The Lighthouse

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

  RUBY HAS A RISE IN LIFE, AND A FALL.

  James Dove, the blacksmith, had, for some time past, been watching theadvancing of the beacon-works with some interest, and a good deal ofimpatience. He was tired of working so constantly up to the knees inwater, and aspired to a drier and more elevated workshop.

  One morning he was told by the foreman that orders had been given forhim to remove his forge to the beacon, and this removal, this"flitting", as he called it, was the first of the memorable eventsreferred to in the last chapter.

  "Hallo! Ruby, my boy," cried the elated son of Vulcan, as he descendedthe companion ladder, "we're goin' to flit, lad. We're about to rise inthe world, so get up your bellows. It's the last time we shall have tobe bothered with them in the boat, I hope."

  "That's well," said Ruby, shouldering the unwieldy bellows; "they haveworn my shoulders threadbare, and tried my patience almost beyondendurance."

  "Well, it's all over now, lad," rejoined the smith. "In future youshall have to blow up in the beacon yonder; so come along."

  "Come, Ruby, that ought to comfort the cockles o' yer heart," saidO'Connor, who passed up the ladder as he spoke; "the smith won't need toblow you up any more, av you're to blow yourself up in the beacon infutur'. Arrah! there's the bell again. Sorrow wan o' me iver gits toslape, but I'm turned up immadiately to go an' poke away at that rock--faix, it's well named the Bell Rock, for it makes me like to _bell_ow melungs out wid vexation."

  "That pun is _bel_ow contempt," said Joe Dumsby, who came up at themoment.

  "That's yer sort, laddies; ye're guid at ringing the changes on thathead onyway," cried Watt.

  "I say, we're gittin' a _bell_y-full of it," observed Forsyth, with arueful look. "I hope nobody's goin' to give us another!"

  "It'll create a re_bell_ion," said Bremner, "if ye go on like that."

  "It'll bring my _bell_ows down on the head o' the next man that speaks!"cried Ruby, with indignation.

  "Don't you hear the bell, there?" cried the foreman down the hatchway.

  There was a burst of laughter at this unconscious continuation of thejoke, and the men sprang up the ladder,--down the side, and into theboats, which were soon racing towards the rock.

  The day, though not sunny, was calm and agreeable, nevertheless thelanding at the rock was not easily accomplished, owing to the swellcaused by a recent gale. After one or two narrow escapes of a ducking,however, the crews landed, and the bellows, instead of being conveyed totheir usual place at the forge, were laid at the foot of the beacon.

  The carriage of these bellows to and fro almost daily had been a subjectof great annoyance to the men, owing to their being so much in the way,and so unmanageably bulky, yet so essential to the progress of theworks, that they did not dare to leave them on the rock, lest theyshould be washed away, and they had to handle them tenderly, lest theyshould get damaged.

  "Now, boys, lend a hand with the forge," cried the smith, hurryingtowards his anvil.

  Those who were not busy eating dulse responded to the call, and in ashort time the ponderous _materiel_ of the smithy was conveyed to thebeacon, where, in process of time, it was hoisted by means of tackle toits place on the platform to which reference has already been made.

  When it was safely set up and the bellows placed in position, Ruby wentto the edge of the platform, and, looking down on his comrades below,took off his cap and shouted in the tone of a Stentor, "Now, lads, threecheers for the Dovecot!"

  This was received with a roar of laughter and three tremendous cheers.

  "Howld on, boys," cried O'Connor, stretching out his hand as if tocommand silence; "you'll scare the dove from his cot altogether av yeroar like that!"

  "Surely they're sendin' us a fire to warm us," observed one of the men,pointing to a boat which had put off from the _Smeaton_, and wasapproaching the rock by way of _Macurich's Track_.

  "What can'd be, I wonder?" said Watt; "I think I can smell somethin'."

  "I halways thought you 'ad somethink of an old dog in you," said Dumsby.

  "Ay, man!" said the Scot with a leer, "I ken o' war beasts than aulddowgs."

  "Do you? come let's 'ear wat they are," said the Englishman.

  "Young puppies," answered the other.

  "Hurrah! dinner, as I'm a Dutchman," cried Forsyth.

  This was indeed the case. Dinner had been cooked on board the _Smeaton_and sent hot to the men; and this,--the first dinner ever eaten on theBell Rock,--was the second of the memorable events before referred to.

  The boat soon ran into the creek and landed the baskets containing thefood on _Hope's Wharf_.

  The men at once made a rush at the viands, and bore them off exultinglyto the flattest part of the rock they could find.

  "A regular picnic," cried Dumsby in high glee, for unusual events, ofeven a trifling kind, had the effect of elating those men more than onemight have expected.

  "Here's the murphies," cried O'Connor, staggering over the slippery weedwith a large smoking tin dish.

  "Mind you don't let 'em fall," cried one.

  "Have a care," shouted the smith; "if you drop them I'll beat youred-hot, and hammer ye so flat that the biggest flatterer as ever walkedwon't be able to spread ye out another half-inch."

  "Mutton! oh!" exclaimed Forsyth, who had been some time trying to wrenchthe cover off the basket containing a roast leg, and at last succeeded.

  "Here, spread them all out on this rock. You han't forgot the grog, Ihope, steward?"

  "No fear of him: he's a good feller, is the steward, when he's asleeppartiklerly. The grog's here all right."

  "Dinna let Dumsby git haud o't, then," cried Watt. "What! hae ye begooda'ready? Patience, man, patience. Is there ony saut?"

  "Lots of it, darlin', in the say. Sure this shape must have lost histail somehow. Och, murther! if there isn't Bobby Selkirk gone an'tumbled into Port Hamilton wid the cabbage, av it's not the carrots!"

  "There now, don't talk so much, boys," cried Peter Logan. "Let's drinksuccess to the Bell Rock Lighthouse."

  It need scarcely be said that this toast was drunk with enthusiasm, andthat it was followed up with "three times three."

  "Now for a song. Come, Joe Dumsby, strike up," cried one of the men.

  O'Connor, who was one of the most reckless of men in regard to duty andpropriety, here shook his head gravely, and took upon himself to readhis comrade a lesson.

  "Ye shouldn't talk o' sitch things in workin' hours," said he. "Av wewos all foolish, waake-hidded cratures like _you_, how d'ye think we'diver git the lighthouse sot up! Ate yer dinner, lad, and howld yertongue."

  "O Ned, I didn't think your jealousy would show out so strong," retortedhis comrade. "Now, then, Dumsby, fire away, if it was only to aggravatehim."

  Thus pressed, Joe Dumsby took a deep draught of the small-beer withwhich the men were supplied, and began a song of his own composition.

  When the song was finished the meal was also concluded, and the menreturned to their labours on the rock; some to continue their work withthe picks at the hard stone of the foundation-pit, others to performmiscellaneous jobs about the rock, such as mixing the mortar andremoving _debris_, while James Dove and his fast friend Ruby Brandmounted to their airy "cot" on the beacon, from which in a short timebegan to proceed the volumes of smoke and the clanging sounds that hadformerly arisen from "Smith's Ledge."

  While they were all thus busily engaged, Ruby observed a boat advancingtowards the rock from the floating light. He was blowing the bellows atthe time, after a spell at the fore-hammer.

  "We seem to be favoured with unusual events to-day, Jamie," said he,wiping his forehead with the corner of his apron with one hand, while heworked the handle of the bellows with the other, "yonder comes anotherboat; what can it be, think you?"

  "Surely it can't be tea!" said the smith with a smile, as he turned theend of a pickaxe in the fire, "it's too soon after dinner for that."

  "It looks li
ke the boat of our friends the fishermen, Big Swankie andDavy Spink," said Ruby, shading his eyes with his hand, and gazingearnestly at the boat as it advanced towards them.

  "Friends!" repeated the smith, "rascally smugglers, both of them;they're no friends of mine."

  "Well, I didn't mean bosom friends," replied Ruby, "but after all, DavySpink is not such a bad fellow, though I can't say that I'm fond of hiscomrade."

  The two men resumed their hammers at this point in the conversation, andbecame silent as long as the anvil sounded.

  The boat had reached the rock when they ceased, and its occupants wereseen to be in earnest conversation with Peter Logan.

  There were only two men in the boat besides its owners, Swankie andSpink.

  "What can they want?" said Dove, looking down on them as he turned tothrust the iron on which he was engaged into the fire.

  As he spoke the foreman looked up.

  "Ho! Ruby Brand," he shouted, "come down here; you're wanted."

  "Hallo! Ruby," exclaimed the smith, "_more_ friends o' yours! Youracquaintance is extensive, lad, but there's no girl in the case thistime."

  Ruby made no reply, for an indefinable feeling of anxiety filled hisbreast as he threw down the fore-hammer and prepared to descend.

  On reaching the rock he advanced towards the strangers, both of whomwere stout, thickset men, with grave, stern countenances. One of themstepped forward and said, "Your name is--"

  "Ruby Brand," said the youth promptly, at the same time somewhatproudly, for he knew that he was in the hands of the Philistines.

  The man who first spoke hereupon drew a small instrument from hispocket, and tapping Ruby on the shoulder, said--

  "I arrest you, Ruby Brand, in the name of the King."

  The other man immediately stepped forward and produced a pair ofhandcuffs.

  At sight of these Ruby sprang backward, and the blood rushed violentlyto his forehead, while his blue eyes glared with the ferocity of thoseof a tiger.

  "Come, lad, it's of no use, you know," said the man, pausing; "if youwon't come quietly we must find ways and means to compel you."

  "Compel me!" cried Ruby, drawing himself up with a look of defiance anda laugh of contempt, that caused the two men to shrink back in spite ofthemselves.

  "Ruby," said the foreman, gently, stepping forward and laying his handon the youth's shoulder, "you had better go quietly, for there's nochance of escape from these fellows. I have no doubt it's a mistake,and that you'll come off with flyin' colours, but it's best to goquietly whatever turns up."

  While Logan was speaking, Ruby dropped his head on his breast, theofficer with the handcuffs advanced, and the youth held out his hands,while the flush of anger deepened into the crimson blush of shame.

  It was at this point that Jamie Dove, wondering at the prolonged absenceof his friend and assistant, looked down from the platform of thebeacon, and beheld what was taking place.

  The stentorian roar of amazement and rage that suddenly burst from him,attracted the attention of all the men on the rock, who dropped theirtools and looked up in consternation, expecting, no doubt, to beholdsomething terrible.

  Their eyes at once followed those of the smith, and no sooner did theysee Ruby being led in irons to the boat, which lay in _Port Hamilton_,close to _Sir Ralph the Rover's Ledge_, than they uttered a yell ofexecration, and rushed with one accord to the rescue.

  The officers, who were just about to make their prisoner step into theboat, turned to face the foe,--one, who seemed to be the more courageousof the two, a little in advance of the other.

  Ned O'Connor, with that enthusiasm which seems to be inherent in Irishblood, rushed with such irresistible force against this man that hedrove him violently back against his comrade, and sent them both headover heels into Port Hamilton. Nay, with such momentum was this actperformed, that Ned could not help but follow them, falling on them bothas they came to the surface and sinking them a second time, amid screamsand yells of laughter.

  O'Connor was at once pulled out by his friends. The officers also werequickly landed.

  "I ax yer parding, gintlemen," said the former, with an expression ofdeep regret on his face, "but the say-weed _is_ so slippy on them rockswe're almost for iver doin' that sort o' thing be the merest accident.But av yer as fond o' cowld wather as meself ye won't objec' to it,although it do come raither onexpected."

  The officers made no reply, but, collaring Ruby, pushed him into theboat.

  Again the men made a rush, but Peter Logan stood between them and theboat.

  "Lads," said he, holding up his hand, "it's of no use resistin' the law.These are King's officers, and they are only doin' their duty. Sure amI that Ruby Brand is guilty of no crime, so they've only to enquire intoit and set him free."

  The men hesitated, but did not seem quite disposed to submit withoutanother struggle.

  "It's a shame to let them take him," cried the smith.

  "So it is. I vote for a rescue," cried Joe Dumsby.

  "Hooray! so does I," cried O'Connor, stripping off his waist-coat, andfor once in his life agreeing with Joe.

  "Na, na, lads," cried John Watt, rolling up his sleeves, and baring hisbrawny arms as if about to engage in a fight, "it'll niver do tointerfere wi' the law; but what d'ye say to gie them anither dook?"

  Seeing that the men were about to act upon Watt's suggestion, Rubystarted up in the boat, and turning to his comrade, said:

  "Boys, it's very kind of you to be so anxious to save me but youcan't--"

  "Faix, but we can, darlin'," interrupted O'Connor.

  "No, you can't," repeated Ruby firmly, "because I won't let you. Idon't think I need say to you that I am innocent," he added, with a lookin which truth evidently shone forth like a sunbeam, "but now that theyhave put these irons on me I will not consent that they shall be takenoff except by the law which put them on."

  While he was speaking the boat had been pushed off, and in a few secondsit was beyond the reach of the men.

  "Depend upon it, comrades," cried Ruby, as they pulled away, "that Ishall be back again to help you to finish the work on the Bell Rock."

  "So you will, lad, so you will," cried the foreman.

  "My blessin' on ye," shouted O'Connor. "Ach! ye dirty villains, yelow-minded spalpeens," he added, shaking his fist at the officers ofjustice.

  "Don't be long away, Ruby," cried one.

  "Never say die," shouted another, earnestly.

  "Three cheers for Ruby Brand!" exclaimed Forsyth, "hip! hip! hip!--"

  The cheer was given with the most vociferous energy, and then the menstood in melancholy silence on _Ralph the Rover's Ledge_, watching theboat that bore their comrade to the shore.