The Lighthouse

to fall as deeply in love with the work a

which quite harmonized with his character. At first he had imagined it would

ls; and the spot on which it was carried on was so circumscribed, and so utterly cut off from all the world, that t

d became a familiar object. The various little pools and inlets, many of them not larger than a dining-room table, received high-sounding and dignified names-such as Port Stevenson, Port, Erskine

acted as a spur, so that on landing each tide they rushed hastily to the work, and the amateur studies in natural history to which we have referred were prosecuted hurriedly during brief intervals of rest. Afterwards, when the beacon

comrades styled him, went to a pool to gather a little dulse, of which there was a great deal on the rock,

ful fish, about a foot long, swimming in the clear water, as quietly as if i

at fish, for it was extremely brilliant and variegated in colour. He looked round for something to throw at it, but there

eached out his hand toward it; but it appeared to think this rather too familiar, for it swam slowly beyond his reach, and the man drew back. Again it came to the

ome time, until the man's comrades began

this was received was changed into a roar of laughter as poor Forsyth's long legs were seen to tip up into the air, and the whole man to disappear

ed the surface he came up with his hands first and his ten fingers spread out helplessly; next appeared his shaggy head, with the eyes wide open, and the

next time Forsyth rose he was seized by the

at it sought refuge in the ocean cavelets at the bottom of that miniature sea, for Long Forsyth was so very large, and cr

shman, who, having been born and partly bred in London, was rather add

e belief that he was rather a witty fellow, "av coorse he was, an' a merry-maid s

served John Watt; "tak' aff yer

ith you," cried Peter Logan, the foreman

make off with you, boy," "and don't be gettin' too fond o' the girls in the sea," &c., the men scattered themselves over the rock and b

they usually furnished food for conversation at

l sunshine and pl

ccasional storms, more or less violent, set in. Landing on the rock became a matter of extreme d

f this evil, however. Landing on the Bell Rock invariably cured the sickness for a time, and the sea-sick men had such an intense longing to eat

irst broke up, it happened about midnight, and the change commenced with a stiff breeze from the eastward. The sea rose at once, and, lon

t only the responsibility of carrying this gigantic work to a satisfactory conclusion, but also, to a larg

e said, accosting the master of the Pharos, who

ven although the wind should increase a little, we ca

rstand the weather better than I do, but remember that

that the heavy stones of the building might be easily run to the exact spot they were to occupy. From this circular rail several branch lines extended to the different creeks where the boats deposited the stones. These lines, although only a few yards in length, were dignified with names-as, Kennedy's Reach, Lagan's Reach, Wat

yards long by three or four wide, and communicated with the side o

r breakfast. Such of the men as were not already

ile they were engaged, had been of short duration, and the greater part of each day had been afterwards spent in light

e bell rang there was a universal groan below, and half a dozen ghostlike individuals raised themselves on their elbows and looked up with expressions of the deepest wo

e word comprehended the essence of all t

another, "why did

mother!" cried O'Connor, as he fell flat down on his

trol over himself at this po

groan; but five or six sat up on the edge of their beds, with a weak intention of turning out They sat there swaying about with the motio

his hammock, "there's nothing like a vigo

ck dog, which lay at that time on the pillow gazing

t's all very well for a sea-dog l

explain the cause of his abrupt silence. Suffice it to say

" roared

chanced to pass the door of the men's sleeping-place

to me since I was a hinfant must be 'up' by this time. I

asy, and they seem to be makin' ready now, so if

men. In a moment every bed was empty, and the place was in a

and a cup of tea, but a gust of wind sent the fumes of the salt pork into the cab

them thrusting biscuits into their pockets as they passed the steward's quarters. Not a man was absent on the roll being called. Even the smith crawled

ration of em

The eastern sky was dark and threatening. The black ridges of the Bell Rock were visible only at times in the midst of

ad the greatest difficulty in preventing them from being stove in; and getting into these boats had much the appe

experience by that time to embark with comparative ease. Nevertheless, there we

rose up and met the vessel's roll. In order to facilitate the operation a boat went to either side of the ship, so that two men were always in the act of watching for an op

ather, and many a narrow escape had he of a ducking. On the pr

starboard side, as Forsyth got over the side and stood

ting into the boat on the port side of the ship, and who alw

owards him, and the said spider appeared towering high on t

osite side from his friend, for at each roll the vessel nec

foot of him. He hesitated, the moment was lost, the boat sank into the hollow of the sea

et?" he cried. "You mu

re the ship rolled ove

was hid

he boat's crew, as the unhappy

ld otherwise have had; it caused him also to leap wildly in a sprawling manner, so that he came down on the shoulders

towards the rock. On approaching it the men were cautioned to

ective creeks at the rock, that the contending seas might not overpower them at places where the free use of the oars could not be had on account of the surrounding rocks or the masses of seawe

ssary; for the great green billows that thundered to windward of the rock came sweeping down on either s

dy," said Mr. Stevenson, as they

shoulder, and saw a heavy sea rolling towards the boat, and inadvertently expressed some fear. The other man, on hearing this, glanced round, and in doing so missed a stroke of his oar. Such a preponderance was thus given to the rowers on the opposite side,

o as to meet the succeeding sea with its bow first. Then, after making considerable efforts, they pushed her off into deep water, and

wonted energy in order to keep themselves warm, not, however, before they ate heartily of their f

e in their work that day; for the wind blew the smoke and sparks about their faces, and occasionally a higher wave than ordina

imilar disregard of the fury of the elemen