho steamers. Ono,
tho Trinity tender, lay brondsldo on to
tho Incoming tide.
"They are lowering a bont, I do de
clare," sho announced after., they had
watched tho proceedings for a little
whllo with growing curiosity. At tho
dlstnnce, nearly GOO yards, it was dif
ficult to discern exactly what was tak
ing place.
"No boat can live If it comes near
the rock," cried Enid. And then a wild
thought brought her heart to her
mouth.
"Oh, Connie," sho cried in a sudden
nccess of terror, "I feel sure that Jack
is doing something desperate to snvo
us! Dad knows. They all know, but
they would not tell us. Thnt is why
Mr. Pyno has not been nenr us for
hours."
"It cannot be. No ono would permit
It. Father would never glvo his sanc
tion. Enid, my dear ono, why do you
sny such things? You frighten me!"
But Constance's lips were bloodless,
nnd her eyes dilated with tho fear
which she, too, would fain deny.
They were perched so high above tho
sea that tho dancing hillocks of green
water could not wholly obscure the
stoutly built craft which bobbed Into
Fall and
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startling prominence round tho stern
of tho tender.
"It Is! It Is!" shrieked Enid. "Look,
Connie! Thero Is Jack kneeling in tho
bow. Oh, dear! Oh, denr! Is ho mad?
Why don't they stop him? I ennnot
bear to look. Connie, tell me shall I
see him drowned before my eyes?"
The girl was distraught, and her sis
ter was In little better plight. Fas
cinated, speechlesB, clinging to each
other llko panic stricken children, they
followed tho leaping boat with the
glassy staro of those who gaze open ,
eyed at remorseless death. 1
They scarce understood what was to-1
ward. I
As the boat, n strong crnft, yet such
a mere speck of stanch llfo In tho tum
bling sens, was steadily Impelled nenr
sr they saw the tug lurch nhead of the
other vessels until a line was thrown '
nnd caught by Stanhope, who Instant
ly fastened It round his waist. The
rowers wore cork Jackets, but he wns
quite unprotected. Bareheaded, with
his well knit limbs shielded only by a
Jersey, loose fitting trousers nnd can
vas shoes, ho had declined to hnmpcr
his freedom of movement with the
cumbrous equipment so essential for
any ono who might bo enst adrift in
thnt dreadful sea.
The girls, even In their damb agony,
woro dully . conscious of a scurry of
fct up nnd down tho stairs. What did
it matter? They paid heed to naught
save the advancing boat, uow deep In
the trough of a wave, now perched
precariously ou a lofty crest. Whoever
the rowers were, they trusted wholly I
to tho instructions given by tho gallant
youth who peered so boldly Into tho
wilderness ahead. Tho flying foam
and high tossed spray gave to tho
lighthouse tho semblance of alternately
lifting nnd lowering Its huge framo
nmld tho furious torrents that enclr-1
cled It. Nerves of steel, strong hearts I
and true, were needed by those who '
would voluntnrlly enter that wutery
Inferno.
Yet tho men nt tho oars did not falter
nor turn their heads. They pulled
evenly nnd well, with tho short, deep
sunken stroke of tho fisherman, nnd
Stanhope, now that they wero nltuost
In tho vortex whero tho waves lost
their regularity, produced a paddlo ;
wherewith to twist the boat's head to
meet each turn and swirl.
I
((inter
and Embroideries A
Stealthily tho powerrul tugboat crept
In tho wake of tho smaller craft, until
It became clear to tho girls' strained
vision thnt watchful helpers, lashed in
tho vessel's bows, wero manipulating
uuother rope as a drug, thus helping
tho sailor's efforts to prevent their frail
argosy from being swamped by a
breaking sea.
Then a mlraclo did happen, a miracle
of science. When tho boat was yet
200 yards away, Brand, looking out
from tho gallery in stony despair, sud
denly behaved as one possessed of a
fiend.
"Follow me!" ho roared. "Come,
every man!"
Ho rushed Into tho lantern. As If ho
wanted wings rather than limbs, ho
swung himself by his hands to tho
floor of tho service room.
Galvanized Into activity, those who
wero with him on tho ledge raced after
him. They knew not what had hap
pened. Their leader had spoken nnd
they obeyed.
Down, down, they pelted, taking tho
bteop stairs with breakneck speed, un
til they reached tho oil room, with its
thousands of gallons stored In great
tanks.
Big empty tins stood there, awaiting
tho next visit of tho tender, and Brand
wrenched tho cover off the nearest cis
tern. Ho scooped up a tlnful of tho
oil.
"Bring all you can carry," ho shout
ed, and wns off again with an energy
that was wonderful In a man who had
endured the privations nnd hardships
of so many hours.
They understood. Why had nono of
them thought of it earlier? In Us cold
granite depths the lighthouse carried
that which had the power to subduo
tho roaring fury of tho reef.
The first man to reach the gallery
after Brand was Pyne, who chanced
to bo nearest to him when tho hubbub
arose, IIo found tho other man fling
ing handfuls of tho oil ns far to wind
ward as tho thick fluid would travel.
"Quick!" gasped Brand. "Don't pour
It out. It must bo scattered."
to be continued. I
To Cure Cold aln One Day.
Take Lnxatlvo Bromo quinine tab
lots. Druggists refund money If it
fails to euro. E. W. Grove's signature
is on each box. 25 cents.
S
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