The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-08-15

are the street signs of the water. Eacl
individual light is marked on the chart
And if mariner saw stationary ret
or white light wha-s 10 exposed tt
find a revolving light, he would hun;
for the nearest stationary light on his
chart, and decide he was out of his
course. That is, he might do that
In which case he would be wrecked
In all probability. But the marine
| alone to the contrary, the lights will
turn and burn according to schedule
And at 10 o'clock Alec's prediction
came true; the clockwork did not breal
of itself, but two of the screw pill
legs, strong as they were, gave way
and slowly but surely the ice lifted ur
one side of the house, and slowly bu,
surely it tilted-tllted until the floor
was like the roof of mouse, and Alec,
hanging on with one hand, could see,
through the storm glass, the light
striking on the water which was be-
meath.
Patiently Alec waited for develop
ments. That he was in imminent peril
OF his life he knew well. That the light
was in imminent peril of going out or
ceasing to revolve he also knew. Yet
with the knowledge that with an ak
and a rope he might wreck the lower
floor for raft for himself, he held to
MS post on the steepiy sloping floor,
and worked over the mechanism to
make the cage turn again. For Of
course the fitting had fouled the
Welght-line, and there was nothing to
turn the light now. Nothing? No,
but some one to do it for the ma
chine-some one with a cool head and
brave heart
Finding he could do nothing with his
hands, Alec hurried down the broken
winding stair for an AK He pulled at
the splintered boards which blockex
his path, tore his clothes and hands
on splinters and nails, and, with infin-
lite difficulty, made his way across the
sloping floor to return with the prec-
ious tool. Getting back was worse
than going down, but he managed it.
With the ak he soon loosened the pin
which held the rope to the drum, and
then it was free. Now for the light
A new chimney-hope it doesn't break
"a match-scratch-it's lit"
Then, watch in hand, he turned the
cage, steadily and slowly, one full
minute to the revclution-ten seconds
OF red, ten seconds of blank, twenty
seconds of white, twenty seconds Of
SO on Indefinitely
What was he thinking of all this
time-this young longshoreman who
drew forty dollars a month for the
of working day and night in
4 lonely station set in the middle of
The water? Himself-the light-Tom
the ice-his danger? IF the good
Lord'll only keep that light from tip
ping any farther, and keep the ice
rom climbing up any higher, l reckon
can worry through"
That was his thought-to keep the
light turning-to keep faith with the
department. which had trusted him,
md with the one, mayhap the hum
lreds, Of vessels on the bay which
would look for the light and steer by
His position was cramped in the ex-
rene He had to lean against the
torlu glass and work with his arms
bove him, or else, climbing above the
light, to wedge himself against the
celestial and hang on with one hand.
Sither position cramped him, and one
made him very warm. So he settled
n the lower side and bore the dis ,
omfort. .
All this time the ice was beating and =
ounding, the broken house swaying
nd lurching; and Alec, inside, felt
nat any momer+ it might collapse and
lunge him into the ice and water.
So the night wore on. At three in
he morning he had to stop turning the
ght for few minutes and rub his
ack and legs, SO cramped by the po-
ltion he was forced into that the tor
ire was unbearable.
Guess couple Of misses won't .
latter" he said. ANY fool would look
ard at light on a night like this
nd then he was at it again. only
1ree hours more now. Hope nothing 4
reaks after ALL"
Nothing broke The machine-lik
lotion never faltered, the ice, released Z
the giving Of the two logs, did no
lrther lifting Of moment, and morning
ame at last.
Stfh and sore, bad burn on one
and, where he had been thrown
gainst the light when changing sides,
lee clambered down. and weakly-for
e was exhausted-rang the fog bell .,