Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-12-19
The Phantom
Fog-Horn

By CHART PITT

DETE KETTLESON, Keeper Of the
Muk-muk lighthouse, heayed a
sigh Of relief as he settled down in his
easy chair. He lifted his fat hand and
scratched his bald head thoughtfully.
He had toasted upon his fayorite
dish-ahd D0gfsh Dan Swanson was
dead at last.
Ten years ago Dan had wrecked his
schooner in a fog. The Vampire had
piled upon the rocks right In front Of
the ighthouse-wrecked within pistol
shot Of the silent fOgsi gnal-and Dan
had blamed Keeper KettlesOn for 1t
all.
But Dogfish Dan was dead now, and
Pete still chung TO his government job
over at the lighthouse. Some uncanny
impulse had compelled Kettleson to
90 10 tie funeral Of the man whom he
had hated 50 long and bitterly. But
now when it was over he wished he
had stayed at home. For Danny
Swanson, the old mans son, had
glared at him from across the coffin
and the boy had grown to look like
his father-too much Ike his father
to suit Pete.
One by one the lights Of the town
went out, and the lightkeeper began
10 feel sleepy there in his easy chair.
The clock licked of It's minutes upon
the wall. 1t, too, was getting drowsy,
and its voice seemed farther and far
Their away to the noddlng man. Mid
night came the eery hush Of dream
ing world hung over the lighthouse
where Pete Kettleson sat in the depths
Of his easy chair, sleeping on his
watch-with his educated ear close to
the open crack Of the window, so he
would be sure to wake up il the boats
began whistling for fog.
The faithless lightkeeper slept peace
fully on, and out in the night the
neglected light blinked on-with none
to watch 1t except the eyes Of the Al
mighty.
Then Pete Kettleson sprang from
his chair, with the echoes of fog
horn still ringing in his ears. The
haze of sleep was in his eyes as he
bolted for the engine room and start
ed the fog signal. When the ma
chinery was in motion, Pete went out
side. He was a bit curious to know
If there were any ships close to the
rocks-and whether Muk-muk light
was due for another investigation.
Then he swore.
Above him the midnight stars were
burning-bright and clear. He looked
out to sea, but there was no trace Of
fog.
He hurried In and stopped the sig
nal, and returned to his quarters.
He poked up his fire, then settled down
In his chair again, with his educated
ear close TO the crack in the window.
Once more he was sleeping, as he had
slept for twenty years-on his watch.
The clock upon the wall licked off
the minutes. Deeper and deeper the
baId-headed lightkeeper sank into the
black bogs of Morpheus But that
wise old ear of his was at the win
dow, listening listening for some alien
sound in the night.
Then once more Pete KettlesOn
sprang to his feet. The whistles were
blowing again. Almost automatically
he staggered inside, and started the
engine For twenty years he had tend
ed the lights, and his hands had grown
used to doing the work with little aid
from his sleepy brain. But at the
first blast of the signal he remembered
something-and darted outside.
The lightkeeper became alarmed.
/ For score of years he had slept on
his watch, trusting his sharp ears to
I awaken him II the boats began blow
ing for fog-now his ears were begin
ming to play him false. To keep
awake nights, as lightkeepers were
supposed to do, was out Of the ques-
ton. That habit of taking cat-naps
was too firmly fixed to be broken
For an hour Pete Kettleson tramped
back and forth across the lighthouse
grounds. He was afraid to go to
sleep again, and it was almost impos-
sible for him to keep awake.
Then he heard it-a fog-whistle out
Of the night. He wheeled toward the
signal-then he stopped. II came
again-louder-a whistle such as never
blew on land or seattle whistle Of
the phantom fleet that steer their eter-
nal courses across the ocean of the
damned.
For moment the guilty light
keeper stood there with his wide eyes
staring out into the black night. Then
he remembered about DOgfsh Dan
who was dead.
1t was ten years since the old fish.
erman had spoken to him-but those
last words rang like a banshee's cry
in his fear sharpened ears
You slept on your watch, Pete Ket-
tleson-and lost my ship because of
you-and if | had gone down with the
VAMPIRE would have come back
and haunted your
Now Dogfish Dan was dead-and the
phantom horns were blowing-out
there on the reefs of the Muk -muk-
where the bones 0f the Vampire lay.
He rushed into his quarters and
bOlted the door: fear-haunted man
who knew retrbution had found him
at last Back and forth across the
floor he walked. while out in the murk
Of the lonely night the phantom horns
kept biowing-the voice Of lost ships
cursing him from the graveyards OF
the sea.
In the gray gloom of the dawn. q
canoe came creeping in from the reefs
OF Mukmuk. Danny Swanson smiled
softly to himself as he hid his boat
among the weeds. Then he stole away
toward the cabin on the hill--with a
basket Of assorted conch-shell whistles
under his arm