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

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER IX.

  THE WRECK.

  It was not surprising that Sidney should have feared the appeals forhelp came from the crew of the _West Wind_, for even Captain Eph hadquestioned in his own mind whether such might not be the case.

  If Captain Harlow had cruised around in the hope of picking up the motorboat, he was quite as likely to be in the vicinity of Carys' Ledge, aselse-where, and not until Sidney had assured him that there was no gun onboard the _West Wind_, did Captain Eph entirely dismissed the matterfrom his mind.

  As a matter of fact, at that very moment Mr. Peters and Uncle Zenas werediscussing such a possibility, the cook insisting that it was onlyreasonable to suppose Captain Harlow would stand off and on in thevicinity of where Sidney's boat had last been seen, until there was nolonger any chance the lad could be afloat.

  "Of course Sonny's father would know how much gosolene there was in theboat's tank," Mr. Peters finally said, hoping to convince himself thatthe appeals for aid had not come from the _West Wind_, "an' he'dunderstood that the craft, if she was kept at sea, would be swampedmighty soon after the power gave out."

  "I reckon you're right, Sammy," Uncle Zenas said with a sigh, "an' yetif yonder vessel is of any size, I can't make out why she should be nearthis ledge, unless it was a case of huntin' for something."

  And as the crew of the light-house thus discussed the possibility thatthe signals of distress might have a terrible meaning for the lad whomthey had learned to love so well, the new day came slowly, revealing awind-lashed sea which rolled angrily over the ledge as if striving tocompass the destruction of the tower, while a dense veil of fleecyparticles, blown into wreaths and clouds by the gale, enveloped thelight-house as by a fog.

  Captain Eph extinguished the beacon light, and as he did so it seemed toSidney that in some way the light keepers had deserted those who werebattling for life amid the icy waters.

  "The light can do the poor creatures no good, Sonny," the old keepersaid as if he read the thought in the boy's mind, "for since daybreakthey couldn't even see the reflection of it on the snow."

  "And you haven't been able to so much as think how we might help them?"Sidney asked in tremulous tones.

  "Look down on the ledge, Sonny, an' say whether, even if it was possibleto lend a hand, we could get outside?" Captain Eph replied as he pointedto the window, and after the lad obeyed he drew back with a faint cry ofterror.

  The sea so entirely covered the rocks that nothing could be seen savethe huge waves which broke into foam as they rolled over the ledge, orbeat against the tower with a thunderous roar.

  "I can't even see the boat-house!" he said at length, and the old keeperreplied:

  "No, Sonny, there's little chance of that at this time of the tide whilethe wind comes with sich force from the east'ard."

  "And my boat?"

  "I reckon you may as well count that gone, for she wasn't built to standsich poundin' as she's been gettin' this last hour. Don't feel bad,Sonny, for the best craft that was ever launched ain't of much accountas compared with a single human life. When the tide goes down we may beable to get outside, if so be there's anything to be done; but I'veknown of our bein' shut in here by the sea a full week, with only nowan' then a glimpse of the ledge."

  Then it was that the boom of the gun could be heard, for the first timesince the day broke, and Captain Eph said in a voice tremulous withemotion:

  "They're still alive, Sonny, an' their vessel is holdin' together, elseit wouldn't have been possible for 'em to fire the gun; but I ain'tcertain as we should be thankful for it, 'cause it only means thatthey'll be the longer comin' to the end."

  "And you don't think there is any hope for them?"

  "I can't see where it'll come from, Sonny. Only the One who 'holds thewaters in the hollow of His hand' can help 'em now," and, flinging hisarm around the boy's shoulder, the old keeper prayed fervently thatthose who were in such sore distress might be comforted and upheld intheir time of trouble.

  Then it was that Mr. Peters came into the lantern, stepping softly asone involuntarily does in the presence of the dead, and began his workof cleaning the lens, speaking never a word, but looking out of thewindows from time to time as if hoping he might get a glimpse of thatwhich he feared to see.

  On this morning Uncle Zenas did not call his comrades to breakfast frombelow; but ascended the stairway until it was possible to look into thelantern, when he said in a subdued tone:

  "Everything's ready when you want to eat, an' I'm allowin' that allhands had better have a bite whether they feel like it or not, for theremay be work to be done on the reef when the tide goes down."

  "I reckon you're right, Uncle Zenas, though it seems as if food wouldchoke me," Captain Eph replied as he led Sidney toward the stairway."Come on, Sammy, we're bound to go through the motions, if nothin'more."

  Once while they were pretending to eat, the report of the gun was heardfaintly, and Sidney shrank from the sound as if he had received a blow,while Mr. Peters ran quickly to the window, although knowing full wellthat nothing could be seen because of the driving snow.

  "I never think I'd like to be in the life-savin' service except at sicha time as this," he said as he returned to the table. "Even if the crewcan't really do anything, there must be a good deal of satisfaction inmakin' a big fight for it; but to be shut in a place like this, knowin'what's goin' on outside, gets on to a man's nerves worse'n anything Iever struck. A hot battle ain't a marker alongside of it."

  No one made reply, and when the pretense of a meal was at an end CaptainEph went back to the lantern, Sidney following close at his heels. Therethe old keeper and the boy did a great deal of unnecessary work in orderto keep their hands employed, and at short intervals strove to peerthrough the blinding whirl of snow.

  After a time, how long Sidney would have been unable to say, so slowlydid the moments pass, Mr. Peters cried from the kitchen:

  "We can get on to the ledge now, an' I'm goin' to see what damage hasbeen done."

  Captain Eph looked hurriedly out of the window to make certain the firstassistant was correct in his statement, and then shouted:

  "Hold on a bit, an' I'll go with you."

  "Am I to stay here?" Sidney asked wistfully.

  "You can stay anywhere in the tower you please; I can't let you go withus, for not only is the footin' bad; but the tide hasn't got down so farthat a wave doesn't sweep clean over the ledge every now an' then."

  Sidney followed the keeper into the kitchen, and when they arrived thereMr. Peters was clad in his oil-skins, while Uncle Zenas was sewing onthe coat he intended for Sidney's use, as if his very life depended onfinishing it within a short time.

  "Now don't do anything rash," Uncle Zenas said warningly as Captain Ephbegan to put on waterproof clothing. "It'll be a big temptation to makea try for the poor creeters; but you've been put here to look after thelight, an' if it didn't burn to-night more than one ship's crew mightlose their lives in consequence."

  "We'll be cautious, Uncle Zenas," the keeper said in a low tone; "butthere ain't overly much need for your warnin', because I don't know ofthe least little thing we can do."

  Then the kitchen door was opened, and on the outside of that a shutterof iron, which must have been put on during the night, since Sidney hadnot seen it before, after which Mr. Peters descended the laddercautiously, followed by the keeper.

  By looking out of the window, it was possible for Sidney to follow withhis eyes the movements of the men while they remained near the base ofthe tower, and he understood by their gestures that the motor boat hadbeen destroyed.

  Then Mr. Peters opened the door of the boat-house, not withoutconsiderable difficulty, and the dory was pulled out until Sidney couldsee her bow. As a matter of course she was uninjured, because of beingprotected from the force of the waves; but she was filled with water,and this the two men removed by tipping her partially over.

  At that moment the report of the gun was heard again, and Mr. Peters randown
toward the narrow cove where the spray was flung high over hishead, standing there in a listening attitude while Captain Eph scrambledacross the rocks to the western side of the ledge.

  MT. DESERT ROCK.]

  "I knew both them men had the same idee in mind when they went out,an' it didn't make any difference how much I said agin it!" the cookcried impatiently, and Sidney asked in bewilderment:

  "What do you mean by that, Uncle Zenas? What did they have in theirminds?"

  "The idee of tryin' to reach the wreck, if there was anything to beheard from the poor creeters after the tide went down so's they couldget at the dory."

  "Do you mean that they will try to launch the boat while the waves arebreaking over the ledge?"

  "If they wasn't up to something of the kind, why would Cap'n Eph beprowlin' 'round here to the lee'ard?"

  "I can't see why that has anything to do with their trying to help thepeople who have been wrecked," Sidney said in perplexity.

  "Why, he's lookin' 'round to see what kind of a chance he can find forlaunchin' the dory! He's crazy, dead crazy! Of course I know how wild heis at bein' obleeged to stay here idle when people are bein' drownedbefore our very eyes, even though we can't see 'em, for I feel the sameway; but he an' Sammy will be only givin' up their own lives in tryin'anythin' of the kind."

  It surely seemed as if Uncle Zenas had spoken no more than the truth.The sea was running as high as at any time since daybreak, and Sidneycould not believe that any small boat, however skilfully she might behandled, could live for a moment in such a swell.

  Dimly amid the swirling snow Sidney could see Captain Eph as he creptover the rocks on the western side of the ledge, looked about him for amoment, and waved his hand to Mr. Peters, whereupon the first assistantbegan pulling the dory out of the boat-house. Then the lad cried toUncle Zenas:

  "They _are_ going to launch the boat, sir. Mr. Peters is making herready."

  "God help them an' us, Sonny!" Uncle Zenas cried fervently, and he couldhave said nothing which would have caused Sidney more alarm, for heunderstood by the exclamation how dangerous the old man believed wouldbe the attempt.

  "Why don't you coax them not to try it?" Sidney asked tearfully.

  "Because it wouldn't be any manner of use, Sonny. Ephraim Downs ispig-headed when he gets his mind set on anything, an' Sammy Peters ain'tfar behind him. Besides, how can you blame 'em for wantin' to make a tryat it? I'd rather be with them in the dory, if I wasn't quite so fat,than sittin' here thinkin' of what may come to 'em."

  By this time Captain Eph had returned to the vicinity of the tower, andwas helping Mr. Peters drag the boat over the jagged rocks, a taskwhich seemed beyond their powers, and yet it was finally accomplished.

  Uncle Zenas had come to the window by the side of Sidney, and the twocould see the keepers as they shoved the dory out into the sea where itwas comparatively calm because of being to the leeward of the ledge.Then both the men, heeding not the biting cold and the sleety snow,stripped off first their oil-skins, and afterward all superfluousclothing, until they stood in their shirtsleeves.

  "What's that for?" Sidney asked excitedly. "They'll freeze to death!

  "There'll be some little chance of their swimmin' ashore if they haven'tgot too many clothes on," Uncle Zenas replied mournfully, and then heraised his head quickly as the muffled report of the gun could be heard."I'm proud of 'em, Sonny, proud of 'em! Talk about men being brave! I'vewintered an' summered with them two, an' you can't find more courage inthe same weight of human bein's than they've got!"

  "But you believe they'll be drowned!" Sidney cried, striving to preventhis voice from trembling.

  "There's nothin' we could say or do, Sonny, to prevent 'em from goin'an' we'll hope the good God will send 'em back to us, for I'd be aterrible lonesome, useless old man if them two were taken from me."

  Uncle Zenas wiped the tears from his eyes as he strove to peer throughthe falling snow while the brave keepers leaped into the dory, aftershoving her bow from the shore, and Sidney literally held his breath insuspense as the frail boat was tossed high up on the crest of a wave,only to be seemingly engulfed by the next.

  "She'll be swamped before they can get around the ledge!" the lad criedin an agony of terror. "Oh, why did they go?"

  "I ain't afraid but they'll keep her right side up for a spell, Sonny;but it's when they get anywhere near the wreck that the most dangerouspart of the business will come in. Wouldn't you feel better if we wentinto the lantern? I don't reckon we can see any more there; but it'llseem as if we could."

  For reply Sidney ran up the narrow staircase, Uncle Zenas following morerapidly than one would have supposed he could have moved, and when thetwo were in the lantern the shadowy forms of the keepers could be seenas they toiled at the oars in what seemed like a vain effort.

  In a very few seconds the snow hid them completely from view, but yetthe watchers stood with their faces pressed against the glass, picturingin their minds the dory and her brave crew as they saw them last.

  "If--if--if nothing happens to them, how long before they ought to beback?" Sidney asked in a choking voice, and Uncle Zenas replied in toneshardly more steady:

  "That is what we can't make any guess at, lad. It's certain theycouldn't pull out to the wreck, against this wind, in less than an hour,an' if anything can be done toward savin' the crew, half a day may benone too long."

  Sidney strove in vain to distinguish anything through the snow wreaths;but yet he remained at the window until Uncle Zenas, straighteninghimself up as if with an effort, said slowly:

  "It's no good to stay here when nothin' can be seen but the snow; I mustbe doin' somethin', or nobody knows what will happen to me. We'll godown in the kitchen, where I can work on your coat."

  "I want to get the first glimpse of them when they come back," Sidneysaid, reluctantly following the old man.

  "Then don't begin to look for 'em till later in the day; it'll make youcrazy to watch the snow-flakes while they're whirlin' 'round the towerat sich a rate."

  Once in the kitchen Uncle Zenas took up his work, sewing feverishly, andkeeping his eyes fixed on the garment as if he was afraid to look outof doors, while Sidney walked nervously from one window to another insilence.

  When it seemed to the lad as if a full day had passed, the old man askedin a half-whisper:

  "Do you reckon we'd better get dinner, Sonny?"

  "I couldn't swallow a mouthful. It seems as if I'd never want any moreto eat."

  "That's about the way I'm feelin', Sonny, an' perhaps it won't do anygood to force ourselves. I'll make a big lot of coffee, so we'll haveplenty of hot drink for Cap'n Eph an' Sammy when they get back. I reckonthey'll be more'n half frozen."

  "I only wish I knew they _would_ come back!" Sidney said as if tohimself, and Uncle Zenas cried with more of hopefulness in his tone thanhe had indulged in since his comrades went out:

  "We're bound to think they'll come, Sonny. There's no sense in dwellin'on the dark side of things, an' we've _got_ to keep our spirits up. Youshall help me build a roarin' fire, for it ain't any ways certain wewon't have half-drownded strangers here before a great while."

  It was a positive relief to have something in the nature of work to do,and Sidney obeyed eagerly, bringing coal from the odd cellar, shakingthe ashes from the grate, and brushing up the dust which had fallen tothe floor.

  When he went back to the window again it seemed as if he could see adark shadow through the snow to the southward of the ledge, and it wasonly with the greatest difficulty that he could prevent himself fromcrying aloud.

  "I won't make a fool of myself by exciting Uncle Zenas about nothing,"he said to himself, and then he was positive the shadow rose and sank,as if on the waves.

  "I believe I can see something," he said softly, trying hard to repressany evidence of great joy. "There's a shadow out on the ocean, and--"

  "It's our dory, Sonny, it's our dory!" Uncle Zenas cried loudly,suddenly lifting the lad in his big arms and kissin
g him again andagain. "Yonder's a boat, sure enough, an' it _must_ be ours!"

  "But if she should be--"

  Sidney could not finish the sentence, and the old man cried excitedly ashe ran to and fro:

  "But she won't be, Sonny. That craft is held straight on a course, elseshe'd be wabblin' 'round. Get somethin' on--Here, this coat is farenough along in the makin'. Get into it quick, an' we'll go out to beara hand!"

  "But what can we do?" Sidney cried, now showing quite as muchexcitement as did Uncle Zenas. "How are we to bear a hand?"

  "They'll need some one to help 'em make a landin', whether there arepassengers aboard or not! Be lively, Sonny, an' thank God that He haslet Cap'n Eph an' Sammy come back to us!"

  Neither Uncle Zenas nor Sidney were very well protected from the coldwhen they clambered down the iron ladder to the rocks; but it is safe tosay that neither of them could have told whether he was warm or cold,wet or dry, as they stood on the ledge gazing with painful intentness atthat dark line behind the snow which both believed to be the boat theywere so anxious to see.

  Then, slowly, the shadow took on form, until it was possible to tracethe outlines of the dory, and an instant later a great cry of triumphwent up from both.

  There were four men at the oars instead of two, and a heap of somethingin the stern-sheets that might well be a human being.

  "Just think of it!" Uncle Zenas cried, dancing to and fro over the icyrocks more like an insane person than a staid, elderly cook and secondassistant of a first-order light. "Them two old idjuts have gone outwhen a man had no business even to walk the length of this 'ere ledge,an' saved sailors as were drownin'! There ain't another couple on thewhole coast, never mind how young they may be, who'd dared to put off inthis gale."

  It would be well nigh impossible to set down all that Uncle Zenas saidor did while he waited, unmindful of the falling snow or flying spray,for the coming of his comrades. Never for an instant was he silent ormotionless, and it is extremely doubtful if he was aware of what he saidor did; his joy was so intense as to have become a form of delirium.

  Sidney, on the contrary, neither moved nor spoke during that time ofwaiting; but with pallid face, and lips compressed until the blood wasdriven from them entirely, he watched eagerly and fearfully the approachof the dory.

  The little craft was laboring fearfully in the heavy sea, even thoughthe wind helped her along, and the watchers could have some dim idea ofwhat a battle the two keepers must have had when advancing in the veryteeth of the gale, by the labor which was required now, when the mostdifficult portion of the task was virtually at an end.

  Then came the moment when, having run across the southerly end of theledge, the dory was headed for the western shore and the two watchersran into the water waist-deep in order to lend a hand.

  Save for the incoherent cries of Uncle Zenas, no word was spoken untilthe bow of the little boat had been hauled up on the rocks, and CaptainEph leaped ashore.

  His clothing was covered with ice; his hair weighted with snow, and hisface so disguised by the mask of frost that even Uncle Zenas might havefailed to recognize him under other circumstances; but he lifted Sidneyin his arms, as if it was the lad instead of himself who had performedthe bravest of brave deeds, and, kissing him again and again, said in ahalf-whisper:

  "Thank God that I've got your face next to mine once more!"

  "He has been good to let you come back to me," Sidney saidreverentially, and the greetings were at an end.

  "Bear a hand, Uncle Zenas, an' help get these poor fellows into thetower. Two of 'em are well nigh dead, an' the others ain't much better,though I reckon the work at the oars has done 'em a world of good."

  Then, and only then, did Sidney understand that the keepers had rescuedfour sailors, two of whom were huddled in the bottom of the dory as iflife had already departed.

  It was as if Uncle Zenas had the strength of half a dozen men. He liftedone of the unconscious sailors in his big arms, as if handling a baby,and ran across the slippery rocks like a goat, depositing his burden inthe kitchen and getting back to the dory before the second sufferer hadbeen taken out.

  "Leave him to me," the cook said as he raised the sailor in his arms,literally forcing Captain Eph to release his hold. "I'm feelin' somighty good 'cause you've come back alive that I've got to do somethin'out of the common run, or take the chances of bustin'."

  Sidney could do nothing more than help Captain Eph and Mr. Peters dragthe boat across the rocks to the little boat-house, and when she wasproperly secured the three entered the kitchen.

  Two of the survivors of the wreck were in front of the fire drinking hotcoffee, while Uncle Zenas was stripping the clothing from the others,and the cook's first words showed that he intended to take entire chargeof the rescue from that point.

  "Sonny," he cried, "run up-stairs an' strip all the beds; bring theclothes here, an' then help me rub these poor creeters down. EphraimDowns, you an' Sammy Peters are to get out of them wet duds jest asquick as you know how, an' don't you dare let me see you liftin' afinger till you're in dry clothes. I've had trouble enough about youthis day, without your gettin' all drawed up with rheumatiz jest forspite. You're enough to wear a man down to skin an' bones, an' I've cometo that pass where I can't stand any more of your capers."

  All was bustle and excitement during the next hour. Sidney tried to obeypromptly all the cook's orders; but at times he became so confused as tohardly be aware of what he was doing.

  The two survivors who had assisted in working the boat were in no needof care after they had been supplied with dry clothing; but it wasnecessary to rub the others vigorously before they showed signs ofreturning consciousness.

  Within an hour, however, the rescued men were lying in the beds whichhad been made up on the floor of the kitchen, and Captain Eph sat in therocking-chair before the stove, with Sidney in his arms.

  "You're a brave man, Captain Eph," the lad said as he clasped thekeeper's big, brown hand, "and I'm mighty proud of you."

  "That's a good deal more pay than I deserve for doin' what little was inmy power, Sonny, dear."

  "Were all the rest of the crew drowned?"

  "Ay Sonny, sixteen of 'em either froze or went under before we gotthere, an' two of these couldn't have lasted another half hour; but wewon't talk about that jest now. From the time Sammy an' me started, Ikept sayin' to myself that when we got back I'd take you in my arms, asI've got you near an' hold you jest as long as you could stand it, foryou're gettin' to be a good part of my life, laddie."