The Light Keepers: A Story of the United States Light-house Service

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER VI.

  THE VOYAGE.

  Mr. Peters was not mistaken as to the time when he would finish the taskof repairing the motor boat, and at the dinner-table on the day afterCaptain Eph and Sidney had had such a narrow escape from being run downin the fog, he announced that his work was at an end.

  "She's in as good a condition as I can ever put her, an' outside of areg'lar ship carpenter, I'd like to see the man who would do a neaterjob. When she's had a coat of paint, it would puzzle a Quaker lawyer tomake out to tell that she'd ever been stove."

  "There's one thing I like about our Sammy," Uncle Zenas said in aconfidential tone to Sidney. "He'll never be hung because of not blowin'his own horn loud enough, an' that's really the fact."

  "On this 'ere ledge a man has got to speak for himself, else there'sdanger of forgettin' whether or no he's alive," Mr. Peters replied in aplacid tone. "It ain't often I get a chance for horn-blowin', owin' tothe noise you an' Cap'n Eph make about yourselves. What do you say tohavin' a try at the motor, Sonny?"

  Sidney looked toward Captain Eph inquiringly, and the latter replied.

  "I can't see as there's anything to hinder, pervidin' you don't runoutside the cove. All you want to know is whether it's in workin' order,an' that shouldn't take many minutes. If it so be that we do run over tothe mainland, it's my opinion that the voyage can be begun within thenext twenty-four hours, for this 'ere fog storm is about at an end,'cordin' to the looks of things."

  Therefore it was that as soon as Sidney had eaten dinner he went to thenarrow opening in the rocks where the motor boat was moored at such adistance from the foot of the ways that there could be no danger thewaves would dash her against the timbers.

  Mr. Peters hauled the little craft in so that the lad could leap aboardfrom the rocks, and while he examined the motor according to theinstructions of the _West Wind's_ engineer, Captain Eph and Uncle Zenascame down on the reef as spectators.

  It was not necessary to spend many minutes in order to learn if themachinery was in working order. When Sidney applied the spark whichignites the gas, the screw immediately began to revolve, and he had nodifficulty in sending her ahead or astern at will.

  "I reckon there's no great need of your spendin' very much time overthat end of the business," the keeper said in a tone of satisfaction."You an' Sammy had better give the engine a thorough cleanin', an' whenthat has been done I'll try to answer the questions you asked thismornin' about the light, if you come up into the lantern."

  Then Captain Eph went back to the tower, and when the two were busilyengaged obeying orders, Mr. Peters asked curiously:

  "What did the cap'n mean, Sonny, about answerin' your questions?"

  "I wanted to know about the lens," Sidney replied. "I can't understandwhy it is any better to have all those glass rings around the light,which make so much work for the cleaners, than it would be if it was onesolid globe."

  "So Cap'n Eph thinks he can explain all that, does he?" Mr. Peters saidwith a queer gurgle in his throat, much as if he were choking. "Wa'al,all I can say is, if he does, it'll be a good deal more'n I've everheard of his doin' yet. He'll spin a lot of stuff 'bout bendin' therays, an' after he gets through you won't know quite as much as you didbefore."

  Because he did not understand the meaning of Mr. Peters' remark, Sidneyremained silent, and shortly after, the motor having been cleanedthoroughly, he went into the lantern, where he found the keeper awaitinghim.

  Captain Eph had before him several open books, as if he had beenrefreshing his memory on the subject of lenses, and immediately Sidneyappeared, he said, in an apologetic tone:

  "I don't count on bein' able to give you the idee as to the work of thelenses sich as a man ought'er; but I'll try my best, an' if I fail youwon't be any worse off than you are now. In the first place this 'ere iswhat is known as a light of the first order, meanin' the most powerfulin the service, an' the lens alone cost about eight thousand dollars.The middle part of the lens is made up of what's known as 'refractors,'which, 'cordin' to my way of tellin' it, are rings of glass makin' ahollow cylinder six feet in diameter, an' thirty inches high. Below it,as is printed here," and Captain Eph pointed with his thumb to one ofthe open books, "are six triangular rings of glass, ranged in acylindrical form, an' above it, a crown of thirteen rings of glass,formin' by their union a hollow cage composed of polished glass, tenfeet high, an' six feet in diameter, like this 'ere," and Captain Ephwaved his hand toward the brilliant apparatus before them, a picture ofwhich is given here.

  "But what is the need of making it out of so many pieces?" Sidney asked."Why wouldn't it be just as well to cover the lamp with a globe, such asis on a house-lamp?"

  "That, Sonny, is the hard part of explainin' the business, because Idon't know so much about it as I ought'er; but I've heard the inspectortalk somethin' like this: The flame of the lamp sends its rays in alldirections--up, down, an' sideways; an' what's wanted is to get thelight streamin' out in a straight line all around, so the top an' bottomof this 'ere glass cage is put on to bend the rays till they go in thesame direction as those in the middle of the flame. 'Cordin' to theinspector, when a ray of light strikes a prism of glass, it turns towardthe base, as you'll see in this--wa'al, I don't hardly know what to callit--that I've been drawin' so's you'll understand what the inspectormeans by bendin' the rays. You'll notice that, except in the middle, theprisms are each set at a different angle, an' with a space between 'em,which allows of catchin' every ray from the lamp--"

  "Are you ever comin' down to your supper, or do you count on lettin' allthis 'ere food, that's taken me so long to shape up, go to waste jestbecause you want'er talk 'bout what you don't understand?" was the cryfrom the kitchen, and Captain Eph said hurriedly as he gathered up thebooks:

  "I reckon we'll have to finish this 'ere talk some other time, for UncleZenas does surely seem to be gettin' nervous. He's a mighty handy man'round a light-house; but I do wish he'd get over bein' so dreadfulparticular about all hands settin' down to the table the very instant ameal is ready. There are times, like this, when I'd rather linger alittle; but I don't dare to on account of his bein' so particular."

  Although Captain Eph and Sidney made all possible haste to descend, thecook called out twice more before they could get into the kitchen, andthe keeper said soothingly:

  "Now, now, Uncle Zenas, you must give a man time to come down-stairs,an' Sonny an' me couldn't have got here any sooner unless we'd tumbleddown, which wouldn't have been convenient or comfortable."

  "I like to have folks at the table when things are ready," Uncle Zenasreplied tartly, and Captain Eph said with a wink at Sidney:

  "Then you ought'er give us a little warnin'. Sing out when you begin toput things on the table, an' you'll find us here an' waitin', the sameas Sammy is now."

  Uncle Zenas made no reply to this remark, and it surely seemed as if theincident was closed when Captain Eph asked that the food might beblessed to them.

  "I'm lookin' for clear weather to-morrow," Mr. Peters said as if heexpected to be contradicted, and much to his surprise the keeper saidpromptly:

  "So am I. 'Cordin' to the way I figger it out, the wind'll haul to thewest'ard when the tide turns, an' this smother will be well out to seaby sunrise."

  "An' s'posin' it all turns out as you predict, what about our goin'ashore?" Mr. Peters asked.

  "I'll agree to it if it so be Uncle Zenas is willin' to keep shipalone," the keeper replied. "If the wind _does_ haul 'round, it won't beany great hardship if you an' the cook turn out an hour earlier thanusual, so's we can get the lantern put to rights early."

  "You can call all hands at three o'clock, so far as I'm concerned,"Uncle Zenas interrupted, "an' then I'll be so far along with my end ofthe work that I can give you a lift in the lantern."

  "I don't reckon there's any great need of turnin' out quite so early asthat; but Sammy might wake me an hour sooner than usual, so's he couldget somethin' of a nap, an' we'll make it all hands 'bout four o'clock."


  And thus it was arranged when Sidney went to bed, hoping most ferventlythat he might waken in time to share the watch with Captain Eph; but itso chanced that he did not open his eyes until nearly three o'clock nextmorning, much to the disappointment.

  He hurried into the watch-room as soon as possible, however, and therefound the keeper studying over the drawing he had made for the purposeof showing how the rays of light were "bent."

  "What are you doing, sir?" Sidney asked laughingly.

  "Tryin' to figger this thing out so's to understand it myself," thecaptain replied grimly. "I put it to you same's I'd heard the inspectortalk, but what puzzles me is why the light should go toward the thickend of the prism any quicker than the other way."

  Captain Eph had before him all the books of the library which might aidin the work, and Sidney found the problem so interesting that it seemedas if he had no more than begun before Uncle Zenas' voice was heard fromthe room below, as he said petulantly:

  "It strikes me if I was standin' watch I'd know when it was fouro'clock. How do you ever expect to get off on your voyage early, EphraimDowns, if you can't keep better run of the time than this?"

  "All right, Uncle Zenas, all right! If you'll call Sammy we'll get ourodd chores done up before sunrise," the keeper cried, and the cookreplied:

  "He'd ought'er be awake by this time; I've turned him clean over twice,an' count on pullin' him out bodily if he don't make some kind of a movebefore I count five."

  The sound of a heavy body striking the floor below told that Mr. Petershad "moved," and Sidney cried in surprise:

  "If you'll believe it, I'd almost forgotten that we might go ashore thismorning. Has the fog cleared away?"

  "Every blessed drop of it went to sea when the tide turned, jest as Iallowed; but I got so mixed up about the lens that it went straightout'er my mind. Now it's a case of gettin' things inter shape with ahustle."

  Sidney went into the kitchen, believing he could be of more servicethere than anywhere else, and, thanks to the will with which the crewworked, the start was made in considerably less than an hour aftersunrise.

  "Lay in all the stores that you've got on the list, for there's noknowin' when you'll have another chance." Uncle Zenas cried as, thevoyagers having taken their places, he pushed the bow of the boat outfrom the rocks.

  Sidney reversed the screw until the little craft was clear by the ledge,and then sent her ahead at a fair rate of speed, Captain Eph acting ashelmsman.

  "There's some sense in goin' ashore this fashion," Mr. Peters said as helay back in the bow, resting his head on his hands. "If we had a craftlike this, I'd feel like takin' a day off every once in a while; butwhen a man is obleeged to pull a lumberin' old dory a dozen miles ormore, it don't seem like takin' much of a rest."

  "You go ashore as much as is good for you, Sammy," Captain Eph saidgravely. "I don't approve of gallivantin' 'round very much, an' it ain'tsich a great spell since you was off duty three whole days."

  "That was more'n two years ago," Mr. Peters replied in an injured tone.

  "Wa'al, I'll agree it was, an' what do you want? To go away every timethe moon changes? If you do, it would be a good idee to look up adifferent job from tendin' one of the most important lights on this 'erecoast."

  Sidney, fearing lest the keeper and his assistant might come to sharpwords on the subject of vacations, put an end to the dispute byproposing to show how fast the boat could run when all the power wasapplied; but Captain Eph had no desire to try experiments.

  "Fair an' softly, Sonny, is the best. I've never had much to do withthis kind of a craft, an' shouldn't feel overly easy to know you wastryin' to shove her, for nobody can tell what may happen. Let her goalong easy-like, 'cause we've got time enough an' to spare 'twixt thisan' sunset."

  Therefore it was that the boat was kept down to two-thirds the speedwhich could readily have been maintained, and at the end of two hoursshe had arrived at a little settlement which to Sidney looked very smalland mean; but to Captain Eph and Mr. Peters was almost a metropolis.

  When the boat had been made fast to the dock, and the first assistanthad clambered ashore, the keeper whispered in Sidney's ear:

  "I reckon, Sonny, you'll see a good many things you'd like to have, an',comin' away from the schooner as you did, it ain't likely you've got anygreat amount of money with you. Now jest take this, an' then you canhold your end up with Sammy, for I expect he'll try to make a terriblebig showin' when we go into the shops."

  "I don't want a thing, sir, indeed I don't," Sidney replied as hesqueezed the old keeper's hand, but without taking the silver pieceswhich were in it. "Mr. Peters can make all the showing of money helikes, and it won't make me feel queer."

  "But I'd rather you was kind of independent, Sonny, an' it would do me aheap of good if you took it."

  Sidney began to understand that Captain Eph would consider it aprivilege to supply him with money, and he compromised the matter bysaying:

  "There isn't a thing that I would be likely to want, sir; but if Ishould see anything, I'll ask you to buy it for me."

  "Will you really an' truly, Sonny?"

  "Indeed I will, sir," the lad replied, and then the two joined Mr.Peters on the wharf.

  The first assistant led the way up through the one street of thesettlement as if he believed the new uniform he wore would cause a greatdeal of excitement, and he was, in fact, the center of attraction whilehe remained on shore, for even the children of the village had heard ofthe three old cronies who kept the light on Carys' Ledge, holding totheir duties so closely as to visit the mainland no oftener than once intwo or three years.

  Captain Eph, with the list of wants in his hand, stopped at the shop inwhich was the post-office, where he mailed the report with strictinjunctions to the postmaster to "see that it left town the first thingin the mornin'," and then began purchasing the supplies, stopping everynow and then to ask Sidney in a whisper if he "hadn't seen something hewanted."

  Mr. Peters had a little list of his own, much to the surprise of thekeeper, who had supposed that all the purchases were to be made from thecommon purse, and it was not until nearly noon that the business wasfinished.

  The postmaster gave the three customers an urgent invitation to takedinner with him; but Captain Eph pleaded that it was of the utmostimportance they get back to the ledge before dark, and at once began tocarry his stores to the wharf.

  The motor boat was well loaded when the last package had been put onboard, and Mr. Peters, who seemed bent on keeping his goods separatefrom the others, said as he stowed them snugly in the bow:

  "I reckon it's well we didn't buy anything more, else we'd had to maketwo trips in order to carry 'em all. Uncle Zenas will keep himself busyfor the next two months cookin' up fancy dishes, 'cordin' to the stuffhe ordered. I thought one spell you was goin' to clean the shop out."

  "I bought what we agreed on yesterday, an' reckoned that made up thelot; but it seems you wasn't satisfied," Captain Eph said, much as if hewas accusing the first assistant of some misdemeanor.

  "Oh yes I was; everything you had on the list hit me to a T, for I'mwillin' to stand my part of the expense if Uncle Zenas wants to spreadhimself as a cook, 'cause I can eat my full share three times everyday," and Mr. Peters indulged in a gurgling spell, such as always causedSidney considerable alarm.

  "Then what did you need that the rest of us mustn't know anythingabout?" Captain Eph asked sternly. "When Sonny an' me saw that youwanted to be so terrible private over what you was buyin', we went outon the sidewalk, so's to let you have your fling."

  "Yes, I noticed that," Mr. Peters replied, as he continued to stow hisgoods in the bow with the utmost caution, as if they might be injured incase the motor boat shipped a little water; but he did not make anyexplanations.

  "When you get through fiddlin' with your--whatever it is youbought--we'll get under way," and Captain Eph spoke sharply, as if hewas irritated, whereupon Sidney took his station in front of the motor,ready t
o start the screw when the word should be given; but before thefirst assistant could reply, even if he had been intending to do so, thepostmaster came down on the wharf, moving at a rapid pace as if hisbusiness was urgent.

  "I reckon you wanted that letter to go in the next mail, eh?"

  "Sure, an' there mustn't be any mistake about it, for it's my officialreport, an' nobody knows what might happen to the Light-House Board ifit didn't get to the inspector on time."

  "When you was at the store I forgot to ask if anythin' had gone wrongover on the ledge. It kind'er seemed as if there was somethin' out'erthe reg'lar, else you wouldn't be in sich a pinch to send a report," andthe postmaster looked inquiringly from one to the other.

  "Nothin' wrong as I knows of," Captain Eph replied, much as if he wasmaking a great mental effort to recall to mind anything of an alarmingnature that had taken place on the ledge.

  "Let me see," and the postmaster rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It mustbe quite a spell since any of you folks came ashore, ain't it?"

  "The first assistant was here a leetle more'n two years ago."

  "Yes, yes, I knew it was as long ago as that. Let me see, he didn't havethat boy with him then, did he?"

  "I reckon not; leastways, not to my knowledge," and Sidney understoodthat Captain Eph was growing impatient.

  "I didn't know but he had jest joined your crew, an' then agin I said tomyself, seein's you was in sich a stir about gettin' the report off, itmight be there's been a wreck out that way lately, though we haven'tbeen havin' any bad weather since the light-house tender was there last."

  Captain Eph made no reply, and Mr. Peters began to re-stow his packages,working so industriously that no one could have expected him to join inthe conversation.

  "That must be a new boat you've got?" the postmaster continued in aquestioning tone. "Does the Government furnish motor boats nowadays?"

  "This 'ere ain't a Government craft," Captain Eph said curtly, and thenhe asked Mr. Peters, "Ain't you ready yet, Sammy?"

  "Everything is stowed, an' what ain't I can look after while we'rerunnin'."

  The keeper cast off the hawser, and took his seat in the stern-sheets,while the postmaster walked slowly along the dock as the boat swung outwith the current, when he said inquiringly:

  "Then there ain't nothin' gone wrong at the ledge? An' I reckon you'vetaken the boy on to kind'er help you out in the work, eh?"

  "Carys' Ledge lays jest where it did when I first took charge of thelight, an' if anything had gone wrong you wouldn't see us here, 'causewe'd be there tryin' to put it to rights," Captain Eph said more sharplythan before, and he nodded to Sidney as if ordering him to start theengine.

  The lad believed he understood the mute command, and an instant laterthe little craft was moving swiftly away, but not at such a pace as toprevent them from hearing the postmaster cry:

  "If anything has gone wrong, an' I can do you a good turn, let me know,for I'm only too glad to oblige my neighbors."

  Captain Eph shut his mouth tightly as if to keep back angry words, andwhen the little craft was a mile or more from the wharf, he said to Mr.Peters:

  "I hope, Sammy, you'll let this be a lesson to you. Now you can get anidee of how it sounds when a man tries to pry into other folks'affairs."

  "What do you mean by that?" and the first assistant looked up quicklyfrom the survey of his private stores. "Do you mean to hint that I go'round pryin' into your business?"

  "You most generally want to know what's goin' on, an' I've noticed thatyou contrive to find out."

  "Perhaps you didn't do any pryin' when you was so keen to see what I'dbeen buyin'," Mr. Peters retorted, and in the hope of keeping peacebetween these two old friends by changing the subject of theconversation, Sidney asked:

  "Why wasn't you willing the postmaster should know what had happened atthe ledge, sir?"

  "Because, Sonny, I wouldn't encourage sich pryin'," Captain Eph repliedgravely. "The man ought'er had sense enough to know that the keeper of afirst order light don't run 'round tellin' everything he knows. Perhapsif he'd come right out an' asked who you was, I might have told him; butwhen he beat about the bush, guessin' this and guessin' that, I made upmy mind he shouldn't know the least little thing about what was goin' onat the ledge."

  "The amount of it is that we go ashore so seldom folks think nothin'less'n an earthquake would fetch us out, an' that's why they're soterribly curious," Mr. Peters said in a thoughtful tone, and Captain Ephasked sharply:

  "Is it in your mind that you don't have enough furloughs?"

  "Not a bit of it," and Mr. Peters spoke emphatically. "I never go totown that I don't wonder how people can manage to live there, 'causeit's so dreadfully lonesome. Out on the ledge we have somethin' to do,an' can see more or less, 'cept when the fog shuts down, but ashore allthey have to look at are the houses, an' I can't figger out why folkswill stay there."

  Having thus given good evidence that Carys' Ledge was to him an idealplace in which to live, Mr. Peters turned all his attention to there-stowing of his purchases, and Captain Eph watched him suspiciously,until Sidney asked:

  "How long do you suppose it will be, sir, before my father hears where Iam?"

  "It's all owin' to when a letter can get there, Sonny. You may make upyour mind that the Board will send word the quickest way possible, an'we've done the wisest thing by sendin' off the report, for we might waitsix months--perhaps more--before we could speak a craft bound to PortoRico."

  "What's the matter with the inspector's telegraphin' to Sonny's father?"Mr. Peters asked suddenly, and the keeper started in surprise as thispossibility was suggested.

  "Now you can see how thick-headed I am!" he exclaimed. "Here is Sammy,who couldn't be expected to look ahead so far as that, comes up with thevery idee. Of course the inspector will telegraph, 'cause I don't s'poseit would cost him anythin', an' the chances are your father'll know thewhole story inside of the next eight an' forty hours."

  "I hope that may be so," Sidney said half to himself, and Captain Ephcried jealously:

  "Are you so anxious as all that to get away from us, Sonny?"

  "Indeed I'd be only too glad if I could stay at the light all winter,"Sidney said earnestly; "but I can't bear to think that father is feelingvery, very bad believing I may be drowned."

  "Of course you'd look at it in that light, Sonny, an' it shows yourheart is in the right place. I am an old fool for sayin' anything; butthe trouble is I've been gettin' it inter my head that you wouldn't goaway very soon."

  "How can he?" Mr. Peters asked as he gave way to one of those alarminggurgles he sometimes indulged in. "S'posen he knew this very minutewhere Sonny was, how's he goin' to get at him till his schooner goes toPorto Rico, unloads, takes on another cargo, an' comes back? I don'treckon that voyage can be made in any two or three days!"

  "Sammy, you do say the brightest things now an' then, for a man whohasn't got a very big head, that I ever heard of," Captain Eph cried asif a great load had been taken from his mind. "That's the second timeyou've made me feel mighty good by jumpin' inter the conversation when Ididn't s'pose you'd know what to say!"