The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-10-14

ne WlQQ uOWleu
in search of prey, and flung foam-crest-
ed waves upon the beach, like packs OF
yelping wolves whose white fangs gllt-
tered through the darkness.
Hale quickly removed his shoes as he
gained the entrance of the lighthouse.
The door, was left open. He listened.
Both men assembled the stairs The
boys heart beat with great thumps
against his side as he felt for the key.
If he could secure it, it would be easy
to lock the wreekers out when they
| came down. and then to repair what
damage they might have done to the
damp. But, alas, the key was gone!
For an instant Hale was confused and
disappointed, but it was not long before
he had contrived another plan which he
determined to put into execution.
At all hazards he would fo-iow the
wreckers to the top of the lighthouse.
Trusting to his perfect know ledge OF
every nook and Granny in the premises
Hale, with the stealthy motion OF cat'
ascended the steep, narrow, winding
stairs.
For the first time in his experience
they creaked beneath his weight.
Up, up he went, every slight noise
sending a thrill of terror through his
frame; up past loopholes, which now
admitted no single ray of light; up I'M
Ill the second last round was nearly
completed, and then he stopped.
What was it that made him Shlver 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, rickety 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, and 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 um
noise! 'Sh."
The sharp-eTed Indian had detected
1.-THE almost suppressed breathing OF
Hale. The brave boy never moved
muscle, but the beating of his heart was
painful in that fearful moment.
Two steps to one side, and either one
of the men would have trampled upon
him where he lay.
Would they make search? Would
thew strike a light?
go OF, you coward" said Parker,
mpatiently. "There amt no human
oein' but them in the cottage within
miles of us. Go ON, 1 tell you'll"
ugh! White man. him fool!" the In
dian answered, mutternig oiscontented-
ly as he passed downward.
Parker followed, and soon their echo
ing footsteps died away in the distance,
and Hale rose, with prayer of thanks
giving on his lips, for the danger was
past.
Quickly he. ran up the last flight of
stairs, and 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, therefore, would nat
urally mistake one for the other, and
run their ships upon the rocks. The
plan of the wreckers was perfect in it's
diabolical ingenuity and in it's certainty
of success.
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 a minute. Then, standing on a
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 clock
until he reached go" and then the bril-
liant light flashed out upon the dark
ness, and many pilot, miles away upon
the bosom Of the stormy gulf, saw the.
Well-knOwn signal and steered his YES
sci accordingly.
1t is scarcely necessary to relate how
the Infatuated wreckers, vowing VEN
geance upon the person who had out
Wltted them, ram up the narrow stair
way and flung themselves again and
again upon the stout barrier which sep
arated them from the heroic boy. Suf-
ice it to say that amid the bowling of
the storm, the curses, threats and pistol
shots OF the baffled 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 fatigue; but he never
fllnched-he stood with invincible de-
termination at his post of duty, saving
by bis exertions the property of anxious
merchants and the lives of storm-tossed
marines.
And when the anger of the storm sub
SIDED and the sun rose in the east, fling
ing its glorious radiance over the spark
ling waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence
it flashed brightly on the sails of MANY
SHIPS, which, but for the heroism of a
little boy. would have been shattered
on the cruel rocks of Cape Hurricane.
The wreckers, 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
lighthouse in the morning, released his
tather. the latter wept tears of Joy in
THANKING Heaven for so heroic and no
ble-hearted a son.
Later the little fellow received a
bronze medal for heroism from the gov