The Red Cloud chief., 1906-09-21
PILLAR Of LIGHT
&C. ntinued from page 81

might as well ne III II mine closed up
by an explosion. And, I'll tell you
what, I'm real sorry for you"
Brand, collapsing under the strain,
sank into a chair.
at IL an awful thing" he moaned,
ito condemn so many men, women and
children to such a DEATH"
A spasm Of pain made Pyne's lips
tremulous for an instant. He had for.
gotten Elsie and Mamie.
But his voice was fully under con-
troll when he spoke again.
"You can count on me In the deal In
all but one thing" he said.
The older man looked up fiercely.
What condition could be imposed In
the fulfllment Of a duty 80 terrible2
81 am here by chance" went on
Pyne. Zone Of your daughters may
have told you that Mrs. vansittart
came from New York to marry my I'M
Gle. Anyhow you would know she was
dear to him by his message today. She
Is sort of In my charge, and l can't de-
sert her. It's hard luck, as l don't care
a cent for her. She's the kind Of wom-
an old men Notwithstanding. birdlike
creatures-when the cage is gilded."
Brand sprang to his feet and raced
up to the trimming stage. When his
hands were on the lamp he felt surer
Of himself. 1t gave him strength dur
ing the hurricane, and it would
strengthen him now.
There can be no exceptions" he
said harshly. Pyne waited until the
lighthouse keeper rejoined him..
II ought to have put my proposition
before you first and made Il speech aft
crward," he said. Constance and Enid
will join you here when you say the
word, but | viii! he on sae other side of
the barricade."
"Nonsense!" cried Brand. "You have
no right to thrust away the chance that
is given you. You saved all these peo-
pie once. Why should yoss die use.
lesslyT'
What! Suppose it pans out that
way. suppose we live a couple Of
weeks and escape. Am l to face the
old man and tell him-the truth? No,
sir. You don't mean it. You wouldn't
do K yourself. What about that shark
the girls told me of? l can guess just
'r"at happened. He wanted the light
.rc"shment in the boat. Did you scoot
Jack when you saw his fin? I'm a heap
younger than you, Mr.. Brand, but that
bluff doesn't go"
THANK heaven, we have twenty-four
hours YETI murmured Brand.
s.IN ,"tn T.. al A. -I~.x $3.50
have only twenty-four seconds. Let W
fix it that way right now. Don't you
see, it will be easier to deceive the
girls? And there's another reason. Bar
ricade and shoot rs you like, it will be
a hard thing to keep threescore des-
perate men boxed up down below.
When they begin to diet on COLA there
will be trouble. A few of us, ready to
take chances, will be helpful. Some of
them may have to die quick, you
know"
Brand closed his eyes in sheer af-
fright. In that way he tried to shut out
a vision.
"Be it So" he gaspcd. May the Lord
help us"
1t was the responsibility that master
cd him. Judges on the bench often
break down when they sentence n
criminal to death, but what judge, hui
name, tender hearted and God fearing,
ever pronounced the doom of seventy
eight people snatched from Il merciful
death to be stepped in horrors?
At last his iron will predominated.
The knowledge that the path of duty
lay straight before him cheered his tor
tured soul. No man could say he erred
in trying to save his children. That
was Il trust as solemn rs any conferred
by the Elder Brethren Of the Trinity.
He placed Il hand on Pyne's shoulder,
for this y%oungster had become dear to
him.
Had | a son." he said, 81 should
wish him to be like you. Let us strive
to forget the evils that threaten us.
Brooding is useless. If need be you
will take charge of the lower deck.
There is starvation allowance for three
more days Mt the worst, but / hate the
thought of starting the new scale to-
morrow"
TT may not be necessary"
"Candidly, I fear it will. I know the
Cornish coast too well. When bad
weather sets in from the southwest at
this season it holds for a week at the
lowest computation"
as there no other way? Can moth.
ing be lone out there?'
able men, the best Of sailors, the
most experienced Of engineers, have