Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-02-14
THE LIGHTHOUSE
KEEPERS SON.

A strip of land jutting out into the gulf
OF st. Lawrence was at the time | write
of known by the name of Cape Hurri-
cane. A magnificent lighthouse had been
built at the extreme point, and hard by
stood the cottage of the keeper, an old
seafaring man named Samuel tombstone.
Besides two daughters he had four
sons, the youngest of whom, Harry, aged
IA, is the hero Of my story.
One day Samuel tombstone was left
alone with his little son.
As night approached he perceived that
the sky was overcast by heavy thunder
clouds, that a cold, wet wind was blow
ing from the north, and the experienced
mariner at once concluded that a great
storm was impending.
Harry" he said, entering the cottage
and addressing the boy, who was reading
by the open fireplace, run down to the
cove and pull up your skiff high and dry"
Along the barren shores of Cape Hurri-
cane were scattered the cabins of fugitive
Indians, o~utcasts from their tribes, and
here and there might be seen the shanty
of some fishermen, who could act also
the roles Of smuggler and wrecker when
occasion required.
Harry found his task of placing the
Sea Gull beyond danger more difficult
than he imagined. Hence it was some
time before he was ready to return to
the cottage, and when he turned his steps
in that direction the waves were already
dashed into fury.
The lighthouse lamp, constructed on
the revolving plan, now flashed it's radi-
ance through the intense darkness Of
the night at intervals of a minutes dura-
ton.
Harry stopped suddenly, with an ex-
clamation of surprise and fear, as he
approached the cottage. He crept up to
the window and looked in. -Four wreck
ers, awkwardly disguised with masks of
canvas, had captured and gagged the
keeper, wrestling from him at the same
time the great iron key of the light
house.
He crouched down in the shadows un-
der the window sill and in a few Sec
onds had regained his presence Of mind.
His father was helpless. 1t was his duty
to act-to outwit the men-to save hun
dreds of lives now at the mercy of the
wreckers.
Harry had not long to wait. Two men
were left to guard the PROSTATE form of
old Samuel tombstone, while two others
cautiously left the cottage and ran swift
ly toward the lighthouse. The key turn
ed in the lock and both entered. The
next instant Harry had followed them.
Harry 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 wreckers out when they came down
and then to repair what damage they
might have done to the lamp. But the
key was gone.
At all hazards he would follow the
wreckers to the top Of the lighthouse.
Trusting to his knowledge of every nook
and Granny in the premises, Harry, with
the stealthy motion of a cat, assembled
the steep, narrow winding stairs. Up
and up he went, every slight noise send
ing a thrill of terror through him; up
past loopholes, which now admitted no
single ray Of light; up until the second
and last round was almost completed,
and then he stopped.
He recognized the wreckers. One was
an Indian, the other Miles Graham, a
white man, and both suspicious and dan
gerous characters.
"Ugh!' exclaimed the former as he
paused on the last step. "Me hear UNI
noise, Sa!"
The brave boy never moved a muscle,
but the beating Of his heart was painful
in that awful moment. Two steps to one
side, and either one Of the mel wOuld
have trampled him where he lay. Would
they strike a light?
"Go on, you coward!" Graham cried
impatiently. "There amt no human bein
but them in the cottage within miles Of
us. Go on, ! tell you"
Soon their echoing footsteps died away
In the distance, and Harry rose with a
prayer Of thanksgiving on his lips, for
the danger was passed. Quickly he ran
up the last flight of stairs, and one glance
showed him all. The wreckers had not
e%xtinguished the lamp, but simply broken
the revolving apparatus.
In another lighthouse farther down the
coast the light was stationary. Pilots
therefore would naturally mistake one
for the other and run their ships upon
the rocks.
Harry, however, was equal to the occa.
sion. Closing the heavy door Of the little
circular apartment, he bolted and barred
It firmly. Then, standing on a stool, he
found that he could reach the lamp and
move it easily with his hands.
Zone, two, three, four, five, six" he
counted with the regularity Of a clock
until he reached 60, and then the bril-.
liant light flashed out upon the darkness,
and many a pilot miles away upon the
bosom Of the stormy gulf saw the well
known signal and steered his vessel &C
cordingly.
The Infatuated wreckers, vowing venge'
ance upon the person who had outwitted
them, ran up the narrow stairway and
flung themselves again and again upon
the stout barrier which separated them
from the heroic boy.
Amid the bowling of the storm, the
curses, threats and pistol shots OF the
bafied rufians five feet away from him
Harry calmly continued counting the
weary minutes of the long, terrible night
His arms ached, he was almost overcome
with fatigue, but he finched.
The wreckers, who had made their es'
cape before daylight. were afterward
captured and punished, as they deserved
to be, by Imprisonment for a long term Of
years.
The little fellow received a bronze med.
al for heroism from the government and
later a rich Office, in which he was con.
frmed for life.-London Evening News.