The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-01-11

Follow mew he roared. Come,
every manp'
He rushed into the lantern. AS if he
wanted wings rather than limbs. he
swung himself by his hands to the
floor of the service room.
Galvanized into activity, those who
were with him on the ledge raced after
him. They knew not what had hap
pened. Their leader had spoken and
they obeyed.
Down, down, they pelted, taking the
steep stairs with breakneck speed, I'M
til they reached the oil room, with Its
thousands Of gallons stored in great
tanks.
Big empty tins stood there, awaiting
the next visit Of the tender, and Brand
wrenched the cover off the nearest els
tern. He scooped up a tinful of the
OIL
Bring all you can carry" he shout
ed, and was off again with an energy
that was wonderful In a man who had
endured the privations and hardships
of so many hours.
They understood. Why had none of,
them thought Of it earlier? In it's cold
granite depths the lighthouse carried
that which had the power to subdue
the roaring fury Of the reef.
The first man to reach the gallery
after Brand was Pyne, who CHANGED
to be nearest to him when the hubbub
arose. He found the other man fling
ing handfuls of the oil as far to wind
ward as the thick fluid would travel
"Quickw gasped Brand. Don't pour
it out. 1t must be scattered"
So the COLA fell in little patches of
smooth tranquility into the white void
beneath, and before Stanhope had
piloted his boat half the remaining dis
lance the wave currents surging about
the rocks ceased to toss their yellow
name so high, and the high pitched
masses of foam vanished completely.
The seamen stationed in the entrance
were astonished by the rapidity of the
change. In less than a minute they
found they were no longer blinded by
the spindrift cast by each upward rush
right into the interior of the light
house. The two nearest to the door
looked out in wonderment. What devil
ment was the reef Matching now, that
its claws should relax their clutch on
the pillar and its icy spray be with
held?
Each wave, as it struck to westward
of the column, divided itself into two
roaring streams which met exactly
txl Il fl,o
wall. There was a mighty clash of the
opposing forces and further upward
rearing of shattered torrents before
the reunited mass fell away to give
place to its successor.
Full twenty feet of the granite layers
were thus submerged and exposed
whenever II big comber travelled sheer
over the reef.
But these straightforward attacks
were spasmodic. Often the eddiss Gre
ated by the rocks came tumbling pell-
NELL from the north. Sometimes they
would combine with the incoming tide,
and then the water seemed to cling
tenaciously to the side of the light
house until it rose to a great height,
swapping the entrance and dropping
baclE with a tremendous crash. There
were times wSen the northerly ally dis
dained to merge with its rival. Then it
leaped into the hollow created by the
receding wave and all about the light
house war,ed a level whirlpool.
Stanhopes plan was to rush the boat
in when one of these comparatively
less dangerous opportunities offered.
He would spring for the ladder, run up
If possible. but if caught by vault
ing breaker lock himself with hands
and feet on the iron rungs and ell
deavOr TO Withstand the sitting en-
brace of the Oncoming sea. He was
sure he could hold out against that flu
rious onslaught once at least He was
an expert swimmer and diver, and he
believed that by clinging limpet-lke to
the face of the rock he had the requi
site strength of lungs and sinews to
resist one if not more of those watery
avalanches.
The rope around his waist was held
from the tug The instant he made his
leap the men with him were to back
water the crew at the drag to haul for
all they were worth and consequently
pull the boat clear of the next wave
ere it broke. That is why he selected
n handy craft in place of the lifeboat
offered to him as soon as his resolve
was whispered ashore. 1t was on ra-
pidity, quick Judgment, the utilization
Of seconds, that he depended. The I'M
wieldly bulk Of the llfeboat not only
detracted from these all important con-
but made il more than
probable that she would be capsized or
touch the reef.
For the same reason he timed his ap-
proach on the rising tide. He could |
venture nearer to the lighthouse itself, |
and the boat could be rowed and drag
ged more speedily into safety. With
him, too, were men who knew every
inch Of the Gulf Rock. He knew he |
could trust them to the end ~.
Although he had mapped out his pro
gramme to the last detail, Brands in
splration in using Stba OIL created a
fresh and utterly unforeseen set or CON
ditions. <t4 ~ $40 ~ |
Mountainous ridge kiI1>,' "a ian, |
tastically up e. IN thl smooth
granite slS0n h A. longer 81