The Lighthouse

re only too glad to get such a powerful, active young fellow into their service; and he was shipped off with all speed

blowing when they cast off

er. "Remember your promise, lad, to keep quiet, and don't try to get

nd I'll make my mind easy, for I kno

ck at the town as it became gradually less and less visible in the faint light of morning. Then he began to ponder his unfortunate circumstances, and tried to imagine how his uncle would set about clearing up his character and establishing his innocence; but,

would or no. The moment these thoughts had the reins flung on their necks, and were allowed to go where they pleased, they refused, owing to some unacco

as rudely broken in upon by the

to let go

mastiff, and resolved to devote himself, heart and soul, f

woke up from his dreams would have interested and ex

light westerly winds for some time past, there was little or none of the swell that usually undulates the sea. One result of this was, that, being high water when the Smeaton arrived, there was no sign

were four in number, including the Smeaton. The others were the Sir Joseph Banks, a small schooner-rigged vessel; the Patriot, a little sloop; and the Pharos lightship, a large clumsy-looki

e boats, used for landing stones

of them to indicate that they were tenanted by human beings, but when the sound of the Smeaton's cable was hear

go, and the new hands were transferred to the Pharos, wh

ped upon the deck he found himself involved in all the bustle that ensue

they hurried to and fro, gave the new arrivals a hearty greeting, and asked, "What news from th

the fact that he was in any way connected with it, an elderly gentleman, whose kind counte

sistant blacksm

is cap, as if he felt instinctively that

rable practice, I sup

much latterly, for I have

re accustomed to the sea, for they suffer much from sea-sickness. You can go below, my man, and get breakfast. You'll find your future messmate bu

is,

introduce him to James

he ship's hull that were assigned to the artificers as their place of abode. But amidst a good

as the Vulcan of such an undertaking as he was then engaged in. "You'll find him not a bad feller if you only don't cross him." He added, with a

at the moment busily engaged with a mess of salt

soon," answered the steward. "Mr. Stevenson tol

nterest; then, extending his great hard hand across the table

ite as powerful, and shook the smith's right arm in a way that cal

t had brea

Ruby, sitting down o

e don't upset your

id this rath

eat in a way that proved the truth of his words; "for the m

ou'll get enough of it before long. All the new landsmen like

a landsman,

d the other. "You're a

n. I learned the trade

sea for som

't get sick w

ly not;

hich answer he evidently meant to assure h

dog every time the wind rises, and the worst of it is I don't never seem to imp

est conversation as to their peculiar duties at the

ere Ruby had sufficient to occupy his at

to reading, while a few employed themselves in drying their clothes, which had got wet the previous day, and one or two entertained themselves and their comrades with the music of t

the boat. The men were soon in their places, with their various tools, and the boats pushed off-Mr. Stevenson, the engineer of the

d then each man addressed himself to his special duty with energy. The tim

low me. Mind yer footin', for it's slippery walkin' on them

, as he shouldered the large pair of bellows, a

e'll have to take to metal ones. Here we are, Ruby, this is the forge, and I'll be bound

," answere

soon as you like! I'm

ancing with an armful of picks, chisels, a

tom of a pool of water; but, being used to such mishaps, he arose,

ellows, on observing that the smith's face grew pale, and his g

all his pockets hurriedly, "it's wors

xed, but had no co

attend chiefly to the digging out of the foundation-pit of the building, and kn

" suggested one of the men, who was

th a most undovelike scowl, "I could swear that I

into and out of boats, and climbing up the sides of ships, because of his lengthy and unwieldy figure-"No, you didn't, you turtle-dove

he smith, grasping the matches eagerly

rather," sugg

er will be a slave," s

waits for naebody," said John Watt, one of the

g, and ere long the smoke of the forge fire arose in the still air, and the clan

on, but to the serrated ridges of rock, that might afford some protection to the building, by breaking the force of the easterly seas before they sh

near to it, for the purpose of fixing the great beams of a beacon, while others were cutting away the seaweed from the rock, and making preparations for the laying down of temporary rails to facilitate the c

operations appeared like a small black spot, scarcely above the level of the waves, on which a crowd of living creatures were moving about with great and incessant activity, while all around and beyond lay the

d and varied, came over the water to the distant observer in

ted it were let into holes bored from six to twelve inches into the rock, according to the inequalities of the site. These were wedged first with wood and then with iron, for as this part of the forge and

e same manner, but the anvil itself was left to depend on it

as the stormy winds and waves, they were therefore shipped and unshipped

hey wielded seemed to possess no weight when in their strong hands, and their bodies were so lithe

, turning a mass of red-hot metal from side to side, while Ruby

uby, as he made the sparks fly right

this way, lad," continued the smith, without pausing for a moment in his work. "Blow away, Ruby, the sea is my greatest enemy. Every day, a'most, it washes me away from my work. In calm weather

vidently," said Ruby, as the wat

e time to finish them picks

their heads and shoulders in smoke

y the ti

p the pot bilin', my

n. I say, Dove, do the oth

hing about it is in the rolling o' that horrible Pharos. She's so bad in a gale that I sometimes think she'll roll right over like a cask. Most o

shouted one

the smith, who, with his assistant, was by t

hing was left lying about, while the men who were engaged on those parts of the rocks that were a few inches higher, continued their labours u

ter, "come along; the crabs will b

chance o' a sair throat the v

pickaxe, which he was getting up to that delicate poi

hissing sound was heard below the frame of the forge, the

h a look of disappointment. "Come, lad, up wit

d to the Pharos, three and a half hours of good work h

e rock, and obliterated the scene of those busy op