Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-03-04

swung himself 10y his hands to the
floor Of the service room.
Galvanized into activity. those who
we've with him on the ledge raced after
him. They knew not what had hap
poncd Their leader had spoken and
they oJcyed.
Down. down. they pelted, taking the
steep stairs with breakneck speed. M
I'll they reached the oil room. with its
thousands Of gallons stored in great
tanks.
Biz empty tins stood there. awaiting
the next visit Of the tender and Brand
wrcnched the cover off the nearest els
tern. lie scooped up a tinful OF the
oil.
''Bring all you can carry" he shout
ed, ana was Off again with an energy
that was wonderful in man who had
| endured the privations and hardships
| Of 50 many hours.
They understood. Why had none of
them thought of it earlier? In its 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. lie found the other man fling
! Ing handfuls Of the oil as far to wind
ward as the thick fluid would travel.
! "QIickr' gasped Brand. Don't pour
| it out It must be scattered"
! 50 the COLA fell in little patches of
/ smooth tranquility into the white void
beneath. and before Stanhope had
pilotel his boat half the remaining dis
lance the wave currents surging about
the rocks ceased to toss their yellow
name 50 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 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 it's icy spray be with
held?
Each wave, as it struck to westward
of the column, divided itself into two
rearing streams which met exactly
where the iron rungs ran down the
wall. There was mighty clash of the
opposing forces and a 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 big comber Travelled sheer
over the reef.
But these aightforward attacks
were spIsmodic. Often the eddies 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
sWampng the entrance and dropping
back with a tremendous crash. There
were times when the nOrtherly ally dis
dained to merge with its rival. Then i
leaped into the hollow created by the
receding wave and all about the light
, house warred level whirlpool.
, Stanhope's plan was to rush the boa
t in when one of these comparativel.
[ less dangerous opportunities offered
He would spring for the ladder, run u
= if possible, but if caught by vault
: ing breaker lock himself with hand
b and feet on the iron rungs and Ell
Y deavor to withstand the sitting en-
e brace of the oncoming sea. He wa
n sure he could hold out against that fl
rious onslaught once at least. He wa
J. an expert swimmer and diver, and b
believed that by clinging limpet-like
b the face of the. rock he had the requ
J. site strength of lungs and sinews
r resist one if not more of those water
e avalanches.
n The rope around his waist was hel
+ from the tug. The instant he made h
le leap the men with him were to bac
IS water. the crew at the drag to haul fC
h all they were worth and consequent
a pull the boat clear of the next way
n ere it broke. That is why he selecte
sr a handy craft in place of the lifebof
le offered to him as soon as his resoly
or was whispered ashore. 1t was on r;
in pidity, quick Judgment. the utilizatio
of seconds. TINT be depended. The III
Y wieldly bulk Of the lifeboat not on
OF detracted from these all important co
ia siderations, but made it more thu
Inf probable that she would be capsized
in touch the reef.
cd For the same reason he timed his a
er prOach on the rising tide. He cou
.ly venture nearer to the lighthouse itse
MT and the boat could be rowed and dra
he ged more speedily into safety. Wi
I'M him. too, were men who knew eve
he inch of the Gulf Rock. He knew
.lv could trust them to the end.
ne Although he had mapped out his pr
ir- gramme to the last detail, Brands
It's spiration in using the oil created
no fresh and utterly unforeseen set of CO
nv ditions.
Mountainous ridges still danced ia