Part 26 (1/2)

”You're right, it hasn't,” assented Lester griht the lao down and eat with an easy conscience”

Accordingly, he lit the wicks of the great la was in perfect order, he and the other boys descended to the dining roo in readiness and hthouse larder never failed to afford

As they ate, they could feel the building shake to the furious blasts that sravely

”It will be a wild night on the ocean, I',” he remarked, ”and we can thank our lucky stars that we're all in a snug shelter and well out of harm's way I feel sorry for those who have to be abroad on the water to-night”

”So do I,” echoed Fred ”Just listen to that wind roar, will you? It see at once”

”And the ocean's a good second,” chiiant breaker thundered down on the reef, ”that o up to the lookout rooh and watch the storer as Teddy, and when they had finished their ht be called the observation room This was situated just below the roolass facing the sea A door led out from it on to a balcony that ran completely around the structure This door also faced the ocean, and Teddy, always enterprising, thought that he would like to go out on the balcony to feel the force of the wind

He atteain, with the sa must be locked,” he reot it with you, Lester?”

”No,” replied Lester, who had been watching Teddy's ineffectual efforts with a smile, ”but that door isn't locked The reason you couldn't open it was because the as blowing so fiercely against it I doubt if the four of us put together could do it”

”It's no wonder that I had trouble then But never _ out, anyway”

He shaded his eyes with his hands and peered through the thick plate glass s The others followed his exaot

The wind had piled the waves up higher and higher, until they looked like an endless succession of undulating, constantly advancing hills and valleys Froed crests the spray was torn and blown in solid sheets before the raging wind so that at ti waters beneath As the breakers cae, their tops would curve over and cohty blows that it see spray was snatched up by the gale and hurled against the lighthouse, as though the elements were furious at this one obstacle that prevented thee on some unfortunate shi+p and were resolved to sweep it froazed spellbound at the awe-inspiring spectacle, and for a time none of the silence

”I've never seen anything better--or worse--than this,” he said ”I guess the baro to-day”

”It surely is a treain applied hilued, too fascinated with the ele else

They tore themselves away at last and went up into the lamp room where Mr Lee was on duty

He had just finished tri the wicks when the boys entered

”What do you think of this for a storh to suit you?”

”It's tremendous!” ejaculated Ross ”I never knew that wind could blow so hard or waves get so big It's so to remember for a lifetime”

Mr Lee smiled at his earnestness and nodded his head

”You may well say so,” he observed ”Of course, I've seen worse winds in the tropics, when they developed into hurricanes or typhoons But for this coast, it doesn't often blow harder There's more than one fine shi+p will lay her bones down on so, the boys had noticed several dull blows against the outside lens of the light, and Teddy took the first opportunity to inquire the cause