Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1900-06-22

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all his life"
Ihls seemed rather hard 70 AIica
who had certainly never accused Pa,
OF anything, but that wise young wo,,.
an held her tongue while Mrs Habber.
ton hurried out of the room
Lighthouse 34 was situated about half
a mile from the mainland on the point
of reef that lay irregularly parallel TO
the shore, leaving plenty Of clear water
between. The coast was rocky, and the
light was maintained as a warning, for
vessel that should approach too near
was liable to be dashed to pieces on hid
den rocks anywhere within a mile or
two.
The lighthouse keeper had helper
so that usually there were two men On
guard at "a, but leave of absence for one
Of them was obtainable at times, and
1t happened year after Ben Habberton
had left his grandfather house that the
keeper had gone to spend few DAYS
with his family at Christmas time, and
Ben, who was the helper, was alone ON
the reef
Long after midnight Christmas morn
ing that impetuous youth sat up in the
lighthouse tower, gazing out at the fu-
rlOus storm that ragged and meditatinR
by no means pleasantly on the events Of
the year.
Il shall go melancholy mad II stay
here long," he thought. "It is no life
for a young man, and wish mother
hadn't asked me not to 90 to sea again.
was fool TO make her even that half
promise not to. Well, she knows where
I am by this time, and If she doesn't
write and let me off from what i said l
must leave here and look for something
ON shore. This is neither land nor sea.
II wonder what granddad thinks and
how he came to make such a mistake.
Confound him! He ought to know that
Habberton couldn't be thief 1t was
just like him, though, to jump at the
conclusion that l had done something
wrong. Every one in the family is hasty
except me- Hello! What's that"
He had seen faint gleam out at sea,
and watching as only a sailor can
watch he soon saw another.
"It is certainly a rocket" " he exclaim-
ed, talking to himself as his habit was
when he was excited. "Some vessel is
in distress. God help her and all aboard
if they can't keep her offshore, and if
she is disabled in any way that'll be
hard work against this gale. If she's
one Of these coasting steamers and her
machinery's broken down it's all day
with her, for there's no anchorage out
Il -, oh
in 8, 600 of her driving in behind with
out striking"
1t was a coaster, and she was certain
ly beyond the control of those on board,
for as he looked rocket after rocket
went up in vain appeal, as it seemed
There was no life saving station within
Is miles, and Ben's eye was the only
one that saw.
Nearer and nearer she came, driveA
by the awful power of the worst storm
Ben had ever seen. Fascinated by the
sight, he sat as if frozen, watching for
the tragedy that seemed inevitable. He
thought Of the little boat below, but it
was hopeless thought. Twenty men
could not have launched her from the
rocks in the breakers that were dashing
up, and no one man could have rOwcd
her a rod if she had been afloat. All he
could do was to sit and watch. He
could see the ship now from time to
time as she rose and fell ON the waves
but every time she sank from sight be
thought must surely be the last. He
knew the cruel rocks that lay below the
surface.
No earthly pilot cold have guided her
among those rocks to the lee of the reef
on which the lighthouse stood, but 1t
was not written that she should be
wrecked that Christmas day. Lying
helpless in the trough of the sea, she
drifted past rock after rock till Ben
saw with amazement that she was float
ing in behind the reef, and still he
watched with straining eyes
Suddenly he sprang to his feet with
shout like crazy man, and, rushing
down the stairway four steps at time,
he seized an AK and big pannikin in
the room below and ran out into the
storm. A thought had come to him Of
one chance in a million, and he was
after that chance
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a hosshcad, and i'll another instant he
was scooping out the oil it held with
the paunlkin and scattering it like mad
as far as he could in every direction
The wind carried it all toward the YES
sel and the great wonder Of the sea was
wrought almost III d minute, for as the
Oil fell the waves abated, SO that the
ship was Immediately in smooth water.
Overheard went her anchors as quickly
as the captain could give the order, and
she was safe.
For the rest of the night Ben watch
ed, throwing a little more oil from time
70 time, and in the morning, the storm
having abated, he rowed out in his
tmall boat to the ships side.
AS he stepped On her deck the captain
greeted him with such thanks and
praise as could only be given by one
who had just been saved from destruc-
tion. Then as the passengers crowded
up to have their say Ben saw, to his
amazement, his grandfather, his mother
and Alice.
1--WE came after you, my boy" said
the old man, "as soon as your letter to
your mother came You must come
home again, this time to stay
Ben looked at his mother and then at
Alice In both their faces he saw what
he looked for, and then he answered:
It'll be a merry Christmas after all,
granddad, he exclaimed with happy
laugh. And it waa
DAVID A. CURTIS