The Light Keepers Part 23

Then Captain Eph drew upon his memory for some of the wildest and weirdest yarns that were ever spun during a northeast gale, and the time came for extinguis.h.i.+ng the light before Sidney realized that he had been awake more than half an hour.

The morning's work was done, and breakfast made ready, while the survivors of the wreck were yet asleep, and Captain Eph would not allow Uncle Zenas to awaken the slumberers, claiming that it was far better the cook should do a little additional work, than deprive the unfortunate men of the rest they needed.

As Captain Eph had predicted, the storm subsided during the night, and before breakfast had been eaten the clouds were being driven eastward by the wind. The sea yet ran so high that the ledge was covered by the waves a goodly portion of the time; but all the crew were positive that within the next four and twenty hours it would be possible to make the trip to the mainland in the dory, even though she carried the four s.h.i.+pwrecked ones in addition to two of the keepers.

"Now we'll go into the watch-room, an' do our writin', Sonny," Captain Eph said as he arose from the table. "It may be a little early to begin; but we want to put down all the facts an' figgers so that your father an' the inspector may know what has happened, an' there's nothin' like havin' plenty of time when you're writin' out a long yarn."

Before he had finished giving his father a detailed account of all that had happened to him since he left the _West Wind_, Sidney came to believe that Captain Eph was not far wrong when he proposed that the task be begun early in the day. The lad had the satisfaction of knowing, however, that he told a straightforward, connected story, even though the greater portion of the forenoon had been spent in writing it down.

Captain Eph did not finish his work very much sooner than had Sidney, and when the two went down into the kitchen, they found the rescued men discussing with Mr. Peters and Uncle Zenas the incidents of the disaster.

The details of the disastrous voyage were related by each of the survivors in turn, and then came the question as to whether it might be possible to save anything from the wreck.

Captain Nutter was of the opinion that the _Nautilus_ had already gone to pieces; but the crew of the light felt certain the forward portion of the vessel was yet held by the rocks, and Mr. Peters said decidedly:

"When we come back from the sh.o.r.e I'm goin' to make a try for it, an' if I bring away half a dory-load of canvas, I'll count the time well spent."

"I sincerely hope you may get enough to pay you for your trouble, and only wish I might be able to reward you for what you have done in our behalf; but with the _Nautilus_ a wreck, I'm the same as penniless," and the deep sigh which escaped Captain Nutter's lips told of the sorrow in his heart.

"We wouldn't take the value of a cent if you had all the money in the land," Captain Eph cried emphatically. "This 'ere crew tries to do its duty by the Government, an' when that's been done, if we can work in a little overtime, like takin' you off the wreck, we feel as if we could look ourselves in the face knowin' we'd lent a hand when it was needed."

The serious tone which the conversation had taken did not please Uncle Zenas, and in order to change the subject he held up the coat on which he had been working, saying as he did so:

"Come here, Sonny, an' let me see how it fits. I don't claim to be any great shakes of a tailor; but I hope there's gimp enough in me yet to do a job like this in a decent manner. Of course Cap'n Eph will buy you what's needed, when he goes ash.o.r.e to-morrow, but even then this won't go amiss to knock around on the ledge in."

Uncle Zenas had no reason to be ashamed of his work; he had made a sailorly looking garment out of Captain Eph's second-best uniform coat, and it fitted Sidney quite as well, if not better, than any which could have been purchased ready made.

"I allers said you was a master hand with a needle, Uncle Zenas," Mr.

Peters cried as he surveyed Sidney in his new coat, with the eye of a critic, "an' here's the proof that I knew what I was talkin' about.

Captain Eph may buy clothes for Sonny till the day of his death, an' he won't get anything that'll match this one for all-around goodness."

"I'll do better than that before Sonny has finished his year on Carys'

Ledge," the cook said, vainly striving to hide the pardonable pride he felt because of his work. "Jest now, though, it's my business to get dinner, an' if you people will go up into the watch-room so's a man can have a chance to turn 'round, we'll have some prime salt fish boiled, with plenty of pork sc.r.a.ps."

"So long's you've got your coat on, you may as well come with me an' see what's left of the motor boat," Mr. Peters said to Sidney, and since Captain Eph did not make any objection to the proposition, the two went down to the ledge.

The machinery was all that could be seen of the little craft in which the lad had spent so many wretched hours, and that was so badly rent and rusted that Sidney felt confident it could never be put in working order again.

"I'm not so certain of that," Mr. Peters said as he examined the motor carefully. "Of course neither you nor me could set it up, because we don't know how; but if it holds good weather I'm goin' to take it ash.o.r.e, an' put it in the hands of some man who understands his business. If it's possible to get it in shape, I'll buy a hull, an' next spring we can knock around out here like a couple of swells, with our own yacht."

Sidney was not particularly elated by the promise, since he believed the motor was injured beyond repair; but Mr. Peters was so confident that he talked of little else during the remainder of the day, and before sunset even Uncle Zenas had begun to speculate upon the possibility of owning a power boat, which might be housed on the mainland during the winter season, when she could not be kept on the ledge.

"You're to stay with Uncle Zenas to-morrow, Sonny," Captain Eph said while he and Sidney were in the lantern waiting for the moment when the lamp should be lighted. "I allow it'll be a bit more lonesome than usual; but it's better than knockin' about in a boat that's overloaded with six grown men."

"I shall get along all right, sir," Sidney replied in a cheery tone, although the prospect was not pleasing. "I've been wanting to know more about light-houses, and I'll spend the time reading some of your books."

"That's right, Sonny," and the keeper stroked the lad's hair affectionately. "I like to see a boy try to make the best of everything, as you've done since comin' ash.o.r.e here. It ain't likely I'll be gallivantin' all over creation this winter same's I've been doin' these three days past, an' we'll have some prime good times after we're shut in by the weather. Now what are you allowin' that I shall buy for you at the store?"

"I really don't want anything, except something more to wear, and of course you know that father will give back all the money you may spend for me."

"He won't if I can prevent it," Captain Eph cried sharply. "It'll do me solid good to rig you out in proper shape; but I do wish you was hankerin' after gim-cracks."

"But I'm not, Captain Eph, and I'll be perfectly contented here till father comes, for I'm a mighty lucky boy to have fallen into such good hands after floating around so long in an open boat."

"Sunset, an' time to start the lamp!" the keeper cried, looking at the watch he had been holding in his hands, and once more the light on Carys' Ledge streamed out across the waters, warning sailormen of the treacherous rocks near at hand.

CHAPTER XI.

"SONNY'S" OUTFIT.

The inmates of the light-house were astir next morning very shortly after Captain Eph went on watch, because it was the desire of the keepers to start for the mainland at the earliest hour possible.

Uncle Zenas had insisted that they should leave as soon as breakfast had been eaten, declaring that he and Sidney could trim the lamp and clean the lens before the kitchen had been set to rights.

Therefore it was that the day had but just begun to break when the party was ready to set off, and Captain Eph said warningly to his second a.s.sistant when all were gathered at the cove, waiting for Mr. Peters to launch the dory:

"See to it, Uncle Zenas, that the light is shut off on the stroke of sunrise."

"I reckon I know enough to run this 'ere place one day, without any extry lessons from you," the cook said gruffly, and Captain Eph continued placidly, as if there had been no interruption:

"Remember that the lantern must be put in order before you get to work on the kitchen. It seems to me as if we'd been a little slack in our duties lately, an' I'm countin' on keepin' a stiffer hand over this 'ere crew from now on."

"If you're goin' ash.o.r.e, be off, an' don't try to teach your grandmother how to suck eggs!" Uncle Zenas cried as if in anger. "Unless I'm a nat'ral born idjut, I know as much 'bout this 'ere light as you do, Ephraim Downs."

"I ain't sayin' anythin' agin that part of it, Uncle Zenas. We'll all allow you know enough; but what worries me is that you'll get the idee inter your head that it's more important to fix up the kitchen first, an' I want you to keep sharp in mind that the cookin' part don't cut any figger alongside of the light itself."

"Anybody would reckon you thought the cookin' part was all in all on this 'ere ledge, if they could hear you growlin' when the meals don't jest suit you," Uncle Zenas cried, and perhaps he would have said more but for the fact that Captain Nutter came forward to say good-bye, and thank him for the hospitality extended.

"Don't say a word about it," Captain Eph interrupted. "It's mighty little we've done at the best, an' no more'n one Christian man ought'er do for another. If we could have saved your whole crew, then there'd be somethin' to talk about."

Each of the s.h.i.+pwrecked men in turn wanted to give words to his grat.i.tude, as was only natural, since, save for the exertions of the keeper and his first a.s.sistant they would not have been alive; but Mr.

Peters was as much opposed to being thanked as was Captain Eph, and the men went on board the dory after silently shaking hands with Uncle Zenas and Sidney.

"Don't let Sammy linger 'round on sh.o.r.e any longer than is necessary!"

the cook cried warningly. "He's been off so much lately that I'm afraid he'll get it inter his head it must be done reg'lar, whether he's got any business or not."

"I'll look after him all right, so you needn't worry, Uncle Zenas," the keeper cried cheerily, and then the dory was pushed off from the sh.o.r.e, the cook and Sidney watching her until she had rounded the ledge, heading a straight course for the sh.o.r.e.

"Now I reckon we'll go inter the lantern," Uncle Zenas said when it was no longer possible to distinguish the faces of those in the boat, owing to the dim light. "Cap'n Eph will keep his eyes on the light, an' if it shouldn't happen to die away at the very minute when the sun ought'er rise 'cordin' to his watch, the chances are he'd make all hands come back to straighten us out."

Nothing so serious as that took place, however, for the light was extinguished at the proper moment, and then the work of making it ready for another night was begun.

"I declare for it, Sonny, you're as handy with this job as if you'd been at it all your life!" Uncle Zenas exclaimed while Sidney was working.

"You're doin' it a heap better'n Sammy ever can, even if he sticks on this ledge to the day of his death."