The Red Cloud chief., 1906-09-28

REFUSE, L tell you! Don torture
me further"
ANY chance of a row in the morn
ing? The purser and Mr.. Emmett
mount guard when the storeroom is
opened"
II acted my role well. / built up the
vacancies with empty tins
MY sakes," cried Pyne pltyingly,
"you deserve to win through"
II think my heart will break" NUT
tered Brand. But look! The lamp! 1t
needs adjusting"
Indeed, Il fresh gale seemed to be
s%pringing up. The wind vane having
gone, the index was useless. 1t was
not until a burst of spray drenched the
lantern that Brand knew of Il change
taking place. The wind was backing
round toward the north.
The barometer fell slightly. 1t 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-
able laundering of blind chance.
When the roc was left in peace aft
er the fall Of the tide Pyne promised
to keep the light I'm order IL 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 a time was coming
when he would need all his strength,
mental and physical.
Here have / been snooZing in odd
corners eve since l came aboard"
urged the American, land l have moth
ing to do but starve quietly. It's ri
diculOus. 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 a 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 a chair cushion for a pill
low. All the rugs rescued by Con-
stance were now needed in the hospi-
tai. In less than a minute lie 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 Z 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.
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 near
StanhOpe was q tall elderly man, I'M
known and certainly Il stranger in Pen
Zance.
The Falcon was now chartered by
press men, so the civilian on the official
boat was evidently a person of con-
sequence. Indeed, Brand imagined,
dong before Pyne was able to verify
the impression, that the newcomer was
Mr.. Cyrus ]. Trail, whom he had failed
to notice in the poor light of the pre-
vious evening.
He knew quite well that the expert
enced chief of the lighthouse service
would appreciate fully the disabilities
under which he labored, with eighty
one mouths to feed from a stock al
ready far below the three months
maximum.
The first telegraphed question be-
trayed the prevalent anxiety.
Hope all is well?"
What was he to say? Was 1t not
best to speak boldly and let men know
the truth, not alone as to their present
desperate plight, but revealing the
measures he had devised for the pro-
lection of the light? He could not
make up his mind to launch out into a
full explanation that instant.
So he signaled:
Every n alive, but many cases Of
grave collapse"
Stanhope was again the signaler-
evidently he had arranged matters with
the admiral Mt P~ortsmouth-so Brand
expected the prompt reply:
"How are Constance and Enid?"
"Quits well and ekserful."