NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10130, 13 May 1896, Page 3

NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.

BY B. L. FARJKON, Author of" No. 119, Great Porter Square," " Grif,' 1 "The March of Fate," "For the Defence,"" Aaron the Jew," etc. [All Rights Reserved.) partTii, CHAPTER XXX. ft-

JACK SKINNER MAKIS A STATEMENT. A Look 'ere. It ain't a. plant, is it? I'm ft bad lot, I know, about) as bad as they 'em, bub when it comes to committing murder, it ain't in tjfe,.4o do it. If I 'ad the 'earbto kill a man tfc.ain'b gob the pluckfS Wob'a that yer say? I "ad a 'and in it? I'll 'take my oath on my mother's Bible I 'adn'b. I don't remember my mother—l wos ohucked on the world wery young, guv'nor—and I don't know as Bhe ever 'ad a Bible, bub that don'b make no difference, do it? If she did 'ave a Bible, and ib was afore me now, I'd take my oath on ib. I can't speak fairer nor that, can I? I wO3 there—l don'b deny I wos there when ib wos done, bub I 'adn't no more to do with it than the babby unborn. If it woa the last word I 'ad to speak with my dyiti' breath, I'd swear I didn't .'ave no'and in it» and 1 couldn't prevent it no more nor you could, guv'nor, bein', as I dessay yer wo?, a 'undord mile away at the time. Why,lib come upon me like a clap of under, and upon Mr. Louis, too, poro chap, and thore 'e wo3—good Lord, I can 'ardly bring my tongue to say it—there 'e wos, lay in' on the flore, atone dead, and the blood porein' oak of 'im. 'Ere, I can't stand it no longer, I can't. From thab nighb to this I've never 'ad a easy minute. 'Underda and 'underds of times since then I've seed 'im layin,' afore mo as 'e laid that night. It wos only yesterday, while I wos playin' a game o' pyramids and the red balls was scattered all over the table, that all of a sudden* there wos the pore chap layin' on the green cloth in the middle of a dozen large round clots o' blood. Ir, wos only a wision, I know, like any number of others I've 'ad, but it turned me sick, and pub me off my play so thab I couldn't pot ft ball all through the game. Never a green field I 800 bub there 'e is, layin' in the middle of it, with the grass all red about 'im. It ain't a pleasant) sight, guv'nor, is it? It sets mo all of a tremble, and ovor and over agin I've sod to myself, " Make a clean broast of it, Jack, and bring it 'ome to the man wot done the deed. You can't be 'ung for it, you can't, Jack," ees I to myself, " 'cos your 'and wos never raised agin 'im. Make a clean breast of it, wunst and for all, and get rid of the wisions that's a 'minting of yer day and night." And now, on the top o' that, you come to me, guv'nor, and ses, " Yer'vo got to tell mo everything Jack, aboub that there murder. Prove to me yer didn't do it, and not a 'air of yer 'ead shall be touched. Scot free yer shall go, and for wunst in yer life yer'll 'av the satisfaction of bein' on the right side o' justice." Ses you to me, " Keep yer mouth shut, and yer'll find verselr in a 'ole. Queen's evidence is your game. Jack, if yer know wot's good for yerself." Well, guv'nor, when. I put alongside o' that wot I've read in the papers about somobody givin' of 'isself up for the murder, it makes me think I'd best accept yer orfor. Guv'nor, I do accept ib, 'Era's my 'and. But there's something you've got to do fust. You've got to take yer Gospel oath that yer'll be as good as yer word, and that I sha'n't be 'urt for wot I didn't do. You willing? Well,takel 6. That's bindin', mind yer, and don'b forgib yer'll be burnt in 'ell fire if yer've swored false. 'Ave yer got anythink else to say afore I start? I don't wants to be meddled with once I begin, 'cause it'd be bound to muddle me, and I should git off the track. I must tell everythink I know about myself and my pals and Mr. Louis ? It's a lai'ge order, bub all right. A clean breast I'to promised to make, and ft cloan breast it shall be. 'Ere goes. There wos three of,us, outsido of 'im that's gono. Maxwell (that's the only name I knowed 'im by), and' Morgan (that's the only name 1 knowed 'im by), and me. They called me Jack, and if yer don't mind I'll call the other Louis. lb Baves a lob of titno to drop the misters. ' There ain't much to tell aboub myself up to the time I fust set eyes on Maxwell and Morgan. I never learnt a honest trade, and in course I 'ad to do something for a livin'. I've been a billiard marker, a racecourse runner, a ticket snatcher, a crossin'sweeper (not longer at that nor 1 could 'elp, it wos playin' it. so low), a tout for sharps, a decoy tor mug-*, a thimble-rigger, a tipster, a nigger minstrel, and I don't know what elso. Wunst I wos that 'ard up that I carried a Punch and Judy for a showman mean enough 'o skin a (lint; 'e wouldn't pay me wot wos dno, so me and Toby took our 'ook together. There wos a week I run srter cabs from the railway stations on the

chance of u job to carry the luggage in. Yer can't play it much lower nor that, can yer, gtir'nor ? The things I could tell 'ci till a book if I 'nil the gift to set 'era down. If I'd beon eddycatcd up to it I might 'nvo done well among tho swells, I'm that) neat with the pastoboards. I can shuttle 'em in anyway I want, kings at top, aces at bottom, in tho middle, anywhere you like. My fingers wos mado for ib. Set down at allfours with me, and I'll tell yer every card in yer 'and. With three peas and ft thimble I've earnt many a thick 'an. And now yer've gob my pickcher. If open confession's good for the soul, I ought bo feel comfortable about mine.

Ib wos billiards as fust brought me and Maxwell and Morgan together. I wos marker ab the Jolly Ploughboy under a falsi name, and when they come in I wos practising the spot stroke, no one else bein in the room. I'd made thirteen spots, and wos well set for a run, but the minute I set eyes on 'em I began to kid, and missed a lob of winnin' 'nzards. I wosn'b born yesterday, yer know. They stood watchin' me till I laid down my cue and arst 'em if they wanted a game. They looked at each other and larfed. "O-ho," sed 1 to myself, " untin' for mugs."

"If he ain'b 'ere at four o'clock," eed Maxwell to Morgan, "we needn't) eg.ipeob him till five."

" That's bo," sed Maxwell. They waited till five minutes past four, bub the party they wos egspectin' didn't turn up. " We'll securo the table," sed Maxwell, and arsb me "ow many I'd give 'im in a 'underd. '"Ow many '11 yer give mo?" wos tine question I put to 'im. " 'flint's cool," sod 'a, " a billiard marker wantin' points." " I ain'b been long at the game," sed I, by way of apology. " We want the table till seven," sed Maxwell, "to play with a friond wob's comin' to soe us, so you and me '11 'ave a game even." " I'll try my luck," sed I, and we set to work, Morpan bein' go obligin' as to mark for us.

" Let's 'ave a bet on it," sed Maxwell. " I'm agreeable, as far as a shillin'goes," sed I; " it's as much as I can afford to 'one,' It wos a funny game. 'E 'adn'c taken 'arf-a-dozon shots afore 1 sor '0 wos kiddin', missin' easy shots, and makin' difficult ones, and pretendin' they wos flukes. But I could kid as well as 'im, and I don't think '0 suspected my play 'arf as much as 1 suspected 'is. Wo passed eash other over and over agin; now 'e wos a'ead, now me. Morgan seemed to be amused at the game, and wos very free with 'is remarks. At 'arf-past four Maxwell wos eighty-two, and I wos twelve be'ind.

" Let's mako it two 'uoderd," 'e sed," and double the stakes,"

" All right," sed I," we ain't dabs either Of ÜB.

Wo went on with the game, seorin' wery slow. At ten minutes to five we wos " 140 all," neck and neck. Maxwell looked up at the clock. " Our friend '11 be 'era in ten minutes," Bed.'e.; and I'm blesb if 'a didn't set. to work and scorce fifty-eight off tho ballsMjUiin two of the game. . ' jja ||j t " Ten to one in shlllin's you lo^m|nc|s? <" sed Morgan, when 'is pal coaMinMi is big break. ft If H m , •'"■ Done with' you, Sir," liMßflb I didn't like the bet a bib when T'sor wot Maxwell could do with the balls. Luckily

for me 'e missed 'is last shot, a loser off the white, and I knew it was all up with me if 1 give 'irn another chance. So I pulled myself together, and played up in real earnest. I wanted sixty to win, ana I "run 'em out jest as the clock struck fire. . They looked staggered a minute, and then they bust out larfln', and threw me my winnin's. As I wos pocketin' the twelve bob with an innercent look (the money come wery 'andy jesb thou, guv'nor) the friend they wos waitin' for pops 'is 'ead in. It was pore Louis. I can't say I ever took to 'im, 'e was that stuck up, bub when a core comes to eech a eud as 'e come to its orftens the 'eart.

Tho minute I sor 'im I spotted wot they wos up to. Maxwell and 'im wos old friends accordin' to their talk, bub Morgan was a nevy pal," and ib was 'im as tackled Louis at billiards. Louis had plenty .of money to sport; e'd been backin' winners, and 'ad pulled off a doubly event, two thousan' to twenty.,: .It made my. mouth water to 'ear 'em talk about it. Maxwell 'ad been nicked the other way through backin' losers. ' , "Wot does it mabter ?" 'e cried. " Every "dawg 'as 'is day. Ib 'II be our turn next." "You think yerself clever, you do," sneered Louis. " You've only gob to touch a thing to make a mess of it." « " You're the clever one," sed Maxwell, bub I sore didn't like the slap. " Wot do you think?" said Louis, rattlin' the money in 'is pocket. Morgan and 'im played pyramids ab fugb, a dollar a ball. Louis fancied 'isselfa hit, and they kep' praising 'is good shots, but 'o wos as much a match for the man 'e wos playin' with as a mouse is for a cat. It didn't take me long to see that Morgan could give Louis four balls oub of fifteen,; and, beat 'is 'ead off. , But the way 'e kidded! I "never soc thing like it, 'E ieb Louis; win three games right off, and' then they played a match at billiards, five 'underd up. Maxwell backed Louis, and thoy 'ad any amount of larfin' »nd charfin' over the game. It wosn'b my place to say anythink; it's a marker's business to 'old 'is tongue if 'e wants to keep 'is place. Besides, wosn't I as bad as they wos, and wouldn't I 'ave won monoy of Louis if 'e'd give me'arf a chance? Nob that Morgan took any of 'is tin thab afternoon. 'E won five pound, and so did Maxwell, and 'a chuckled over it as if 'e'd won a 'atful. They went away when the game wos over, and didn't come into that billiard-room agin while I wos marker there.

I didn't) stop long, it's true. There was a devil of a row one night, and a man who knew me rounded on me and called me a thief. While the row was goin' on in come the landlord with 'is fightin' potman, and I wos bundled out neck and crop. It ain'b easy to get a honest living, guv'nor. I wasn't flush of tin when I lost my situation ; 'arf a quid wos all I 'ad, and that wag soon blooed, .'Then I 'ad sech a spell o' bad luck that ib drove me fairly wild. Windsor races woson, and I thought I'd try my luck there, so I borrered a old pack o' cards, a deal board, and a couple of tressels, and tramped ib to the course, startin' in the night to gob there in time. I give yer my word I wos 'most starved, and as for my togs—well, I 'ad to tie the soles of my boots to the uppers with bits of string. Between the races I set up my table, and begun to show my card tricks, Unfortunately I ain't wery good at patter, and you know, guv'nor, no one better, wob a long way that goes with a crowd. I tried to mako clever speeches, but couldn't, and the consekence wos thab the day was nearly over, and oightpence wos all I managed to screw out o' the mangy lot. A tanner o' that went in 'ard-biled eggs, and bread, and a go o 1 stooed eels, and there was I with tuppence left to take me back to London. It wos Saturday, and thero wos no chance of gittin' anythink to-morrer. A tight 'ole, wasn't it ? A life like mine ain'b all beer and skittles, I can tell yer. Down-'earted as I wos, I went on with my tricks, and nover did 'em better in all my life. Bub ib was no go; them as gathered round wouldn't parb. I wos beggin' of 'em to chuck in their coppers when who should I see among 'em bub Maxwell ? 'E didn't speak to me jest then, and 'o didn'b give me nothink ; presently 'o went away, and come back with Morgan, and they stood watGhin' me shuffle the pasteboards. Then they looked at each other, arid sed somethink I didn't 'ear. Morgan walked off, leavin' Maxwell be'ind. 'E took mo aside.

"Yer down on yer luck," sed 'e. "Never'ad sech a cussed run in all my born days," sed I, showin' my rags. " You're clever with,,the pasteboards," sed 'e.

' 1 Wish I could get my livin' out of 'em," sed I.

"Per'aps yer can," sed'e. "If I orfer yer a job mil yer tako it?" " Will a duck swim ?" I answered.

'E scanned me all over, jest as if 'e wos measuring me for somethink, and sed, " You ain't over partickhr, I suppose?" "Me over-parbickler!" 1 cried. " That's a good 'un, Wot sort of a job ?" " Pickin' feathers," he sed, as serious as a judge. " Wot sorb of bird ?" I arsb.

" Pigeon," he answered. " A fine fat'un." " I'm yer man," sad I, and then 'e book a card from 'is pocket, and told mo to call at the address to morrer at one o'clock. 'Is rooms won on tho fuat flora, 'e said, and I wos to inarch straight into bha 'ouse and up the stairs, and say nothink to nobody. As 'e woa tellin' me this Morgan came runniu' up to 'im and whispered somebhink about a 'orse that wos gain' to run in the next race, and l,hoy made off together. " Mean cuss I" though b I, for the least 'e could 'ave done wos to give me a bob or two 011 account, seein' the state I woa in. 'Owsomever, the chance of a job cheered me up a bib.

Whon tho races woa over I looked about for Maxwell or Morgan, bub they wosn'b in sight, and there woa nothink for ib bub to shoulder ray traps and tramp it bo London. Nob a pleasant journey, guv'nor, with the rain comin' down in torrents, Past fire in the mornin' when I gob back, and I wos that 'ungry I could 'are cab a brick if I could 'ave got my teeth in ib. I ain'b bellin' yer this to egscufio myself for wot I did afterwards, only I want yer bo know that I wos never in my life so desperately 'ard up as I wos that night when I footed ib from Windsor to London through the peltin' rain. I wouldn't like a dawg belongin' to me to go through wot I did, and if ib 'adn'jf been for a woman givin' me the beat part of 'er mug o' corfey at a nighb-stall at two in the mornin' it's my opinion I should 'ave 'ad to throw up the sponge.

The address on the card was Newmanstreet, Soho, and I wos there to the minute. Up I limped—l'd run a nail into my footto tho fust (lore, as Maxwell told me to do, the streob doro bein' on the swing. If anybody 'ad opened it to me they'd 'aveslamraed it in my face, and small blame to 'em, I wos sech a scarecrow. The landin' was so dark that I could 'ardly see, but my 'and touched a knocker, and I used ib free. Maxwell 'imself answered ib, and I follered 'im to 'is room.

"By gum," said 'e, "yoa've gob yerself up fof exhibition ! 'Ave yer spent; that twelve tob yer won of us ab billiards ?" "Give me somethink to eat," sed I. "I'm arf jtarved."

He took a pie of some sort out of a cup* board, and I made ahorb work of ib.

" Bear or whisky 1" 'e sod, when I wos arf way through, "Both," I answered, and 'o laughed as 'e pub a bottle o' beer and arf a tumbler of whisky afore mo. I finished the beor and put the whisky atop of it. It warmed me, I can tell yer. Now for business," hesed; "bub fust go into that bath room, and wash the dirt off your 'ands." I gob 'em as clean as I could, and then 'e sed, " Thorp's a pack o' cards on the mantelshelf. Let's 'ave a game o' piquet. I stared at 'im, and sed I didn't know the game. "I'll learn ibyer,"he sed. "You 1 beat mo at billiards; I want to see if yer can beat me at piqueb." " I ain'b goo no money to lose," sed I. " We'll play for nuts," sed 'e, with a wink. 'E told me all the pints of the game, and in 'arf-a-hour I 'ad it at my fingers' ends, and knew as much about it as 'e did 'isselfe

" D'yer want me to play on the square ?" I arst.

41 1 want to see 'ow yer can palm the cards," he answered. " I bold yer at Windsor yesterday that the job 1 'ad to orfer yer wos to pick feathers. A fab pigeon, with feathers of gold. Do yer twig?" "Yes," I sed. "I can palm the pasteboards pritty well myself," he went on, " but I ain'b alius to pe; depended on. Morgan's a muff 'is fingers are all thumbs, 'Old up yer 'ands. Good—as steady as a rook. Como on; it's your deal," Wo played, and I 'ardly ever dealt _ myself a 'and without four aces, or four kings, or a point of sixteen or seventeen fiom the /

ace. In less than a hour 1 won nigh upon a thousand points of /iff). 'E watched me close, but 'e couldn't; find out 'ow iti wob done, and 'e said with a soar grin that I wos the prince o' sharps, and that 'e wouldn't like to play me for money. (To bo continued ob Saturday next.)

CHILDREN'S COLUMN. WHY THE ALLIGATOR LIGHT WAS DARK.

AN ADVENTURE IN A FLORIDA

LIGHTHOUSE. " Rex, don't it make yon feel like a real old Crusoe or a Swiss Family Robinson or something to be left to ourselves here on this key with only Codjoe' to cook for us and a fine black squall coming up from the southeast, and—"

" Ib does give a fellow some such feeling, that's a fact, Nick, But the black squall coming is just whab I don't like to see, The Pelican ought to be back some time early this evening, if I'm any judge of wind and weather, and I'd rather have her in before the squall comes.' 1

".Oh, pshaw!' 1 Nick exclaimed. ' "I guess our fathers know how to take care of themselves in a squall. The Pelican is a sound little schooner, and they have two good sailors aboard."

"They'll be all right, of course; bub I'd rather see them back before it begins to blow," Rex answered. His name was not Rex at all, but Harry King; but his schoolmates > Said thab as Rex was Latin for King, .that would be a good nickname for him.

Ib wai on the piazza of a rambling old house on Indian Key, among the Florida reefs, thab the boys sab watching the coming storm. There was no other house on the island, and no other island within eight or ten miles. The great Alligator Lighthouse stood out in front of them, five miles out to sea, built on a hidden reef. The nearest store was in Key West, 80 miles away; so was the nearest doctor, the nearest everything. That made it all the jollier, the boys thought. There was nothing mysterious in Nick Jenner and Harry King being together in this lonely house on a lonely island, with the coloured boy Cudjoe to cook for them. The boys live in a sea-coast city in Rhode Island, where they have boats of their own. Their fathers, Lawyer Jenner and Dr. King, are not only expert amateur sailors, bub are also very fond of fishing and shooting. When their fathers determined to run away from work for ft month and enjoy themselves among the Florida Keys they wisely took the boys with them, for Hex being past 15 and Nick almost 16 they could make themselves useful while they were enjoying it all. The house was not part of the original programme, for they expected to live on the boat; bub the mart from whom they chartered the schooner in Key West owned the house too, as well as the island ; and when he offered the use of the house, partly furnished, they did nob refuse it—particularly as a neat little Bharpie called the Dolphin belonged with the house, and lay at anchor just off the beach.

"I am glad to have the old lighthouse there to-night," Rex retortod. " Since our fathers did have to run down to Key West to reach the telegraph office the light will help them find the way back if they come to-night. No matter how many .•quails come nor how dark tihe night the light is always a sure thing. You know there are three keepers, and two of them have to be always on duty.' 1

" Now, den, gem mens, yo' euppahs is all ready, sahs," came the welcome voice of Cudjoe from the hall door. The boys had been longing for this call, for a day's fishing had made them hungry.

"What's this, Cudjoe?" Rex asked, as they entered the dining-room and saw the meal the " boy" had prepared. " More green turtle soup to-night?" " No, sah ; dat loggerhead turtle soup dig time, sah. I ketch him on de boach dia raawnin', sah. An' here's minced turtle, sah, an' deve is some b'led turtle eggs. Under de kiver is some fried flyin'-fish, sah; an' I done think you might like some sweet pineapple fresh outn de field, sah.' "You're a famous old cook, Cudjoe," Nick exclaimed as they both fell to eating. "I'm afraid we're lining too high down here with our turtle soup every day.' 1 " We're getting to be regular al—" Rex was about to say aldermen; but before he could finish the word there cume a sharp flash of lightning, with a tremendous peal of thunder right 011 top of it. The boys looked at each other, but before they could speak the wind and rain followed. A squall among the Florida Keys comes with a crash and a flood of water ; trees bend to the ground ; houses shake, and sometimes fall; everything is black, and grand, and wot. The old house trembled under the blow, and the rain on the roof sounded like tons of water falling upon the shingles. " There's the squall," Rex said after a few seconds had passed. " I hope it doesn't turn into anything worse, and I think I'd give something nice if the folks were safe on shore."

" So should I,'' Nick answered, " bub I think they'll bo all ri\ht, And, as we can't stop the storm, we may as well finish our suppers.' That was comforting philosophy for two hungry fishormon, and the boys ate while the storm raized, and made up for much lost time. They could nob look out, because there is no glass in the windows of the Keys, only board shutters, and (Judjoe had shut the shutters.

Rex was the first to find thab ho positively could eat no more, and leaving Nick still seated at the table, he pushed back his chair, and went out to the piazza to look at the weather. An instant later the cry rang through the house: " Nick ! Nick I"

Ib was such a cry of alarm that Nick immediately sprang up and ran out to see. Everything outside was pitch dark, and Rex, in all the wind and rain, was holding to one of the piazza pillars. " I must be blind, Nick I" Rex shouted. "Look ! Where's the lighthouse?" "The lighthouse?" Nick answered, wonderingly, and looked out seaward. But he saw no light " Why— there is no light! No light in all this darkness. What can ib moan ?"

Instead of answering, Rex dashed into the house and returned in a few seconds with Cudjoe. "Look' ab that, Cudjoe," ha shouted "thore is no _ _ f

At first Cudjoe would not believe ib. He ran to one end of the piazza and then to the other, looking in all directions for a light. " Well, I 'elac' to goodness!" he axclaimed, and his face was as ashy as such a black face could become. " I 'ain't never teed dab light oub afore, geminen. Dey'll be wracks along dig cobs' to-nigh 1, sho!" " Something has happened out there, Nick 1" Rex exclaimed. " They are in trouble, or they would never leave thab lamp unlimited.' y'The lighthouse may have been struck by lightning," Nick suggested; "you know ib is made of iron."

"Yes, I've thought of that." Rex replied ; or lightning may have killed the men. There's no telling what it is, bat it's sure to be serious. All we know is thab there is no light, and our fathers are both out on the water depending on that lie ht. Ib may cost both their lives, and hundreds of other lives, too. I feel as if we ought to do something, Nick," "80 do I," said Nick, " but I dot?'fc see what wo can do. It's terrible to think of our fathers out there looking for the light, and of all those steamers that may be lost."

"An besides that," Rex broke in,-" the lighthouse people may be in trouble. Perhaps th>s tbiughas been blown over. They may be clinging to the wreck waiting for somebody to help them. Oh! I can't stand it, Nick. I'm going out there in the sharpie to see whether I can be of any assistance,"

"What! out to the lighthouse I" Nick exclaimed. " In that little sharpie, in this storm I Why, you'd never even find the lighthouse in the darkness." " Oh, yes, I will," Rex answered confidently. " I'm enough of a sailor to handle a boat on a worse night than this. The wind has gone down a good deal, and the rain won't hurt anybody. "Besides, Nick," he added, laying his hand tenderly on [friend's arm, "suppose you and I were out there in the schooner, and our fathers were here on shore and the light failed like this, what would they do?'' " Right you are, old man i" and Nick seized -Rex's hand and gave ib a hearty squeeze. "They'd go out and have that

lighb burning if there was as much as a wick left 1 And that's what we'll do, for, of course, I shall go along." v " We must leave Cudjoe here in ease the schooner gets in," Bex said, "and to keep a lantern burning to guide us back; and the fewer clothes we wear the better, Nick, for we may have to swim." Cudjoe protested with all his might against the boys risking their lives in the storm and darkness, bat it did no good. They sent him for the lantern and tied it .to a corner post of the piazza, explaining to him the importance of keeping it burning at all hazards.

" After all, it's not going to be as bad out on the water as it looks," Mick suggested, while they were making ready. " The wind has gone down a great degl since the first blast, and these heavy rains keep the sea down. Darkness always makes things seem worse than they are, too." Rex was very thoughtful and quiet now that the surprise was past, and had little to say. He knew the danger of trying to make a landing against the exposed lighthouse in the midst of a storm. But just before they set out for the beach he said to Cudjoe: "Cudjoe, if my father gets safely back while we are gone I want you to tell him that we went out to the lighthouse because we thought it our duty to go. We are nob going to make such a trip for sport." It was work for men, and good sailormen, too, going out ia a sharpie to find a dark lighthouse on such a night. The wind was dead against them, and they had to beat out, and the rain was still falling in torrents. Rex took the tiller and handled the sheets, and it was as much as Nick could do to keep the boat clear of water.

{To be continued,}