Part 44 (1/2)

”We'll have fog to-night,” observed Dumsby to Brand, pausing in the operation of polis.h.i.+ng a reflector, in which his fat face was mirrored with the most indescribable and dreadful distortions.

”D'ye think so?”

”I'm sure of it.”

”You're right,” remarked Forsyth, looking from his elevated position to the seaward horizon, ”I can see it coming now.”

”I say, what smell is that?” exclaimed Ruby, sniffing.

”Somethink burnin',” said Dumsby, also sniffing.

”Why, what can it be?” murmured Forsyth, looking round and likewise sniffing. ”Hallo! Joe, look out; you're on fire!”

Joe started, clapped his hand behind him, and grasped his inexpressibles, which were smouldering warmly. Ruby a.s.sisted, and the fire was soon put out, amidst much laughter.

”'Ang them reflectors!” said Joe, seating himself, and breathing hard after his alarm and exertions; ”it's the third time they've set me ablaze.”

”The reflectors, Joe?” said Ruby.

”Ay, don't ye see? They've nat'rally got a focus, an' w'en I 'appen to be standin' on a sunny day in front of 'em, contemplatin' the face o'

natur', as it wor, through the lantern panes, if I gits into the focus by haccident, d'ye see, it just acts like a burnin'-gla.s.s.”

Ruby could scarcely believe this, but after testing the truth of the statement by actual experiment he could no longer doubt it.

Presently a light breeze sprang up, rolling the fog before it, and then dying away, leaving the lighthouse enshrouded.

During fog there is more danger to s.h.i.+pping than at any other time. In the daytime, in ordinary weather, rocks and lighthouses can be seen. At night, lights can be seen, but during fog nothing can be seen until danger may be too near to be avoided. The two great fog-bells of the lighthouse were therefore set a-going, and they rang out their slow deep-toned peal all that day and all that night, as the bell of the Abbot of Aberbrothoc is said to have done in days of yore.

That night Ruby was astonished, and then he was stunned! First, as to his astonishment. While he was seated by the kitchen fire chatting with his friend the smith, sometime between nine o'clock and midnight, Dumsby summoned him to the lantern to ”help in catching to-morrow's dinner!”

Dove laughed at the summons, and they all went up.

The first thing that caught Ruby's eye at one of the window panes was the round visage of an owl, staring in with its two large eyes as if it had gone mad with amazement, and holding on to the iron frame with its claws. Presently its claws lost hold, and it fell off into outer darkness.

”What think ye o' that for a beauty?” said Forsyth.

Ruby's eyes, being set free from the fascination of the owl's stare, now made him aware of the fact that hundreds of birds of all kinds--crows, magpies, sparrows, tomt.i.ts, owls, larks, mavises, blackbirds, etcetera, etcetera--were fluttering round the lantern outside, apparently bent on ascertaining the nature of the wonderful light within.

”Ah! poor things,” said Forsyth, in answer to Ruby's look of wonder, ”they often visit us in foggy weather. I suppose they get out to sea in the fog and can't find their way back to land, and then some of them chance to cross our light and take refuge on it.”

”Now I'll go out and get to-morrow's dinner,” said Dumsby. He went out accordingly, and, walking round the balcony that encircled the base of the lantern, was seen to put his hand up and quietly take down and wring the necks of such birds as he deemed suitable for his purpose. It seemed a cruel act to Ruby, but when he came to think of it he felt that, as they were to be stewed at any rate, the more quickly they were killed the better!

He observed that the birds kept fluttering about, alighting for a few moments and flying off again, all the time that Dumsby was at work, yet Dumsby never failed to seize his prey.

Presently the man came in with a small basket full of _game_. ”Now, Ruby,” said he, ”I'll bet a sixpence that you don't catch a bird within five minutes.”

”I don't bet such large sums usually, but I'll try,” said Ruby, going out.

He tried and failed. Just as the five minutes were expiring, however, the owl happened to alight before his nose, so he ”nabbed” it, and carried it in triumphantly.