The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1903-12-04
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y The Lightship of ~
@ Frying-Pan Shoal a.
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THE day vas b-sgbt ana a licat 49,


/ blurred the Carolina coast line.
Tie long sumner Eo~ drawing 10 3
close, tad been sIngulzEiy free from
squalls and rzinstorEs. and as CO..
sequence the water o. and zroun6 Fry
fng-Pan sh0zl, that long line OF sunk
en rocks iutting or into the channel
perpetual menace 10 al ssa-goin Z
craft, had been unusually peaceful ane
somnolent, and tie lightShip Dora
Rad mostly rocked Ike g cradle IN
gentle oscillations. fer the motion 0.
8 lightship never ceases
A solitary figure. that OF man
athletic and powerful. STOOD leaning
against the wheel. looking musingly
ont a. the broken Ire Ct distant shore.
more sharply defined where the sun
light fell on a wooded elf. which swep,
down TO the edge Of the sea
Except for The veil Of nis, along
the OCEANS edge. the atmosphere vas
slngUlzriy clear. and the Dora seemed
closer 10 land than usual and the
Eoaosony q her lucesSant roll back
ard forth should have been soothing
70 Ike I2n o. hoard
Judging BY bis face. however. there
vas 4 pSrG-u2 stor- within him not
al a. II accord Nth The p.2c!t!,y and
beauty q the late September dzy and
the tranquil w&tsrs ot the Atlantic as
ihey yars~d and ripPled in seeming in
roesnee over Frying-Fsn reel,
When 4eSair had applied for the
Position o. keeper o, The lightship sta
TONED OF that dangerous coast his age
was considered al objection; not that
he waS too old. but TOO young
That he had been good seaman
lad spent the last few years in east
ern waters. had served Caele Sam with
courage and fidelity OUT N the Philip
pines, as still troublesome wound
in the shoulder testified. seemed sufi-
eient reasons for his appointment 10
the prison life OF the lightshlp near
Cape Hatteras. one Of the most danger
Gus on the Atlantic coast.
A word in his favor from some one
II congress who held the ear Of the
navy department decided the matter,
and McNair was put in charge CT the
lightship Dora. vacated unwilh1g3y By
his predecessor. and only because he
had been crushed 10 death on the
Jagged rock points. when The Dora.
dragging her anchor during q winter
gale. had been swept over on the reef
There were two men aboard beside
the master. and the regulations Of the
department allowed them 10 come
ashore alternately every SIX months
for short reprieye from the ElCnoJoay
CT their life amid ocean. sloof from al
contact With mankind. and the eontea-
tons and turmoil OF life ashore
They weFe both grizzle-h2ired sail
ors. fishermen who had E thorough
acquaintance with the shoals &nd cur
rents. The harbors and places Of ref
uge. along the coast from Haileras 10
the gulf
McNair pretended to 10 such knowl-
edge
A good IN. McSair. But he never
handled nothing but yacht car
tell that" old Anderson remarked q
Bill Peters. his companion. as they sal
busy with their lines for 6eep-Sea
fishing and watched McNair's gloomy
abstraction and the heavy frown or
his elean-sbayen face
'Sailor7 Before the uaste No
much, Tom Anderson knows thiug
Or two. and a swell when he sees one
MeNair's tiptop fellow. Has grit:
and he'll stand by mate II X warn
for hin-lhst last tine ashore. when
broke Sullivan's head. and good for
him. tOo-iJ's not o. the deck OF The
Dora I'd De sitting this day.
MeNai-'s all right Smart chap
too
But queer. Seems 10 ne he's 20;
something in his mind. Maybe mar-
der. But its his lookout. and he's fair
and square. and the kind q fslloE
you want in a tight place. when there's
danger around Ever noticed hos
queer and sotI-nke lie looks when il