Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-11-11
Won From the Sea.

Twenty odd years younger than l am
to-day. backed 10y pretty strong ereden
tials, l applied to the Lighthouse
bureau for the place l now hold On the
Goats Head lock, tho house OF which
had just been finished, and the lamp
that was to be mounted therein daily
expected. AS TO one on the coast
seemed to fortunately care fer the ap-
pointmeEt. I wss, after examination as
to competency and sobriety, put in
charge. 1 was young man, having
just turped the corner Of my twenty
first year. An assistant Was given me.
He was an intelligent young fel;cw
about my own age. He had followed
the sea, and was as daring as lion.
Oar lives were monotonous enough at
first. 1t is true We had provided our
selves with checker board, chessnen
and cards, and cur library WAS respecta.
BILE. 1t contained 400 or 500 books,
mainly romances and histories. To
these we devoted ourselves, and in the
course of o year or two had mastered
their contents. Henry Parsons-thai
was my assistants name-seldom went
to the mainland, and crossed over to
it once a month to buy provisions, oil
and whatever we needed to make our
Imprisonment mt all agreeable.
For three years Parsons and myself
led this eventless, humdrum existence
Like prisoners in cell, we were be.
coming used to it. We rarely ex.
changed words. It was al effort for us
to speak. When We did open our lips
it was to utter what We had to say in
monosyllables. ard briefly as possible
In the winter of The fourth yesr
tersible storm from the nor nor 'west
bore down upon US, making the water
tremble and shoot up even as far as the
lantern. while the huge waves. as they
broke sgainet our sure foundations
made the tower itself tremDle anG
almost bend like reed before the blast
In the midst of the fearful war Of the
elements. Parsons. who stood maLfully
in the gallery watching thu light, hi
garments wet to the skin with the watel
that lesped high in the air and fell il
showers all over and about him. criei
to me:
"There is ship at the ofling, Mark
son."
"Can you see her?" cried.
"No, sir" he answered. ~ do SCI
something black, but it's indistinguish
able. They are sending rockets from
her"
"Where is che now3"
He cried. "Tbe ship is drifting
toward usl She appears urmansgeable
as if she had lost her helm. They ar
sending up signal rockets OF distress
of danger. How can We help them
should the ship come afoul of th
rocks ?"
He looked out again, and then, with
out waiting for an answer. cried:
1.-THE lamp is safe now, Mr.. Mark
son. Come, let's go down and see i
we cannot help some poor creature t.
save his life. We can set into the life
boat, and 1 guess we can manage i
somehow"
The brave fellow ran down ths step
in advance of re, and on cautionsl
opening the door that gave access to tn
rocks on which the tower is placed
peeped out.
A wave struck him and poured int
tho interior of the building. w
watched our opportunity. and when th
water for q moment receded We spran!
out on to the platform. We closed th
entrance securely, then leaping into th'
life-boat prepared for action.
We heard q grating sni then pound
ing noise. The black hulk wa
aground. The waves were leapinf
over her. Around her the sea boiIe(
and lsshed itself furicusly. In th'
momentary lull of the storm we hearf
the voices of those on board crying fol
help-help! Even now when recall
the terror Of that night my blood cur
= dles and grows cold in my veins.
We launched the life.boat. Th,
wind and sea were too strong for us
| M. o.-la l,.,I x.a;A All -aA.l rn