Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1925-04-01
The Phantom
Fog-Horn
20. Doubleday, Page & Coz
BY CHART PITT

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 favorite
dsh-and Dogfish 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 fog-signal-and Dan
had blamed Keeper KettlesOn for it
all.
But Dogfsh Dan was dead now, and
Pete still chung to his government job
over at the lighthouse. Some uncanny
impulse had compelled Kettleson to
90 to tie funeral of the man whom he
had hated so long and bitterly. But
now when it was over lie 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 like his father
to suit Pete.
One by one the lights of the town
vent out, and the lightkeeper began
tC feel sleepy there in his easy chair
The clock licked off its minutes upon
the wall. 1t, too, was getting drowSy
ard it's voice seemed farther and far
Their away to the nOdding man. Mid
night came; the eery hush Of dream
ing world hung over the lighthouse
i 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
j would be sure to wake up If the boats
began whistling for fog.
The faithless lightkeeper slept peace
fully on, and out in the night the
neglected light bIinked on-with none
] to watch it 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.
j ed the fog signal. When the ma
! chinery was in motion, Pete went out
side He was bit curious to know
/ ~
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.
I 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
bald-headed lightkeeper sank into the
black boys 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 li~hts, 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 Oh
his watch, trusting his sharp ears to
awaken him if the boats began blow
ing for fog-now his ears were begin
ming to play him false. To keep
awake nights, as lightkeepers we're
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 1t 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. 1t came
again-louder-a whistle such as never
blew on land or seattle whistle OF
the phantom fleet that steer their eter
damned.
For moment the guilty light
keeper stood there with his wide eyes
staring out into the black night. Then
he remembered about Dogfish 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 l lost my ship because of
you-and If had gone down with the
Vampire-I would have come back
and haunted yOu!"
Now Dogfish Dan was dead-and the
phantom horns were blOwing-out
there on the reefs of the Muk-muk-
where the bones Of the Vampire lay.
He rushed into his quarters and