The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-05-29


chree would sweep into harbor at the next
tack. Could Danny get up on to the pier
In time to see the lamp on the pier go
DOWN
Mona could see the black outline of the
Lockjaw hcadland from where she was sta
toned Her heart seemed to stand still.
She turned her eyes first TO the pier, then
to the LOckjaw, and then to the cloud of
black sail outside that grew larger every
instant
Look agaln-the fishing boat is coming
in. She is almost covering the lamp on the
pier, she has swept it down 1t Is gone.
and all Is blank, palpablc darkness. Mona
covers her eyes with her hands.
Is Danny ready Quick quick, Danny.
One minute lost and all Is lost No light
yet on the Lnckjaw,
Brnvol Mona heart leaps to her mouth.
There is light on the Lockjaw head
Thank God and poor dear Danny for ever
and everl
And now, the lamp down, the gorse
burning the merchantmen drawing near
er and nearer what must Mona hers, If
dor She had promised to give the sign 10
the men In the castle the instant the light
on the pier was run down. Then they
would know that 1t was not too soon 60
pounce down on Kisscck and his men, with
part of their plot-the least dangerous
part, but still punishable part-carried
into effect. But Mona did not light her
lantern. She never meant to do 1t so soon
She must first see some reason to believe
that Christian and his companions had
taken Danny's warning.
She waited one minute, two, three No
sign yet, Meantime the black cloud of
sail in the bay was drawing closer. There
were living men aboard of that ship, and
they were running on to the rocks. This
suspense was agony. Mona felt that she
must do something. But WHAT
If she were to light her lantern now, she
might save the merchantmen, but then
Christian would be bounced upon and
taken. II she were not to light her lantern
soon, the ship would be gored to pieces on
the Castle isle, and perhaps all hands
would be lost What was Mona to dor The
tension was terrible
She strobe up and down the hillside
up and down, up and down.
Three minutes gone-a fourth minute
going Not a sound from the west coast
Of the castle. Perhaps Christian, Kisseck
and the rest had not landed She must
not let the merchantmen be wrecked Her
lantern must be lit for the crews sake.
Yes, they were men, living men-men
with wives who loved them and children
who climbed to their knees. Mona thought
of Christian and Ruby. 1t was a fierce
moment of conflicting passion.
Four minutes at least had gone. Mona
had decided TO light her lantern come what
would or could. She was in the act of do
ing so when she heard footsteps on the
cliff behind her. The four strangers had
seen the light on the pier go down. They
thought it must be time for them to be
| moving. Either Kinvig and the other four
in the castle had taken their men, or they
had missed them. In either case their
own time for action had gone.
Mona, in q fever of excitement, affected
certain knowledge that Kisseck's men
must be captured. She recommended the
police to go down to the shore and wait
quietly for Il 'ir friends But at that mo-
ment they caught sight of Dannys fire
on the Lockjaw head They suspected
mischief and declared their intention of
! going off to it,
At the same moment Mona's quicker
eyes, now preternaturally quick, caught
sight of boat clearing the west coast of
the Castle rock and sailing fast toward the
/ Lockiaw. 1t was Christians boat Again
Mona felt an impulse to scream.
And now there came loud shouts from
the castle. At the sign of Mona's lantern,
Kinvig and his followers had leaped out of
their ambush, only to find their men gone
Then they had run off to the creek in
which they had left their boat, meaning to
disappeared. There had been treachery
somewhere. They were imprisoned on the
Castle rock, and so they shouted, loud and
long, to their comrades on the cliff
Mona thought she would have laughed
yet louder and longer had she dared But
the police We're still with her, and the de-
sire to laugh was quickly swallowed up in
fresh fear. She took the strangers to the
high path that led to the Lockjaw. "Fol-
low this, " she said, land take no other, as
you value your limbs and necks." She
told them to be very careful as they passed
the open shaft Of the old lead mine. II
would lie three yards on their right. Away
they went.
What had happened to the merchant,
MANI She had seen danger, and was al.
ready beating down the bay. She and her
crew were safe. Putting down the lantern
on the hillside Mona ran with all speed to
Kisseck cottage. In the darkness she al.
most stumbled down the little precipice on
to the back Of the roof Running round
the path, she pushed her way into the
house. Bridget Kisseck was there. In
breathless haste Mona told the woman that
the police were after Kisseck and his
friends; urged her to get pipes tobacco,
cards ale, spirits, and the like on the table.
The men would be here in three minutes.
They must make pretense that they had
never been out.
Then Mona ran back to the angle Of the
two mountain paths, the high path and
the low one.
Bridget, who had not comprehended
Mona's instructions, took fright at her in.
telligence, put on her shawl and bonnet,
and, without waiting for her husband,
hurried away to the town.
(COntiRued)
GarWOOd'S decentralization the blood