Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-10-19


after daybreak. Pyne refused to al
low any one to disturb him.
Soon after o'clock the watch re-
ported that two vessels were approach
ing from the bay. One was the Fail
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
er, standing by the side of the inspect
ing officer of the south coast lights.
Other officials were there. but near
Stanhope was n tall elderly man, un-
known and certainly a stranger In Pen
Zance.
The Falcon was now chartered by
press men, so the civilian on the official
boat was evidently person Of con-
sequence Indeed, Brand imagined,
long before Pyne was able to verify
the impression, that the newcomer was
Mr.. Cyrus J. Trail, whom he had failed
to notice in the poor light Of the pre-
vious evening.
He knew quite we'll 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-
rayed the prevalent anxiety.
Hope all is well9'
What was he to say? Was 1t not
best to speak boldly and let men know
the truth, not alone Us 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 one alive, but many cases Of
grave collapse"
StanhOpe was again the signaler-
evidently he had arranged matters with
the admiral at Portsmouth-so Brand
expected the prompt reply:
n nd TNvS1
"Quite well and cheerful"
The tall man near Stanhope bent
closer.
"Are Mrs. vansittart and Pyne all
rightY'
Brand assumed that the lady was in
no worse condition than others. Con-
stance, telling him the state Of the sick
during hasty visit, had not mentioned
her name.
80 he sent the needed assurance and
went on forlornly:
Suppose no effort can be made to
open communicationT
To his great. surprise the answer
came:
1--WE are constructing q raft. When
the tide falls this afternoon we will try
what can be DONE"
Ah, how glad he was that he had not
obeyed his earlier impulse and horri-
fed the anxious rescuers by a prophe-
cy of lingering death for many. with
the prelude. perchance. Of murderous
excuses committed by men ON the
verge Of madness. II that story had
to be told he would not finch. but It
was a grateful thing that the hour of
IN telling might at least be deferred.
A long message followed, q string of
loving words from relatives ashore to
those known to be imprisoned on the
rock. During the merely perfunctory
reading on Of the signals his active
mind was canvassing the probabilities
Of success or failure for the venture of
the afternoon. 1t was high water about
8 o'clock, and, In his judgment, with
the wind In its present quarter, about
northwest by west the cross seas
which would sweep the reef and engulf
the lighthouse ut half tide would rem
der 1t wildly impossible for any raft
ever built by mans hands to live in the
immediate vicinity of the rock.
However, the issue lay with others
now. He knew that they would do all
that brave men would dare. He was
tempted to make known the inspiring
news to all hands. but refrained, be-
cause he feared ultimate failure. Be-
meath his feet was human volcano.
Stirred too deeply, 1t might become &C.
tive and dangerous.
SO the apathetic multitude in his
charge, hungrily awaiting a scanty
morsel of food which only provoked
what 1t failed to crafty, must rest
content with the long statement writ.
ten out by the purser and read by him
1t the door of each room.
Pyne took to Mrs. Vansittart the
news Of his uncle's presence on the
steamer.
III you would like to see him." he
said, II have no doubt Mr.. Brand will
Let you stand on the gallery for a lit.
tie WHILE"
She declined, excusing herself on the
ground Of weakness.
I'm this high wind" she said, ut will
be very cold out there, and any further
exposure would make me very ILL.,"
'Thats true enough" he agreed
though he wondered why she raised nc
question concerning the message she
wished him to convey to Mr.. Traill.
Had she forgotten the urgency Of hel
words overnight He had carried hel
instructions quite faithfully to Brand
and the latter smiled at the fantasy.
Time enough to think Of such things
when we are assured Of the lady's de-
parture." he said, and they left 1t al
that.
Thinking to interest her, Pyne told
her Of the crowd on the Falcon.
mostly reporters, Brand thinks" he
said. What story they will build
up in the New York papersl 1t will
be more fun than q box Of monkeys to