Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-08-29

Ike UOh."
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
ungratcful task.
1t is ofttfmes easy for n man to de-
eide upon Il set course but hard to fol
low it.
"A week" he murnured. perhaps
ten days. That is all. Pray heaven !
may not so mad before they die"
Pyne, watching the light, knew that
Brand had succeeded. The Falcon
went. Gradually the watch dispersed.
Where is the hoard?" asked Pyne,
making believe that they were playing
some comedy.
hidden 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 trans
ferred the tins 10 ll.e !o,i...5 OF The
service room. pync. wi.o missed moth
ing, shook his Lead when it became
evident that the last consignment was
safely stored away.
Not much there" he commented.
Il will take no more!' was the fierce
cry.
| You ought to-
Il refuse. tell you! Don't tortur,
me further"
| Any chance of Il row in the morn
ing? The purser and Mr.. Emmett
mount guard when the storeroom /.
opened"
Il acted my role well. built up tn,
vacancies with empty tins"
My sakes." cried Pync pityingly
You deserve to win through
II think my heart will break" nut
tered Brand. but look! The lamp!
needs adjusting
| Indeed, a fresh gale seemed to bt
sprnSing up. The wind vanc havin:
gone, the index was useless. 1t wa,
not until hurst of spray tlrcnclcd Ill,
lantern that Brand knew of Il chang,
taking place. The wind was backin,
round toward the north.
The barometer fell slightly. 1t Dor
tended either move wind and dry
weather or less wind. accompanied In
rain. Who could tell what would hap
penI Fair or foul. hurricane or calm
all things seemed to be the ungovern
able laundering of blind chance.
When the rock WAS left in peace aft.
err the fall of the tide Pyne promised
to keep the light I'm order If Brand
would cndeavor to sleep until day.
break. Rest WAS essential to him. liz
would assurcdiy break down under the
strain If the tension were too lon.
maintained, and II time was coming
when he would need all his strength
mental and physical
Here have been snooZing i'm o,.d
corners ever since came aboard. -
urged the American, '.and have moth,
ing to do but starve quietly. It's ri
diculous. My funeral is dated; yours
isn't. You cant be on dock all the
time, you know. Now, just curl up
and count sheep jumping over IL 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 II chair cushion for n pill
low. All the rugs rescued by Con.
stance were now needed In the hOsDi-
tai. In less than n minute he was
sound asleep.
THAT was II close call" unused Pync.
In another hour lie would have crack
cd up. Hes n wonder anyhow"
The lighthouse keeper slept until long
after daybrcnk. Pyne refused to a.
low any one to disturb him.
Soon after I o'clock the watch re-
ported that two vessels were approach
Ing from the bay. One was the Fal-
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
II was evident that the brief rest had
cleared his brain and restored his self
confidence. Instantly he took mp the
thrcad of events. and his first words
showed how pleased lie was that some
one of authority In the lighthouse scrv-
ice should lie In active communication
with him