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THE
OF LIGHT.
P T T T A T>
H 1 8 J I J A
BY LOUIS TRACY,
Author of "Rainbow Island," "The
Revellers/' &c., &c.
CHAPTER V.—THE HURRICANE.
"Let me see," said Enid, "it will be 19
years on the 22nd of nest June since you
found me floating serenely towards the
Gulf Kock in a deserted boat':"
"\es, if you insist on accuracy, as to the
date. I might cavil at your serenity."
"-4nd I was 'estimated' as a year old
then? Isn't it a weird thins that a yearold
should be sent adrift on the Atlantic
in an open boat and never a word
of
enquiry made pubjsequently as to her
account late? I fear in those I could days." not have been ot much
'•My dear diild. I have always told you
that, the boat had been in collision duriig
the fog which had prevailed for several days
previously. Those who were -caring for you
were ppobaWy knocked overboard and
drowned."
''But. alone! Utterly alone!. That is the
strangeness of it. I must be an American.
Americans start out to hustle for themselves
early in life, don't they?"
•"Certainly in that respect you might
claim the record."
Brand had not told her all the facts of
that memorable Jtme morning. Why should
be? They were not pleasant memories tio
him. Why cumber her also with them?
For the rest, he had drawn up and read to
her long ago a carefully comnpiled account
of her rescue, ana the steps taken to discover
her identity.
''I entered on an active and useful career
with no such halo of glory," broke in Constance.
"1 am just^plain English, born in
Brighton, of parents not poor, but respectable.
Mother died a year after my birth,
didn't she, dad?"
"You were 13 months old when we lost
her," he answered, bending over the clockwork
attachment of the fqg bell to wipe
off an invisible speck of dust. Since his
first term of service on the rock the light
had cbahged from an occulting to a fixed
one.
She is Honed there, isn't she?" tbe girl
went on. "How strange that, amidst our
many journpyings, we have never visited
Brighton
. "If I were able to take yon to her graveside
I would not do it," said Brand. "I
do not encourage morbid sentiments even
of that perfectly naiiural kind. Your
mcther, to yon, Constance, is like Fnid's
to her, a dear but visionary legend. In a
degree it is always so between loved ones
lost and those who are left. Truth, honour,
work, these are the highest ideals for the
individual. They saitfisfy increasingly.
Happy as I am in y-oor companion ship, yon
must not be vexed when I tell you that
the most truly joyful moment of my life
was conferred when my little friend hefe
first responded accurately to external influences."
He laid his hand on an object resting on
a table by itself. Iii looked like an aneroid
barometer, but the others knew" it was the
marine auriscope to which he had devoted
so many patient hours.
"Is it in working order now?" asked
Constance instantly, and Enid c^me
nearer. Together they examined the small
dial. It 1 was equipped with an arrow-headed
pointer, and marked with the divisions
of the compass, but without the distinguishing
letters.
These three understood each other exactly.
By inadvertence the conversation
bad "touched on a topic concerning which
Brand was always either vague or silent.
Both girls were quick-witted enough to
know that Constance's mother was never
willingly alluded to either, by the lighthouse
keeper or by the elderly Mrs. Sheppard
who looked after them in infancy and
was now the housekeeper of Laburnum
Cotteige.
Constance' was annoyed. How corfd she
have been so thoughtless as to cause ber
father a moment's suffering by bringing up
painful reminiscences. But he helped her,
being master of himself.
He adjusted a switch in the instrument.
"I had no difficulty in constructing a
diaphragm which would 'intercept all
Bounds," he said. "Tbe-efa-ujgde-eanie when
I wanted an agent which would distinguish
and register a particular set of sounds, no
matter what additional din might be prevalent
at the same lime. My hopes were
wrecked so often that I began to despair,
until I chanced one daf to read how the
high-tension induction coil could be tuned
to disregard electricsl influences other than
those issued at the same'pifceh. My anxiety
until I had urccured and exoerimented
with a properly constructed coil was very
(rviug, I assure you."
"I remember wondering what on earth
it was." volunteered Enid.-v'fltsounded like
a mathematical snake,"
"And I am sorry to say that even yet
I am profoundly ignorant as to its true inwardness."
smiled Constance.
"Yet yoii girls delight in poets who bid
you hearken to the music of tbe spheres.
I suppose you will admit tbal the ear of,
say. Ben Pollard, is not tuned .to such a
celestial harmony. However, I will explain
my auriscope in a sentence. It only listens
to and indicates the direction of foghorns,
sirens, and ship's bells. A shrill steam
whistle excites it. bHt the breaking of seas
aboard ship, the loud flapping of a propeller.
.the noise of the engines, of a gale,
or .all :these in combination, leave it unmoved"
"I remember once, when we were going
from Falmouth to Pbrthalla in a fog, how
dreadfully difficult it was to discover the
whereabouts of another steamer we passed
en route," said his daughter.
"Well, with this little chap on the
bridge the pointer would have told the
captain unerringly. I don't suppose it
will be thick whilst you are here, or you
would see it pick up the distant blasts of
a steamer long before we can hear them,
and follow her course right round the arc
of her passage. It is most interesting to
watch its activity when there are several
ships using their sirens." I have never had
an opportunity of testine it on more than
three vessels at once: hot as soon as I
could deduce a regular sequence in the
seemingly erratic movements of the indicator
I marked the approach and passing
of each with .the utmost ease."
"Would that stop collisions at sea?"
"Nothing will do that, because some
hips' officers refuse, at times, to exercise
due care. But, with my instrument on
board two ships, and a time chart attached
to the drums! there would be no need for a
Board of Trade
enquiry to determine
whether or not the proper warnings were
given. To the vast majority of navigators
it will prove an absolute blessing."
"You clever old thing!" cried Enid. "I
suppose you will make beaps of money out
of it."
"The inventor is the last man to make
money out of his invention as a rule," said
Brand. "I suppose I differ from the ordinary
poor fellow, inasmuch as I am not dependent
for a livelihood on the success of
my discover}'."
"There's not the least kittle bit of chance
of there being a fog to-night?" queried
Enid, so earnestly that a wave of merriment
rippled through the room.
"Not the least. In any event, you two
girls will be in bed and sound asleep at 10,
o'clock."
"Perish the thought!" cried Constance
"Bed. at It), during
our first and only night
on a lighthouse!"
"Yon will see." said ber father. "You
cannot imagine how the dock dawdles m
this circumscribed area. Work atone
conrruers service after it. Otherwise, a mnTitti month's J c men PY™»ri.iwio experience. woold 1 ouit " the
"Ship ahoy!" screamed Enid. "Here
comes the Lapwing round Cam du. , .
Lawton must have lent her to brine the
,
relicf. How kind of him."
c j
"The Lai) whirr ^.nnot, apnroach
rock." said Brand. "I will signal
impossible to -dav.' Tt will lave them ^ a
useless imimev ' '
j
He' selected the requisite flass W , U
lockor. the Phrase be needed bein-^dU
Firm the ^trn^-r hrr^-rc
, the oon bunting tne Strom from breeze the cordage.'and wns trying to t Wtear h '(
thev could not hear *be three whirtfe. I
which the little yacht acknowledged thel~. I
pal. they could easily see the jets of steam
through the glasses.
Constance bacnened to overlook the table
on which stood the auriscope.
"This thine has a"tuaJly recorded those
whistles." she cried in wonder.
"What sort of whistle has the Lapwing*"
asked Brand.
"'
"A loud and deeD one. worthy of a
leviathan. Tt was a fad of Mr. Law-ton's.
They say his siren consumes more steam
than his engines."
Her father laughed.
"Anyhow, be is sticking to hi.-? course."
he jUHKAimred. "I may as well take in the
decorations."
Und-iunteflly. but much flurried bv a sea
ever 'jncrepsiiior ;„ cli pn^fh as the force of
the ebb tide encountered tbe resistance of
tiie WHI1-I. 1 lie L-M^-.-iti? held 011. With
wind , and sea asrain.st her she would have
Hi-id* 1 -low proem*. As it was. there was
hrin fij-rtiicnmins for both journeys unless !
tlv= wind went, hack to tbe north again as
rapidly as m had veereH to the south-west.!
She ^^>o«W not be abreast, the rock for '
nearly an hour, sn Brand left the girb in •
charge of the lookout whilst he visited the o
oilroom. A wfld night, such- as-he antici- •
riated, demanded full pressure al tbe lamp,
If .the air became supersaturated breakage
of the glass chimneys might take place, j
and he must have a good stock on hand.
Water ami <oal. loo. were needed; the j
double aecident to Bates and Jackson had
tluwn into arrears all the ordinary duties j
of the afternoon watch. ;
Naturally, the pair in the lantern found \
the progress o£ the yachi cxa«j)eratingjy
slow.
"A nice Lapsing," said Enid scornfully.
"I will tell Mr. Lawton he ought to rechristen
her the Bantam. All her power
is in her crow."
When Brand joined .them matters befsune
livelier. More accustomed than thev
to the use of a telescope he made discoveries.
"The two supernumeraries are there.'-"
he announce!, "but I cannot see Lawton.
Indeed, so far as 1 can make out, she is
commanded by Stanhope, dressed in Ben
Pollards' oilskins."
"He lias left Lady Stanhope!" cried
Constance.
"He never went home," essayed Enid.
"Poor chap! He was going to take us for
a drive to-morrow." said Constance.
"To Alorvah. 1 ' explained Enid, with a.
syllabic emphasis meant for one pair of
ears.
"It is very nice of him to struggle on
and have a look at us," said Brand. "He
can come close enough to see us. but that
is all. Our small megaphone will be useless."
Indeed the Lapwing dared not approach
nearer titan the Trinity mooring buov. By
that time the three, protected from the biting
wind by oilskin coats, were standing on
the gallery. The reef was bellowing up
at them with a continuous roar. A couple of
acres of its surface consisted of nothing
more tangible than white foam and driving
spray.
Stanhope, resigning the wheel to a sailor,
braced himself firmly against the little vessel's
foremast, and began to strike a series
of extraordinary attitudes with his arms
and head
"Why is he behaving in that idiotic manno-?"
screamed Enid.
"Capital idea—semaphore—clever fellow,
fellow. Jack." shouted Brand.
Abashed, Enid held her peace.
The lighthouse keeper, signalling in tarn
that he was receiving the message, spelled
out tbe following:—
"Is all well?"
"Yes," he answered.
"Bates and Jackson reached hospital.
Bates compound fracture. It weather moderates
will be with you next tide."'
"All right," waved Brand.
Tbe distant figure started again—
"L-o-v-c t-o E-n-i-d."
Enid indulged in an extraordinary arm
flourish
"A-nd C-o-n-s-t-a-n-a-e-e."
"That spoils it," she screamed. "Tt ought
to be only 'kind regards' to vou, Connie. I
believe .vou are-a serpent, a——"
"Do stop your chatter," shouted Brand,
and "he continued the message—
"Weather locks very bad. Little hope
for to-night. -Lancelot due at 6. WT!1 sefpersonally
that no chance is lost. Goodby."
"Goodby," was the response.
The Lapwing fell away from the vicinity
of the booy.
"Why is he doing that." asked Constance,
dose to ber father's ear.
"He is too good a sailor to risk turning
her in that broken water. A little further
out there is greater depth and more regular
seas."
They watched the yacht in silence. At
last her head swung round towards the
coast. When broadside on, a wave hit her,
and. the spray leaped over her masts.
"That gaive them a wetting," cried
Brand, and his calm tone stilled their ready
fear. Indeed there was greater danger
than he wanted them to know. But the
Lapwinc reappeared, shaking herself, and
still turning.
"Good little boat!" said Brand. The
crisis had passed. She was beaded, at full
speed, for the bay. And not too soon.
Ere she reached the comparative shelter of
Clement's Island she was swepti three times
by green water.
. Inside the lantern, their feces ruddy
with the exposure, their eves dancing with
excitement, the girls were voluble with delight.
Could anything be more thrilling
than their experiences thai flay! -
(To be continued tomorrowj
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