Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-08

A SO
Had / u SON I should wtsh him to be
! ltke Uou."
one hungry meal for cighty-one people
! gave twenty-seven hungry meals for
! three. He ought to have taken more
! but he set his teeth and refused the
! ungrateful task.
1t is ofttimes easy for a man to de-
! eide upon a set course, but hard to fol-
low it.
"A week. he murmured. Perhaps
/ ten days. That is all. Pray heaven
! may not go mad before they die.'
Pyne, watching the light, knew that
Brand had succeeded The Falcon
went Gradually the watch dispersed.
where is the h0ardf" asked pyne.
making believe that they were playing
! some comedy.
"IIiiden in the kitchen lockers. |
could obtain only distilled water. You
must persuade the girls in the morning
that something went wrong with the
apparatus"
AS opportunity offered Brand TRIMS
ferred the tins to the lockers Of the
service room. Pyne, who missed moth
ing shook his head when it became
evident that the last consignment was
safely stored away.
Not much there" he commented.
II will take no more!" was the fierce
cry.
You ought to-
! Il refuse. tell you! Don't torture
me further"
ANY chance Of a row ia the morn
ing? The purser ana Mr.. Emmett
mount guard when the storeroom IS
opened"
Il acted my role well | built up the
vacancies with empty tins
My sakes," cricd Pyne pityingy,
you deserve to win through"
Il think my heart will break" NUT
tered Brand. But look, The lamp. 1t
needs adjusting
Indeed. a fresh gale seemed to be
springing up. The wind vane having
gone, the index was useless. 1t was
not until a burst Of spray drenchcl the
lantern that Brand knew of change
ttNlIlS lliNC. iit W Ihtl W as bUthIlt
round toward the north.
The barometer fell slightly. l. por-
tended either more wind and dry
weather or less wind, accompanied by
rain. Who could tell what would hap
pen? Fair or foul. hurricane or calm,
all things seemed to be the ungovern-
nble laundering of blind chance.
When the rock WAS left in peace aft
er the fall of the tide Pyne promised
to keep the light in order If Brand
would endeavor to sleep until day
break. Rest was essential to him. He
would assuredly break down under the
strain If the tension were too long
maintained, and time was coming
when he would need all his strength,
mental and physical.
Here have l been snoOzing in odd
corners ever since l came aboard"
urged the American, land have moth
ing to do but starve quietly. It's ri
dculous. My funeral is dated; yours
isn't You can't be on deck all the
time, you know. Now, just curl up
and count sheep jumping over wall,
or any old game Of the sort, until your
eyes close of their own accord"
Brand yielded He lay on the hard
boards, with chair cushion for pill
low. All the rugs rescued by Con
stance were now needed in the hospi-
tai In less than minute he was
sound asleep.
THAT was a close call" unused Pyne.
"In another hour he would have crack
ed up. He's a wonder anyhow"
The lighthouse keeper slept until long
after daybreak. Pyne refused to al
low any one to disturb him.
Soon after o'clock the watch re-
ported that two vessels We're approach
ing from the bay One was the Fail
con, and the sailors soon made out that
, the other was the Trinity tender from
Plymouth.
When they were both nearing the
buoy Brand WAS aroused.
. 1t was evident that the brief rest had
, cleared his brain and restored his self
. confidence. Instantly he took up the
thread Of events, and his FIRST words
showed how pleased he was that some
, one of authority In the lighthouse serv'
ice should be in active communication
: with him.
, Through his glasses he distinguished
Stanhope on board the Trinity steam
err, standing by the side of the inspect
ing officer Of the south coast lights
, Other officials were there. but neal
, Stanhope was a tall elderly man, un
, known and certainly stranger in Pen
, zance.
The Falcon was now chartered by
press men, so the civilian ON the ofiica
boat was evidently person Of con
, sequence. Indeed, Brand imagined
4 long before Pyne was able to verify
I the impression. that the newcomer wal
Mr.. Cyrus J. Trail. whom he had faiiet