The Irish standard., 1896-11-14

sta 1fA s.e4 80
For the first time in his experience
they creaked ibeneath his weight.
Up, up he went, every slight noise
B sending q thrill OF terror through his
frame; up past loopholes, which now ,,'
admitted nossingle ray OF light. 1le, I'M
I'll the second last round was nearly
completed, and then he stopped.
What was it thatemade him shiver as
though afflicted with an ague? What
caused him to crouch down in the inky
darkness, scarcely three feet from the
! bottom of the last, ricketys flight OF
stairs? He held his breath and listened.
Despite the fearful roaring of the tenn
pest without, Hale distinctly heard
the low murmur Of voices, aud the loud,
echoing sound OF descending foot
steps.
He recognized the wreckers. One was
an Indian, the other Miles Parker, a
white man, and both suspicious and
dangerous characters.
"Ugh!" exclaimed the former, as he
paused on the last step. "Me hear UNI
noise! 'Sh!"',
The sharp-eared Indian had detected
1.-THE almost suppressed breathing of
Hale. The brave boy never. moved
muscle, but the beatingof his heart was
painful in that fearful moment.
Two steps to one aide, and either one
of the men would have trampled upon
him where he lay.
Would they make a search? Would
they strike q light?
go on, you coward" said Parker,
impatiently. "There amt no human
bein' but them in the cottage within
miles of us. Go on, I tell you!"
"Ugh! White man, him fool!"'' the In
dian answered, mutternig discontented-
ly as he passed downward.
Parker followed. and soon their echo
ing footsteps died away in the. distance,
and Hale rose, with a prayer Of thanks
giving on his lips, for the danger was
past.
Quickly he ran up the last fight of
stairs, aand one glance showed him all.
The wreckers had not extinguished the
lamp, but simply broken the revolving
apparatus. In another lighthouse fur;
Their down the coast the light was sta
tionary. Pilots, thcreforc, would nat
urally mistake one for the other, and
run their, ships upon the rocks. The
plan of the wrecl1ers was perfect in its
diabolical ingenuity and in it's certainty
Of success 81
q Hale, however. was equal to the occa-
sion. Closing the heavy door Of the lit
tie circular apartment, he bolted and
barred it firmly. This was scarcely the
work of minute. Then, standing on
stool, he found-oh, Joy of joys!-that
he could reach the lamp, and move it
easily with his hands-in fine, that he
himself could perform the work of the
revolving apparatus.
Zone, two, three, four, five, SIX" he
counted, with the regularity of q clock,
until he reached ''6O," and then the brill
liant light flashed out upon the dark
ness, and many pilot, miles away upon
THE bosom OF the stormy gulf, saw the
v ell-known signal and steered his yes
sci accordingly. I.
1t is scarcely necessary to relate how
+ -
the Infatuated Wrccl<ers, vowing ven
geance upon the person who had out
wittcd them, run up the narrow stair
way and flung themselves again and
again upon the stout barrier which sep
arated them from the heroic boy. Suf-
fee it to. say that amid the bowling OF
the storm, the curses, threats and pistol
shots Of the baff1ed ruffians, five feet
away from him, Hale calmly and pre-
cisely continued counting the weary,
minutes Of that long, terrible night.
His arms ached; his limbs could
scarcely support him; he was almost
overcome with fntigue; but he never
finchcd--le stood with invincible de-
termination at his post Of duty, saving
by his exertions the property of anxious,
and the lives of storm-tossed
marines. s
And when the anger of the storm SUBJ
sided anil the sun rose in the east. fling
ing its glorious radiance over the spark
ling of the Gulf Of St. Lawrence,
it flashed brightly on the sails of many
ships, which, but for the heroisn1 of a /
little boy, would have been shattered
on the cruel rocks of Cape Hurricane.
The wrecke1s. who had made, their
escape before daylight, were afterward
captured and punished as they deserved,
to be--by imprisonment for long
term of years:
When Hale, on descending from. the
light house in the, morning, released his
father, the latter wept tears Of Joy I'm
thanking Heaven for so heroic aud no-
ble-hearted a son.
Later the little fellow received d
bronze medal for #heroism from the gov
ernment. s 5 vE q
4 Even at this day, visitors to Cape
Hurricane. hearing this story told. unite.
in applauding the grand and noble
deed, and in calling down blessings
upon The hero. Hale .Johnstone, the;
Egh tkeeper's son. Golden Days
49, 7 orkt town. where CorDwall;s YVES
i'ensmcd in and compelled to capitulate. /
IS ten miles from the mont,, Of The j