The Morning herald., 1876-12-02
CORD AND CREESE,
CHAPTER VIII.
TIE SIGNAL OF FIRE.

An hour and half was occupied in the
walk over the sand to the wreck. Fresh
waves of dark had come over all things,
and now, though there were no clouds,
yet the gloom was intense, and faint points
OF light in the sky above showed where
the stars might be. Where now was the
ship for which Brandon sought? He cared
not. He was going to kindle his signal-tire.
The wind was blowing freshly by the time
that he reached the place. Such wind
had not blown for weeks. 1t would take
the ship away further. What mattered it?
he would seize the last chance, if it were
to put that last chance away for ever, and
thus make an end of suspense.
All his preparations had long since been
made; the dry wood lay loosely about the
hold; the pile Of shavings and fine thread
like splinters was there awaiting him. He
had only to apply the fire.
He took his linen handkerchief and tore
1t up into fine threads, these he tore apart
again rubbed it in his hand till they were
almost as loose as lint. He then took these
loose hbres and descending into the hold
put them underneath the pile which he
had prepared. Then he took his pistol
ana holding it close to the lint fired ii.
The explosion rang out with startling
force in the narrow hull Of the ship, the
lint received the fire and glewed with the
sparks into spots of read heat. Brandon
blew with his breath and the wind stream
ing down lent its assistance.
In few moments the work Was done.
1t blazed.
But scarcely had the first fame appear
ed than puff of wind came down and ex-
tinguished it. The sparks, however, were
there yet. 1t was as though the tickle
wind were tantalizing him--At one time
helping, at another battling him. Once
more Brandon blew. Once more the
blaze arose. Brandon flung his coat skirts
IN front of it till it might gather strength.
The blaze ran rapidly through The fine
splints, it extended itself toward the shay
ings, it threw it's arms upward to the larg-
er sticks.
The dry wood kindIed. A million sparks
flew out az it cracked under the assault OF
The devouring fire. The fame spread It.
self out to larger volume it widened, ex.
panded, and clasped the kindling all
around in its fervid embrace. The fame
had been baffled at first; but now, as if to
assert its own supremacy, it rushed out in
all directions. The fame had once been
conquered by the waters in this very ship.
The woed had saved the shi ip from the wa
ters. 1t was as though the wood had once
invited the fire to union, but the water had
stepped in and prevented the union by force
as though the wood, the interference, had
baffled the assaults of the water, and saved
itself intact through the long years for the
embrace Of its first love.
Now the fire sought the wood once more
after SO many years, and in ardor unspeaka-
BILE embraced it's BRIDE
Such fantastic notions passed through
Brandon's fancy ashe looked at the triumph
Of the flame. But he could not stay there
long, and as he had not made up his mind
to give himself to the flames he clambered
up quickly out of the hatchway and stood
upon the sand without.
The smoke was pouring through the
hatchway, the black voluminous folds be-
ing rendered visible by the glow of the
fam beneath, which now had gained the
ascendency, and set all the winds at def
ance. Indeed it was SO now that whatever
wind came now it only assisted the flames
and Brandon, as he looked on; amused
himself with thought that the wind was
like the world Of man, which, when any
one is first struggling, has tendency tt
crush him, but when he has once gained !
foothold exerts all its efforts to help hin
along. In this mood, half cynical, hal
imaginative. he watched the progress o
the flames.
Soon all the fine kiudling had crumble,
away at the touch of the fire, and communi
eating its own heat to the wood around; i
sank down, glowing mass, the founda.
ton of the rising fires.
Here, from this central heart OF fire, the
flames rushed on upon the wood which lay
loosely on all sides filling the hull. Through
that wood the dry hot wind had streameo
for many weeks, till every stave and every
board had become dry to it's utmost posi-.