Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-18
"A GRE4T


flowed now, and the little school mistress
head ached, trying to answer the hard ques-
tions that the boys asked-for when the Great
Spoon boys put on their thinking caps they
could puzzle philosopher, assure you.
On the last day of the month there was
a furious storm. The waves dashed so high
that it seemed as if they meant to swallow
the Great Spoon, and the wind rocked the
steady, old ship -school-house until it must
have felt as if it were. breasting gale on the
house was just as full as ever-not a boy on
the Great Spoon would have thought of stay
ing at home on account of storm-but there
was a great straining Of necks to see through
the high windows, which were only portfolios
enlarged, what weather signs the sky gave,
and many sailor-like predictions of what was
to come; but not one predicted Just what did
come.
Suddenly, while the school mistress was ex-
planning an ,arithmetical problem, in which
the length of pole, the length of its shadow
and the time of day were bewilderingly mixed
IN the minds of some of the boys, there came
to their ears, mingled with the whistling of the
wind, the shrill blast of fog horn.
lhe sound was common enough; the light
house keeper was accustomed to respond when
ever he heard horn from a passing vessel
The teacher. went on with her explanation,
scarcely noticing the sound. But the boys
listened for another blast 1t did not come.
For just, one minute they waited, and then
they made q. wild rush for the door! In the
twlnklng. of an eye, the school house was
cleared of everybody but the two girls and
the teacher. The girls manifested some desire
to follow the boys
The teacher stood still, dumb with amaze
ment. Perhaps it was going to be difficult to
manage the boys!
'1t was one blast!" explained Cindy. "That
always means wreck or ship in distress!"
The school mistress decided that she could
not expect to preserve discipline in case like
that She ran out herself, only waiting tn
throw her waterproof hurriedly on, and looked
anxiously through the driving rain for shin
in distress.
The boys, in the meantime, were rushing
over the rocks as fast as they could 90. Ihey
could see vessel, apparently trying to make
Little Neck Harbor, but SO far as they could
discover there were no signs of distress about
her. They found the lighthouse keeper in a
state OF great excitement, surveying the vessel
through glass.
That's the queerest-acting craft that 7 ever
see," he exclaimed. "She hove to out there.
and let down boat, that must have gone to
pieces in about three minutes in that sea.
Then she hung out white flag, and blowed
and blowed. She's good, staunch vessel, and
she looks all right, so far as a vessel can be
in such a storm. She can't make the harbor
with the wind this way, and it's no use try
ing; but theyve got control of her, and |
don't see what's the matter, unless there's a
man overheard. If there is, there's no more
chance for him than if he was fly in churn,
poor fellow"
The vessel was going out of sight, with her
trouble, whatever it might be, q secret, and
the population of the Great Spoon, which had
all been drawn to the shore by the light
house keepers horn, returned homeward
Almost all of the schoolboys kept along on