Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-11-09
Chapter NIlI-Continued.


1t doesn't appeal to me in that light
There was Il miscalculatiOn about the
water. Why not about the food?"
because my father went through all
the stores personally and portioned
them out. Some flour and timed meat
have gone; am quite sure of it. The
question is, Who can have taken them
The flour at least must have attracted
attention il anybody tried to eat it."
Did you say all that to the pur
ser!' he asked, suspending his labors
and looking at her steadily.
NO; he could not remember exactly
what proportion Of the various articles
there ought to be left
Then take my advice, Miss Con
stance, and keep on forgetting" he
said.
A quick flush came into her pale
cheeks.
"YOu are not saying that without
good cause?" she murmurcd.
Il have the best of reasons. If the
least hint of such n thing goes round
among the men there will be ructions. ~
closed it,
Enid" she said, II believe father
and Mr.. Pyne have got some dreadful
plan in their minds which they dare
not tell us about"
But the American was not to be cor
nered In such fashion. He opened the
door again and went out, pausing on
the threshold to say:
Il wouldn't venture to guess what
might be troubling Mr. Brand, but you
can take it from me that what he says
goes. Talk about grasping a nettle
firmly! believe your father would
grab a scorpion by the tail if he felt
that way"
And with this cryptic utterance he
quilted them. intending to warn Brand
at the first opportunity that the time
was at hand when he must harden his
heart and take the decisive step Of
cutting off communication between the
service room and the remainder of the
building.
This could be done easily. The
danges Of the uppermost iron staircase
were screwed to the floor above and
below. A few minutes labor would re-
move the screws. The steps could be
lifted bodily into the service room and
there utilized to seal the well.
"What a bowling menagerie will
break loose here when they find out"
thought Pyne. ''It's q hard thing to
say, but we ought to have the door
open. Quite a stack Of folks will need
to be pitched outside"
A comforting reflection truly, yet his
face bore no token thereof as he join
ed the lighthouse keeper and several
Of the Chlnook's officers and men on
the gallery.
The wind had shifted another couple
Of points to the north, and the sea,
apart from the reef, was running in a
heavy unbroken swell That was the
tantalizing part of it. Any ordinary
ships boat. properly managed, could
live in perfect safety in the open.
But the iron toothed reef, with its
tortuous channels and battling currents
changing with every stage of the tide,
surrounded the pillar with an appar-
emily impossible barrier, while the
lighthouse itself offered as frOwning q
front as any Of the black rocks which
reared their weed covered crests at
low water.
Signals were being exchanged be-
tween the gallery and the Trinity tend
er. Brand seemed to be very emphatic
In his answers to the communications
made to him by Stanhope.
mo, no." he muttered aloud, while
the anxious man near him wondered
why he was so impatient.
ut Is utterly impossiblew he said
again. mo boat can do it. Some one
should stop him. 1t means certain loss
Of life.'
At last, becoming aware that his
companions could not understand what
was going on. he turned to them with
passionate explanation.
THAT brave fellow Stanhope says
that, with two others ut the oars, he
intends to row near enough to the rock
at half flood to endeavor to spring on
to the ladder. l cannot persuade him
mat no man has ever yet succeeded in
such mad project. Look below and
see how each wave climbs around
eighteen or twenty feet Of the base.
The thing is wildly impracticable. He
VIII be swept Off and smashed to pieces
before our eyes even II the boat es.
capes"
IF the boat can come near enough
for that purpose. couldn't we heave
line aboard herr asked one of the
ships officers.
I'VE can try. l shall signal them to
That effect. Anything Is better than to
sanction an attempt which is foredoom.
cd to failure and must result in the
death Of the man who tries It."