Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-08-24
Copyright. 1904. by
edward j. Clode

tuoll lIiNt seen IL thIIiIS iiNt H''tiS
experience IF this station. Judging
solely lay the clouds AMI the flight of
birds, ! should imagine that the cy
clonic center PASSED over the Sicily
isles and the Lands End"
Then next day:
"a steady northeast wind stilled the
sea most effcctlIally Within twenty
four hours of the first signs Of the hur-
ricane the channel was practicable for
small craft. \ fisherman reports that
the coast Is Strcwn with wrcckagc."
Brand unused over the entries for
awhile With his night glasses he
pecred long into the teeth Of the grow
ing storm to see If he could find the
double flash of the magnificent light on
the Bishop Rock, one of the Atlantic
breakwaters Of the Scilly isles. 1t was
fully thirty-five miles distant, but it
flung its radiance over the waters from
height of 143 feet, and the Gulf Rock
lamp stood 100 feet above high water
mark. A landsman would not have dis
tinguished even the nearer revolutions
prevalent gloom. and wisps Of spindrift
were already striking the lantern and
blurring the glass.
Nevertheless he caught the quick
flashes reflected from clouds low. but
unbrOken. AS yet there was chance
Of the incoming tide bringing better
weather, and he bent again over the
record Of the eQuinOctial gale in 1891.
Soon he abandoned this hope. The
growing thunder Of the reef Us the tide
advanced gave the first unmistakable
warning Of what was to come. AS a
mere matter of noise the reef roared
its loudest at half tide. He understood
now that gale had swept across the
Atlantic in an irregular track. How
soever the winds may rage the tides
remain steadfast, and the great waves
now rushing up from the west were
actually harbingers Of the fierce blast
which had created them.
OF course the threatened turmoil in
nowise Disconnected him. It might be
that the rock would remain inaccessi-
Bile during many days. In that event
the girls would take the watch after
the lamp was extinguished, and they
must learn to endure the monotony and
discomforts Of existence in storm
bound lighthouse. They would be nerv-
GUS unquestionably - perhaps he had
Forgotten how nervOus-but Brand was
philosopher, and at present he was
most taken up with wonderment at the
curious blend Of circumstances which
resulted in their presence on the rock
that night.
Ha! A tremor shook the great pillar.
He heard without the frenzied shrek
Of the first repulsed roller which flung
itself on the sleek and rounded wall.
Would the girls sleep through the next
few hours? Possibly, II awake, they
would attribute the vibration Of the
column to the wind. He trusted it
might be 80. Shut in as they were,
they could not distinguish sounds. Ev-
erything to them would be a confused
hum. with an occasional SILVER as the
granite braced its mighty heart to re.
sist the enemy.
But what new note was this In the
outer chaos? An ordinary gale shud-
dered and whistled and chanted its
way past the lantern in varying tones.
1t sang, it piped. it beloved, 1t play
ed on giant reeds and crashed with
cymbals. Now-he looked at the clock,
after m1dnight-there was q sustained
screech In the voice Of the tempest
which he did not remember having
heard before. At last the explanation
dawned on him. The hurricane was
there. a few feet away, shut OF from
him by mere sheets Of glass. The
lighthouse thrust its tall shaft into
this merciless tornado with grim stead
fastness, and around its smooth con-
tours poured a volume Of unearthly
melody which seemed to surge up from
the broad base and was flung. of into
the darkness by the outer sweep Of the
cornice.
The wind was travelling seventy.
eighty, mayhap a hundred miles an
hour. Not during all his service nor
In earlier travels through distant lands
had he ever witnessed a storm Of such
fury. He thought he heard something
crack overhead. He looked aloft, but
all seemed we'll. Not until next day
did he discover that the wind vane had
been carried away, a wrought iron
shank nearly two inches thick having
snapped like a piece Of worsted at tho
place where the tempest had found q
fault.
He tried to look out into the heart
Of the gale. The air was full Of fly.
ing foam. but the sea was beaten fiat.
II the growing monster beneath tried
to fling a defiant crest at the tornado
the whole mass Of water, many tons In
weight was Instantly torn from the
surface and flung into nothingness.
Some Of these adventures. forced up
by the reef. hit the lighthouse with
greater force than many a cannon ball
fred in battles which have made his
tory. Time after time the splendid
structure WINGED beneath the blow.
II Stephen Brand were ever fated to
know fear he was face to face with the
ugly phantom then. The granite COL
umn would not yield. but 1t was quite
within the bounds Of possibility that
the entire lantern might be carried
away and he with 1t.
He thought. with q catching Of his
breath. Of the two girls in the tiny
room beneath. For one deeting instant
his mortal eyes gazed into the unseen.
But the call Of duty restored him. Tho
excessive draft affected the lamp.
Its ardor must be checked. With q
steady hand he readjusted the little
brass screws-they were so superbly
Indifferent to all this pandemonium-
Just little brass screws. doing their
work and needing naught beside. Sud-
denly there came to him the trlum-
plant knowledge that the pure white
beam Of the light was hewing its path
through the savage assailant without
as calmly and fearlessly as it lit up
the ocean wilds on midsummer night
Of moonlight and soft zephyrs.
THANK God for thatr' he murmured
aloud. How can a man die better
than at his post?"
The ring Of iron beneath caught his
ears. He turned from the lamp. Con-