The Light Keepers Part 35

Sidney now began to understand that the old keeper was simply trying to divert his mind from thoughts of the message which those on the tender had possibly tried to deliver; but nevertheless he hastened to obey what had sounded very like a command, and Captain Eph opened the volume to the alleged poetry, which is copied below, with the name "Adam Clark"

appended as the author:

"In the Bay of Barnegat sailed a jolly, jolly tar, And he watched like a cat o'er the water, Till he spied from the main-top-gallant-forward-mizzen-spar The pretty little light-keeper's daughter.

Then he landed on the land, did this jolly, jolly tar, And he chased her o'er the sand till he caught her, Says he, 'My pretty miss, I've got to have a kiss From the pretty little light-keeper's daughter.'

But she squealed a little squeal at the jolly, jolly tar, And said she didn't feel as if she'd oughter; Then she scooted up the bar and hollered for her ma,-- Oh, the pretty little light-keeper's daughter!

'Sure my name is Barney Flynn,' said the jolly, jolly tar, 'And at drinking Holland gin I'm a snorter.'

Then a tub of washing-blue-soap suddenly she threw-- Did the mother of the light-keeper's daughter.

'Now, Barney, git!' she spat, at the jolly, jolly tar; And you bet Barney gat for the water.

Thus the place from near and far was named by the ma Of the pretty little light-keeper's daughter."

If Captain Eph had thought that reading the jingle would turn Sidney's thoughts from the possibility that those on the tender had tried to deliver a message from his father, he made a decided mistake; but the lad laughed heartily when he had finished the lines, and then did his best to hide from the old keeper that which was in his mind.

Next morning the wind was blowing quite as fresh as ever; but Captain Eph had not forgotten the determination to go into his own room, and when the routine work had been performed, Mr. Peters was summoned to a.s.sist in what promised to be quite a serious task.

"You're clean wild to think of sich a thing, Cap'n Eph," the first a.s.sistant said as he stood with folded arms in front of the keeper, and the latter replied petulantly:

"Perhaps I am, Sammy Peters; but I ain't so wild as to let you try to argue me out of it. I'm goin' to do what little lays in my power toward puttin' this 'ere tower ship-shape, an' you'll help me without any back talk."

"How do you count on doin' it, seein's you can't touch the floor with your lame foot?"

"You're allers ready enough to riggin' up schemes that ain't of the least earthly account, an' now let's see if you can't turn your mind to somethin' sensible."

"Then I shouldn't be thinkin' how to help you up them stairs, for that ain't in any way sensible," Mr. Peters said calmly, and Uncle Zenas cried pleadingly:

"Why don't you stay where you are, Ephraim Downs, leastways as long as this wind blows? When there's a turn in the weather, you'll have time enough to get up-stairs before the tender comes."

"I'm goin' now if I have to crawl," Captain Eph cried. "Things have come to a pretty pa.s.s if the keeper of a first-order light can't go where he pleases without both his a.s.sistants raisin' a rumpus."

"I'm thinkin' it'll be you who'll raise the rumpus," Mr. Peters said grimly, "but if you're so set that you won't listen to old friends, I'll get to work. Put one arm around my neck, an' I'll do my best at luggin'

you up, though in case of a tumble you're likely to be lamed for life."

Even this possibility did not daunt Captain Eph, and the task was begun, with Sidney to a.s.sist so far as might be, and Uncle Zenas alternately uttering needless words of caution, and bewailing the keeper's "pig-headedness."

It was both a long and difficult job, and when, at the expiration of a full half hour from the time the first step had been taken, Captain Eph was seated in a chair in his own room, waiting until the bed could be brought up, all who had a.s.sisted were confident the keeper regretted having made the attempt.

"Wa'al, I'm up here," he said grimly, and Uncle Zenas shouted from below:

"Yes, you're there, Ephraim, an' I'd like to know how much better off you are, except that it'll be more work to wait on you."

"I declare I hadn't thought of that, Sonny," the old man said as he took the lad's hand in his; "but you won't mind a few extry steps if it makes me feel any easier in mind, will you?"

"I'd be glad to take a great many more than are necessary even now, if you'll be any more comfortable or contented, Captain Eph," and Sidney stroked the old keeper's hairy hand.

CHAPTER XVI.

AS IF FROM THE GRAVE.

After Captain Eph had moved into his own room it became necessary, as a matter of course, to carry his food up to him, and when the first meal had been served by Sidney, and eaten by the old keeper without any very great evidence of enjoyment, he said to the lad:

"What's to hinder your messin' with me, Sonny? I didn't realize how kind'er lonesome it was goin' to be up here alone, an' Sammy will be company enough for Uncle Zenas."

"I'll be glad to do it, sir, if the others won't think that I don't want to stay with them."

"I'll 'tend to that part of it," the keeper said sharply. "Things are at a pretty pa.s.s if I've got to be shoved up here all by myself, an' can't call on any one to sit with me!"

"You wouldn't be up there, Ephraim Downs, if hadn't been for your own pig-headedness!" Uncle Zenas called from below, and Captain Eph whispered to the lad:

"I never thought he could hear me, else I wouldn't have spoken so loud, for he's terrible kind of fretty since his wounds are beginnin' to heal in good shape," and he added in a louder tone to the second a.s.sistant, "I reckon I can make talk to Sonny, if I want'er, without your mixin'

your tongue in, eh?"

"I'll mix in jest as often as you tell 'bout bein' shoved up there, when you know Sammy an' I were both set against it!" and Uncle Zenas' tone was what might truthfully be called "vinegary."

"h.e.l.lo down there!" Mr. Peters called from the lantern, and, running to the foot of the stairs, Sidney answered the hail.

"Tell Cap'n Eph there's a dory comin' in from the east'ard. As nigh as I can make out, there are two men aboard, but they don't seem to have her in hand very well."

"A dory from the east'ard," the old keeper repeated, he having heard the first a.s.sistant's report. "There's likely to have been trouble out that way, Sonny, for the most venturesome fishermen who ever lived wouldn't be abroad in this blow unless somethin' had gone wrong. Tell Sammy to keep his eye on 'em."

Sidney repeated the instructions as Captain Eph had given them, and a smile overspread his face as he heard Mr. Peters mutter irritably:

"Keep my eye on 'em? I'd like to know what else I can do? Any idjut would have sense enough for that!"

"What's he sayin'?" the keeper asked sharply.

"Nothing more than talking to himself, I guess," Sidney replied, and Captain Eph retorted:

"That's a mighty bad habit Sammy has got. You can't rightfully say that he's makin' back talk; but he chews over a lot of words that kind'er riles a man, 'specially when he hasn't really got a right to find fault.

Go up an' see what you can make out, Sonny."

Sidney obeyed promptly, although feeling quite confident that he could not hope to learn anything more than Mr. Peters had already reported.

"There's trouble of some kind out yonder," the first a.s.sistant said when he handed the gla.s.ses to the lad, "an' the worst of it is, that with both Cap'n Eph an' Uncle Zenas under the weather, we've got to sit still an' see those poor fellows drift past us while we're suckin' our thumbs."

Sidney took the gla.s.ses, and after Mr. Peters had pointed out the direction in which he should look, it was possible to see now and then, as she rose on the crest of a wave, a dory in which was a ma.s.s of something which might be human beings.

"Can you see 'em?" Mr. Peters asked impatiently, after Sidney had gazed in silence several moments.

"Yes; but I'm trying to make out why you should think that dark stuff may be men."

"Because the craft must have belonged to a fisherman, Sonny, an' they don't very often let their boats go adrift. Then agin, what else could be in her but men?"